I was really looking forward to this book, knowing how popular of an author Bracken is, but unfortunately I think this book was just a little too young for me.

An extremely fun and whimsical Middle Grade horror story! I absolutely love this book and found it the perfect level of scary, that kept me hooked but never freaked out.

Alex Bracken is a fantastic author, and I will always read their books – they never disappoint. The voice is authentic and the story was perfectly paced.

I wasn't expecting this to be so funny! It's a great combination of creepy, action-packed, thoughtful, and amusing. I really enjoyed Prosper's voice, which makes up the bulk of the narration, and the interjections from the demon Alastor were very fun. The balance between spooky and age-appropriate is just right. It ends on a massive cliffhanger, so you'll want to have the sequel nearby!

This was a brilliantly dark and enjoyable read. Both myself (nearly 30) and my two children (aged 8 and 9) adored reading this together. It was fast paced with some beautiful moments and some nail biting times. This is a great read for any fans of City of Ghosts by VE Schwab.

Such dark and twisty winter fun. Creepy and funny and totally engaging. Have recommended to my friends and will be seeking out more by this author.

The Redding family is no ordinary family. Although Prosper might just be the only ordinary member.
That is until he discovers that the Redding family's good luck is thanks to a contract with a demon called Alastor who just happens to be inside Prosper.
Alastor wants revenge on the Redding family and is determined to convince Prosper to sign a contract with him. But time is ticking and Alastor doesn't have long to grow stronger.
Can Prosper stop Alastor from destroying his family?
Will Prosper give in and make a contract of his own?

My favourite part of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding was the premise. I thought the idea of making a deal with a demon/malefactor was interesting and I'm intrigued to find out more about Alastor's realm.
I thought Prosper was a good protagonist. I felt sorry for him and thought he reacted pretty well given what he went through. I was rooting for him to get rid of Alastor who I actually couldn't help but like even though he was essentially the bad guy.
Nell was an interesting character and I liked Toad the changeling.
The plot was interesting and held my attention. I did guess one of the plot twists.
The writing was engaging and easy to follow.

Overall this was an enjoyable read.

This is a strong, fun middle grade book that has crossover appeal for older audiences. The characters are likable. It has a nice layer of humour throughout. There is a spookiness to it that doesn't overpower and make this too scary for some kids. It's just the right amount making it a fun Halloween read. This is one of this stories that sticks with you long after you finish the last page.

Well, Autumn is technically upon us and so it's time to get down to some slightly spookier reads. I decided to try this MG read from Alexander Bracken because my last read from this author was not all that impressive, and as she's such a renowned writer, I really want to find something I'll like more. I don't read huge amounts of MG fiction, but I do like something a bit spookier - especially when it involves witches, paranormal goings-on and family curses.

I definitely enjoyed this book more than my last Bracken read. It was paced well plot-wise. I also quite liked the characters and their relationship dynamics. Prosper & Nell were particularly interesting because the changes in the way they interacted were subtle. I also really liked what Alastor brought to the table! In fact, he might have been my favourite character (aside from Toad, the changeling cat) because his little comments added a lot of comedy to certain scenarios.

Of course, being an MG, this book was very simplistic in a lot of ways. Characters may have been likeable, but they were mostly a little too two-dimensional. I'd have liked some more depth as I never felt that I was totally hooked. Also, the conversations felt a little stilted at times and I'd have liked if things were a bit less confusing as sometimes things happened quite quickly and it was a little bit 'blink-and-you-miss-it'. I'll definitely be reading the next in the series though, as I'm eager to see more of the third realm and hopefully see more of Alastor's world.

This is a fun, demonic tale that’s perfectly timed for Halloween. Prosper’s a pretty normal kid, except his family is super rich and everyone at school hates him – and most of his family does too. I was never quite sure why Prosper was so unpopular, especially when his twin is beloved by everyone, but it definitely helps make readers feel sorry for him.

Which is helpful, since he has a demon inside him and all. I quite liked Alastor and his Shakespearean insults. He’s extremely arrogant, but rather amusing, and clearly confused about a lot of what’s happening. I also liked Nell and Toad and the witchcraft side of things.

The plot is light and fast, with some creepy bits and an interesting set up. There are some neat twists too, some of which are obvious but a few snuck in unexpectedly along the way. In all this is a fun Middle Grade read and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for more.

There are a few main points that I adored about this book, the first is the setting as it is partly set in Salem and there are so many mentions of halloween, pumpkins and autumn so it is definitely the one to read for the halloween period. Secondly, I loved the dry and sarcastic sense of humour from some of the main characters, especially Prosper which made for a fun read. I also liked the fiends point of view!

