Plus get our latest book recommendations, author news, and competitions right to your inbox.
Table of Contents
About The Book
They Wish They Were Us meets The Queen’s Gambit in this “stunning…unforgettable” (Publishers Weekly) thriller set in the world of competitive Scrabble, where a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages.
CATALYST
13 points
noun: a substance that speeds up a reaction without itself changing
When Najwa Bakri walks into her first Scrabble competition since her best friend’s death, it’s with the intention to heal and move on with her life. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to choose the very same competition where said best friend, Trina Low, died. It seems that even though Najwa is trying to change, she’s not ready to give up Trina just yet.
But the same can’t be said for all the other competitors. With Trina, the Scrabble Queen herself, gone, the throne is empty, and her friends are eager to be the next reigning champion. All’s fair in love and Scrabble, but all bets are off when Trina’s formerly inactive Instagram starts posting again, with cryptic messages suggesting that maybe Trina’s death wasn’t as straightforward as everyone thought. And maybe someone at the competition had something to do with it.
As secrets are revealed and the true colors of her friends are shown, it’s up to Najwa to find out who’s behind these mysterious posts—not just to save Trina’s memory, but to save herself.
CATALYST
13 points
noun: a substance that speeds up a reaction without itself changing
When Najwa Bakri walks into her first Scrabble competition since her best friend’s death, it’s with the intention to heal and move on with her life. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to choose the very same competition where said best friend, Trina Low, died. It seems that even though Najwa is trying to change, she’s not ready to give up Trina just yet.
But the same can’t be said for all the other competitors. With Trina, the Scrabble Queen herself, gone, the throne is empty, and her friends are eager to be the next reigning champion. All’s fair in love and Scrabble, but all bets are off when Trina’s formerly inactive Instagram starts posting again, with cryptic messages suggesting that maybe Trina’s death wasn’t as straightforward as everyone thought. And maybe someone at the competition had something to do with it.
As secrets are revealed and the true colors of her friends are shown, it’s up to Najwa to find out who’s behind these mysterious posts—not just to save Trina’s memory, but to save herself.
Why We Love It
“Hanna is so good at writing winsome, charming characters while also exploring real teenage issues through them. Though Najwa suffers from PTSD and is struggling with grief and anxiety, her challenges don’t define her; throughout the story, she never loses her sharp, sarcastic, and biting sense of humor, and, as a result, is such a loveable main character. The characters and their relationships with each other is what makes this book so memorable, along with the unique setting of ot being set at a Scrabble competition.”
—Deeba Z., Editor, on Queen of the Tiles
Product Details
- Publisher: Salaam Reads/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (April 19, 2022)
- Length: 304 pages
- ISBN13: 9781534494572
- Ages: 12 - 99
Browse Related Books
Awards and Honors
- Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee (IN)
- NYPL Best Books for Teens
- ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults - Top Ten
- Massachusetts Teen Choice Book Award Nominee
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Queen of the Tiles eBook 9781534494572
- Author Photo (jpg): Hanna Alkaf Photograph (c) Azalia Suhaimi(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit