Daring and evocative, Simukka has weaved together an intoxicating tale of corruption, family lies, and one girl who's strong enough to be true to herself.

Without a doubt, the author's voice is what struck me first. Commanding and raw with a flair of grunge, it threads through the first few scenes knitting the start of a complex tapestry that splinters in all directions. The opening was not what I expected when I was asked to read. The scene seemed to come out of nowhere and I couldn't figure out how it would fit into the blurb of story world. No worries. It does. I literally couldn't put this book down.

This story blooms through the everyday life of Lumikki Andersson and her subtle childhood connection to Snow White. Yes, the Snow White. Trust me, it's not what you think. Mentioning this detail doesn't give anything away other than to put on display a brilliant tactic the author uses to share her female lead with her audience. This tidbit also reveals an unfortunate plight many high school aged kids go through - the exact tidbit I'll keep secret so you can find out when you read it. The world building is solid, painting a vivid picture of a frigid Finland and Lumikki's what, where, and with whom. One fact I found interesting is that, regardless of being in her final year of high school, she lives alone in her own apartment and pretty much takes care of herself. Her parents are around. She actually has somewhat of a solid relationship with them, though there's this underlining tension she feels from them.

Lumikki is a strong teen, a female individualistic with a nonchalant attitude. Wise beyond her years, she's what I'd call 'street smart' and she cares about things on her terms. Yet, beneath her survival exterior wafts a soft layer of emotions that she shares with very few; at the tale's onset - with no one. Why would she? In her mind it's senseless to invest herself in things or people that will soon change.

A brokenness that I couldn't put my finger on shadows this female lead throughout most of the book. Hints were cleverly sprinkled around the main conflict and the world building, slowly building to expose Lumikki's inner feelings.

Most notably is the structuring of this tale. Initially, the writing style tripped me up. It felt choppy, like thoughts left unfinished, but made me stop to think. To think, not to reread what was written. As jumbled as events might seem read individually they are that much rightly placed with considered collectively - here lies the rhyme to the author's reason. This method of scattering character and story details was effective and told me more about the world Lumikki lived in without saying a word. It was brilliant and intoxicating. Adding to this, the sentences aren't lyrically or poetically weaved together, but spoken plainly and boldly - just like Lumikki.

I would recommend this book to young adults to adults, suspense and thriller admirers, and anyone with a love for edge like found in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Lumikki Andersson is a tough teenager, living in a Finish apartment on her own instead of with her family. She does this because she doesn't mind being alone, but also because she's attending a top school that allows her to escape from her rough earlier schooling. I loved the character of Lumikki because she's smart and physically capable of taking care of herself. She has closed herself off from people, but not in a way that means people don't like her. She's just there, in a sense. That is until she finds thousands of Euros hanging to dry in the school's darkroom one morning and she realizes that they have been washed of blood.

This leads Lumikki to being entangled in the mystery of this money, unable to walk away because she genuinely feels bad for one of the people involved. She understands their fear, so she does what she can to help. First off, they have to figure out if the money was meant for this group or not. And if it was, why?

This was a relatively short book, but it's very much a full story. It moves at a quick pace. You get to know the various characters/players involved quite well. I liked that you could see some of their perspectives, instead of only following Lumikki, though she is definitely the central point of this story. While this book is for young adult readers, I would like to note that it could easily be read by adults. Nothing is too overly gratuitous, but there is talk of sex, death, violence, and of course, blood. It's definitely more of a mature YA read.

Lumikki is no Snow White, but she's not above playing her to get the information she needs.

I'm definitely ready for the next two books in this wonderful translated trilogy from Finland!