The time is 1919, and Vasilisa is living in Pennsylvania with her Russian family. Her mother is grieving over Vasilisa’s father who’s still missing from the war. Now someone new wants to marry her mother, and Vasilisa has to fight to get things back to normal again. With the help of a boy named Ivan, who has his own ambitions, they go on a magical adventure to resolve their problems. Vasilisa’s hope is to save her family once and for all. 

Reading fairy tales is one of my favorite things to do, and I just love retellings, so I couldn’t wait to read Vasilisa the moment I saw it. Having Russian roots, I’m always drawn into Russian folklore. I found Vasilisa fresh, unique, and interesting. Loved the writing, loved the story and characters, and especially the themes of courage, family, and friendship. There’s so much going on in this story with a setting in the real world and Old Rus. In addition, some of the character names are identical to members of my own family which was another fun element. 

With that said, I’m not positive that this will be a captivating story for all younger middle-grade readers. I can only go by how my two middle-grade readers felt about this book, and it wasn’t a story that kept their full interest to the end. The narrative does get complex at times, and how I wish there was a glossary of terms like the one that was included in The Bear and the Nightingale. It’s really necessary for those who don’t know Russian or the pronunciations because it becomes tedious to have to repeatedly stop to Google terms. Maybe other middle-grade readers will enjoy this more than mine did, but some parts of the writing and the romance between Ivan and Vasilisa made the book feel more like YA to me. This is just my opinion. Other than that, Vasilisa is excellent. 

4-stars

I loved this book. The characters are just wonderful and it’s so well written and interesting. Such a great story line and like I said the characters were just so real. I felt like I knew them by the end of the book. The folklore aspect seemed to be quite well done I’m not overly familiar with the source material but it seemed spot on

A nice re-telling of a Russian classic fable. I liked the story a lot. I hope the books continue. Great new author for me

Vasilisa by Julie Mathison is one of the most authentic Russian fairy tale/folklore retellings I've read. Vasilisa and her family have settled down in Edenfall, PA after fleeing the revolution, and her papa has gone away to the war and is presumed dead. Meanwhile a local rich Russian has is trying to win her mother's affections and strange things are happening in Edenfall and all is not as it seems. Vasilisa must be brave to save her family and those she loves from ancient legends and stories. 

I never thought I'd be saying this, but this book felt like a mix of a small town cozy mystery meets fairy tale portal fantasy. I was unsure of the setting intially, but both Edenfall and Old Rus won me over. I really liked the folklore and fairy tale elements, and I thought they were pretty well done - not something I can say for every Russian retelling I've read. It felt like reading the actual fairy tales in a lot of ways, but with a new spin on the tale of Koschei the Deathless and Vasilisa the Brave. I also liked that Mathison did not pit folklore and religion against each other the way some other Russian-inspired stories have. I liked our characters - I felt that Evelyn was slightly unnecessary, but she was fun. I also really liked the ending and how things were resolved but left open for more in the future.

Things I didn't love: It's a little slower paced - which may be your cup of tea or not. I would sort of liken this to Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik perhaps. Lots of interesting things happen but the pacing felt a bit slow at times. I don't mind that, I just was wanting it to be a little more gripping when I was reading. I felt confused by the age of the characters. Our main characters are all in the 14-ish age range, so it's a little unsure if this is a middle grade or a YA. I think this would have been stronger for just committing to being YA and allowing the children to be older. I think the characters' actions and love interests would have been more believable. I think it works because in  a real fairy tale you know to suspend disbelief and you know that certain characters inevitable love each other. But I think if you go in ready to suspend your disbelief just a little and embrace the fairy-tale atmosphere it won't bother you. Last thing: at least in my ARC, there was no glossary. Mathison drops a good amount of Russian and fairy tale lingo into the story. For me this made it so much more vivid, familiar, and real, but if I didn't know Russian I think it would frustrate me that there was no glossary.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I loved how Mathison really captured the Russian fairy tale feel for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and to Starr Creek Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a delightful, quick read!  The Russian folklore elements are what initially drew me to this book, but Vasilisa's story is the heart of the book.  Her character is well developed, and the reader is invested in her journey throughout the entirety of the novel.  Setting plays a huge role, too.  We go between Early 20th Century Pennsylvania and the land of Russian folklore, Old Rus -- both are richly described and feel as much of characters as Vasilisa or Ivan.  The writing is lyrical and fits for a fairytale/folklore story.  All in all, a very enjoyable read!

This is such a different story than BELIEVE, Mathison’s debut, which I loved that I was scared I wouldn’t be able to get into this one. However– I had zero trouble. Right from the first pages, Vasilisa and her grandmother had my heart, and I was desperate to follow their story to the very end.

