STORY: 17 year old Hanna lives with her family in a house in a small neighborhood. She goes to school and is best friends with her cousin. Then one day, she gets a call from her mom. Her 15 year old brother Mikko is missing. No one has seen or heard from him. No one knows what has happened to him. As days, weeks and then months pass, Hanna tries to find out what happened on the night he went missing. At the same time, she tries to lead a normal life with school and friends and at home. Is Mikko still alive somewhere? Grief and hope are key themes in this novel aimed at YA readers.
PACE: The pace varies through the novel. There are slow moments where Hanna processes her emotions and fast moments where events happen over an evening or weekend. The chapters are very short, so reading goes quickly.
I read each chapter in around 5-15 minutes.
LANGUAGE: The language here is easy and the book can be read and understood without looking anything up, as long as you understand a few key words to the story.
I recommend a minimum of A2 for a small challenge and a minimum of B1 for a more lighter read.
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS: Marja-Leena Tiainen Is an author of many books, not just selkokirjat, so this would be a great introduction to her novels in general. This is an excellent book for a YA reader (13+), keeping in mind that this is quite a dark novel, in terms of the things Hanna and her family go through. (There are references to drinking and the idea of Nikko being a victim of crime, for example). I recommend this to adults also. The short chapters are great for those with less time to read and the themes in the novel are equally applicable to adults as to teens.
I highly enjoyed this book and read each chapter eagerly to find out about Mikko and Hanna and the rest of their family.
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