What a breath of fresh air! In a sea of Young Adult fairytale retellings, Sarah Porter's use of Vasilisa the Beautiful stands apart and above. I really appreciated how true this story stayed to the original tale in its modern setting or as true as you can stay to tales passed down through oral tradition. Vassa, Erg, Night, Dex, and the swans are all incredible characters with distinct personalities. Porter does an amazing job of giving these characters lovable, quirky personalities that stand out even against a backdrop so vivid as this setting. The feeling of a Slavic folktale shines through even though this is a story clearly aimed at a younger audience. I loved every breathtaking second of it. The only portion of the story I had an issue with was Tomin. I felt like he attached to Vassa far too quickly, and she did not seem to reciprocate. I actually liked that she didn't reciprocate because that would have felt like insta-love. I feel like Tomin could've been taken out of the story entirely and replaced with her step-sister even, and nothing about the story would have changed. Although, I suppose he almost functions as an Ivan Tsarevich-type figure for this story. Overall, I really enjoyed Vassa in the Night and recommend it to anyone looking to mix up their fairytale retellings!