The Lunatic's Curse (Tales From The Sinister City, #4)

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The Lunatic's Curse (Tales From The Sinister City #4)

3.82 of 5 stars 3.82 · rating details · 118 ratings · 28 reviews

The town of Opum Oppidulum is home to the freezing Lake Beluarum and its rumored monster. On an island at the center of the lake is an asylum; no one has ever escaped it. So how will Rex, whose father, Ambrose Grammaticus, has been imprisoned there under false pretenses, prove that Ambrose is not insane? And if Rex can free his father, will his evil stepmother drive them b...more

Hardcover, 352 pages

Published August 2nd 2011 by Feiwel & Friends (first published January 1st 2010)

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Dec 27, 2011 Hylary Locsin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

Twelve-year-old Rex Grammaticus lives a happy life with his father, Ambrose, a renowned inventor in the lakeside town of Oppum Oppidulum. When a mysterious woman, Acantha, seduces Ambrose into marrying her, however, Rex is sure that things are going to take a turn for the worse. Rex’s fears are realized when one fateful evening, his father suddenly suffers from a fit of madness, viciously attackin...more Originally posted on my blog: http://libraryladyhylary.blogspot.com ! Check it out for more reviews!

Twelve-year-old Rex Grammaticus lives a happy life with his father, Ambrose, a renowned inventor in the lakeside town of Oppum Oppidulum. When a mysterious woman, Acantha, seduces Ambrose into marrying her, however, Rex is sure that things are going to take a turn for the worse. Rex’s fears are realized when one fateful evening, his father suddenly suffers from a fit of madness, viciously attacking Rex and even cutting off his own hand. Ambrose is committed to the Droprock Island Asylum for the Peculiar and Bizarre, with the help of Acantha’s good friend and superintendent of the asylum, Cadmus Chapelizod, and his business and fortune are left entirely in Acantha’s care. Rex is certain that his stepmother is responsible for Ambrose’s insanity, and vows to free his father from the torturous asylum.

The latest novel in F.E. Higgins’ series for tweens is described as a “polyquel” to the other books, meaning that it can as easily be read as a stand-alone in addition to having some overlap with the other stories. Familiarity with Higgins’ other novels, however, does not determine whether the highly creepy Lunatic’s Curse can be enjoyed by readers: anyone with a slight penchant for the macabre will find this book to be deliciously gruesome and utterly entertaining. From the first pages, the author plunges the reader headfirst into the world of Oppum Oppidulum, a seemingly peaceful lakeside town with more than its fair share of deep, dark secrets. One of the most enjoyable aspects of the story is the care that Higgins takes in creating the setting and characters. Each has their own unique back-story and is given the opportunity for development, even if they have only minor roles in the plot. This technique immerses the reader in world of the novel, making the story far more engaging. The storyline is also very creative and unique, and Rex Grammaticus is a very likable protagonist. As a side note, squeamish readers should be aware that Higgins does venture into some fairly dark territory, from murder to torture, and even a dash of cannibalism. These elements are not overpowering, however, and Lunatic’s Curse is not only appropriate for tweens and teens, but thoroughly enjoyable as well (especially for reluctant boy readers!)

I was a little concerned about picking this title up at first because I haven’t read the other novels in the series, but since it states clearly in the book jacket that it can be read individually I went ahead and gave it a try. I am glad that I did! As a fan of Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events, I found myself really enjoying Higgins’ macabre story as much if not more than Lemony Snicket’s novels. I like that Higgins doesn’t “talk-down” to the reader, and uses words and phrases that will make them think. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who wants something creepy, and think it has a perfect place in the middle-school classroom for reluctant readers. (less)

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Apr 13, 2012 Becky rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

While I've enjoyed the other books in F.E. Higgins' series, I cannot say the same for The Lunatic's Curse. For better or worse, I just can't bring myself to say anything good about a book this disturbing. While the other books have flirted with the dark side, they've been well-balanced. Equal parts charm, humor, and dark side. The descriptive writing and atmospheric writing have added to all of the above.