So many of the relationships in the story were really believable and complex. I especially loved the friendship between Vasilisa and Evelyn and Vasilisa’s relationship with Meredith, the local herbalist.

One of the things I liked also about VASILISA is that it makes a really nice bridge between middle grade and young adult books. Vasilisa turns fourteen in the story, and she has a love interest, but it’s not at all the focus of the book. The family relationships and adventure make it a great fit for upper middle grade readers (5th and 6th graders), and the more mature elements, like the romance, open the door for lower young adult readers (7th and 8th graders). It’s often difficult to find books that hit that age group, so I love that this one does.

I think readers who enjoyed tales about Russian folklore, like NEVERTELL by Katharine Orton and THE DOOR IN THE STAIRCASE by Katherine Marsh will love the folklore and adventure of VASILISA.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It’s time for my last book review until the end of March. This time, I wanted something a little fantasy meets folklore, but something I’m not very familiar with (Russian folklore seemed like a good choice), so I decided to request Julie Mathison’s Vasilisa. It was released yesterday (February 23rd) from Mathison’s own imprint, Starr Creek Press. As usual, I must thank her and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it!

Vasilisa begins in 1919 in Edenfall, PA and follows our heroine (Vasilisa) as she struggles to come to terms with her father going missing in Flanders, a creepy suitor sniffing around her mother, her babka’s waning health, and learning who she can trust. Unfortunately, the answers to all of her troubles lie in Old Rus with the witch Baba Yaga. But Vasilisa doesn’t have to go alone when young Ivan appears by her side. Together, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime.

Plotwise, this one is a standard fairytale. There’s a maiden, a prince, some witches, a fairy godmother type character who happens to be Vasilisa’s grandmother, an ogre, a forest sprite, and even a dragon thrown in there for good measure. And that’s not even all of the fairytale stuff, just what I remember off the top of my head. Despite all of this, the story doesn’t feel cluttered or convoluted. It’s actually pretty impressive how much is crammed into this fairly short book (less than 250 pages) without making it a slog.

The pacing is quick. Sometimes a little too quick. Especially in the romantic development. It’s for younger readers, so I understand glancing over boring things, but it’s really weird how Vasilisa goes from not being sure she can trust Ivan to loving him in the span of a couple of pages without any real internal struggle. I think that’s due to the fact that a lot of this story is telling instead of showing. I’m not against that, but while it makes the story flow faster, it also makes it more difficult to express emotional growth within the characters. The POV probably also contributes to that.

As far as the characters go, they were a little flat, but still enjoyable. Vasilisa is basically the personification of kindness, which is a little boring if I’m being honest. She has zero flaws. She never does anything wrong except that one time she skips school to steal something from the bad dude in order to save her babka. It gets old fast. Ivan and Evelyn are better in that department. They at least have motivations that force them to straddle the line between right and wrong. Everyone else is pretty much a cardboard cutout of their fairytale roles.

The writing is clean and makes for a quick read. Sometimes I wanted more description, but it’s not bad. There’s nothing really special about it. No lines really jump out at me as quotable or memorable. But it’s smooth and works well for this story.

Ultimately, Vasilisa is not bad, but not great. The epilogue sets us up for book two, which I’m not opposed to reading, but I’ll probably forget this series even exists before it comes out. I’m not upset I read it. I don’t want those hours back or anything. It’s just kind of blah.

Overall, I gave it 3 out of 5 stars. If you enjoy fairytales and want something quick and cute to read, go for it. If you have a youngster who’s into this type of stuff, I can definitely see kids enjoying it. The story’s fun, it just fell short for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Starr Creek Press for access to this arc. 

It took me a while to settle into the story as there are many characters to be introduced and the entire backstory to fill in. It’s not done in an info dump, thank goodness, but there are situations that take some time to be completely understood. I do think it helped me to have a little bit of knowledge of Slavic folk/fairy tales some of which I got from other books I’ve read (The Bear and the Nightingale) and some from lavishly made movies which I watched being savaged on MST3K. 

One thing that induces twinges of disquiet throughout the story is how much of the time Vasilisa and Ivan seem to be much older than their stated ages (13/14 [Vasilisa has a birthday over the course of the story] and 15) while they are often referred to as “the children.” I guess “teens” wouldn’t have sounded quite right for the period. But there are other bits of dialog that even if they are not anachronistic, they sound that way so why not use “teens.” 

Once the background and characters are in place, the tale begins to make more sense. Then as the scene changes from 1919 Pennsylvania to “below” in Old Rus, it really takes off. Characters change – both Ivan and Vasilisa grow up and into their roles of saving themselves, their loved ones, and seeking revenge. But at the same time Vasilisa goes from somewhat of a prickly loner to something of a Disney Princess who charms wolves, dragons, and – in a scene that might induce heebie jeebies – some creepy crawly creatures. Then to have these teens profess undying love at their ages (though there is nothing more than kisses here) is a little bit disturbing to say the least. 

