I would recommend this book to fans of middle grade who are looking for a spooky, but not scary, fall read. The voice was quirky and fun. It is told primarily from the perspective of Prosper, a 12-13 year old who is the only unremarkable and unpopular member of his family. The voice felt very authentic. The second perspective we see is from Alastor, the demon living inside of prosper. Alastor was my FAVORITE. As a demon from the 1600s, his language and voice were definitely unique! I just loved his insults!

This story was great. I was a bit wary of the horror and darker elements, yet Bracken weaves those elements with humor and fun that this books works for Middle Grades. I am was happy with the character development and the plot was well paced and kept me interested. I rooted for Prosper and wanted nothing but the best for her! This is a great read for students that love darker fantasy fiction!

Such an amazing book! I enjoyed every minute of it. It's so magical and funny and it's written so well.

This is my first book from Alexandra Bracken and I enjoyed it a lot.Even though this story is for young readers I believe everyone can read it.

It has great setting and the atmosphere was perfect.I find it a little bit creepy and dark and this is what surprised me in a good way.The characters were well developed.Prosper was fantastic, I enjoyed him a lot.He cared for his family and he will do whatever is needed for them.

Overall it was a great story that I'm planning to re-read for Halloween and I'm sure my niece will love it!

URL: https://mseslingreads.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/arc-alert-with-a-book-birthday-today-the-dreadful-tale-of-prosper-redding-by-alexandra-bracken/

Thank you to Disney/Hyperion and NetGalley for the ARC. Below is my honest review.

Bracken, Alexandra. The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding. Disney/Hyperion, 2017. 362 pages. Hardcover $16.99, ISBN 978-1-48477-817-3

TL;DR: Do I recommend this book? Yes!

Genre: Horror

Part of a series? Appears to be — no spoilers, but the ending makes me think there’s a sequel!

Plot Summary:

Prosperity “Prosper” Oceanus Redding has had it up to here with his family’s nonsense. His evil grandmonster (grandmother, to most people) runs his hometown of Redhood, MA with an iron fist (it helps that she’s managed to remain mayor for the last ten years). His twin sister Prue (Prudence Fidelia Redding, thank you so much for the names, Pilgrim ancestors) has survived a weak heart and countless surgeries and emergencies, so for her, middle school is nothing to get worked up about. For Prosper, it’s torture. He isn’t successful, popular, or powerful — basically, he’s nothing like the rest of his family. A family dinner at the grandmonster’s house takes a turn for the sinister when Prosper’s parents call from out of the country demanding that Prosper grab his sister and run. A mysterious stranger crashes the party, rescues Prosper from his grandmother and the knife she’s trying to kill him with, and drags him to Salem, MA. The mysterious stranger is none other than Uncle Barnabas, a fellow Redding failure. He and his daughter Nell (an actual witch!) promise to save Prosper from both his grandmother and a much more sinister evil — an ancient demon by the name of Alastor who is currently residing inside of Prosper. How did the Reddings rise to power in the 1600s? Not through their work ethic! Rather, Alastor cut a deal with Honor Redding, the man from whom the town of Redhood got its name. After his rise to power, Honor enlisted a witch to help him get out of the deal, leaving Alastor to curse the family name and promise to return one day to destroy the Reddings once and for all. The time has nearly come, hence Prosper’s near-death at his grandmother’s get-together. Will Alastor succeed in destroying the Reddings, or will Prosper and his friends find a way to elude Alastor’s curse?

Critical Evaluation/Reader’s Comments:

This book has EVERYTHING. A snarky outsider narrator with a killer sense of humor? Check. A young witch whose first words readers encounter are lines from The Crucible? Check. A haunted house that is both tourist trap and actually haunted? CHECK! Family drama, mysteries, lies, and secrets? YOU GOT IT. A sassy demon? OF COURSE. A tiny black kitten that’s also a super powerful changeling who can fly? YES, FRIENDS! (Maybe I’m the only person who was looking for that? Okay.) Once I picked this one up, I couldn’t put it down. Prosper’s voice is intensely readable. This book delivers on creepiness, action, and humor. One scene can go from super creepy malefactor activities to an action-packed fight scene straight into Prosper’s deadpan reaction to the hoopla. The pace of the book is quick, but it never feels rushed. This is a great autumn read.