The Lunatic's Curse is set in the same strange world, for the most part. But not really. It...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Alicia rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Lunatic’s Curse is a strange little book – part of the ‘Tales from Sinister City’ series by F. E. Higgins (although you don’t have to have read the previous titles to enjoy The Lunatic’s Curse, there are nice little tie-ins), which recount odd tales about the fictional city of Urbs Umida and its peculiar residents in and around the 1800s. It is aimed at older children, but don't be put off as I think all ages will enjoy the delightful offerings: the plot is always very inventive, clever and...more The Lunatic’s Curse is a strange little book – part of the ‘Tales from Sinister City’ series by F. E. Higgins (although you don’t have to have read the previous titles to enjoy The Lunatic’s Curse, there are nice little tie-ins), which recount odd tales about the fictional city of Urbs Umida and its peculiar residents in and around the 1800s. It is aimed at older children, but don't be put off as I think all ages will enjoy the delightful offerings: the plot is always very inventive, clever and unique with plenty of twists to shock you and keep you stuck to the book; they’re very well-written in an appropriate style for the time era with humour and unusual well-chosen words that may have you consulting a dictionary. They all have fairly morbid and gruesome parts, but they give the books a very definite and unique feel. It’s a shame the series doesn’t appear to be very popular as they really are treats to read.

It’s difficult to describe it well and not give away any spoilers, but basically The Lunatic’s Curse focuses on Rex, whose father turns suddenly mad one evening at dinner, and is taken to the inescapable Lunatic Asylum. Rex, desperate to prove his father’s sanity (as he is sure his father was set up by his new wife) and see him again, uncovers a shocking scandal when all of the lunatics manage to escape and the tramps begin to disappear off the streets… Secrets are brought to light, no one is to be trusted and seemingly unrelated events are revealed to be connected in a brilliantly clever way in the adrenalin-fuelling climax.

I liked the different formats, such as the letters and newspaper extracts, and I also liked the varied points of view, like the interesting one of the monster in the lake. You really root for the characters, or genuinely despise them and hope that they get their comeuppance they are so well-written. The twists are sometimes obvious and clearly some things were not-so-subtly placed there to set up twists, but on the whole I was not expecting them.

I really recommend The Lunatic’s Curse and its predecessors The Black Book of Secrets, The Bone Magician and The Eyeball Collector, even if they’re not your usual type of book, you are sure to enjoy them.(less)

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Mar 19, 2013 Kendall rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school-and-chapter-books

I really love FE Higgins' books...although there are many solid new entries in the "Dickensian-horror" genre for middle schoolers. Like the Clockwork Three, Splendors and Glooms, Shane Peacock's young Sherlock Holmes and the Last Apprentice series...this book is an atmospheric tale with a few horrors thrown into the mystery-adventure for good measure. Kids who can tolerate unusual characters, some difficult (invented or antiquated) vocabulary and dark plots will love it. As much as I've grown to...more

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Aug 01, 2011 Lindsay rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I won this book through the First Reads Giveaway.

Let me start by saying that this is an enthralling mystery. Its subtle clues and creepy characters kept the pages turning right to the end. I could have put it down, but really didn't want to!

This book is a "polyquel", being part of a companion series of books by F.E. Higgins, all containing elements or characters from the others in the series. This is the first I have read, and as I was reading it, I found myself wondering which of these characte...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Jaime Leroy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-school

Rex knows that his stepmother, Acantha, is no good. But when she and her co-conspirators drive Rex’s father crazy and get him shipped off to the island asylum, Rex knows he must do something. He knows she will soon find a way to get rid of him and claim the family fortune for herself. When Rex sets out to save his father, he uncovers many dark and disturbing secrets about the asylum. There is a fair share of cannibalism, humor, and dark twists.

Though this story is a “polyquel” to her series (in...more

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Aug 04, 2010 Nathan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another great story in the F.E. Higgins series that is now dubbed "Tales from the Sinister City". The Lunatic's Curse is a prequel to The Black Book of Secrets whose paraquel is The Bone Magician and whose sequel is The Eyeball Collector.

This tale concerns itself with a boy named Rex Grammaticus, whose father, a successful inventor and engineer, goes mysteriously insane during dinner while his new step-mother sits by idly smirking. Soon his father is committed to the local insane asylum situated...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Awake at Midnight rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reviewed for: Awake at Midnight

This new “polyquel” of Higgins’ Tales of the Sinister City harbors the wickedest horrors and the greatest potential of the human condition manifested in unforgettable characters. The city itself becomes a player in this complex maze of pseudo-Dickensian atmosphere, along with a bottomless lake, an asylum on a hill, and a labyrinth of subterranean tunnels.

Although mired in oppressive despair, captivating personalities and suspense drive the narrative in a relentless...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Karissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is the fourth book in the Tales from the Sinister City; a series of stories featuring different sets of characters. This installment is probably my least favorite of the series, but it is still delightful creepy and disturbing. I love the dark gothic undertone to these books.

