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    Alexandra Bracken’s Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding is MG gold

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    By Jessica on September 14, 2017 ages 8 & up, Middle Grade, middle grade review
    Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding Alexandra BrackenTHE DREADFUL TALE OF PROSPER REDDING, by Alexandra Bracken, Disney-Hyperion, Sept. 5, 2017, Hardcover, $16.99 (ages 8-12)

    From the moment The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding arrived on my doorstep, I wanted to read it. The cover just begs you to open it.

    At the center of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding is — you guessed it — Prosper Redding. Prosper is the only Redding who isn’t exceptional. And for a family that goes back as far as the Reddings, that’s saying something. He sort of a thorn in everyone’s side until the family discovers there’s a demon living inside of him. Then, they sort of want him dead.

    It turns out a long, long, long time ago, Prosper’s great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. The problem is, Prosper’s grandfather broke the contract, and Alastor (the demon) isn’t too pleased.

    Now Alastor has reawakened inside Prosper’s body — his sole purpose to destroy the Reddings. Prosper only has days send Alastor back to the demon realm, and he must do it with Alastor trying to thwart his every effort. But even though his family is no help, Prosper isn’t alone. With the help of his long-lost uncle, Barnabas, and his daughter, Nell, a witch-in-training, Prosper may just have a chance.

    The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding is Alexandra Bracken’s first foray into middle-grade, but it feels like she’s been writing for middle readers for years. The author of the popular Darkest Minds and Passenger series slips easily into the genre. If anything, I felt like middle-grade conventions forced Bracken to tighten her prose and hone her pacing. She provides the perfect framework for imaginative reading at its best.

    The release of The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding is perfectly timed for the fall season. It’s got just the right mix of creepiness and dark humor to really stand out. This is the first book in a planned series, and I’m excited to see where Bracken goes with it.

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    Jessica
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    Jessica Harrison is the reviewer behind Cracking the Cover. She loves books and worked as the in-house book critic at a daily newspaper, writing reviews and interviewing authors for two years. When the company cut back, she lost her position covering books, but that doesn't mean she stopped reading. If anything, the whole experience made her more passionate about reading and giving people the tools to make informed decisions in their own book choices. She has been featured on NetGalley's Blogger Spotlight and is on Kindleprenuer's Ultimate List of the Best Book Review Blogs. Contact her at jessica(at)crackingthecover(dot)com and follow Cracking the Cover on Bluesky, Instagram,  Facebook and Twitter (X) @crackingthecovr. You can also read scaled down reviews on Jessica's Goodreads review page. Jessica is also a reviewer on Amazon.

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