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bibliobrandie's review
4.0
I enjoyed entering this world of competitive Scrabble (and learned a lot of words and tricks!). It's been a year since the death of Najwa Bakri's best friend and Scrabble Queen, Trina. Najwa believes her death wasn't an accident and has decided to investigate. This Malaysia-set murder mystery is original and absorbing with suspicious characters, red herrings, cutthroat competitions, and plenty of obscure Scrabble words, it will keep you guessing until the end.
pranjallives's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
cobaltbookshelf's review
3.0
This was fun read with great heroine and cool mystery. Grief was handled with care, overall very engaging YA read.
lizanneyoung's review against another edition
4.0
⭐⭐⭐⭐
This story was so much fun. Najwa, our main character who is a big fan of words and Scrabble, is getting back into the game after the tragic and sudden death of her best friend Trina at the tournament last year. But, there may be more to everything than meets the eye.
I knew there was a bit of mystery going in, but I didn’t realize how much there was or how fun it would be to watch play out. Najwa is trying to overcome her grief and the side effects that have come with it all while being in the middle of something you could argue is out of a Riverdale episode at times (though one character does not agree with me). Honestly, I love how all the threads intertwine: Najwa’s love of words, every quirk of the characters we’re introduced to, the mystery, and the competition. Everything both is and isn’t a clue into what happened and while it all makes sense in the end, you can’t help but wonder how it could’ve fit together differently, much like a Scrabble rack.
The portrayal of grief is different from others I’ve read before in the best way because ultimately everyone’s experience is unique. Seeing Najwa work through that, while also trying to honor her best friend, was a great journey to be on.
As someone who grew up loving the movie Akeelah and the Bee, particularly the Scrabble sequences at a birthday party, this scratched an itch I didn’t know my brain had. I’ve been meaning to read this book since its release, and I’m mad at myself that it took me this long. BUT, I now have learned several new words, and have included my favorites (and their definitions) below.
🔴 Ataraxia: “calmness or peace of mind”
🔴 Glaikit: “foolish”
🔴 Syzygy: “the perfect alignment of three celestial bodies”
punkachats's review
5.0
J'ai adoré ! Un petit thriller très soft et vraiment très sympa dans le monde du Scrabble
elizabethnicole's review
2.0
I liked that the book was a mystery set in the world of competitive scrabble set in Malaysia. It was a unique premise that I'd never seen before. But the execution was a let down.
tyufekchieva's review
3.0
“But life, like Scrabble, is like that—you get the rack you get, and you just have to figure out how to make do.”
This is the first book I have ever read set in Malaysia, so I was thrilled to read and learn about other cultures, countries and worldviews. The book was quite educational if I say so myself, since a lot of the words used in Scrabble were unfamiliar to me.
And though the story was immersive, I could not connect with the characters - most of them got on my nerves far beyond normal. The exception to this was Najwa, since I could identify with her anxiety and panic disorder. That is why I highlighted the ANTs explanation, I need to do some further research on this and implement it in my daily routine.
Overall, I do not feel full satisfaction after finishing this book. I would still recommend it to people, but not as a thrilling mystery as I was led to believe it was.
This is the first book I have ever read set in Malaysia, so I was thrilled to read and learn about other cultures, countries and worldviews. The book was quite educational if I say so myself, since a lot of the words used in Scrabble were unfamiliar to me.
And though the story was immersive, I could not connect with the characters - most of them got on my nerves far beyond normal. The exception to this was Najwa, since I could identify with her anxiety and panic disorder. That is why I highlighted the ANTs explanation, I need to do some further research on this and implement it in my daily routine.
Overall, I do not feel full satisfaction after finishing this book. I would still recommend it to people, but not as a thrilling mystery as I was led to believe it was.
gracepizza40's review against another edition
5.0
4.65
This story was very intriguing!! I loved the plot and all the vocabulary words I'd never heard of before! However, the mystery was a little confusing.
Before reading (March 10, 2022):
The cover is so beautiful!! And Scrabble! This book sounds so good!
This story was very intriguing!! I loved the plot and all the vocabulary words I'd never heard of before! However, the mystery was a little confusing.
Before reading (March 10, 2022):
The cover is so beautiful!! And Scrabble! This book sounds so good!
lyanaareads's review
5.0
The word nerd in me is satisfied with this book. Definitely kept me going to unsolved the mystery of what happened to Trina etc. My first Hanna Alkaf & I truly enjoyed it!
ruyanda's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5