Norma tries to cope with the death of her mother by sticking to the usual day rhythm. However, with her release from her job, mysterious abilities, and faces from the past returning, this seems like an almost impossible task. Instead of normality, she ends up investigating her mother's death, only to find her mother's connection to international human trafficking, which might have been the reason for her demise.
This fairly standard story line is boosted by Norma's nature. She is attuned to hair more than your average person, for example, she can tell a lot about a person through their hair, but also her own grows a meter a day. Norma soon finds out that she would be an invaluable resource in the hair business of today, a real catch for the people who own the hair salon her mother used to work in.
Oksanen writes in short sections that are descriptive, but effective. While she has a penchant for adding more and more details in attempt to both give a full-out description and to get the reader committed, she also manages to tie the strands of Finnish and international, contemporary and historical fairly well together. The revelations offer a realistic, yet dystopian world in which the pull of Norma as a character and the overall style keep the reader interested.
This fairly standard story line is boosted by Norma's nature. She is attuned to hair more than your average person, for example, she can tell a lot about a person through their hair, but also her own grows a meter a day. Norma soon finds out that she would be an invaluable resource in the hair business of today, a real catch for the people who own the hair salon her mother used to work in.
Oksanen writes in short sections that are descriptive, but effective. While she has a penchant for adding more and more details in attempt to both give a full-out description and to get the reader committed, she also manages to tie the strands of Finnish and international, contemporary and historical fairly well together. The revelations offer a realistic, yet dystopian world in which the pull of Norma as a character and the overall style keep the reader interested.