Curriculum Ties/Library Use:

I would totally hand this one to students looking for a deliciously creepy, funny, and action-packed adventure. It feels like a good fit for fans of Doll Bones by Holly Black, The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire LeGrand, and the Jackaby series by William Ritter.

Grade Level: 3-7

Awards and Starred Reviews:

Booklist starred 08/01/17

Publishers Weekly starred 07/03/17

Save yourself the time of reading my review and just go buy the book. I LOVED IT!

"I would say it's a pleasure to meet thee, Prosperity Oceanus Redding, but truly, I only anticipate the delights of destroying thy happiness."

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history — that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper's great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made — and then broke — a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, four-thousand-year-old Alastor isn't exactly the forgiving type. 

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose — to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his future without a side of eternal servitude, thanks.

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor's control over his body grows stronger with each passing night, and there's a lot Alastor isn't telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host. 

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a tale of betrayal and revenge, of old hurts passed down from generation to generation. Can you ever fully right a wrong, ever truly escape your history? Or will Prosper and Alastor be doomed to repeat it?
Bracken uses the perfect blend of darkness and humor. I loved learning about Prosper's family history and reading Alastor's many, MANY quips at Prosper's expense as well as the numerous other humorous moments.

"If I had sat down at my desk at home, opened my spiralbound notebook, and tried to draw my perfect nightmare... it would have been adorable in comparison to this place."

"Why is he talking like that? ... It sounds like he swallowed a Pilgrim."

"Do not keep my lord and master waiting. It is a school night and he has a bedtime."

Alastor is hilariously bad at being bad, Prosper is steadfast and good, and I loved every second of their journey together.

Without giving away too much, know that Alastor has been asleep for 300 years and doesn't know what traffic cones are for. And that scene alone should be why you pick up this book.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so unexpectedly beautiful. This is the best middle grade I’ve read since Harry Potter. Plus, this is beyond perfect for the Autumn and Halloween season. The prose is so lyrical, the characters are so heartwarming, and the messages are so important. I recommend The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding with my whole heart.

This is a story about a young boy named Prosper who has grown up never feeling like he has fit in. His twin sister is the only person he feels understands him, while she is also battling a very scary heart condition. Prosper has always felt like the odd one out, especially since his family is very rich, very successful, and very powerful. But then it becomes very apparent why his ancestors were so lucky.

“We came from a family of winners, record-setters, and firsts, and there wasn’t a day that went by that our grandmother let me forget that I wasn’t one of them.”

In this world, there are four dimensions, and keeping them balanced is very important:
➽Human World – where we live.
➽The Fiend World – where evil humans who make deals serve for eternity.
➽The World of Ghosts/Specters – where evil humans’ spirits go when they die.
➽The Realm of Ancients – where the creatures that created magic live.

There are many different types of fiends, but only malefactors are supposed to make deals with humans. And Prosper’s ancestors made a deal with a demon named Alastor, so that they could beat a rival family and become the powerful and reputable family they are today. And that demon is currently inside of Prosper. Prosper is then forced to flee to Salem, Massachusetts, where he is introduced to a whole other family and he gets to see what it’s like to start over and become the person he wants to be. I mean, while also struggling with a demon who is constantly trying to take over his body.

Salem, demons, witches, hobgoblins, elves, ogres, magical familiars, old books and libraries, falling leaves, The Crucible, pumpkins, cafes… I mean, we are thrown into the perfect Halloween setting, with some of the most beautiful autumnal writing I’ve ever read. This is truly the perfect Halloween novel, and it’s perfect for all ages.

