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labunnywtf's review against another edition
5.0
I know everything about thee, Prosperity. Everything inside thee belongs to me. I am joined to thy shade. I know all of thy fears, thy desires, thy jealousy - where thou hides thy collection of small porcelain ponies....
Oh my gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahd, I love this ridiculous book so much.
First of all, all love to Jade for a) thinking of me when she read this book, and b) sending it to me as the best Christmas present ever. Book presents are the best, and this one was especially amazing because creepy ponies.
Prosper is the black sheep of the Redding family. He's surrounded by overachieving success stories, and his family is basically the creme de la creme of their small town. Then one day, through a strange and offputting chain of events, he learns that all of the family's luck and fortune comes from a deal they made with an 800-year old demon. A grumpy, snarky, trickster demon.
Really grumpy.
Unfortunately for Prosper, said Grumpy Gills demon now resides inside of him and keeps a running commentary in his head about all the ways he's going to bring their family down.
Prosper has a very short period of time to break the curse and get the demon out, with the help of long lost relatives he barely knew existed. But in the meantime, Alastor is whispering nasty things in his ear to convince him to give in and sell his soul.
Is there a better name for a demon than Alastor? I think not.
The humor of this book is absolutely amazing. Prosper himself is dry and self deprecating, but Alastor thoroughly steals the show. I am so ready to read the sequel, and I can only hope there are more creepy ponies to come.
Oh my gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahd, I love this ridiculous book so much.
First of all, all love to Jade for a) thinking of me when she read this book, and b) sending it to me as the best Christmas present ever. Book presents are the best, and this one was especially amazing because creepy ponies.
Prosper is the black sheep of the Redding family. He's surrounded by overachieving success stories, and his family is basically the creme de la creme of their small town. Then one day, through a strange and offputting chain of events, he learns that all of the family's luck and fortune comes from a deal they made with an 800-year old demon. A grumpy, snarky, trickster demon.
Really grumpy.
Unfortunately for Prosper, said Grumpy Gills demon now resides inside of him and keeps a running commentary in his head about all the ways he's going to bring their family down.
Prosper has a very short period of time to break the curse and get the demon out, with the help of long lost relatives he barely knew existed. But in the meantime, Alastor is whispering nasty things in his ear to convince him to give in and sell his soul.
Is there a better name for a demon than Alastor? I think not.
The humor of this book is absolutely amazing. Prosper himself is dry and self deprecating, but Alastor thoroughly steals the show. I am so ready to read the sequel, and I can only hope there are more creepy ponies to come.
amybraunauthor's review against another edition
5.0
I'm not going to lie––it took me a little while to get into this one. But once things got rolling, I was completely hooked. I almost missed the start of my work shift because I needed to finish it and know what happened. This is an absolute treat for anyone who enjoys creepy stories with great characters, filled with complex worlds, and mountains of betrayals (seriously, SO MANY). The story was engaging and unique and is filled with so much potential for future books (and there better be some!). Prosper is a fantastic main character with a lot of growth ahead of him, I think. I also really enjoyed Alastor and Nell and their complex relationships with our main hero. This book had so many twists my head was spinning, and I was actually flipping the back pages looking for more story. I don't usually read middle grade fiction, but I can definitely say I'm so happy I gave this one a chance. It was the fun, possession story I didn't know I needed in my life. Definitely one to check out!
luciearan's review against another edition
1.0
I když nejsem zrovna cílová skupina, knihy pro mládež, si občas přečtu moc ráda. Už jen proto, že se mnohdy jedná o originální, a příjemně oddechový příběh. To však absolutně není tento případ.
Nalákat jsem se nechala hlavně obálkou, přišla mi roztomilá. Anotace pak působila minimálně zajímavě. Příběh mě však, absolutně nezaujal a nebavil. Působil zdlouhavě, nezáživně, většinu knihy se v podstatě ani nic nedělo. Postavy byly nudné a podivně nijaké. Něco málo, se začalo dít, až v samotném závěru knihy, ale to už jsem byla příběhem natolik unavená, že mi bylo víceméně jedno, jak to dopadne.
Na další díl, se rozhodně nechystám.
Nalákat jsem se nechala hlavně obálkou, přišla mi roztomilá. Anotace pak působila minimálně zajímavě. Příběh mě však, absolutně nezaujal a nebavil. Působil zdlouhavě, nezáživně, většinu knihy se v podstatě ani nic nedělo. Postavy byly nudné a podivně nijaké. Něco málo, se začalo dít, až v samotném závěru knihy, ale to už jsem byla příběhem natolik unavená, že mi bylo víceméně jedno, jak to dopadne.
Na další díl, se rozhodně nechystám.
caitlinxreads's review against another edition
4.0
This was not was not what I was expecting. First off, I thought this was YA, but Prosper is actually only 12 (almost 13). Also, the ending was just... wow. Not what was expected.
