GENRE: Young Adult Contemporary
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BLURB:
The Rise up trilogy is a coming-of-age story about Hashim, Alex and Maryam, three best friends on the threshold of adulthood.
Before they can find their place in this world, they must come to terms with their past and learn to confide in each other as they are confronted by intolerance, ignorance, and corporate greed that threaten to rob them of their future.
Inspirational, harrowing, intense and deeply moving, this trilogy presents a ray of hope amidst terrible hardship, misfortune and loss.
Book One: Catch You If You Fall
High school best friends Hashim, Alex, and Maryam must confront real-life issues that loom for Gen-Z today, including the climate crisis, corrupt politics, and racial and gender equity.
When Hashim turns eighteen, he receives a grant from his Mosque that will send him to an Ivy League in New York.
His devout Muslim family couldn’t be more proud. And to support their young son on his journey, they arrange a wife for him. There’s only one problem: Hashim is gay.
Hashim’s best friend Alex is struggling with a difficult home life, a non-present father, and financial issues that prove particularly painful when all his friends are planning to go off to college and leave him behind.
Standing confidently alongside these two boys is Maryam, a headstrong Muslim girl who bucks her traditional roots by becoming a vegan activist.
It doesn’t take long until certain evil forces start to draw these three even closer, as their futures and the wellbeing of their community and the world is threatened. They are called to act.
Book Two: Merry Farm
In the second installment of the Rise Up Trilogy, best friends Hashi, Alex, and Maryam stumble upon a huge government coverup.
When more people get sicker and sicker, and nothing about the outbreak makes news, it becomes clear the corruption goes up high.
As the three attempt to expose and stop a tragedy that could kill thousands, they end up framed as the bioterrorists responsible for this exact crime, and a team of hitmen is dispatched to hunt them down.
As they grapple with their own growing pains, Hashi, Alex, and Maryam hurry to outrun the disaster, prove that they are innocent, and do what they feel is right.
Book Three: Collusion
Now a well-known activist, Maryam, along with her two best friends Hashim and Alex, is chosen by the President of the United States to draw up a proposal to help fight climate change, mere weeks before superstorm Roxanne makes landfall in the Northeast.
After the President’s Future Rescue Advisory Board hears their climate proposal to set heavy taxes on meat, dairy and carbon emissions, and someone leaks it to the press, chaos spreads across party lines.
A few months since they stopped a deadly virus in its tracks, the three uncover a conspiracy on the highest level of the legislative branch.
While the deadly hurricane wreaks havoc along the eastern seaboard, destroying the U.S. Naval Command in Norfolk, Virginia, and hitting New York City with devastating force, Maryam, Hashim, and Alex grapple with forces beyond their control in the government.
How will their stories unravel? What do their futures hold as they mature into adults in a world that may not accept them? Find out in this last book in the Rise Up Trilogy.
Excerpt:
From CATCH YOU IF YOU FALL
“And it’s going to happen tomorrow,” Hashim said as he crouched on the couch.
Alex drew his brows closer, but soon his forehead smoothed. “Seriously?” he said and studied Hashim’s face. “Wow. We need to get you out of this mess.”
Sharing his predicament with his best friend had calmed Hashim’s nerves. Not that he had told the whole story, like the fact that he was gay. However, that was a piece of information he had only shared with God, though unwillingly, because from Him, you can’t hide a thing.
Alex’s eyes grew wide. “But you’re just turning eighteen, for God’s sake. Isn’t it a little early to get engaged?”
Hashim pressed his lips together and winced. You tell me.
“His mom knows that once Hashim has committed to an engagement, he won’t break it,” Maryam said. She had been following the conversation from the other side of the room, giving the guys some space after she saw how upset Hashim was when he came in. “Without a solid religious reason to back out, that could shame the whole family,” she added. “People won’t greet you anymore or return your calls. You become a nobody.”
GIVEAWAY
The author will award the winner’s choice of an audiobook set via Spotify or a digital book set of THE RISE UP TRILOGY.
Click the link to enter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f5003
Follow the tour and comment. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2024/09/virtual-book-tour-rise-up-trilogy-by.html
About The Author
Henrik Wilenius is the author of the Rise Up Trilogy, a young adult coming-of-age story about Hashim, Alex and Maryam confronting real-life issues like climate change, corrupt politics, animal cruelty and racial and gender equity.
The Rise Up Trilogy is now available also as an audiobook and a weekly serialized audiobook podcast on all the major platforms.
Previously, Henrik as published two books (an autobiographical coming of age book and a YA novel) by a major publisher (WSOY) in Finland before switching to English and self-publishing.
The Rise Up Trilogy was inspired by his fifteen-year stint as a volunteer in a Red Cross Youth Shelter and by his vegan activism.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BVJ1TNFG
Buzz Sprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2264640
Website: http://www.henrikwilenius.com
TikTok: http://www.tiktok.com/henrikwileniusauthor
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/@henrikwileniusauthor
Author Interview
When did the writing bug ensnare you?