Rex lives in the town of Opum Oppidulum which has its own creepy Asylum that is located on an island out on a lake which contains a huge monster. Rex hates his stepmother but adores his inventive father. When his fathe...more This is the fourth book in the Tales from the Sinister City; a series of stories featuring different sets of characters. This installment is probably my least favorite of the series, but it is still delightful creepy and disturbing. I love the dark gothic undertone to these books.

Rex lives in the town of Opum Oppidulum which has its own creepy Asylum that is located on an island out on a lake which contains a huge monster. Rex hates his stepmother but adores his inventive father. When his father is accused of being insane, Rex thinks his stepmother may be behind his father’s madness. How will Rex prove his father’s sanity and what disturbing and dark secrets will he uncover along the way?

This book is another delightfully creepy and dark book set outside a town that is similar to dark version of Victorian London. Like previous books this book deals with some uncomfortable topics; mainly insanity and torture with some cannabalism thrown in for good measure ...did I mention this was a dark book? Given the topic I am not sure this is still appropriate for middle grade readers...so just beware of the subject.

The book is well written and full of wonderful descriptions that really make the atmosphere come alive. I really enjoy the way Higgins pieces the story together with newspaper articles and journal entries to make a complete picture. I love how the different pieces of media give the reader glimpses of the whole story.

The characters are well enough done; Rex and a young girl are the feature characters. I liked that Rex was into inventing things and loved that the girl was determined to find out about her past. Still, both of the characters didn’t resonate with me like the characters in the previous books have...the characters are hard to like and engage with.

There were a couple aspects of the story that I really enjoyed. I liked the steampunk feel to it; with Rex helping to build a crazy underwater walking machine. I loved the monster that dwelled in the lake; it was mysterious and eerie.

This was a much darker story overall though. The icky factor was much higher than in the previous three books; more on the order of Rick Yancey’s Monstrumologist series than the previous book in this series. This made the story hard to enjoy; there are just so many dark and depraved things that happen in this book. The whole storyline is hinged on cannabalism and even our protagonist doesn’t escape unscathed.

The book ends okay; let’s just say it’s a pretty depressing read overall. I ended up not enjoying the book as much as all of the others. It was just too dark, disturbing, and depressing.

Overall an okay addition to this series. It is well written and has some really great parts to it; I love the inventing and the monster in the lake. I did not enjoy all of the cannibalism, torture, and the depressing nature of the story. I also had some trouble engaging with the characters. I would recommend this book to fans of Yancey’s Monstrumologist series; but would warn fans of this series that this is a much darker book than previous ones. I will most likely continue to read this series, if the next book follows in this book’s path then I will probably stop.(less)

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May 03, 2012 Stephenie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I won this book from a goodreads giveaway and free is always exciting, but this book was a disappointment. For a book that was targeted to young adults this book is all over the place. The author seems to forget whom she is writing for the vocabulary is fine for the most part but there is a fair sprinkling of GRE level vocabulary words (perhaps I only noticed because I was studying for it at the time). While having great confidence in her audiences’ vocabulary she over explains and foreshadows m...more

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Jun 17, 2011 Hanneke rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: not to children

The Lunatic's Curse is the fourth installment in the Tales from the Sinister City series by F.E. Higgins. I also read the first three books and I can't help but think, that if I had children, I would not want them to read these books, except for the first one, the Black Book of Secrets.

I guess these books are meant to be read by twelve-year-olds but I'm not sure I'd recommend these books for twelve-year-olds.

First of all, the language is quite sophisticated. F.E. Higgins uses words like Perambu...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Nedra rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-read

I won this book from goodreads

I just loved this book considering I have not read the first 3(which I will add to my wish list)
The book is for pre-teens(11-14).Parent should read the book before to make sure it is approiate for
there children(s). This book had me glued to the pages with all the twist and turns, and surprises, but the auther left some hints to what may happen, and then when something happen you think, okay I understand now. But the ending had me wanting more such a cliff hanger.

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Oct 22, 2011 Xty rated it 4 of 5 stars

I got this book as part of Goodreads giveaway... and found the story very exciting... The flow of the events were fantastic... what a good way to experience reading that thinking every time what will happen next... The was the characters were describe was clear even the setting was flawless...

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Dec 09, 2011 Stacy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: teen

I enjoy reading F.E. Higgins books because they are clean and a bit dark, perfect for youth who don't enjoy the normal paranormal romance or fantasy books. This newest addition has twists and turns as a boy Rex tries to unravel the mystery of his father's insanity and death. I love the idea of "polyquels"; books that exist at the same time. Characters in this book are found in other Higgin's stories. My favorite book is still "The Black Book of Secrets" but all have been entertaining.

Language:...more

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Oct 02, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this series of "polyquels." And this one is probably the best of the four. Warning - they are very dark, especially for children's fantasy novels.

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Mar 28, 2013 Steve rated it 4 of 5 stars

Unfortunately, this appears to be the last book of the series. Higgins is nowhere near to exhausting the intricacies of this world.

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Dec 20, 2011 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

Darker/grosser/more disturbing than any of the companion books. Be warned, this book involves cannibalism, dangerous escapees from an insane asylum, murder and murderers, and a number of other things to turn your stomach. Oh yes, and it doesn't even have a happy ending. Now that you are warned, feel free to enjoy. It is not as gruesome as Rick Yancey's Monstrumologist series, but there were times when it felt highly similar to some of Will Henry's adventures. Not for the faint of heart, and defi...more

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Dec 03, 2011 B. rated it 3 of 5 stars

I think I might have enjoyed it more if I actually remembered the other books.

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May 08, 2012 Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-teen, mystery

This will be my final installment of the Sinister City Series. It was too yucky for me. The book had no redeeming qualities, just lots of gross out factor. The Lunatics Curse might have appeal for preteen boys looking for a weird/gross factor, but it has pushed me away from the series, which I used to enjoy. Gone is the character development and descriptive setting, and in their place I again receive a dark and spooky house with an evil woman running the show - This is a repeat of The Eyeball Co...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Sue rated it 3 of 5 stars

Annoyed through most of it because the kid wasn't picking up on the clues. Was actually surprised by two things at the end, which redeemed it a little...

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Aug 17, 2011 Morgan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

F.E. Higgins remains one of my favorite YA authors. Another great one. This is a great series!!

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May 15, 2013 Jeanette rated it 2 of 5 stars

Odd and random.

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Mar 04, 2013 Anne-sophie Olsen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fantasy, goth, horror, monsters, steampunk

By far the best of the four in the series, also the only one I have read in the original language and that might have something to do with it.

I also have a weakness for books with insane-asylums in them and the sinister things that might go on in such a place.

This book is just full of good stuff, lunatics, the asylum, a huge monster, cannibals, a girl who might suffer from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and last but not least mechanical contraptions filled with cogs and wheels.. very stempunkish!

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Aug 15, 2011 Mary rated it 2 of 5 stars

I won this in the Good Reads giveaway. I wasn't impressed. I have read other youth books that were better written. As for the subject matter I wouldn't want a 10 to 14 year old reading it. Its only saving grace in my opinion was its imaginative story line. Although it would have probably been better served written for adults.

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Mar 11, 2013 Sherrie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: victorian-gothic, young-adult-books

The Lunatic's Curse was good but not quite as good as the other installments in the Sinister City Series. Rex, is working to find a way to have his released from the insane asylum where he has been falsely imprisoned. This book is as creepy and unsettling as the other books but lacks the charm and wit founds in the other books. I enjoyed this book but it is my least favorite of all four volumes.

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Apr 28, 2013 Ken rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This is the fourth and, so far, final book in F E Higgins's Tales from the Sinister City series. And, it was not a disappointment!

Leaves me wanting more!

4 STARS for the book

4 STARS for the series as a whole!

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Jul 20, 2011 Lisa Lucas added it · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads, won-in-goodreads-giveaway, owned-paperback

Won in goodreads giveaway. Review coming soon. Debating if I should read first books in the series first.

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Sep 30, 2011 Cat added it

Shelves: books-i-own, fantasy, middle-grade

This was very, very creepy.

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May 15, 2013 Ashley marked it as to-read

May 14, 2013 Arumuga marked it as to-read

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About F.E. Higgins

F.E. Higgins has been fascinated by the macabre ever since seeing a ghostly apparition as a child. Nowadays Higgins travels the lands that these books describe, collecting strange artifacts and the even stranger stories behind them. When not in pursuit of a story, Higgins may be found in a haunted house in Kent, where a dismembered hand cradles a large diamond on the mantelpiece.

More about F.E. Higgins...

Books by F.E. Higgins

The Black Book of Secrets (Tales From The Sinister City, #1)

The Bone Magician (Tales From The Sinister City, #2)

The Eyeball Collector (Tales From The Sinister City, #3)

A Tangle of Traitors (The Phenomenals, #1)

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The Lunatic's Curse (Tales From The Sinister City #4)

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