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yourlocalscrivener's review
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
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
durrareadsstuff's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
tense
fast-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
3.5
Easily one of the best books I've read so far. Hanna Alkaf's books have always felt like home to me, but this one, I feel like is her best work yet. The writing itself, perhaps it has something to do with the protagonist being a scrabble nerd, but it's just so brilliant. I've highlighted a major part of this book and I'm not ashamed to admit that 😌
All of the characters, from our protagonist Najwa all the way to the monotonous waitress and that one super polite opponent Najwa had. I felt like all of them were so well-constructed, had so much depth that it was just so fun to read. I also really enjoyed the interaction between Najwa and Alina—their sisterhood felt so authentic and even though Alina wasn't there that much, she's kind of my favourite? Also, there were so much more malaysian and pop culture references that I SO RELATE TO I LOVE IT SO MUCH AAAGHH 😫😫💓💓
And the plot?? JUST WOW. Every time I thought it was going this way, it went into a whole other direction. The foreshadowing, the word play, the atmosphere—all of those were just stunningly executed. I gasped way too many times while reading this. I also felt like screaming once but it was late and I didn't want to wake my roommate. However in my opinion the ending fell a little flat. I'm glad everything was resolved, but I don't know, I just felt a teeny bit unsatisfied?And I don't really like Puteri and Mark but whatever.
The themes covered in this book (panic attacks, grief, ptsd, etc.) I think was done quite accurately, and the writing was just *chef's kiss 🤌💋 As I was finishing this book, I felt a little melancholic because I know I'll never get to experience reading this for the first time again :')
Update:
Okay the ending bugged me more than I thought.it's just—so basic? I mean, it's so obvious that she did it from the beginning. And like, I just don't like the dude character (sorry I forgot his name) and like, it's so weird that he got back together with the other girl even though it would've been more ridiculous if he ended up with the mc
All of the characters, from our protagonist Najwa all the way to the monotonous waitress and that one super polite opponent Najwa had. I felt like all of them were so well-constructed, had so much depth that it was just so fun to read. I also really enjoyed the interaction between Najwa and Alina—their sisterhood felt so authentic and even though Alina wasn't there that much, she's kind of my favourite? Also, there were so much more malaysian and pop culture references that I SO RELATE TO I LOVE IT SO MUCH AAAGHH 😫😫💓💓
And the plot?? JUST WOW. Every time I thought it was going this way, it went into a whole other direction. The foreshadowing, the word play, the atmosphere—all of those were just stunningly executed. I gasped way too many times while reading this. I also felt like screaming once but it was late and I didn't want to wake my roommate. However in my opinion the ending fell a little flat. I'm glad everything was resolved, but I don't know, I just felt a teeny bit unsatisfied?
The themes covered in this book (panic attacks, grief, ptsd, etc.) I think was done quite accurately, and the writing was just *chef's kiss 🤌💋 As I was finishing this book, I felt a little melancholic because I know I'll never get to experience reading this for the first time again :')
Update:
Okay the ending bugged me more than I thought.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Grief
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship
Minor: Murder
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