“Over eight hundred years old and trapped in the body of a boy who couldn’t tell the simple difference between a tharborough and a theorick! The Fates were so unkind.”

And it was so very funny! I was constantly laughing out loud. I mean, it makes it rather hard to hate Alastor when he is making you laugh constantly. His inner monologues with Prosper are nothing short of genius, and Alastor discovering how much the human world has changed over many centuries was literary perfection. This is the first thing I’ve ever read from Alexandra Bracken, but now I want to buy her entire works.

And the messages that Alexandra Bracken discussed in this were so important, too! Prosper, Alastor, and Nell (Prosper’s new found cousin), all are constantly learning that it is never too late to start over and become the person you want to be. Everyone is deserving of a fresh start and we shouldn’t have to be our parent’s mistakes. And hold grudges, that just keeps hate in your heart, isn’t worth anything.

“Maybe it was true that we never really escape our histories. That revenge is a poison that stays in the hearts of families, reborn with each generation.”

This book also carries a super amazing message about how important it is to have art programs in school. This story heavily talks about different arts, whether it be painting, drawing, or theater, and how young kids truly have a beautiful outlet in art and how it can shape who they are as people. There was also an important discussion on Nell, a young girl, wanting to play the role of John Proctor, the main male protagonist in The Crucible, and how there wasn’t any reason why she shouldn’t be able to audition for the role.

Also, Nell’s mother was a lesbian witch in this story and if that alone doesn’t sell you on this book I’m not sure what will. But in all seriousness, we need more middle grade books that normalize LGBT+ families. I loved this aspect of the story, and even though I wish it could have been a little different, but I was still absolutely delighted at this minor plot point. Also, Nell is such an amazingly adorable little witch in general, and she has some pretty awesome creatures looking after her.

I will warn you guys that this book has a very abrupt cliffhanger that will make you ready to make a deal with a demon for the next book. But this didn’t make me from loving this book any less.

I loved this entire book with my whole heart. There is no doubt that this is going on my best of 2017 list at the end of the year. I normally don’t even like middle grade novels that much, and I will admit that this one leans towards older middle grade, but I was completely captivated and enthralled with this the whole entire time. This is an absolute must read for the fall season, and if you’re looking for an autumnal read then look no further than this perfection.

“Being different, being simply you instead of what other people wanted you to be, was its own kind of bravery.”

This book is a perfect fall read.
It's a fun, yet surprisingly dark read. I did laugh a fair bit though, I have a thing for liking jerks and Al is a huge jerk.
From the top, Prosper's family is full of oddly fortunate members... with the exception of himself. Turns out he's the current host of the malefactor that his great-something great grandfather Honor Redding made a deal with to get their family the luck it has. Honor attempted to break his end of the bargain in a really, rather terrible way and the malefactor, obviously displeased and angry promised to get his revenge someday. That someday is now, he's a part of Prosper and waiting to regain his strength to finish what he started, Prosper unfortunately finds this out about the same time his family tries to kill him to protect themselves from Al.
Alastor, Al, isn't a fun being to share your body with and he's not friendly, he enjoys tormenting Prosper now that Prosper is aware of his existence. Prosper finds himself under the care of an uncle, Barnabas, and cousin, Cornelia/Nell whose a witch, he's never met before who promise to help him free himself from Alastor. 
Despite the fact that Prosper spends a majority of the book feeling bad for himself he does try to learn what he can and makes himself as useful as he can. That ending is a heck of a cliffhanger though. Will definitely be waiting for the next book because I need answers.

Thanks to Disney Book Group for supplying an e-galley of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding in exchange for an honest review. 

Prosper Redding
With THE DREADFUL TALE OF PROSPER REDDING, Alexandra Bracken departs from her usual style of dark, hard-hitting writing seen in THE DARKEST MINDS and PASSENGER to showcase a fun-filled Halloween-themed story that’s sure to entertain readers.

