Publishers Weekly
★ 04/20/2020
When avid dog lover Rex Dexter, a sixth grader, begs for one—“a chocolate Labrador. That’s a proper pet”—for his birthday, he doesn’t expect his parents to get him a chicken as a “practice pet.” Nor does he expect said chicken to be promptly run over by a steamroller, shortly after Rex loses a carnival game called The Grim Reaper, one that promises a curse. Nor the chicken’s ghost to turn up in his bedroom calling him “bestie.” More ghosts appear: of the rhino that burned to death at the local zoo, of a dead gorilla with a shark attached to its rear. Rex has become a lightning rod for dead animals, and it’s clear that something sinister is happening at the zoo. Now he, his spectral companions, and his best friend, Darvish, must get to the heart of the matter before further animals meet similarly dismal fates. In this entertainingly spooky romp, Reynolds (Dude!) tempers his morbid premise with the absurdity of Rex’s situation, the ghostly entourage’s distinct personalities, and a hilarious, simultaneously formal and sarcastic, narrative voice. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Praise for The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter:
* "In this entertainingly spooky romp, Reynolds tempers his morbid premise with the absurdity of Rex's situation, the ghostly entourage's distinct personalities, and a hilarious, simultaneously formal and sarcastic, narrative voice."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The mystery has a twist ending that will surprise and satisfy readers who thought they knew what was coming....Purchase where funny books are popular-that's everywhere, right?"—School Library Journal
"Picture-book author Reynolds brings his knack for off-kilter comedy to his first novel in a gleefully entertaining fashion. "—Booklist
"Reynolds' new series debut is nonstop comedy."—Kirkus
"Reynolds is bound to attract fans drawn to overconfident Rex and whatever challenge the Grim Reaper cares to deal him."—BCCB
School Library Journal
04/01/2020
Gr 3–6—Sixth-grader Rex Dexter desperately wants a dog, but his parents have deemed him too irresponsible. When he loses an old-fashioned Grim Reaper carnival game, he is cursed with the ability to see and communicate with dead animals who passed away with unfinished business. The first one he sees is his own pet chicken, which died moments before in a steamroller accident while Rex wasn't paying attention. Soon after, he starts seeing the ghosts of animals from a local zoo, all of whom died under strange circumstances. Rex must solve the mystery of who is killing off rare animals so that the victims can move on to the afterlife. And if he does, maybe he can convince his parents that he is responsible enough to own a dog, too. Hapless Rex follows in the footsteps of characters like Timmy Failure, who think they are much cleverer than they actually are. His hijinks will amuse those who enjoy slapstick humor just a little on the dark side. The mystery has a twist ending that will surprise and satisfy readers who thought they knew what was coming. VERDICT Purchase where funny books are popular–that's everywhere, right?—Misti Tidman, Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, OH
Kirkus Reviews
2019-12-18
Haunted by the ghosts of dead pets, a kid must right their wrongs.
All sixth grader Rex wants is a “real-live” pet of his own—preferably a chocolate Labrador. Everyone he knows has a pet. His best friend, Darvish, a “pet hoarder,” has four—maybe five. In answer to Rex’s constant pleading, his parents give him a “practice pet”: a chicken. One hour and 14 minutes after the chicken enters Rex’s life, it becomes a real-dead pet. Things go from bad to worse when, after losing a mysterious carnival game called The Reaper’s Curse he finds on the sidewalk, Rex can not only suddenly see the ghosts of dead animals, but speak to and understand them. The chicken—Drumstick—is the first of many to communicate with Rex. As a de facto animal “afterlife errand boy,” can Rex help these ghosts rest in peace? Reynolds’ new series debut is nonstop comedy, poking fun at everything from animal rights groups to the education system. Rex’s first-person narration—heavily unreliable and hyperbolic—smartly utilizes direct address to implicate readers in the ridiculous plot. Several jokes skirt the edges of adult taste, with instances of potty humor that should especially delight kids. Most of the human characters are white by default; Darvish is Pakistani American.
Laugh-out-loud ludicrousness. (Fiction. 8-12)