I never thought I was going to be an author, although my two older brothers, my sister, my father, my grandfather and my great uncle were writers.
In my early twenties, I founded an art servicing company, selling contemporary art, and after an initial success, I ventured out to real estate development and market researched.
But something was not right. By living the high life, I was neglecting my spiritual needs. I decided to radically downsize and went back to university to study philosophy, because I was obsessed with the question of why it is so hard for us to expand our understanding.
And when I found the culprit, I became a writer. It was supposed to be an essay on Rhetoric by Aristotle, but only after half an hour of writing, I knew it was going to be a full-length manuscript. End of Restlessness, a philosophical study into my own coming-of-age, was published in 2001.
Is writing your full-time profession?
I write full-time, although I’m still involved in some business ventures, but the latter doesn’t take much of my time. For me, writing is a very intensive process, first energizing, and then after an hour, I’m exhausted and famished.
The key question here is how you can do it without becoming an alcoholic, recluse or just generally cynical and bitter person in life. Unlike in the times past, nowadays successful writers share one predisposition and that’s discipline. You need routines to keep yourself in line.
Even when traveling, I still follow my daily schedule and try to write at least in the morning. I start every day with an hour of Ashtanga yoga and follow it up with clear set of routines until after second spurt of writing, I finish with half an hour cardio or intensive kettle bell training.
Rest of the day I spend taking care of practical stuff, doing research, and running errands. During the week I’m a hermit but on weekend afternoons and evenings, I become a social animal, still writing in the morning though. For me, physical exercise is very important for releasing all the inner tension that writing brings on.Without it, I would be stuck in my fantasy world and unable to cope with reality.
How many published books have you written?
I have two books published in Finland in Finnish by a major publisher before I switched to English and self-publishing the Rise Up Trilogy.
Which genres do you write?
My first book was a narrative non-fiction but now I’m happy to write young adult.
What are you working on now?
I have three manuscripts in my virtual drawer, but I might still continue writing about Hashim, Alex, and Maryam. I haven’t decided yet what will be my next project.
What is a favorite quote from one of your own books?
“While the words ricocheted in the grand dome, Hashim kept his head low and said a silent prayer asking for mercy like had done thousands of times since realizing he was gay.” A quote from Catch You if You Fall, book one of the Rise Up Trilogy.
What is your favorite book review from a reader?
It’s from a 18-year-old American beta-reader:
Overall, I loved how the three books each explored different themes and issues and the strong bond of friendship throughout.
I found that I also learned a lot about Muslim culture and faith while reading and I really enjoyed how this aspect was tied into the characters’ identities.
The characters were beautifully crafted and each had a unique identity. I loved the way they complemented each other and balanced the story.
Additionally, I found that each book focused on one of the three main characters, and I really liked this idea. After reading all three, I truly felt like I knew each of them personally.
The first book was probably my favorite of the three only because I could connect to it the most. It really reminded me of the movie “Kill Your Darlings”.
There wasn’t a dull moment and I was eager to read more the entire time. I felt the action was really dispersed well and blended beautifully with the more gentle moments.
The second book really showed the development of the three friends the most I think. I loved to learn more about Alex and also see Hashim become more “himself”.
My favorite character was Alex from the start and I really liked that his story was more concentrated on. I liked that the friends took on more non-personal challenges as they navigated New York.
It felt just as exciting and powerful to read and I was left with a sense of empowerment after finishing this story. At times, I felt there was too much concentration on romance but that could be just a personal preference, as I see how that intertwined with the characters actions and development.
The third book was also a very exciting read. I feel it really completed the trilogy and I felt I knew the characters inside and out by the end.
The plot twist was incredible and I really liked how this story played out. It was a very satisfying end and I found that it perfectly closed out this coming-of-age adventure.
I also want to note that a trigger warning is necessary for all three books due to the mentions of suicide, abuse, assault, etc. For some readers this information can be sensitive and hurtful.
However, I really loved that these very difficult topics were included and addressed in a way that was not overdone and also developed the main plot.
I have never seen topics such as climate change, LGBTQ+ issues, and animal cruelty presented in a book like this trilogy was able to accomplish. It is very common for author’s to glaze over these topics or concentrate on them too much.
I truly appreciated that the characters’ beliefs were presented in the same way that I think about these topics. These books captured both the challenges often encountered and the spirit of activism and for change that I could definitely relate to and I think many readers will as well.
Though each book seemingly focused on completely different issues and was placed in a different setting, the characters and their relationships definitely grounded and unified the books.
I think this series is perfect for YA readers and would likely most be enjoyed by high school age readers. I think this trilogy could definitely be related to and loved by many readers and has great potential to inspire.
Thank you, Henrik, for spending time with us and sharing your story. We wish you continued success and lots of luck with the Rise Up Trilogy.
