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macaronoui's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
medium-paced
- 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
A delightful -whodunnit- set in Malaysia, in the competitive scrabble tournament world of teens.
Najwa loses her best friend in a freak accident at a scrabble tournament, takes a year to recover and then comes back again. Having all the players around, she tries to solve the mystery of her friend’s death Trina.
I thought the pacing and setting were great. No one is as dramatic as teens, and there were a lot of interesting characters. I would definitely read something else by the author.
The book is ultimately a gift for nerdy word lovers, with every chapter starting with an obscure word.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
namigranger12's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death
unicorndesiles's review against another edition
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
etiemens's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, and Grief
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
There was a lot I liked about Queen of the Tiles - I liked the original setting, I loved the diverse player backgrounds and experiences, and I enjoyed the integration of Scrabble and language into the heart of the story. But, now that I've finished it and sat on my thoughts for a couple days, I also need to be honest with myself and say there's not a lot that really made Queen of the Tiles stand out within the story itself.
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. :)
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. :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Toxic relationship
kuri's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Infidelity
mandkips's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cursing, Drug abuse, and Infidelity
abigail_reads06's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Nice mystery, didn’t know what was going to happen next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship
emeraldelephant's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Decent mystery but I think I read this at the wrong time. I just wasn't in the mood for it. That being said, I enjoyed Najwa as a character and her journey through grief and to find out answers.
I am writing this review months later and have forgotten a lot of details but overall I enjoyed this story.
I am writing this review months later and have forgotten a lot of details but overall I enjoyed this story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
dalmavatai's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I really liked the Scrabble competition and the amateur-sleuth vibes in this one but sadly the rest was just way too much predictable YA drama and the reveals at the end were incredibly underwhelming. A short read though so if you like Scrabble and don't mind YA drama, maybe give this one a go.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Toxic friendship