Vassa in the Night

Vassa in the Night
Sarah Porter
Tor, 2016 296 pages
Grades 7-12
Fantasy

Something weird is going on in New York City. At first it was very subtle, but now everyone can't help but notice it. The night is lasting an exorbitant amount of time and keeps getting longer. Vassa lives with her stepmother and two sisters, one half and one step, in a crowded Brooklyn apartment. Her best friend is a tiny bewitched doll with a huge appetite and sticky fingers, left to Vassa on her mother's death bed to always take care of and to keep a secret. One long night Vassa is sent to the creepy and mysterious convenience store, BY's, for light bulbs. The chicken legs lower to allow her admittance and it is here that she encounters the witch Babs and her severed hand henchmen. In order to leave with her life Vassa strikes a deal with Babs: to work for her for three nights completing whatever tasks the old witch lays out. The tasks are seemingly impossible, but Vassa manages to complete them with the help of her bewitched doll, a group of swans, and some mysterious magic. Meanwhile she has vivid dreams about the circling motorcycling man /security guard out front. Who is he and why won't he talk to her? A group of teenagers enter the store as a dare and barely escape with their life. A member of this group is a boy named Tomin, who returns to help Vassa out of her predicament. Eventually, the identity of the motorcycle man, the cause of the increasing night, and the backstory of the bewitched doll are revealed as magic collides with contemporary reality in this re-imagined version of the Russian Folktale Vassilissa the Beautiful.

I am a fan of Russian folklore and was excited to see a reworking of Vassilissa the Beautiful. This is a largely unknown tale to American audiences and is a welcome change from a reworked Cinderella tale. I'm not sure if teen audiences will get the connections to the original tale, but it won't really matter for the story stands up on its own. Baby Yaga is an awesome villain, no matter the setting, and will properly creep-out readers with her chicken house (store), severed hand henchmen, and unrealistic tasks. There are some seriously violent bits, though all the main characters survive in tact to the end, making this story not the best choice for sensitive readers. I enjoyed the contemporary time period and Brooklyn setting, where there is a large Russian community, resulting in a perfect fit. The mood of the story remains dark throughout, reflecting the unending night and adding to the macabre atmosphere. The magic felt possible, the supporting characters were strange and original, and the plot is fresh, making this a worth-while read. Sometimes I felt the book was a bit dense and it took me a long time to get through. The prelude is beautifully written, yet confusing, so I would recommend that readers skip it and then hit it up again at the end, when it will make more sense. The magical doll was my favorite character and managed to steal the show. A creative and enjoyable re-working of a great folktale that will be enjoyed by serious readers.