I enjoyed the characters, plot, twists, autumnal imagery, and the magical aspects. This was an engaging, quick read. I found myself saying 'no' and 'why' out loud a few times while reading.
However, I felt (throughout the novel) that this story seems more like a standalone. Nevertheless, I will likely read the next book to see what happens.
I enjoyed the characters, plot, twists, autumnal imagery, and the magical aspects. This was an engaging, quick read. I found myself saying 'no' and 'why' out loud a few times while reading.
However, I felt (throughout the novel) that this story seems more like a standalone. Nevertheless, I will likely read the next book to see what happens.
alrightieaphroditie's review against another edition
2.0
two stars ∗ this book just wasn’t my cup of tea. maybe because i read it in january, and it seemed more of like an october/november book. i just felt like the plot was dragged on a bit longer than it needed to be.
i did, however, like the characters and the atmosphere the book provided. prosper was a really funny and relatable narrator, and nell seems like a girl i’d be friends with. maybe if i reread this closer to halloween i’d like it more? i genuinely love alexandra bracken’s writing style, so i’m a little disappointed that this book didn’t live up to the hype for me.
i did, however, like the characters and the atmosphere the book provided. prosper was a really funny and relatable narrator, and nell seems like a girl i’d be friends with. maybe if i reread this closer to halloween i’d like it more? i genuinely love alexandra bracken’s writing style, so i’m a little disappointed that this book didn’t live up to the hype for me.
ctdominguez13's review
3.0
This is more like a 3.5 stars. Reading this was kind of like a rollercoaster. It had an okay beginning, a semi boring middle and finally, it picks up at the end. I wasn't crazy about the writing and I felt that the different point of views took some getting used to (it switches between 1at pov and 3rd). Overall, it is a fairly average book but it is promising enough to make you want to finish and continue on with the series.
kovost's review
4.0
I did originally rate this three stars, but the longer I sat on it, the more I realized how much I enjoyed it and it’s probably a solid 3.5 stars so I felt like it was fair to round it up to four stars.
Here’s the funny story about why I read this book: I apparently (despite not remembering this at all) requested the second book on NetGalley. This still confuses me because I’m always incredibly vigilant in making sure that I don’t request sequels so I don’t end up with a book that makes no sense to me and then a heavy obligation to read the first book, which could easily end up being a book that I don’t like, never mind care enough to read the sequel. So I’m always very careful and read the details, but? I apparently did not with The Last Life of Prince Alastor?
So it came full circle and I felt obligated to read the first book because it’s not like I could read the second without it and I wasn’t about to leave it to expire on my NetGalley when I have such a stubborn pride.
And I don’t regret it, at all.
Twelve-year-old Prosper (short for Prosperity, I’m not kidding) Redding comes from a long line of rich folk, much to his dismay considering the type of people the Reddings are and Prosper has had many of cruel comments thrown his way for it. Turns out, as there always is, there’s a history to how the Redding family came to be what it is today and unfortunately, Prosper suffers the consequences more than anyone else because he’s bound to a demon, Alastor. And Alastor has a grudge against the Redding family after having a betraying experience with the man that created the Redding family face over two hundred years ago.
Then Prosper is rescued by his estranged uncle, Barnabas, and his daughter, Nell, and hidden away in Salem—as in Massachusetts—where he goes to school to keep up the front as they try to figure out how to get Alastor out of Prosper before his thirteenth birthday; before Alastor has the power to actually take down the Redding family finally.
The only way to get him out is to either do a questionable spell that involves a lot of questionable things that isn’t easy to get your hands on or make a contract with Alastor—which Prosper refuses to do because he refuses to be like his family. So you can see how his options are limited and it makes for a wild ride.
I loved Prosper as a narrator because he has the amusing wit of a kid that’s just absolutely done with everything and has clearly dealt with a lot in his short amount of time on this planet. His reluctance to be greedy and superficial like his family keeps him down-to-earth and easy to sympathize with. He’s the kid that’s expected to be many things but is simultaneously none of them and outside of what’s deemed ‘normal’ by his peers as well, which draws a lot of attention and as a twelve-year-old, that’s hard to deal with—especially when his twin sister seems to be the exact opposite. It makes for a lot of insecurities and coping mechanisms, which show in Prosper.
I also loved Alastor, who does double a little bit as a narrator technically (and I mean, he lives inside of Prosper so technically), because he’s inadvertently hilarious in his dramatics with his old English and dry comments about humankind as he tries to navigate the modern world in his revenge fantasy goals.
And the atmosphere of this book is an autumn dream.
It made me feel nostalgic for a place and time I had never actually been in myself. I wanted to pack my stuff and travel to Salem like that was an actually acceptable thing to do because I wanted to feel autumn and Halloween the same way. I wanted the golden light and the crisp air and the falling leaves and the pumpkins and the smell of maple and the Halloween decorations and the history. This book honestly made me miss somewhere I had never been in my life. (Though it’s probably a good thing because I’m 100% sure that if you took me to Salem, especially during the fall/Halloween time, you would never get me home. I would actually pack all my belongings and live in a giant pumpkin like Halloweentown’s and drink an overabundance of hot chocolate and make a bed of dead leaves, so.)
