Assessment:
Plot: This book is carefully plotted and well paced. The story is engaging and will keep young readers entertained.
Prose: The dialogue here is age-appropriate and effective. However, the prose is marred by some awkward phrasing, while some sections of the narrative lack polish.
Originality: What sets Dwelis’s book apart is the originality of her characters. The characters that populate this book will resonate with and delight readers.
Character Development: The characters here are wonderfully rendered. Braidy is vividly drawn and believable, while secondary characters are fully formed and well developed.
Date Submitted: August 30, 2018
Braidy von Althuis: And the Pesky Pest Controller is a pre-teen fantasy by Cassidy Dwelis. Ten-year-old Braidy von Althuis is considered a misfit by the other kids at his school. He doesn’t have any friends and his family is considered abnormal by anyone brave enough to come into contact with them. When the school organizes Township Day, Braidy hopes his family will support the event, but they are reluctant to come. Who can blame them when there is a curse on the family? His uncle Rolo is a ghost, grandmother is as old as Father Time, and his father is a Barghest who takes innocent souls back to the underworld. Things become weirder when Braidy’s father becomes sick, but Braidy refuses to allow anything to ruin his plans and takes matters into his own hands.This is definitely one of the most imaginative stories I have ever read. My curiosity grew to keep turning the pages, wondering why the von Althuis family was so strange. Cassidy Dwelis kept the suspense going to the very end and I was not disappointed. The characters and plot were so distinctive and the dialogue was entertaining too. I was also impressed with Cassidy Dwelis, not only for writing such a wonderful story, but for the manner in which she elaborated about bullies and how their victims feel and cope with this serious issue. Braidy von Althuis: And the Pesky Pest Controller is a fun fantasy book that children ages 8-11 will enjoy immensely.