AS RED AS BLOOD by Salla Simukka

YA in the Alleyway is my meme to give young adult literature the spotlight it deserves. It also gives YA authors the opportunity to share their signature with the world! 
Here's is a very special feature. 

AS RED AS BLOOD by Salla Simukka
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers Release Date: January 17, 2017 (1st published 2013) Pages: 256
I'd like to thank the publisher for supplying me with an eARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
Description: Lumikki Andersson has made it a rule to stay out of things that do not involve her. She knows all too well that trouble comes to those who stick their nose where it doesn’t belong. But Lumikki’s rule is put to the test when she uncovers thousands of washed Euro notes hung to dry in her school’s darkroom and three of her classmates with blood on their hands. Literally.
A web of lies and deception now has Lumikki on the run from those determined to get the money back—no matter the cost. At the center of the chaos: Polar Bear, the mythical drug lord who has managed to remain anonymous despite hosting lavish parties and having a notorious reputation. If Lumikki hopes to make it out alive, she’ll have to uncover the entire operation.

Even the cold Finnish winter can’t hide a culprit determined to stain the streets red. 

COVETED! A MUST READ!

My Splat: 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.   

This is just a little side note. I'm normally not a huge fan of fantastic book stories adapted to film, but in this case I have to tell you that I'm thrilled this is being made into a movie. It has the right rawness with underlining feels that will attract a large demographic and audience. I think it will do amazingly well. 
What are your thoughts on books doppelganging to film?  

MMGM~WESTLY: A Spider's Tale by Bryan Beus & a GIVEAWAY!

I've been away from my middle grade spotlights for a while, but this is my SECOND released post in the same month. (my earlier post) It's great to be back in the lineup for Shannon Messenger's MMGM! Click HERE for the other participants.
Now those of you who've stalked the Alleyway for a while know that I like all that's spooky, eerie, and goose bump-worthy. I seek out the strange, the silence in the dark, and the squiggly. All except for one majorly, disgusting creepy crawler...Spid... Honestly, I can't even type the word. I do not like those eight-legged thingys. They can turn on a dime and always hide in places you can't quite see into, yet need to get something inside of. 
However ... I just don't have those same feelings when I think about Westly's sweet middle grade tale, which is having his book birthday tomorrow! CONGRATULATIONS to Brian!!!

AMAZON | B&N | DESERET BOOKS | GOODREADS

WESTLY: A Spider's Tale  by Bryan Beus
Publisher: Shadow Mountain Publishing Genre: Fantasy Adventure Released: September 29th, 2015 Pages: 176
I'd like to thank the publisher for supplying me with an eCopy in exchange for an unbiased review.
Favorite Line/Passage: Finally, Westly glanced down and as he did, his eyebrows rose to the top of his head. His hands were not the delicate, elegant hands of a butterfly. His belly was not the soft fuzzy belly of a monarch. His feet were not tapered and clean, but pointy and sharp. His tail was not sleek and long, but bulbous and round. Worst of all, when he looked at his back he saw he was entirely without wings. 
With a scream, Westly realized that his change had gone horribly, terribly, wickedly wrong. (Kindle 18%)
Description: This is tale of a caterpillar named Westly who is destined to be a Monarch butterfly and the next king of the butterfly kingdom. But sometimes things don't turn out the way we plan. When Westly emerges from his cocoon he is nothing like he expected. As a spider he must rediscover who he is. Adopted by the "dirt eaters," Westly is determined to make a difference. He is determined to belong, to be loved, and most importantly, to become who he was born to be. 
     COVETED! MUST HAVE!
My Splats: While you were a child growing up, ever believe you were one thing (type of person, likes, dislikes, etc...), and then, due to some event or circumstance, you came to discover you were not? This pretty much sums up Westly's sudden journey from child to tween.
The writing is very visual, which I especially noted from the first few words of the opening. Any reader will instantly become immersed within the world of these caterpillars. They have a home, a routine, and a hierarchy - on that Westly is very much a part of. He has a distinct voice. It's intelligent, but a little abrasive at first. His view of their world is much different from the butterflies and other caterpillars. He is the prince, after all, which is a lot to shoulder. And being responsible for protecting the Chandelier - their home - is quite a serious job. As the son of the Monarch, he's expected to behave accordingly, when in truth he'd like to be normal and fit in with his friends. Or as his father calls them 'subjects'. 
But if Westly is honest with himself, being son of the king is not the only thing that makes him different. He's always had better physical strength than his friends, jumping higher and enduring longer. And when he wakes up from his cocoon he realizes why.
The doubts and insecurities that have always plagued him squelch his hopes and dreams, as the crowd stares at him. He's always feared disappointing his friends and mostly his father. This surely must be a great disappointment to them. So he makes the decision to leave, thinking he's saving them from such pain.
Along the way, Westly meets fascinating characters from grasshoppers to moths to dragonflies. He learns the world is much larger than the existence he's been living. (It kind of reminded me of when a child leaves and goes off to college. It was that sort of eye-opening adventure.) He undergoes trials and struggles trying to find where he fits in, to find his place in the world. But along this journey, there are also dangers he could have never dreamed of. Westly will learn to decipher these dangers, the people (of nature) involved, and decide how to handle them. He discovers that embracing oneself and one's own talents is where one's importance in life and to others truly lies.
This story is just adorable, filled with rights of passage, the art of true sacrifice, and the love of family. I would recommend this to any middle schooler, really. Any who like a sweet tale that still has some adventure. Oh, and it's also for you, of course! And I believe it would be a fantastic read-a-loud for a classroom!