The plot is fun and entertaining, as well, as Prosper adjusts to a completely different life that introduces him to a world he never knew existed while trying to figure out how to save both himself and his family. It does have a little bit of a tendency to drag out in a way that felt like Bracken was just trying to fill some holes, but not so bad that it gets dull or tedious because things move quickly and the writing style is very enjoyable.
I would absolutely recommend this if you want a quick and amusing read during the autumn/Halloween period. It feeds into all my witchy, supernatural, golden leaves ideals for the season and then some.
Here’s the funny story about why I read this book: I apparently (despite not remembering this at all) requested the second book on NetGalley. This still confuses me because I’m always incredibly vigilant in making sure that I don’t request sequels so I don’t end up with a book that makes no sense to me and then a heavy obligation to read the first book, which could easily end up being a book that I don’t like, never mind care enough to read the sequel. So I’m always very careful and read the details, but? I apparently did not with The Last Life of Prince Alastor?
So it came full circle and I felt obligated to read the first book because it’s not like I could read the second without it and I wasn’t about to leave it to expire on my NetGalley when I have such a stubborn pride.
And I don’t regret it, at all.
Twelve-year-old Prosper (short for Prosperity, I’m not kidding) Redding comes from a long line of rich folk, much to his dismay considering the type of people the Reddings are and Prosper has had many of cruel comments thrown his way for it. Turns out, as there always is, there’s a history to how the Redding family came to be what it is today and unfortunately, Prosper suffers the consequences more than anyone else because he’s bound to a demon, Alastor. And Alastor has a grudge against the Redding family after having a betraying experience with the man that created the Redding family face over two hundred years ago.
Then Prosper is rescued by his estranged uncle, Barnabas, and his daughter, Nell, and hidden away in Salem—as in Massachusetts—where he goes to school to keep up the front as they try to figure out how to get Alastor out of Prosper before his thirteenth birthday; before Alastor has the power to actually take down the Redding family finally.
The only way to get him out is to either do a questionable spell that involves a lot of questionable things that isn’t easy to get your hands on or make a contract with Alastor—which Prosper refuses to do because he refuses to be like his family. So you can see how his options are limited and it makes for a wild ride.
I loved Prosper as a narrator because he has the amusing wit of a kid that’s just absolutely done with everything and has clearly dealt with a lot in his short amount of time on this planet. His reluctance to be greedy and superficial like his family keeps him down-to-earth and easy to sympathize with. He’s the kid that’s expected to be many things but is simultaneously none of them and outside of what’s deemed ‘normal’ by his peers as well, which draws a lot of attention and as a twelve-year-old, that’s hard to deal with—especially when his twin sister seems to be the exact opposite. It makes for a lot of insecurities and coping mechanisms, which show in Prosper.
I also loved Alastor, who does double a little bit as a narrator technically (and I mean, he lives inside of Prosper so technically), because he’s inadvertently hilarious in his dramatics with his old English and dry comments about humankind as he tries to navigate the modern world in his revenge fantasy goals.
And the atmosphere of this book is an autumn dream.
It made me feel nostalgic for a place and time I had never actually been in myself. I wanted to pack my stuff and travel to Salem like that was an actually acceptable thing to do because I wanted to feel autumn and Halloween the same way. I wanted the golden light and the crisp air and the falling leaves and the pumpkins and the smell of maple and the Halloween decorations and the history. This book honestly made me miss somewhere I had never been in my life. (Though it’s probably a good thing because I’m 100% sure that if you took me to Salem, especially during the fall/Halloween time, you would never get me home. I would actually pack all my belongings and live in a giant pumpkin like Halloweentown’s and drink an overabundance of hot chocolate and make a bed of dead leaves, so.)
The plot is fun and entertaining, as well, as Prosper adjusts to a completely different life that introduces him to a world he never knew existed while trying to figure out how to save both himself and his family. It does have a little bit of a tendency to drag out in a way that felt like Bracken was just trying to fill some holes, but not so bad that it gets dull or tedious because things move quickly and the writing style is very enjoyable.
I would absolutely recommend this if you want a quick and amusing read during the autumn/Halloween period. It feeds into all my witchy, supernatural, golden leaves ideals for the season and then some.
laurenbastian's review against another edition
4.0
Pretty solid for a middle grade, and definitely better than the previous middle grade I read. I think there were some pacing issues, and it was pretty predictable, but I enjoyed reading it especially around Halloween. My main issue is that Prosper sounds like every other middle grade narrator ever, which has become a thing since Percy Jackson came out. Luckily, we have Alastor to narrate almost a quarter of the book. Alastor is a riot.
3.5/5 stars
3.5/5 stars