The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dextor is a well-written, humorous story of a middle school boy who tries to solve a mystery. Several dead animals visit him in hopes of getting help solving their murders. He is the only one who can see them, which is why they are drawn to him. He is finally able with the help of his friend Darvish to solve the mystery and bring the criminal to justice.
       The story is told by Rex. He uses  witty dialogue to relate the story. The characters are realistic .and relatable. I enjoyed the reading this book and I will recommend it to my students.

A very funny story! I kept reading and laughing.  Rex wants a dog, but when his parents allow him a goldfish and then a chicken , things just keep going awry. Suddenly his chicken is flattened and it's ghost is following him around. Rex is cursed by the Grim Reaper, and haunted by a variety of absurd animal ghosts as he tries to solve the mystery of their sudden deaths.  A great story for anyone that loves a mystery and a good laugh.

This was a fun, quick read.  Rex is a great, egocentric tween boy who seems to be learning some lessons from his dead animal ghosts.  He reminded me of the main character in the Last Kids on Earth series.  I already have a couple kids in mind for this one.

What a snickering joy! Rex is an egocentric, opinionated, disrespectful, loud mouth who really deserves everything that comes to him, even if it's the ghost of a charred rhino. When Rex is cursed by the Grim Reaper and starts being visited by the souls of recently departed mammals (except for the shark that really doesn't count), he has to broaden his perspective and learn to take an interest in someone, or something besides himself, a change which will bring a small amount of relief to his exasperated parents, much put upon teacher, and manipulated school mates. This middle grade novel is sure to be a hit with rambunctious tweens and those who take an interest in them whatever the age!

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for making an advance copy of this title available for an honest review.

OMG- this book is hilarious! One caveat is that it's probably not the best for kids who have recently lost a pet. Other than that, highly recommend for all the giggling potential.

Many thanks to Net galley for an ARC.  This is such a fun story and had me laughing out loud on several occasions.   Perfect for young readers.  Rex and Darvish are good friends and share a lot of adventures.  Rex receives The Grim Reaper curse.  Throughout the book, various dead animals flock to him. 

The book is well written and has a good storyline.  The characters are realistic and fun to be with.

I received this DRC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

As a teacher, I personally cannot wait to read this book to a group of fifth graders. As the fun Aunt and friend, I also cannot wait to buy a copy of "The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter" as a gift for every 9 to 12 year old I know. The perilous adventures of Rex in his determined jaunt for the chocolate lab of his dreams is boisterously merry at best. The character is witty and self absorbed, full of zingers and a joie de vivre that adults can only hope for. The upper elementary crowd will be in the floor for laughter on every page. If you love Captain Underpants, you are going to adore this book and its hopeful sequels. I for one want to read this book again and again.

Thank you again, NetGalley for such a great piece of writing.

I do think there will  be kids who would read this book, just say video game and they will  be hooked.  However, this isn't something that I could give to a teacher or parent to read aloud, just to crude and dark.

Calvin and Hobbes meets Scooby Doo, and I think I liked it. More importantly, I think there is a contingent of upper elementary boys and girls who may appreciate it, as well.

Rex Dexter is a boy in desperate want of a dog, but I don't believe there is a dog alive who is in need of him. Sadly, while Rex's narration is reminiscent of Calvin (of the Calvin and Hobbes duo) in its lamentation of the lack of intelligence in people around him, this kid is definitely not on the same level as our favorite anti-hero boy-genius. He consistently displays poor judgment and embarks on hare-brained schemes, saved only by the dead animal ghost army that's built up around him and his long-suffering best friend Darvish. Rex even has a crush (which he steadfastly refuses to acknowledge) on the smart girl who sits in front of him in class (who is a Sami instead of a Suzy), and a dead rooster that follows him about whom no one else can see (the chicken is, unfortunately, much less witty than Hobbes).

The entire plot is reminiscent of a Scooby Doo 30-minute mystery:
Someone is picking off the endangered animals at the local zoo -- but who???
Cue the red herring with the suspicious name, the well-meaning but clueless adult scapegoat, and the actual nefarious villain, whom we discover later isn't truly evil, but rather just bad at everything, including being bad. The crime is solved by the under-appreciated sidekick, and the infuriating yet somehow charming hero trips along on his merry way, still blissfully self-involved and narcissistically positive that he did everything exactly right, every step of the way.