Official Description

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history — that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper’s great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made — and then broke — a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, four-thousand-year-old Alastor isn’t exactly the forgiving type.

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose — to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his future without a side of eternal servitude, thanks.

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor’s control over his body grows stronger with each passing night, and there’s a lot Alastor isn’t telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host.

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a tale of betrayal and revenge, of old hurts passed down from generation to generation. Can you ever fully right a wrong, ever truly escape your history? Or will Prosper and Alastor be doomed to repeat it?

From the opening “Word from the Malefactor”, the stage is set—THE DREADFUL TALE OF PROSPER REDDING is going to be unlike anything that Alexandra Bracken has published before. 

As is the custom for middle-grade books, PROSPER REDDING is filled with a lot of just off-the-wall fun stuff, from a cat with bat wings confusingly named Toad, to a haunted house with screaming ghosts and fake blood, to uh-oh-the-demon-inhabiting-my-body-is-making-me-run-really-fast-and-I-just-broke-that-kid’s-ankle. Add all of that to a Halloween-time setting and Alex has clicked into a story that’s going to resonate so easily with kids, as well as teens and adults with fond memories of movies like Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus.

Throughout the book, the setting plays as much of a role as any of the characters, and it’s one which instantly sucks you in. Redhood isn’t just another suburban American town, it’s a town steeped in history and run by a family that shares said history. Add to this the fact that the book takes place during Halloween, and it’s clear from the beginning that the book is going to be a treat.

Another staple of Alexandra Bracken’s writing is her casts of characters. They were the defining core of both The Darkest Minds and Passenger series’, and things are the same with PROSPER REDDING; readers are going to very easily connect with the charming cast. Each character is completely themselves, from the main cast to the delightfully entertaining side-cast. Prosper is a wholly original, witty, and clever main character, while Nell perfectly compliments him and brings her own unique side to the story. Alastor, the malefactor inhabiting Prosper’s body, is hilarious and surprisingly complex by the end. 

It’s difficult to find any true negatives to this book. When looking at it as a whole, it’s clear that it’s not a story designed to cut deep or make for any deep thoughts–at the end of the day, it’s a middle-grade book that’s more surface than anything else. Personally, I don’t see that this detracts in any way. It’s a purely enjoyable book that has a lot more positives going for it than negatives, and that readers will undoubtedly find wildly entertaining.

By the end, in typical Bracken fashion, revelations are brought to (candle)light and we’re left both immensely satisfied with how this book has been wrapped up, while also infuriatingly eager for the sequel.

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding follows soon-to-be thirteen year-old Prosper, who comes from a rich and enormously influential family in New England. But their success does not come from hard work. No, it comes from a deal with a devil, or more specifically a so called Malefactor by the name of Alastor. Due entirely to circumstances beyond his control, Prosper becomes possessed by that same Malefactor, who made the contract with Prosper's ancestor, Honor Redding. What comes next is a tale of change, trust and fiendish affairs.

Alexandra Bracken is one of my favorite young adult authors, and her first leap into middle grade does not disappoint. This is the kind of book I wish had been around when I was twelve. It's fun and eerie with a sense of looming darkness. The only thing that threw me off a bit was the fact that nothing really happens the first part of the book. It builds the setting, but not much else. The action and character development happens in the second half, and boy is it good.

Prosper has never been able to live up to what is expected of a Redding. His classmates bully him, his teachers don't care for him and he's afraid to admit his passion for art. A lot of that starts to change during the course of this first instalment of the series.

This dreadful tale has elements that challenges gender roles and other things that defy the general expectations we meet in society. There is a short scene in the middle of the book, which shows the fact that kids aren't born to condemn something as wrong, it's something they learn from their environment. And though it is only a very minor part of the story, I thoroughly appreciated it. Especially because this book is targeted towards the middle grade age, where you're confused about the world and your brain is like a sponge, absorbing social cues and morals.

