Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 05/01/2022 Gr 7–10—After Trina "Queen of the Tiles" Low dies suddenly in the middle of a heated Scrabble championship, her friend Najwa backs away from the Scrabble circuit as she grieves. Fast forward to the same competition a year later in Kuala Lumpur, where she is determined to claim the empty throne in Trina's honor. As the championship weekend kicks off, dark enigmatic messages emerge from the dead girl's Instagram account, implying foul play. Najwa and some of her Scrabble cohorts investigate to bring justice for Trina. Secrets begin unraveling, providing clues and red herrings as to who is responsible for the demise of the former champion. Alkaf's protagonist is Malaysian and a hijabi Muslim woman, like herself. The cast encompasses lesser-represented South Asian characters in YA lit, including Chinese and Indian in a Malaysian setting. Mental health is also explored via therapy, panic attacks, and grief. The author provides content warnings for on-page death; descriptions of anxiety, PTSD, and panic attacks; and discussions of grief and loss. The fast-paced plot will have even the most reluctant of readers turning pages to uncover the culprit. Word nerds will embrace the puzzle references and attempt to solve them. A special treat is each chapter heading, which contains a Scrabble word, numeric value, and a definition that foreshadows the ensuing chapter. VERDICT Genius wordplay, fantastic representation, and a tense whodunit make this one to recommend.—Lisa Krok - Copyright 2022 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 05/01/2022 A year after watching her vibrant best friend, Trina, keel over dead at a Scrabble tournament, Najwa has returned to the scene to claim the title Trina left behind—Queen of the Tiles. Beset by anxiety since the tragedy, Najwa knows this weekend-long tournament will be triggering, but she has no idea how much Trina will still be a part of the proceedings. Set in Malaysia, the story transports readers to a hotel filled with hormonal teenage word nerds. As Najwa reconnects with old friends and rivals, she is shocked when a new Instagram post from Trina’s account appears, showing letters that anagram to REGICIDE. Could Trina’s death have actually been murder? As the cryptic posts continue, Najwa joins a few others determined to find out what really happened. Alkaf gives equal space to unraveling the mystery and to Najwa’s innerworkings, from coping with anxiety to acknowledging Trina’s flaws. Suspicious characters, red herrings, a cutthroat atmosphere, and plenty of obscure Scrabble words intersect to form an engaging mystery with a compelling protagonist. Bingo. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.