Handful

Two boys. One judo mat. A collision that changes everything.

A tender, wickedly funny coming-of-age story about first love, identity, and the courage it takes to grow up - set in the heart of Finland.

In a small Finnish city, fifteen-year-old Tuomas Ylivire - sharp-tongued, red-maned, and magnetically reckless - crashes into the new boy at his judo club. Esa is quiet, guarded, and hiding behind the rigid discipline of an Air Force father who controls everything. On the tatami, they are equals. Off it, they are drawn to each other in ways neither fully understands.

As their bond deepens from rivalry to friendship to something far more dangerous, both boys must navigate a world that isn't ready for who they are. Tuomas has a family that loves loudly and imperfectly. Esa has one that is breaking apart in silence. When the cracks in Esa's home life turn violent, Tuomas must decide how far he'll go to protect the person who matters most - even if it means letting him go.

Handful is a prequel to The Birthmark Murders and the second book in the Pekka Wall series. It can be read as a powerful standalone or as the emotional origin story of a character readers will meet again.

With richly drawn LGBTQ+ characters, a distinctly Finnish voice, and moments of laugh-out-loud joy alongside genuine heartbreak, Handful is for anyone who has ever felt different, lonely, or afraid to reach out.

For fans of Fredrik Backman, Becky Albertalli, and coming-of-age fiction with real emotional weight.