REVIEW | The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding by Alexandra Bracken

 

“Nell held the stuffed animals just out of his reach, trying not to laugh as the hob jumped up in the air for them. His long ears flopped back and forth, and his snot went flying.

‘Give them to me, give them to this hob!'”

 

Themes:

• Resisting temptations
• Putting the needs of others above your own
• Inclusion in family and friend units/feeling known

The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding is fantastic! This is the first book by Alexandra Bracken that I’ve ever read, and I’m now certain I’ll love everything she’s done! To start with, the atmosphere is absolutely wonderful. It has that New England at Halloween vibe we all love. I read it last month, and it’s the PERFECT October read. I mean, most of the story takes place in Salem, Massachusetts—need I say more? And the town Prosper’s family founded, Redhood, mixes that New England feel with a power family element I loved. We’re also told of the realm from which the demon Alastor hails, and I’m hopeful that we’ll get to visit it in book two!

One of the things that so impressed me about this novel was the complexity of the plot, despite the book being quite character driven. You spend a lot of time worrying about Prosper, getting to know him and Nell, wondering what’s up with Uncle Barnabas and Prosper’s whole family back home. You are thinking about the plot as it’s seen from Prosper’s perspective. But then by the end you’re like, oh yea, wow, there’s like this whole other world Alastor comes from, and he is part of the royal demon family there, and that’s really the essence of this whole plot.

I also think this novel is overflowing with great takeaways, as any good middle grade should! I loved that Prosper felt like the odd man out in his family but not because his family is actually awful. For most of this book, we do believe that his extended family is pretty terrible, but from the beginning, we’re given to understand that his immediate family—mom, dad, and twin sister, Prue—are the exception to this family dynamic. They appear to be loving, compassionate, and involved participants in Prosper’s life. But still, he feels unknown and lonely. I think this is so important for a young reader, because many books make the lonely character someone who also has dramatic and/or negative circumstances, so of course they’re lonely, and the reader can relate to that feeling, which is fantastic. But, in this story, Prosper is initially leading a fairly ordinary life and feels lonely not for lack of a great home life, but because he’s just a little different than everyone around him. How exceptionally relatable?!

In this novel, we also see the dangers and the true sadness in not endeavoring to see the ones we love for who they really are. This is shown even more acutely in Alastor and his sister, Pyra. She had always been disregarded by her own family, it seems both because she was the only daughter and because she didn’t manifest her animal form as quickly as the others. We’re made to believe that Alastor truly loved her and was the only one who was kind to her. But he also didn’t see her for who she truly was, underestimated her, and tried to protect her through control (he locks her away so the others can’t get to her) instead of finding a true solution.

Then we have Nell, who is such an amazing example, in my opinion. She is torn between two parental figures (quite relatable for many children nowadays) and is also clearly trying to find her own way and decide where her own beliefs lie. She is, through it all, compassionate yet tough and well aware of her own worth.

On the subject of great role models, Prosper himself is tempted throughout by an option that would allow him to take the easy way out. Even though this path would be dangerous for the world at large, it could protect himself and his family. He consistently makes the conscious choice to resist, and this is compared to how his more selfish ancestor chose differently. It displays a real strength of character that I adored!

Oh, and all of the creatures, from Toad and Eleanor to Nightlock, were just so fun!

This novel is awesome in general, but I found it especially impressive for a middle grade. I highly recommend!