The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding Review

Oct 10, 2017
2 min read

3 stars!!! This novel was a pretty average read for me. The blurb was interesting enough. But, I guess kids will prefer the plot more than I did. In order to get a better picture of what I mean by this, let me elaborate. Firstly, I did like the writing style that Alexandra Bracken employs. I liked reading the novel from Prosper's POV. His parts were humorous enough albeit a little forced. However, once I got into Alastor, the fiend's part, I found reading became tedious. Plus, I think the sarcasm went a little overboard. The worldbuilding was engaging and pretty immersive. I liked the dark yet quirky atmosphere of the book. It prevented the book from getting too gloomy or depressive. This is a Middle Grade read. I liked learning about the various spells, creatures, and realms. The backstory of the Reddings and the malefactors was intriguing and rather unique. I also loved the fact that the book was set in the fall which gave it quite a cosy touch without detracting from the foreboding quality. Secondly, I enjoyed Prosper as a MC. I liked that he wasn't the usual type of 12 years old. He is passionate about art and is quite alternative in the way he thinks about things. He is his own person. He has his own opinions and is capable of taking decisions. I also liked his relationship with his sister and the way he treats other members of his family. He seems selfless enough and really sticks up for those he considers friends/family. In terms of the minor characters, I found them to be fleshed out well but I would have liked to see more. Maybe the fact that the story was set in a school and stuff stopped the development of minor or supporting characters. We couldn't see how they related to the story much except that they served only to progress the story. We don't see their actions, emotions or motives unless mentioned by Prosper. This, in turn, made the writing very one dimensional. Thirdly, although I enjoyed Alastor's character. I felt he came across as more of a caricature than a villain. This diminished his personality in my eyes. Plus, the constant use of old English became irritating after a while. I also would have preferred reading more of the story from his POV. Maybe alternating chapters would have helped. I think reading about his thoughts and motives would have enlivened the story further. Last but not least, the story does throw in some shocking twists which I didn't see coming. I have to admit without those I might have rated the book lower. The structure of the novel also didn't help. The beginning chapters were very lengthy and quite dry with lots of info-dumping. This lead me to take a longer time to read. I prefer short chapters with plenty of action. There is action in this novel but it is far and in between. This made reading a chore. I don't know. As I said hopefully kids will like it more. The story does have its positives. I guess it deals more with family, revenge, greed and betrayal. Maybe the sequel will be better. *fingers crossed*