The majority of the novel takes place in Salem, Massachusetts. Which, you might know, is famous for the witch trials that took place during the 1690s. It's the perfect setting for a novel reminiscent of movies like Practical Magic and Halloweentown. The reason I'm so excited about the setting is because after wanting to go to Salem, I finally went there this summer. It's always awesome when a book is set somewhere you've been.

One of the things that played a major part in my enjoyment of the story was the characters. Prosper is very likeable and relatable. Alastor is unintentionally hilarious, and Nell, a young witch, is stubborn and an all-round strong female character. They all play an important role in why I liked the book so much.

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding is a fun and delightfully creepy novel. It's about family, trust and the possible danger of presumptions. At the same time it also tells a story of coincidence, and how it may lead to an unlikely partnership. Prosper and his fiendish resident, Alastor, find themselves in a situation they never saw coming. In order to save themselves, and consequently each other, they have to put their differences aside in order to succeed.

All in all, I loved this book and I want to thank Alexandra Bracken for making my 12-year-old self extremely happy. I had a lot of fun reading this novel, so much so that I'm eagerly looking forward to follow Prosper on the rest of his journey.

Admittedly, I was a little nervous that this would be a bit too dark for middle grade readers.  I mean there are witches and fiends and demons and possession and diabolical deals and all sorts of shenanigans - but really, I shouldn't have worried, especially in the very capable hands of Alexandra Bracken.  Bracken does such an amazing job of balancing those darker elements with humor and heart.  I mean how can you not only giggle but fall in love with a book when you have insults like, "Tickle-brained canker blossom" or "Dread-bolted flax-wench" or, my personal favorite, "Saucy urchin-snouted strumpet!"  (This is all coming from a wise-cracking demon, I might add).  It's moments like these that take the edge off of what could, potentially, be a book that could alienate its readers.  Instead, Bracken embraces them and I love her all the more for that.  Additionally, Prosper has become one of my favorite young protagonists. . . EVER.  He is certainly a testament to Bracken's ability to create such well developed characters as we follow the young tween through the craziness of his doomed family and all of the ups and downs that come with adolescence.  The same is true of Nell and Alastor and, well, really all of the characters.

At the end of the day, this is definitely a middle grade novel that everyone will enjoy.  It's awesome to see that this is the first in a series too, because I really can't get enough of these characters.  Also - Miss Bracken - if you ever wanted to do a spin-off YA series with these kiddos as full blown teenagers, I would whole-heartedly support that decision :)

Thank you so much Net Galley, Alexandra Bracken and Disney-Hyperion for giving me early access to The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding in exchange for my honest review.

This book is a tad spooky, often hilarious and completely fun! It gave me some serious Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown vibes, so if you're a fan of either of those I definitely suggest you check it out.  It's a perfect read as we come into the fall/Halloween season. While it's categorized as middle grade, I think it'd be just as enjoyable for the younger readers as it would for the young at heart. I'm in my 30s and I'm not ashamed to say that I loved this book! It had a perfect blend of mystery, wit, world building, character development and imagery. As the book nears the end many of the mysteries are explained, perfectly making way for even more to take their place, concluding in a bit of a dramatic cliffhanger. I am really excited to read the next book in the series!!

I thoroughly enjoyed The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding. It was creepy and comedic in all the right ways and it also had a lot of heart. I was invested in most of the characters, including Nell and Prosper, who were my favorite. I appreciated how much representation this novel had because of the LGBTQ+ relationship that is featured in this book and also because we have an African American co-protagonist. I would highly recommend to anyone who wants a spooky read for the fall. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
-Jaime

Wow, it's been a long time since I read a middle grade book. But man did I miss it! From the first sarcastic line of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding, I immediately got nostalgic for Percy Jackson and my other old favorites. This book is so cute and laugh-out-loud funny, it was exactly what I needed during my stressful return to high school.

