This is such a bright, colorful story, saturated with events and details, well-thought-out, without contradictions or inconsistencies, that it feels as if the world of Vosmirye truly exists parallel to our reality, and the author, Marina Yasinskaya, has visited it, and we, the readers, if we are lucky, can find ourselves there too.
One day, someone broke something... Thousands of things are constantly being broken in life, but this time, this small mishap led to great disaster: along with that "something," the lives of many, many people were shattered, families were separated, cities were moved an insurmountable distance apart—an entire world was broken, and the voids between the fragments were shrouded in a mysterious "fog," a dark, soul-draining haze that only the toughest nuts can crack. This impenetrable veil throws nasty, agonizing memories at those who wish to pass through it, and most importantly—not even their own, but others'. You pass through this horror once and come out a completely demoralized madman. So the residents of Vosmirye don't risk venturing through, investigating, or looking for the culprits; they stay put and try to lead their habitual lives. And they simply throw away unpleasant emotions, quite literally like we throw away trash.
Quite by accident, a "regular" twelve-year-old girl named Vika ends up in Vosmirye; she arrives instantly, but getting back home, as is usually the case, is a much more difficult task. Vika will not only have to solve her own problem but also repair the breach in this foreign universe. Fortunately, it is very interesting and unusual here, and the road home becomes, albeit full of dangers, an unforgettable, vibrant, and stunning adventure!
Just imagine: here, lovely, fluffy dreams flutter in the air, resembling both birds and cats, and each one chooses its own master. Here, they make jam out of memories: they look inside your head, take your bike ride with a friend through a bright pine forest; the red autumn park behind a veil of rain that you walked through on your way to school; add a few sensations from that trip to the seaside when you and your mom sat in the surf and built a sandcastle—and voila!—a unique jam is ready, its taste will return you to the most soulful moments of the past. Here you can taste pastries made of different kinds of laughter, and the sleep of the residents is guarded by special beacons: as soon as you start dreaming of something scary, the beacons detect it and send a night rainbow to your aid, along which you can escape your nightmare. This world is filled with oddities, pleasant aromas, delicious food, and beautiful things... Traveling through it, Vika will meet a wide variety of people: noble and heartless, brave and cowardly, dreamers and philistines. Each meeting, even the most unpleasant one, will give Vika something important; significant attention is paid here to the emotions and reflections of the characters (even though this is in no way a therapeutic fairy tale).
We recommend "Vosmirye" to fantasy lovers aged 8 and up, especially girls. However, we also recommend it to those who aren't fantasy fans, because everyone loves fairy tales, and these books are truly magical!
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