The story as a whole was interesting, entertaining and halloween filled but it was just too slow for me! The story ticks along at a leisurely pace and I just wanted to have some answers and a conclusion without the slow section in-between. Overall, I did enjoy it and if it sounds interesting to you then you must read it for halloween (I loved the halloween vibes and I think it would make a perfect halloween film) but I think I'd listened to too much of the hype and this book didn't fully live up to it for me sadly.

Around this time last year, I heard about this Middle Grade book called The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding. It was by an author I really liked, and I was pretty determined to read it. Unfortunately, I never really heard anything more about it, except for a few reviews here and there. I can only assume, since I recently got this advanced copy on Netgalley, that it hasn’t yet been released in the UK. So I’m super excited to finally get my hands on this book and review it.

First of all, I have to commend Bracken for the amount of humour packed into this book. I was a bit worried, since I’m not a huge fan of MG, that it was going to go for the very easy and sometimes juvenile laughs, particularly with a male protagonist [hell, my boyfriend still laughs at fart jokes]. Fortunately, this was just so witty and hilarious that I definitely had to clamp my mouth shut a few times while laughing and simultaneously drinking coffee. My favourite bit by far had to be when Alastor wanders around Salem and we get his perspective. Remember that he’s an ancient creature and not familiar with things like doorbells. The way Bracken writes scenes like these is just so brilliant and is almost guaranteed to make anyone laugh.

Next up, the characters. I liked Prosper a lot, and I thought there was a great depth to his character and a lot of interesting personal conflict that added a good deal to the plot. Good books, IMO are made up of a decent mix between plot driven and character driven situations, and I think TDTOPR has a nice balance between these things. Prosper is very wry and sarcastic, and those kinds of amusing punchy one liner deliveries definitely won me over very quickly. Alastor is also a well-developed character. Obviously some details about him are left vague, and I imagine we might learn a bit more about him in the coming books, but I liked what I saw. Again, it seems like Bracken has a deft touch for creating torn and complicated characters. Sometimes, Alastor is just awful, and you wish he would be vanquished. Other times, he kinda grows on you. Until you remember he’s planning on destroying Prosper’s life, and then you’re back to hating him again. It’s pretty complex and definitely interesting to read.

The only significant drawback for me with The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding is the ending of the book. There’s a lot of plot twists and betrayals and trickery involved at the end of the novel, and in some ways it was really hard to follow what was happening. It was still very interesting, and I fell into it as much as I had the rest of the novel, but I had to re-read a few pages and then put the book down and thing in order to comprehend what was happening, since it was all moving so fast.

Overall, I’m giving The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding a 7.5/10. It was a very funny and riveting read, and I definitely think it should be on every fantasy lover’s wish list right now, as it has that Halloween vibe, but the ending was a little rushed and confusing and I could have done with something in there to slow the pace down just a touch in those final pages.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Children's Group for providing me with a copy for review.

Prosper Redding is one of the youngest members of the Redding family, a family that is widely known for founding their town and a family that continues to be prominent members of their society. On the outside the family seems perfect, but Prosper has never felt like he fits and, just before his 13th birthday, he discovers the dark secret about the reason they became so prominent and wealthy and the curse that rests upon them due to it. Prosper discovers that he is possessed by a demon intent on destroying his family and their legacy and he must figure out how to stop him before his family takes matters into their own hands.

This was a great story and definitely a fantastic spooky Halloween read, especially as the novel is actually set around the time of the Halloween season. It is really unique and interesting and does a great job of setting up a dark and mysterious world of demons whilst combining it with the mundane elements of daily life. I loved the storyline and found it incredibly easy to read.

The characters were really well written, even Alastor, the demon possessing Prosper and I really enjoyed reading about all of them. Nell, Prosper's cousin and the daughter of a witch, was especially a great character to read about. Each of the characters were well developed and unique with their own motives, problems, and more, and they all contributed greatly to the story.

Overall, this was definitely a really strong book that I highly recommend as we enter the Halloween season. It is a middle grade book that does a perfect job of appealing to many audiences whilst still holding true and being well written for the intended child audience - it feels very universal.

I really enjoyed this. Very funny and whimsical, in a Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas style. Prosper and the demon Alastor are memorable, witty leads, and the antagonism between them is excellent. The American town founded by the Reddings is particularly well crafted - it's going to stay in my memory for a long time. I'm definitely going to be reading the second book in the series.