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
I've never been a fan of mysteries that have a social media twist to them. It just sort of makes it meh for me. It also read a bit "too YA" at times to such degree I wanted to roll my eyes. It was slightly overwritten, and I didn't find the characters interesting enough to follow along.
But really it isn't a bad book by any means. It's just not for me.
But really it isn't a bad book by any means. It's just not for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Toxic friendship
kh_xion's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
mizreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
4.75
I'd give the first third of this 5 stars. Every chapter I was crying—the prose was so lovely and the way Alkaf writes really grabs you by the shoulders and pushes you face-first into a world of scrabble tiles and grief. It was such a fantastic read for me, dealing with mental health and trauma and grief, and the love of a seemingly simple, niche thing. I have a few issues with how some parts seem to have been flipped somehow, and I think the prose at the last third didn't drive into me the same way the first third did, but I still absolutely love and adore this book, especially as a SEAsian 💙 I'm so happy this took place in Malaysia itself—I could feel myself taking inspiration from the places I've been in SEAsia rather than the US, which isn't something I can say for a lot of the books I've read recently.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Mental illness
olive_lol's review against another edition
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
3.5
A weekend Scrabble tournament is a unique yet effective setting for a mystery novel. The main thing that stood out to me with this book was the way Scrabble was intertwined with every aspect of it, even the narration.
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,
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Scrabble, explorations of grief, and mysteries with unique settings.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship
Minor: Drug abuse, Infidelity, Cursing, and Self harm
rinyy's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Panic attacks/disorders
vampire_burrito's review against another edition
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Mental illness
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, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders
nicdoeswords's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.5
WONDERFUL! Oh I loved this book, which is a mystery/study in grief set at a Scrabble tournament. Pitch perfect YA in that I felt really connected to my teenage self while reading, and a total love letter to language. I learned so many words I could play in Scrabble! And also that I would get creamed in Scrabble by any of these characters, lol. Really fantastic if I'm honest I think everyone should read this, not least because of how quickly i tore through it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
yourlocalscrivener's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Murder