Puteri Eleni found herself rekindling her former passion for writing during a bout of health issues (Photo: Low Yen Yeing/ The Edge)
Throughout her early years, Puteri Eleni Megat Osman was always a high achiever academically. “I was a top student at every level because it’s how I was trained. And because I was in that circle for so long, everything felt normal — until I went to university. That’s when I realised we were focusing on the wrong things. We were striving to be great and successful. But is that it? How shallow of a world can it be?”
In her debut young adult fiction Mona Ali Mysteries: The Case of the Star Prefect, Puteri takes readers on a gripping journey into an elite boarding school to explore the themes of power and ambition among the crème de la crème of the country’s students.
In the prologue, one is introduced to the arrogant principal of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Aaila, Mr Indra, who is confronted by an investor at an open day. During an assembly with eager parents and stakeholders, this individual turns the spotlight on how the institution operates and nurtures its pupils. “Sir, is it true that you push the students to their limit here, to the point where their mental health has been questioned by certain members of the public?” he asks.
This intense scene foreshadows the shocking event that will take place as the narrative unfolds. On what is supposed to be a laid-back day for the kids, one of them — head prefect Amir Hamzah — is found dead on the school grounds.
Previously loud and lively, the school suddenly falls silent. The cause of Amir’s death remains a mystery, though it is implied to be suicide. Both the police and teachers try to draw a veil over the incident. His parents do not file a lawsuit either, hoping to avoid publicity and move on in peace. And just like that, the case is closed.
Protagonist Mona is one of the deceased’s closest friends. While grieving, she uncovers hidden secrets and dangerous rivalries buried within the school’s walls. Was her friend’s death a tragic accident, or was someone willing to kill to survive the overwhelming pressure? Is the killer going after another victim to ensure his or her secrets are safely kept?
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What is it about narratives that thrive on suspense and surprises that pull Puteri in? “I naturally gravitated towards stories that have twists and turns. And usually, these elements are found in horror or murder mysteries. Beyond that, I think these genres are interesting because they are related to human psychology, meaning it’s not that straightforward. Most people don’t kill another person for no reason. It’s always exciting to look into that.”
Puteri recalls being a voracious reader when she was a child. As one might guess, her collection was made up of novels and short stories that were not as popular among those her age. Her favourites were Fear Street and the Goosebumps series, both of which feature dark plots and notoriously dangerous characters.
Reading was a gateway to writing, which became a form of therapy since primary school. With nowhere else to turn, she kept a diary to record just about anything, including her daily routine or unpleasant interactions with family or friends.
“I enjoyed writing short stories and poetry, but a lot of them were quite miserable. But that’s how I processed my emotions. I journalled before journalling became a thing!” Puteri says with a laugh. She used to have stacks of notebooks scattered around her bedroom but they were eventually discarded. “It’s just too cringey to revisit the memories.”
Writing later took a back seat when she read law at Universiti Malaya (UM), due to time constraints and college commitments. After becoming a legal associate, she found it even harder to exercise her literary muscles. “There was a lot of reading cases and arguments, sure, but not much room for creativity and imagination. Then I became a mum, which meant I had more important things to prioritise.”
One thing led to another and Puteri eventually had a chance to rekindle her old passion, though not under the best circumstances. “I had health issues and was hospitalised for 18 days. At the same time, I was going through some relationship problems. So many sad and frustrating things happened and I realised my body was not processing everything very well.”
She remembers feeling extreme frustration when she looked at herself and the people of her generation. “Millennials are really hardworking but we are so unhappy because we are not where we are supposed to be. We were told if we worked hard, we could get a good job and become successful, but I didn’t see that happening for many of us.
“I was so mad at being taught that way, and letting my body tolerate it for so long. I needed to do something with this anger. And I also didn’t want this to continue to the next generation.”
She picked up her laptop and started pouring out her thoughts and emotions, letting her mind flow without restraint. Her much-needed cathartic release drove her to conceive the storyline for Mona Ali Mysteries. The first draft was completed in just a month but the editing process took half a year because her editor suggested the violence to be toned down in her book.
The decision to set the story in a boarding school was deliberate. “I have experienced almost every educational sector in Malaysia. I went to a multiracial primary school where we never bothered talking about race. When I went to secondary school, most of my classmates were Chinese.
“Then when I got into UiTM (Universiti Teknologi Mara), I had a culture shock. People saw me in a different light when I scored 4.0 during my first semester. They said I was arrogant because of that and started ostracising me from gatherings or group activities. After that, I studied at UM, which was a whole new thing. Then I got a scholarship to pursue my master’s in London.”
Looking back, her experience as a top student was not all sunshine and rainbows. Though the pathway brought her to where she is now — at 34, she is already a vice-president at a GLC — she had to make many sacrifices. “I don’t think I ever had a stage of self-discovery because I was too busy focusing on my next goal. I never had the chance to ask myself what exactly I wanted to do. It was always what was best for me and what would get me a good career.”
Using this accomplished academic community as a backdrop, Puteri highlights the life of high-achievers as well as the social and psychological problems they experience. “When you push a kid beyond what they’re supposed to do — you make them do adult things and put adult pressure on them — they have the tendency to fall into depression and get anxiety disorders. The book delves into what teenagers with lots of money and power can do when they are stressed out.
“It’s something I want to pass on to those who read the book. At the end of the day, bad things will happen to you. It’s not something you can truly run away from. You will have challenges in life but it’s how you choose to move forward that really matters,” she says.
This article first appeared on July 20, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
