Punainen kuin veri (‘As Red as Blood’) tells about Lumikki Andersson (whose first name means ‘Snow White’ in Finnish), a high-school student and former school bullying victim who has got used to looking out for herself. Her special skills include the ability to blend into her surroundings, excellent physical fitness, logical smarts and knowing what to do in tricky situations. The book sees Lumikki untangle a drug-dealing network. The thrilleresque plot plunges the main character into virtually impossible situations from which she must find her own way out. Difficult, painful issues are introduced into the action. Besides recreational drug use, the book introduces the themes that carry through the trilogy: school bullying, the secret of Lumikki’s past, and transgenderism. The message regarding non-mainstream relationships in the story is one of love, acceptance and understanding. The novel is the first of Salla Simukka’s (b. 1981) Snow White trilogy, which translation rights have been sold to over 40 countries.