But, but … I love the sections of the book set in Russia. I could see the silent, snow covered birch forests. The traditional Russian hospitality to strangers is heartwarming. The household domovy can be impish yet also tetchy. Leshy can help but at a price. Be careful feeding the lock of the bone fence around Baba Yaga’s izba but if you ask it nicely, the house on chicken legs will often turn around and settle down so you may enter it. Dragons sometimes don’t act as you’d expect but rusalkas always do. Baba Yaga must be pinned down with oaths and watch out for her “children.”    

The messages that are delivered through the goals and actions of Vasilisa and Ivan – that love is stronger than hate, that to give into anger and revenge will scar the one who does it, that force will be heeded but acts of kindness are never forgotten – are powerful and something we should all remember. I found the Old Rus ending a bit rushed and uncertain though this might be setting up what’s to come in the next book. The outcome of the story is never much in doubt which does lessen the tension but it’s fun to see the plot linked to the fairy tales and to read a story that’s a little bit out of the ordinary. B-

My thanks to Star Creek Press for a review copy via NetGalley of ‘Vasilisa’ by Julie Mathison.

This is a wonderful tale, written as the author states for ‘children of all ages’. It is set in 1919, just after the end of the Great War. In Edenfall, Pennsylvania, just about to turn fourteen-year-old Vasilisa is convinced that her Papa, listed as missing presumed dead, will still return home. Meanwhile, her Mama is being courted by an odious man, an absolute ogre.

Only the Old Tales, the Russian fables that Vasilisa was raised on, offer her any comfort or counsel. Yet could there be more to them than children’s tales?  She then meets a young man named Ivan and together they realise that Old Rus is calling to them across time and space. A magical journey takes place and together they face a number of challenges. 

This was a delightful reading experience that I read in a single sitting. It is the first in a planned series titled ‘Old Rus’, though ‘Vasilisa’ is complete in itself.

The story features both Koschei the Deathless and Baba Yaga, the witch whose chicken-legged house is depicted on the striking cover designed by Robin Vuchnich. Julie Mathison does use a number of Russian words that I was unfamiliar with and I feel that a glossary would have been useful. I also learned after reading it that Vasilisa herself is a Russian folk heroine.

I found this a fast-paced novel full of adventure and magic and very enjoyable. I look forward to reading more of Julie Mathison’s work in the near future. 

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Vasilisa is an imaginative, magical, and unique tale. It's grounded in Russian folklore but overlaid with a creative story of its own.

The story was fast-paced and absorbing. I devoured this in one sitting. It's whimsical despite dealing with Vasilisa's very real problems. The build up of the story was well done. The world building is amazing. It was thoughtful and detailed. The writing was beautiful and vivid that I can visualize it perfectly. Although I had diffuculty understanding some Russian words, I wish there would be a glossary to help the readers.

I absolutely adore the characters and their development! The characters were well fleshed out. Vasilisa, with her kindness and bravery, Ivan whose hellbent on revenge, and Evelyn, she's such a complex and interesting character. Although, Vasilisa and Ivan seem older than their age. I liked that there’s very little romance in the story, just a few hints of it.

Also, I'm surpise to see this shelved as middle grade and YA on Netgalley but it leans more on YA imo. The atmosphere of the novel was more adult than I was expecting from a middle grade book.

Overall, the story was beautiful, lyrical, magical and atmospheric. I enjoyed every single page of it and I'm definitely looking forward for the sequel and the author's work in the future!

Thank you Julie Mathison, Starr Creek Press, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read Vasilisa.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

That was a wonderful Slavic Folktale inspired story. Imagine the tales that your grandmother used to tell you as a kid becoming true and in order to save your family you must face all the fantatic creatures and characters good or evil that until now they were only part of an imaginary world. 

I love everything related to the old Rus as it is said in the book, Baba Yaga is one of the most famous and enigmatic characters of the Russian tales that has always fascinated me with her hut standing on chicken legs. I have read a number of Russian Fairy Tales and this book was such a delight to discover and read with Vasilisa's adventures in the Old Rus. 

This book is a world in a world kind of story, the main characters live in our reality but then they have to go to another mysterious odd world in order to defeat the villains and where the main adventures with all the tests and dangers that they must go through are waiting for them. The safety of their true reality depends on their success in this other world. Here, It's 1919, we have Vasilisa a 14 years old girls who lives in Edenfall, Pennsylvania, with her mother and grandmother of Russian origines, her father is a soldier on the fields of Flanders and is presumed to be dead, but strangely the loved grandma is suddenly sick when an ogre disguised as a gentleman starts to visit their house and to court her mother. Vasilisa with the help of her new friend Ivan decide to go to the Old Rus in order to save everyone.

