Vassa in the Night- 1.5 out of 5

How terribly disappointing...

It was originally a 1 out of 5, but after I slept on it I decided that was way too harsh, there were good things about the book, even if only a very few...

The book is about a girl called Vassa and her magical doll. 
They get 'trapped' in the local store one night. The problem is, to start anyway, that the store beheads shop lifters, even innocent ones. 
As the book progresses Vassa discovers a curse in the store, and with her doll, Erg, Vassa tries to break the which's curse and free her neighborhood. 

It sounds mighty interesting and I was very excited to read it. I was hoping for some crazy odd and bizarre book that pushes the boundaries of one's imagination. Sadly, instead of being an exciting read, it was a rather gory read. Ok, I get it uppercase (I got the book from my subscription with them), its October, Halloween and all that... but just no! That did not work for me!

The world building makes no sense whatsoever. Where does the magic come from? what does her dad disappearing to become a dog (yes, you read that right) has to do with the story? Bea's role is almost pointless, her mother's role is futile... The only interesting character is Night and he doesn't get enough attention at all. 

And the book is also so gory... none of the killings make sense though, which makes the gory part somewhat disgusting and extremely unpleasant.
If you like horror just for the gruesome part, perhaps you will like it. But I am a reader and I love character building and background stories. Without that it becomes savage for savage's sake and therefore pointless.

So, what good do I have to say about it? One: Night! The idea that night is alive and everywhere. The idea that night can be trapped and the consequences of it. That alone could have made it for a great book. It saddens me that wasn't the case. Two: Erg! The doll's character is funny and clever. If it wasn't for Erg this review would not even have 2 stars...

I know I am being harsh, and trust me it hurts being so harsh. I have been an avid reader for a long time, and in all my years I have only left low scores like this once or twice. This is sad, very very sad.