Alkaf, Hanna. Queen of the Tiles. Fiction. Simon & Schuster/ Salaam Reads, 04/2022. 304pp. $18.99. 978-1-5344-9455-8. HIGH ADDITIONAL. GRADES 6-12.
A brisk mystery for word nerds set in Kuala Lumpur, Queen of the Tiles is narrated by Najwa Bakri, who is walking into her first Scrabble tournament in the year since her best friend Trina’s death. As Najwa texts, talks, and reflects on the current tournament and the one where Trina died, the reader is dropped into a world of studious and quirky competitors and their families. Each chapter reveals both more about the circumstances of Trina’s death and details of the Scrabble games in play, with sportscaster-worthy descriptions. Alkaf is a delicate and descriptive author, sharing everything from study styles to cultural differences about wearing hijab, and she is lyrical in her love of words and word play.
Lesley Mandros Bell, Unaffiliated