jaqylantern's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
The biggest thing I didn't really like was them making the best friend seem horrible. She was just a popular teen? It didn't seem like she did anything that warranted so much hate.
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Death
hue's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
But really it isn't a bad book by any means. It's just not for me.
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Toxic friendship
mizreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Mental illness
olive_lol's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I thought Najwa was an interesting character and detective in the way she interacts with both her past and her grief. However, I wish we had gotten to know the other characters better before the mystery really kicked off, which would have helped me get more invested. Most characters have another side that slowly (or quickly, for some) gets revealed over the course of the story.
As for the ending,
Spoiler
I found it surprisingly satisfying for a muder mystery with no real killer. I liked that the idea of Trina’s death being an accident was presented as a real option from the beginning and not swept to the side for the sake of shocking the reader.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Scrabble, explorations of grief, and mysteries with unique settings.
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Minor: Drug abuse, Infidelity, Cursing, and Self harm
macaronoui's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
Graphic: Death
namigranger12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death
unicorndesiles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
etiemens's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Mental illness, Death, and Grief
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It's a murder mystery, mostly. There's only do much originality that can come from that format while maintaining all the benchmarks, and Queen of the Tiles is not a very long book. I don't know that I'll look back in six months and say, "You know what I read last year that was really interesting? Queen of the Tiles." Is it a good book? Absolutely. I enjoyed reading it! But it isn't particularly memorable.
That said, I do still recommend reading it. As I said, it was enjoyable. :)
Moderate: Death and Toxic relationship
kuri's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness
Moderate: Grief, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Drug abuse