Lovely

Dess Terentyeva (b. 1992)

is an author of Russian origin who lives in the vibrant city of Tampere in Finland. As a migrant author, both Russian and Finnish cultural aspects reflect in her works. Her writing also carries strong LGBTQ themes. Terentyeva has a Master of Arts from the University of Jyväskylä.

With Lovely (Ihana) Terentyeva won WSOY's new voices YA writing competition in 2021.

Lovely

(Ihana) 14+ | 128 pages | WSOY | 2021

A fresh and cohesive verse novel with a narrative that resembles the spoken word.

Lilja is a pansexual in 9th grade who constantly has a crush. Lilja has nicknamed her latest social media crush as Lovely. It turns out that Lovely is the child of Lilja’s single dad’s latest girlfriend, quite the game-changer. Lovely appears to be a confident and conscious nonbinary on social media, but Lovely’s conservative mother has no clue about her child’s true identity. Can Lilja come to terms with the fact that dad is dating a woman who seems to be transphobic? And can one force another to show their true colours?

In 2021 Lovely won Finnish publishing house WSOY’s writing contest that discovers new voices. It was also nominated for the Finlandia Junior Prize and the Tulenkantaja award in 2021.

"The captivating and touching 'Lovely' (Ihana) is a whole and beautiful reading experience. The passionate rhythm of the language in the work manages to reach the experiences and the feelings of young people accurately and credibly. Becoming accepted as one’s true self, being seen and feeling loved is a vast theme that is handled sensitively and skillfully through the verse novel.”

Susanna Hynynen (b. 1987)

has studied creative writing at the Viita Academy in Tampere. She lives in Southern Finland and spends her leisure time with her two dogs, reading confessional poetry and obsessing over movies from the 80’s.

Dess Terentyeva see page 40.

Neon City

(Neon kaupunki) Age 16+ | 426 pages | Like | 2020

Neon City is the debut of the urban dark fantasy series of the same name. Inspired by Slavic mythology and the 80’s movies and music culture, the series is set in an imaginary Russian underworld of gangs, drugs, violence and lust.

Finnish youngster Vera Maksimovna with Russian roots struggles to find the balance between two cultures and national identities. The only person who accepts her is her best friend Tarkkis who has vanished. While searching the streets of the restless suburbs, Vera encounters Slava, a young and attractive guy who promises to lead her to the lost friend. Suddenly, Vera is swiped away and finds herself under the neon lights of Elm, an odd parallel world with its eternal night. Vera discovers that her best friend is a member of the local gang Gorky, lead by dreadful witch Baba Yaga who gobbles up naughty children. Vera has no choice but to join the gang and fight for her life against other gangs and beings of the dark world.

Neon City is nominated for the 2021 Kuvastaja award.

Book Cover The Spiral Road

The Spiral Road (Spiraalitie) Age 16+ | 426 pages | Like | 2021

It is all about victory or death in the hectic and grim sequel of the fantasy trilogy!

One can’t escape a nightmare. The city of Elm is even more chaotic and dangerous when the trio returns. Vera, her friend Tarkkis and Slava return to the familiar parallel world of Elm, where nothing is the same. There’s almost no trace of the former gang, and a new cast attempts to survive in the ruins of the city of nightmares, with its new and even more brutal laws and hosts.

To make things worst, Koschei The Deathless has returned to the streets of Elm and is determined that Vera is his bride to be. Also, another tsar is in search of a bride. Alongside the enemy gangs and dangers lurking in the dark, Vera and her friend Tarkkis must face their old sins eye to eye.

Helena Waris (b. 1970)

writes atmospheric fantasy novels for young adults, where the stories are based in a world that draws inspiration from Finnish folklore. The Machine-trilogy present a new side of the author: mystery adventure writer, whose page-turners can be compared to those of Veronica Roth. Helena Waris has won the Kuvastaja price, awarded by the Finnish Tolkien Society, for an unrivalled four times.

Machine trilogy is an atmospheric dystopian adventure set in a world damaged by climate crisis, where overpowering machines have taken over. How will humans survive in the world ruled by Machines?

Machine trilogy book 1: Bird Binder

(Linnunsitoja) Age 13+ | 170 pages | Otava | 2017

Machine trilogy book 2: Waterspinner

(Vedenkehrääjä) Age 13+ | 157 pages | Otava | 2018

As the beginning of a trilogy, Bird Binder is an ingeniously woven mystery set in a world ruled by the omniscient Machines where freedom hangs on the delicate wings of the birds.

The helicopter takes Zemi out to sea, to a lighthouse island beyond the watchful eyes of the State, the Chasms and the Machines. The island forms the base of the resistance movement. A dovecote sits atop the lighthouse. The birds carry messages across the sea; the only method of communication not governed by the Machine. The birds are the only way the Resistance can survive. Waterspinner is set in a postecocatastrophe world ruled by all-knowing machines. After a crisis on the remote lighthouse island where the resistance group was based, their leader, Saz, ends up on the other side of the ocean. While searching for a friend, he travels through a devastated land where water resources are evaporating. In the midst of refugee floods and cities buried in sand, Saz has to choose which future he wants to fight for.

Machine trilogy book 3: Icewarden

(Jäänvartija) Age 13+ | 218 pages | Otava | 2019

After the resistance was wiped out by the Machines, Thom has lived low key in Mahar, but when he catches an encrypted radio message with unexpected information, secrets are revealed. Thom finds out that the continents are in turmoil. With chaos spreading, Thom and his friends head north, where no humans are known to live. The book that ends the ingeniously threaded mystery of Machine-trilogy turns everything we have learned so far on its head.

© Dorit Salutskij Nonna Wasiljeff (b. 1983)

is a debut author with a mature voice. Her writing is inspired by computer games and classic adventure stories with a hint of fantasy and horror. Her themes include fear of otherness, testing one’s boundaries and facing the unknown.

Grim Boy was nominated for Topelius Prize in 2019 and Russian rights have been sold to date.

A debut novelist's creative mix of timely totalitarian world of horror, classic fantasy adventure and gripping suspense with elements of cautionary tales and coming of age story.

Grim Boy

(Loukkupoika) Age 14+ | 336 pages | Otava | 2018

Dust Boy

(Tomupoika) Age 14+ | 300 pages | Otava | 2019

15-year-old Aaron has always lived in the imprisonment camp – Grim. It is dominated by the ruthless, mysterious Dusts. To survive, the best strategy is to keep your head down and obey the rules. Otherwise, the Dusts will drag you to the Second Level – where unimaginable horrors take place and from where only a few return. But the Second Level is also the only way out. Courage and innocence are Aaron’s only weapons until he discovers his dormant powers. In the second book, the imprisonment camp Grim does not let Aaron out of its grip. Aaron has fled from the Grim, only to end up living among the fearsome Dusts, as one of them. His newly discovered powers rave fear and attract strange characters to him. He is relentlessly followed by a shadowy nocturna Lazar, who is watching Aaron’s every move. Aaron struggles to get through the novice Dust training but when a new friend of his is captured by the Dusts, he is forced to face once again the terrors of Grim.