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A review by laurenparrott
The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken
5.0
First and foremost, this book made me wish it was currently October. I was in desperate need of Halloween, jack-o-lanterns, black cats, and haunted houses in the entirety of reading this book. Alex Bracken has been one of my favorite authors in the past few years and this book does not fall short of any expectations I hold; she exceeds all of them. The Darkest Minds series holds such a special place in my heart and I thought nothing could ever come close to that. Then, I read the Passenger series and had the same thought. And most recently, The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding came along.
Prosper Redding is your average twelve-year old boy (he's sassy and often confused), but he has an ancient demon trapped inside of him that constantly threatens to ruin his whole family and their empire. Not to mention, the Reddings are hated by what seems to be the whole general population. You know, average twelve-year-old things. It's been eight, nearly nine, years since I was twelve and I can honestly say that Bracken captured a twelve-year-old perfectly. From the sinking feeling in your stomach on the first day of school to the terrifying adventure of meeting new people, it's all there.
The world building is on another level. Like The Darkest Minds and Passenger, Bracken writes a new world and describes it in the best way possible. It's so easy to see the scenes and every little detail in the setting because she paints it so well. She is beyond descriptive and it made me get lost in Redhood and Salem.
Despite being a middle-grade novel, and me being twenty, I adored this story. Bracken always has the most thought-out plots and she doesn't disappoint. Her characters are absolutely incredible and so realistic. From the moment Nell was introduced, I completely fell in love with her sarcastic comebacks, her passion for witchcraft, and her selflessness. Nell is fierce and a force to be reckoned with. She's also never afraid to ask questions and that's a lesson we can all afford to learn. Alex Bracken even finds room in this novel to discuss the unequal treatment of women and men in theatrical productions and if that isn't astounding, I'm not sure what is.
I want to keep this a spoiler-free review. I do. And I will. But this whole book, especially the ending, is truly told in Alex Bracken style.
You're going to want to pick this book up, and if you don't, you'll kick yourself for missing out. And you don't have to be a kid to enjoy it; you just have to love a great book, spectacular characters, and a fantastic author who knows how to write a stunning story.
And a huge thank you to NetGalley for supplying me with an early copy to read and review!
Prosper Redding is your average twelve-year old boy (he's sassy and often confused), but he has an ancient demon trapped inside of him that constantly threatens to ruin his whole family and their empire. Not to mention, the Reddings are hated by what seems to be the whole general population. You know, average twelve-year-old things. It's been eight, nearly nine, years since I was twelve and I can honestly say that Bracken captured a twelve-year-old perfectly. From the sinking feeling in your stomach on the first day of school to the terrifying adventure of meeting new people, it's all there.
The world building is on another level. Like The Darkest Minds and Passenger, Bracken writes a new world and describes it in the best way possible. It's so easy to see the scenes and every little detail in the setting because she paints it so well. She is beyond descriptive and it made me get lost in Redhood and Salem.
Despite being a middle-grade novel, and me being twenty, I adored this story. Bracken always has the most thought-out plots and she doesn't disappoint. Her characters are absolutely incredible and so realistic. From the moment Nell was introduced, I completely fell in love with her sarcastic comebacks, her passion for witchcraft, and her selflessness. Nell is fierce and a force to be reckoned with. She's also never afraid to ask questions and that's a lesson we can all afford to learn. Alex Bracken even finds room in this novel to discuss the unequal treatment of women and men in theatrical productions and if that isn't astounding, I'm not sure what is.
I want to keep this a spoiler-free review. I do. And I will. But this whole book, especially the ending, is truly told in Alex Bracken style.
You're going to want to pick this book up, and if you don't, you'll kick yourself for missing out. And you don't have to be a kid to enjoy it; you just have to love a great book, spectacular characters, and a fantastic author who knows how to write a stunning story.
And a huge thank you to NetGalley for supplying me with an early copy to read and review!