Vassa in the Night

Vassa lives in a Brooklyn neighborhood where magic and danger wait around every corner. One night her stepsister sends her out to buy lightbulbs, an errand Vassa knows could easily get her killed.

The only place to shop is the local convenience store, run by Babs Yagg. Babs beheads shoplifters, and sometimes innocent customers too. Vassa carries a bit of luck in her pocket, a gift from her dead mother, and she will need all of it.

She gets an ally in Erg, a wooden doll with a sharp tongue, sticky fingers, a bottomless stomach and a fierce cunning. Together they might break the witch's curse and free the neighborhood from her hold. Babs has no intention of playing fair, though.

This is a modern fairy tale for teen readers, built from urban fantasy, horror and folklore. The tone is dark and often funny, with a threat that stays close through one long night. It has been picked for several young adult best-of lists, including YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults and Booklist's youth fantasy top ten.