TDTOPR (I'll be using this acronym since it's quite a long title, if you haven't noticed) is one of those happy books that just filled my heart with warmth and fluffiness as I read it. But, ironically, this book is also completely about demons and ghosts and witches and scary magic spells involving mirrors and candlelight. So, I'm not sure if that says more about me than it does the book, but I still found it to be relaxing and refreshing from the drama-filled YA genre.

Speaking of witches and ghosts, if you're looking for a fun read for the fall season, TDTOPR is exactly what you want! I closed this book dying for a slice of pumpkin pie while sitting on a New England park bench, a crisp breeze blowing orange and yellow leaves through the air. Or course, I live in Florida and it's only September 4th, so that was a bit of a cruel joke. My unfortunate climactic circumstances aside, this book has all of those things, along with plenty of Halloween trickery!

Prosper as a character is very relatable, as a kid I experienced many of the same feelings and social pressures in middle school. His narration is witty and sharp, never too confident or too insecure. A few times, however, we get to see through Alastor's eyes, and those chapters had to be some of my absolute favorites. He's definitely not your typical villian, hell-bent on revenge against the Reddings, but easily confused by 21st century ways of speaking. The contradictions and comparisons that Alex makes between Alastor and Prosper provide for many humorous moments, as well as some difficult ones.

Another element of the book that I didn't expect to see much of, but ended up coming out in full force, was MAGIC! As a self-diagnosed fantasy addict, I loved the unique layers of world-building and the magic system that Alex wove through the story. It definitely kept the plot moving and kept me guessing. I do wish that the ending had been more surprising, but overall there's not much I would change.

As a result, TDTOPR is an interesting mix of genres, with a middle grade tone and highlights of urban fantasy, beautifully set against a historical town steeped in rich - and dangerous - family folklore. If you're a regular YA reader that rarely strays from the genre (like myself), I encourage you to give this book a shot! I loved being reintroduced to middle grade, and can't wait for the next installment in this peculiar adventure.

I want to thank the Disney-Hyperion group for allowing me to grab this book from NetGalley in an the form of an Advanced Copy of the ebook. I found a couple of advanced reviews in Booklist and LibraryJournal and was pleased to find the book available on NetGalley.

Prosper Redding possibly has the worst luck of all the Reddings in the world. At twelve, he's constantly in trouble, struggles in school, and it seems he's doomed to never quite recognize his passion in art. At least not while he's forced to live in Redding, which is where he'll probably be until he dies... provided of course his family doesn't kill him first. Following an age old tradition that's not well advertised in the family, Prosper and his twin Prudence are subjected to a test to see if one of them has been caught up in the family curse. And it seems, with his exceptionally bad luck, that Prosper is definitely in jeopardy considering there's a demon living inside him.

From there things go from bad to worse as Prosper is taken by his supposed Uncle Barnabas, who'd been exiled from the family's gatherings for a previous slight. A bit dense and naive, Prosper has little choice but to believe "Barnabas" and his daughter Nell about everything that's happened. His only hope is that with Nell's witch-in-training powers they'll be able to draw out the demon and transfer it off to another living being to destroy. Meanwhile, while they're gathering up the ingredients for the spell, Prosper has to attend school with Nell... though definitely not as himself. 

With a bit of help from Alastor, the Prince of the Third Realm and mostly annoyed fiend, Prosper begins making friends and doing things to see what it's like to actually be a "winner" at times. Unfortunately there seems to be a lot going on that Prosper isn't aware of, like his body being taken for joy-rides by Alastor and perhaps his supposed uncle isn't who he seems to be. 

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding is a thrilling adventure with several twists and turns that middle schoolers will definitely identify with in the struggles of fitting in and shining in their talents. Ms. Bracken provides a lovely tale that I can't wait to grab the second volume of this series. I'll also be working on getting a copy of this book into my library's collection.

"I would say it's a pleasure to meet thee, Prosperity Oceanus Redding, but truly, I only anticipate the delights of destroying thy happiness."

Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history — that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper's great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made — and then broke — a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, four-thousand-year-old Alastor isn't exactly the forgiving type.

The fiend has reawakened with one purpose — to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his future without a side of eternal servitude, thanks.

Little does Prosper know, the malefactor's control over his body grows stronger with each passing night, and there's a lot Alastor isn't telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host.

From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a tale of betrayal and revenge, of old hurts passed down from generation to generation. Can you ever fully right a wrong, ever truly escape your history? Or will Prosper and Alastor be doomed to repeat it? (via Goodreads)
I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, in exchange for an honest review. 

I was predisposed to love this book. It has a fox on the cover, which as you know, is my favorite animal. I have to say that Alexandra Bracken lived up to my expectations, and produced a book worthy of this beautiful fox. It was delightfully spooky.

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding had me hooked from the beginning, even when it had been several chapters and I had no idea what was going on. It kept me guessing throughout the book - who could I trust? Was the fiend softening toward humanity? How would it end?

On a cliffhanger, that's how it ended!

And I loved it!

The prose was funny and lyrical. I was literally laughing out loud reading it - which isn't great when you're trying to read sneakily at work, but is great literally every other time. I loved the silly songs that the fiend came up with. I also really loved how different each person defined family. I loved how absolutely awful Prosper's actual family was, and the twist at the end had me gasping in shock and glee. It also left me with a desire to try fried pumpkin leaves.

I highly recommend this book to middle grade mystery lovers, and I can't wait to see it continue! You can pick up a copy for yourself off of Amazon or Indiebound!

Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links, which means that if you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of it.

I normally don't read a lot of middle grade titles anymore but with Alexandra Bracken behind this one, I couldn't resist and I'm really glad I took a chance on it. I absolutely loved the atmosphere of the first chapter.  It really reminded me of Stars Hollow around the time of the annual Fall Festival.  Prosper seemed like a misunderstood kid who was kind of the black sheep of the family... never quite good enough to meet his family's insanely high standards.  Even his twin sister Prue who he stuck by through years of serious illness was rather cruel to him. This made me instantly feel for him.  So when he returned home for dinner and crazy things started happening, I didn't blame him at all for the terror he must have felt.  With the introduction of Nell, I hoped that Prosper would be able to finally have a good friend who could show him that he is worth more than how he has been treated in the past.  At first she treated him with disdain because he was a Redding, but slowly she gradually realized that he was different than his family in a good way.  Alastor, the demon inside of Prosper, was a little over the top but eventually I got used to it.  That was probably the only thing that bugged me about this book.  There were two big twists in the book which I did not see coming! And that cliffhanger ending!!! I need book two ASAP! Overall I really enjoyed reading this book that reminded me of Hocus Pocus crossed with a little bit of Harry Potter.  A perfect read for fall!

My first book by this author! Very enjoyable and faced paced read! I throughly enjoyed it!

I don’t often read Middle-Grade books, but the premise of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding had me so intrigued that I couldn’t resist picking it up. And Alexandra Bracken did not disappoint. This was a fun, dark read with wonderful characters and fascinating creatures. We follow twelve-year-old Prosperity Oceanus Redding as he learns he is the host of a demon/fiend prince named Alastor, who is determined to exact revenge on his family, and who Prosper is determined to get rid of. I absolutely adored Prosper! He comes from a very respectable family but has always felt like he wasn’t quite good enough, especially compared to his twin sister, Prudence Fidelia Redding. He is an artist, loyal, and kind-hearted and I really enjoyed his narration. But I also loved getting to be inside Alastor’s head! He’s old-fashioned, stubborn, and just a little cheeky and I am excited to see his relationship with Prosper develop more. Prosper also becomes friends with another favorite character, a witch named Nell, who is proud, resilient, and kicks butt. The twists and turns were great, the atmosphere was delicious, and that cliffhanger left me eagerly awaiting the sequel. 

Actual Rating: 4.5/5 stars