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.

Seventh grade reluctant reader perused the first few chapters with me. Lots of laughter and a Thumbs
Up.

I preordered a copy for my tutoring students and will recommend to our local Children's Librarian.

Full review to come.

As a mother, a teacher, and even a friend you think about the worst possibilities of people. As a mother you are terrified of that kid in your child's class that you are silently begging them not to be friends with. As a teacher you dread the student that never heard the concept of raising their hand, let alone learned it. That one student that loves power struggles in front of the rest of the class in hopes that you will be wrong. As a kid you think of the perfect BFF and quickly chase away thoughts of the "bully" that slowly creep in.
Somehow when you start reading "The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter" (it's a mouthful but worth every syllable) you forget all about those fears.
Rex Dexter is everything described above and maybe even more. He is self absorbed, egotistical, manipulative, and always right. At one point he steals his loyal best friend's extra credit. No apology, no thank you, just a conversation about how he could no way be at fault. In case you didn't know, extra credit lives in a free playing field apparently. Yep that's Rex.
The only new addition to the "Rex Show" is that he can now see dead zoo animals. They may be ghosts but somehow they still take up room in his bed. These highly animated and sometimes disfigured animals won't be going anywhere until Rex can help solve their deaths. This is an extremely hilarious even at times baffling story that would make a great read aloud for any classroom. If, you can handle stopping every couple of pages for a roar of laughter.

Rex would love to have a pet dog. But his parents give him a chicken! Just a few moments later his new pet is tragically dead. The result is Rex being cursed by the Grim Reaper. Now he has too many dead pets in his life? And, the results are near disastrous. Meanwhile animals are being found mysteriously dead at the local zoo. Can Rex help his dead pets find peace? This humorous and off-beat novel will appeal to fans of mystery and humor. Fans of Frankenweenie will love this book!

I couldn't stop laughing through this book. Definitely great for any reader with a slightly warped sense of humor. Rex has delusions of grandeur and is uberconfident in his own abilities and skills no matter how haphazard they truly are. Luckily, he has Darvish, his best friend/Watson, and a dead chicken to help him solve the mystery of the dead zoo animals that keep showing up looking for Rex's help to the animal afterword. Aaron Reynolds' picture book fans who are ready for novels will surely enjoy this hilarious adventure.

Entertaining and funny, young readers will love this humorous story. Rex is an engaging narrator with a strong voice that will draw students in. Recommended for readers who like humor and mystery with lots of personality.

I love the other books I read by this author, and so do my students. He also wrote Creepy Carrots, Caveboy Dave, and a favorite at our school, Nerdy Birdy. I was a little surprised at the title of this book though. Although the story is hilarious, younger or more sensitive kids might be sad at the deaths of various animals. These animals die in graphic ways (car crusher, electrocuted, run over by steam roller).which may upset some readers. I would recommend this for the 4th to 7th grade crowd. Everything turns out okay in the end, put it is left open for a sequel (which I hope is coming!!)

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a DRC of this title for review. All opinions are my own.

This is a funny, laugh-out-loud type of book perfect for readers in grades 4-7. Rex Dexter wants nothing more than a dog. A chocolate Labrador to be exact. His parents aren't so sure he is ready for this type of pet (his first pet, a fish, was flushed inadvertently-while still alive-less than a half hour after being brought home), so they give him a chicken for his birthday. When Rex takes his chicken to the pet store to get supplies, he stumbles across an old carnival game. When he loses his game, he is cursed, which doesn't seem too bad, until he realizes his pet chicken has been steamrolled while standing there waiting at the game. And that gets even worse when said dead chicken comes back to haunt him the next day. Because his curse at the game? To be a conduit for dead animals. And with the recent rash of exotic animal deaths at the local zoo, Rex's room is getting downright crowded (and dirty). It's up to Rex to solve the crime so the animals can pass on from this life. He thinks he's up to it, as long as his best friend and sidekick Darvish helps him out.

Like I said, this is a funny book. Middle grade readers will definitely enjoy it. I am going to add it to my spring book order and know that I will have many readers who will find Rex funny and will like the quick paced action of the story. Highly recommend.

First off, I LOVE Aaron Reynolds and it was fun to read a middle grade book from this author. I have always been a huge fan of his picture books and was excited to read this one. I read this out loud to my 6th grade son and we both cracked up over the hilarity of it all. This is eye-rolling fun. I love the dead animal characters, every one of them. I laughed at the thought of what each looked like, from the steam rolled chicken to the burnt rhino. Not to mention the boastful, exaggerating gorilla. I think upper elementary students will find this hilarious. Made me think of the movie BIG as well.

Sixth-grader Rex Dexter has always wanted a pet. He just didn't imagine his pets would all be...dead. Or recently deceased. In this amusing tale of the supernatural, Rex goes up against the Grim Reaper in a supermarket video game and loses. The penalty? Dead animals who need help come to him. The catch? No one else can see them. For those familiar with the famous movie line, "I see dead people", this humorous and creepy tale of a mystery unsolved will make you laugh and give you chills at the same time. It's another winner for author Aaron Reynolds, and would make a popular addition to a library collection for middle grade readers.

This book was received as an ARC from Disney Book Group in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I could not stop hysterically laughing throughout this book. Aaron Reynolds has brilliantly written a ingenious novel that children of all ages will love. Rex always wanted a dog and for his birthday his parents handed him a box with holes but it's actually a chicken and thanks to this chicken, Max is now visited by some dead wild animals that are lost and are wanting his help to find their way home by solving the mystery of their deaths before it's too late. Our young readers will love this book and are sure to be expecting this to become a series.

We will consider adding this title to our JFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Rex Dexter just wants a dog. That's not a whole lot to ask for, right? Rex is sure that his living, breathing birthday present must be a dog, but alas, it is a chicken. Rex is not deterred. Upon encountering an old machine promising to grant wishes for a quarter, Rex is cursed and promptly turns around to find that his brand new pet chicken is already deceased. Rex's curse gives him the ability to see dead animals which Rex decides to use to his advantage.

I absolutely adored this book. Rex is immediately likeable, and the plot was well thought out, something that is often lacking in junior fiction. I cannot wait to recommend this book to young readers.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.