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Author Bryan Beus Bryan Beus – which rhymes with Zeus – is the winner of the Kirchoff/Wohlberg Award from The New York Society of Illustrators. He works full time as an illustrator for magazines, book covers, film and game conceptual art, and more. When not writing and drawing, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Amanda, mindful meditation, drinking root beer floats, and eating far too many Sour Patch Watermelons. Westly is his debut novel. Website * Twitter
$25 Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon eGift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 10/15/15 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com eGift Card or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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So, have you read a middle grade story with a creepy crawly character you just couldn't resist?

The Duality Bridge ~ Is There More Beyond Here?

Wistful YA is my reoccurring spotlight, giving young adult literature center stage.
Have you heard of Susan Kaye Quinn? Of course some of you have. Well, Susan was probably one of the first ten bloggers I ever met online. She's wife, mom, rocket scientist (no joke), and the brain behind the bestselling young adult science fiction series MINDJACK Trilogy. She also has published young adult steampunk fantasy romances, adult urban fantasies, stories in anthologies, and even a middle grade novel. 
Yeah, she's been busy. 
Today I have THE DUALITY BRIDGE: Singularity 2, the second book in her latest young adult series, to share with you. Plus, if you scroll to the end, you can enter her giveaway!

GOODREADS | AMAZON

THE DUALITY BRIDGE by Susan Kaye Quinn
Genre: YA Science Fiction Released: August 17, 2015 Formats: Paperbook; eBook Pages: 426
I'd like to thank the author for supplying me with an eCopy in exchange for an unbiased review.
Favorite Lines/Passage: She drops her voice to a whisper. "You didn't choose to be this, Eli." I nod, but there's a fury on her face that keeps me quiet. "And if there's anyone I've ever met who I'm certain has a soul... it's you." I have no idea what to say to that. She peers into my eyes, and I wonder if she's searching for it--as if she can see my soul through the black of my irises if she looks hard enough. (54%, ebook)
Description: What does it mean to be human?
Elijah Brighton is the face of the Human Resistance Movement. He’s the Olympic-level painter who refused an offer of immortality from the ascenders—the human/machine hybrids who run the world—in solidarity with the legacy humans who will never get a chance to live forever.

Too bad it’s all a complicated web of lies.

Worse, Eli’s not even entirely human. Few know about the ascenders’ genetic experiments that left him… different. Fewer know about the unearthly fugue state that creates his transcendent art—as well as a bridge that lets him speak to the dead. But the Resistance is the one place he can hide from the ascender who knows everything the fugue can do. Because if Marcus finds him, he’ll either use Eli for his own nefarious purposes… or destroy him once and for all.

The Duality Bridge is the second book in the Singularity series and the sequel to The Legacy Human. This thrilling new young adult science fiction series explores the intersection of mind, body, and soul in a post-Singularity world.

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY +2

My Splats:  Our first peek into book II is fraught with tension as Elijah and the legacy humans' fight for independence and right to 'life' continues. But it does more than simply continue. This sequel thrusts Eli into his new self, the self he knew nothing about in book I. Family and friends are put in harms way. The Resistance is jeopardized. His 'weirdness' is even called into question and suspected of making him a traitor. All of which forces Eli to come to terms with who he is, how he was created, and decide whether he's man enough to battle against what his true nature was intended for. 
The world created is genuine. There's a tangibility about it that is truly plausible; as you read you can feel it. The characters are so invested in it that nothing else seems to have existed. Unique terminology breaths more life into the world of legacy humans and ascenders - the ascenders who have a unified home or connection base, where all ascenders cognitions link. Think telepathy, but with downloading and storage capabilities. Words and phrases such as holo grid, nanites, bodyforms, and mechanized military sentries color each page. 
Now I'm not a huge sci fi buff, but there was enough emotional material, enough character development that bridged any gap of speculation I had before reading. Action-packed scenarios of internal emotions conflict with outward operations and decisions. Camouflaged convictions twist outward choices. Threatens lives. And as Eli grows more in tune with his purposes, his 'ability' to tap into what some feel is a true connection with God, his already complicated world goes haywire.
One aspect I really enjoyed was how the author didn't necessarily separate science and God. Not religion, but the theme that a higher power has a hand in everything and all, even science. The idea that there is more. A hinged connection is created throughout the story that makes one ponder human existence and what's after. Then again, just like in real life, there are those radicals whose beliefs extend beyond any godly mercy, which begs more questions about a higher creator, what lies beyond these ascenders, and what Eli can really tap into. 
If you're looking for a tale to sweep you into another world all while peeling away layers of its characters' to reveal hopes and dreams, fears and dangers, than this book - and the entire series - is absolutely for you. 
For your own interest, here's the first book in the series:

What would you give to live forever?

Seventeen-year-old Elijah Brighton wants to become an ascender—a post-Singularity human/machine hybrid—after all, they’re smarter, more enlightened, more compassionate, and above all, achingly beautiful. But Eli is a legacy human, preserved and cherished for his unaltered genetic code, just like the rainforest he paints. When a fugue state possesses him and creates great art, Eli miraculously lands a sponsor for the creative Olympics. If he could just master the fugue, he could take the gold and win the right to ascend, bringing everything he’s yearned for within reach… including his beautiful ascender patron. But once Eli arrives at the Games, he finds the ascenders are playing games of their own. Everything he knows about the ascenders and the legacies they keep starts to unravel… until he’s running for his life and wondering who he truly is.

Giveaway ends 9/6/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com eGift Card or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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So I know it can be a touchy subject, but what do you think about something beyond ourselves? A guiding hand far beyond our minute human frailty?