Parents' Guide to

As Red as Blood

By Julie A. Carlson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 14+

Top-notch Finnish murder mystery has great female heroine.

Book Salla Simukka Mystery 2014
As Red as Blood Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

reccabecca
reccabecca Adult
March 13, 2017
age 15+

Ruined with one sentence

While this is a great story, there is one sentence on page 212 referencing a room with "adult tastes" and other more specific tools. I could not in good conscience have this in my middle school library, so have passed it on to the high school. It is unfortunate, because up to that point, it was perfectly acceptable and really, really good - The girl with the dragon tattoo for kids.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

Finnish teen Lumikka Andersson lives in a studio apartment on her own so she can attend a private arts school. She's focused on school and stays away from the party kids; she likes to be alone. But when she stumbles across thousands of euros in cash washed (nearly) of blood in her school's darkroom, her sleuthing skills kick in and she recruits a few of her classmates. But, <span style="\&quot;font-size:" 12.7272720336914px;="" line-height:="" 18.9090900421143px;\"="">with each step they take in their investigation, things become more dangerous -- and even deadly.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

Mystery fans, especially those who like to read about foreign countries, will get a kick out of author Salla Simukka's novel. It has that dark noir quality inherent to Scandinavian crime fiction, and, with a plot that revolves around murder, stolen money, and blackmail, it's extremely thrilling. Lumikka Andersson is one tough heroine and extremely likable from beginning to end, and Simukka does a wonderful job of creating an atmosphere in the freezing and snowy Finnish winter.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the rise in European-based mystery novels. After reading As Red as Blood, are you interested in reading other mysteries set in Scandinavia?

  • What do you think about how the novel ties in fairy tales such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty?

  • Do you think the characters do the right thing by trying to solve the mystery themselves? Or do you think they should have asked adults for help? What would you have done?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

See all recommended book lists

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate