A review by purplelorikeet
Vasilisa by Julie Mathison
4.0
It's 1919 and Vasilisa is a thirteen-year-old girl living in Edenfall, Pennsylvania. The Great War has ended but her father is missing, presumed dead, and the family life is not quite normal. Vasilisa's mother is being "courted" by an ogre in disguise and her Babka, also named Vasilisa, is not well. Meanwhile, Ivan has travelled to Edenfall in order to fulfil the wish of his father to look after Vasilisa and her grandmother. These two young people will work together to reach Old Rus and to deal with Baba Yaga in her three forms and also with old Koschei, the ogre.
This is a gentle story with an adventure to take on that is filled with both adversaries and allies. It draws heavily on Russian fairy tales and culture. Other aspects of the book include themes like coming of age, immigrant families, and finding one's place in the world. Although the target age is for older children and above, it's quite suitable for all ages.
Overall I give this a solid four stars.
I give this review voluntarily and thank Booksirens and the writer for sharing an advance review copy.
This is a gentle story with an adventure to take on that is filled with both adversaries and allies. It draws heavily on Russian fairy tales and culture. Other aspects of the book include themes like coming of age, immigrant families, and finding one's place in the world. Although the target age is for older children and above, it's quite suitable for all ages.
Overall I give this a solid four stars.
I give this review voluntarily and thank Booksirens and the writer for sharing an advance review copy.