I loved this story so much and reading it during the winter season was the best. I found it pretty amazing how the author wrote the dialogues with the riddles, also, the ending was so wonderful. There are so many things to discuss about this story and everything that inspired the author in writing it which made me enjoy it so much. 
I haven't read any of Julie Mathison's other books but if they are as amazing as Vasilisa, I want to read everything she wrote. I was happy to hear that Vasilisa is the number one of 4 other books in The Old Rus series.

I let my 12 year old cousin read this first since she's a massive fan of “The house with the Chicken legs” and i knew once she saw the cover my kindle wouldn't be in my possession for a second longer. Few hours later she’s running back to me telling me how much she loves Vasilisa and Ivan while trying her hardest not to spoil what happens (Definitely getting a physical copy to add to her collection).I completely understand her excitement,only takes a few sentences to get you immediately immerse in the story. Full review to come but this already feels like a potential 4-5 stars.

I want to thank #netgalley for allowing me to read this! I adored this book, there is just something about Baba Yaga that I love. I enjoyed traveling with Vasilisa and seeing her grow. I would highly recommend this book. It reminded me of The Winternight Trilogy. There is just something about old Russian folklore that always draws me in and this book was no different. I was saddened when I didn't get to finish it in one night and fell asleep wandering what would happen next for Vasilisa, Ivan, Babka and so many others. I look forward to reading the next book as well!

Unlike the other book "Believe", Vasilisa was not an instant favourite but it wasn't a let down either. This book was a folklore retelling of sorts surrounding the story of Baba Yaga, who lived in a house with chicken legs. This is a Russian fairy tale, which I knew nothing about until I read this book. It took me a while to get into this book; the writing style was a bit different. But by the time you reach five chapters or so, the book is extremely fast-paced as the story follows the young and brave Vasilisa as she dives headfirst into a world of magic, mystery and witches.
The scenes are very picturesque and were a delight to read. And the characters! Each and every one of them was memorable and so very well expressed! Vasilisa, for one, is the perfect protagonist for a middle-grade book. I think children are going to love her! She reminded me of older Luna (from The Girl who drank the Moon) and even the amount of realism and whimsy in this book reminded me of Kelly Barnhill's novels. 
This book conveys quite a few important messages like the true meaning of courage, the consequences and situations due to poverty, the aftermath of a war, cherishing your family (biological or chosen), and the one I loved the most - not to be afraid or hesitant to express your emotions because of your age or gender.
This book was definitely worth reading. The book is very unusual - with its writing style and concept. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves reading whimsical stuff, fairy tales, and mostly historical fiction! 

*Thank you to NetGalley and the Author for providing me with an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

I absolutely loved this one and cannot wait for the sequel. Anyone who adores folklore and historical fiction melded with a little fantasy will thoroughly enjoy it! The details in the description of the setting puts the reader completely in the mindset of the character and can experience this exciting adventure with them!

Magical and lyrical, complex and unique, Vasalisa is a richly imagined tale that doesn't shy away from dark themes and adult problems. The tone of the novel was more adult than I was expecting with language that was a little more difficult for my nine-year-old to grasp as we read the book aloud together, but I think older middle school readers and young adults would appreciate the Russian folklore, the historical setting, and the magical elements.

I wanted to read this as I love mythology and adored the house with chicken legs, and hoped this would be similar and unfortunately I didn’t really enjoy it. It was okay and I managed to read it in one sitting, but the descriptions and characters felt very two dimensional

Disclaimer the book was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Also, I'm not Russian so I can not speak on that representation.
I loved all the bits of Russian folklore included. The book isn't that long and held my attention well so I flew through it. the main charters Vasilisa and Ivan are 14 which made the book feel more Ya as opposed to middle grade. On Netgalley it's listed as both young adult and middle grade so I'm not sure which one it is. overall I loved how the book was whimsical and also dealt with some real problems. I'll definitely pick up more books by this author in the future.

I would love to have 2 copies of this book. As a substitute teacher I would love a copy to have for myself and one to read to my students. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. 

Vasilisa, the main character, was a lively friend from the beginning of the book until the end. Her emotions, while youthful, were so strong you felt them for her as you read. Her life is not perfect, but whose is? 

My only complaint...it read too quickly. I finished in around 5 hours. (Mainly on my lunches at school, while talking to other teachers.) 

I am going to buy this book, and I look forward to finding more from this author in the future. 

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a great read. To the author specifically, please never stop writing you have an amazing talent.