Other positives: no language, no innuendo, no real questionable content (body humor: the dead shark who keeps his jaws firmly clamped on the dead gorilla's hindquarters). A couple elementary-age crushes. All of the animals in the story are dead, and are killed in kind of sad ways (burning, drowning, crushing), but none of it is graphically described, and the fact that the animal characters are introduced after they've already died rather softens the blow.

It's a cute book, and I do think there are kids who would very much enjoy it. Perhaps fans of DoaWK and Captain Underpants, or those who enjoy the Erie Elementary series. Not a must-have for a school library, but if there's room in the budget, why not?

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eGalley of this book to review!

This was a very entertaining book about a kid who might be every teacher's nightmare. Except I tutored a kid like that I really liked him and I think I would have liked Rex in my class as well. LOL. He's not a bad kid, per se, but he has very high self-esteem and might be a bit delusional about his gifts and talents. And yet he's weirdly likable. And he's got a cool best friend, as well as a second bestie in the ghost of his flattened chicken. In this story, he is cursed by one of those carnival fortune teller things probably inspired by the movie Big to see dead animals. And he has to help them before they can "move on". So after his dead chicken comes back to him, he is visited by the ghosts of rare exotic animals who have died at the zoo in bizarre ways. Hilarity ensues as he tries to figure out the connection and why they are dying. I think many upper elementary/middle school kids would enjoy this hapless hero as he helps the animals, tries to pass his class, and tries to earn a pet dog. What I really enjoyed is that as "delusional" as he seemed, he did seem to learn as time went on, and by the end, he was definitely more mature as he accepted that the "curse" turned out to be a pretty cool thing. The writing was very solid and created hilarious visuals in my mind that had me laughing out loud throughout. I will definitely be recommending this book to some of my younger students!

Special thanks to #AaronReynolds, #DisneyBookGroup, and #NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Book Group for sending me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter is a quick, humorous ride that I can see many middle schoolers (or reluctant readers) picking up in the future. There were many laugh-out-loud moments while reading, and I do love the use of “B-Day for Me-Day” and might have to use it in the future.

However, the Rex is pretty dense (or willfully ignorant in a way that will amuse middle schoolers) and overconfident throughout the book and this Obviously-Not-A-Middle-Schooler did grow tired of him never having to be responsible for his disruptive (or, quite often, rude) actions.

Main character aside, this book does open several good discussion topics, such as:
- Animal rights, especially concerning zoo animals,
- The purpose of zoos and what makes good animal habitat (both in zoos and in the wild),
- Doing things for passion versus doing things for recognition.

In all, this is a quick-paced mystery and detective story that's just as entertaining as it is full of ghosts and awesome animals. Thank you again to NetGalley and Disney Book Group for the privilege of reviewing an ARC.

Perfect for those who like Max Brailer’s Last Kids on Earth series. Funny tale of a cursed Rex Dexter. The curse allows Rex to hear and see dead animals. The only way for the animals to go away is to solve the reason that the animal died. A touch of potty humor but a fun read that will make the reader smile frequently.

The concept of this book (kid that can't seem to keep a pet alive and then dead zoo animals visit him for help) seems so farfetched and a little disturbing.  But this is such a good book.  It is funny and Rex is a great main character.  The animals and things that happen to Rex are hilarious.  Kids will love this book!

This title was highlighted in recent training, and it was described as laugh-out-loud funny. I couldn’t resist requesting an advanced copy through NetGalley. I had high hopes The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter would be a title I could share with middle school readers. It did not disappoint. From the first page I really liked Rex. He has a distinct voice, and he is funny. While a little over the top when it comes to his confidence (think Gregg Heffley), which could be annoying at times, he’s a character that shows growth, and I like that. So will young readers, especially since the story is ridiculous and fun. An easy four stars for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My opinion was not affected by the free copy.

I can usually read books meant for younger audience, but I feel like maybe I'm too old for this one. If I knew a kid in this age range I would ask them to read it and use their thoughts instead. For me, the book wasn't working and I had to stop before I even got halfway.

I thought it was going to be humorous but nothing in the book so far felt very funny to me. Mostly it was annoying. The main character is very egocentric and super disrespectful to his teacher-- and as far as I read, hasn't been punished for his behavior. The dead rooster was just as annoying. I was mentally screaming for them to both shut up and finally decided I couldn't take it anymore.

I do think the premise is pretty creative. It's kind of like a mix of The Sixth Sense/The Medium and Doctor Dolittle. I can see kids enjoying it and maybe seeing Rex and Drumstick (the rooster) funny. With the gorgeous cover art, this actually could've also worked really well as a graphic novel. Since I'm outside the age demographic, take my opinion for what its worth. I was hoping to read something that could be enjoyed no matter the age like some children's fiction, but this wasn't like that. I didn't like the main character and I didn't find it funny.

“I wonder if there are others with this ability. And if so, do they also use the shower as a retreat from the undead? And if so, what kind of madness is this wreaking on their water bill?” <b>**</b>

Rex Dexter wants a chocolate lab in the worst way, but his parents don’t think he is responsible enough to take care of a dog. After all, he had his goldfish, Bub, for 27 minutes before it was killed in an unfortunate misunderstanding. But they are willing to give another try,  so what do they get him this time? A Chicken. “A chicken isn’t a pet, Dad. It’s a Happy Meal.” But Rex is wiling to try again, so he and his best friend, Darvish, head for PetPlanet to pick up chicken supplies. 

On the way, they stop to play an old style carnival game called <i>The Reaper’s Curse.</i> If you beat the Grim Reaper, you get your wish. If you don’t beat him, you get a curse. Rex is certain he can win this silly shell game and decides to gamble. Unfortunately, he loses and his curse? Whenever an animal dies under mysterious circumstance, they will see Rex out for him to find the answers.  First on the list? Rex’s chicken. See, while he was playing the game, his chicken is run over by a steamroller. And that night, the chicken shows up in Rex’s room, flattened and ready to be “besties” with Rex. Drumstick, as Rex decides to call him, is thrilled to be hanging out with Rex ... he even goes to school with Rex. Of course, Rex is the only one who can see or hear the chicken. “I have to confess, this bird is starting to melt through my hard candy shell. Soon, my nougaty soft center will be exposed to the heartbreaks and disappointments of this cruel world.”

Next up? A burnt-to-a-crisp Rhinocerous. Then a gorilla with a shark attached to his heinie. Then an elephant in cube form. All these animals have come from the zoo and have died under mysterious circumstances. Now Rex and Darvish are involved in a mystery that could just be dangerous, but how else is Rex going to get rid of all these dead animals hanging around his house? 

Great voice! Rex’s somewhat obtuse observations are hysterical. Fans of the <i>Fun Jungle</i> series by Stuart Gibbs should like this one, too.
<b>**Quotes were taken from an Advanced Reader Copy</b>

I received an advance copy of this book.

It's a hoot! Funny books are so necessary when there are a disproportionate amount that are REALLY HEAVY! My students will be enjoying this one!

A combination middle school troubles, mystery, and ghost(s) story, this book neatly covers all the genres with a generous supply of humor. The reader knows from the title that there will be plenty of death. Rex and his sidekick (don’t  call him that) navigate the many clues with just the right amount of help you’d expect from talking animals, living or dead.

This was a hilarious read for 3rd-6th grade students. I was able to read it in a couple of hours. Aaron Reynolds has created a well-developed amusing character in Rex Dexter. I found myself laughing out loud while I was reading about Rex and how he attempts to solve his problems. The book will definitely be a hit for those students who like humorous books and those who enjoy mysteries. The mystery plot was well developed and had me questioning who the culprit was. I will be purchasing multiple copies to place in my elementary library.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Disney-Hyperion, for providing an eARC of this novel.
The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter is expected to be published April 28, 2020.

Wildly funny and a little bit gruesome in a way that kids are going to love! I appreciated the fantastic nod to the movie Big.