As Red As Blood

Goodreads rating: 2 stars

Narrator Rating: 4 stars

First, let me say, this review will contain a spoiler. I am just not sure how to write my true feelings and reasons for the low rating without giving away things. I won’t give away much, but enough to justify my feelings.

I originally received this book for free through the Kindle First Program. After multiple failed attempts to start this book, I gave up trying. Recently, I saw that I could get this book super cheap on Audible. I figured I could attempt it again this way. I can say that I finished the book.

This book was difficult or me to get into. Throughout the story, I kept getting lost during a half-assed flashback. The flashbacks were so vague that I didn’t think I would ever understand why Lumikki was such a badass. I thought of everything this girl could have gone through to become how she is. I thought maybe she was sexually abused as a child or maybe she was involved with the mafia (because how else would a 17 year old girl know how to do half the stuff she does). But no. Lumikki wasn’t an escaped victim of the sex trade, or a prostitute trying to hide from her pimp. She had no ties to the mafia. So…how did Lumikki become the ninja level master of disguise? *SPOILER* She was BULLIED Before I continue, I want to note that bullying is NEVER okay. EVER. I am simply stating that it is hard to believe that a bullied girl could suddenly exhibit CIA level covert, operating detective skills WITHOUT help in such a short time. I just can’t make that connection. The way Lumikki is now suggests something much more sinister than being beat up and bullied by a couple of mean girls she knew since she was a little girl. Yeah, the bullying was really bad. I can see how it would impact Lumikki’s life. Just not with these types of skills.

I know, I know…sometimes bullied kids retaliate in the most atrocious way. This isn’t like that. This girl became a sneaky super spy for herself. And ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time involving a bunch of drug lords and knew how to handle herself in the situation and how to investigate at such a high skill level. It just isn’t logical for Lumikki to be a bullied victim and have these skills.

A plus side is that Lumikki isn’t a damsel in distress. She is a very strong protagonist. For me, she isn’t 100% relatable but you do warm up to her. Her quirks make it harder to accept that she was bullied and that is why she knows how to walk 20 different ways or look less like herself on the fly. Or even how to snoop around a house with someone inside and they have no clue she is there.

This is apparently the first book in a trilogy, which has me confused. This book ENDED. What is there left for 2 full books? This book held a lot of promise, but for me, it failed to deliver. There is always a lot going on, which usually makes for an interesting story, but the climax just built with the end being a dud.

My narrator rating was high because the narrator was good. There were times some emotion wouldn’t have hurt. There were also times where her characters blended together and you couldn’t tell who was talking or if it was a flashback.