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The Shrunken Head

(The Curiosity House #1)

Lauren Oliver (Goodreads Author),

H.C. Chester

3.73 · Rating details · 2,146 ratings · 382 reviews

What you will find in this book:

– A rather attractive bearded lady
– Several scandalous murders
– A deliciously disgusting Amazonian shrunken head
– Four extraordinary children with equally extraordinary abilities
– A quite loquacious talking bird

Blessed with extraordinary abilities, orphans Philippa, Sam, and Thomas have grown up happily in Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, ...more

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Hardcover, 368 pages

Published September 29th 2015 by HarperCollins Children's Books

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 3.73 ·

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· 2,146 ratings · 382 reviews

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Start your review of The Shrunken Head (The Curiosity House, #1)

Mar 02, 2015 ✦BookishlyRichie✦ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2016-favorites

**I FINISHED THIS IN FEBRUARY.**

description

This gave me a Series of Unfortunate Events meets American Horror Story: Freakshow vibe and I loved every freaking moment of it. This book is so full of dark humor that it almost busts out through the seams. It's dark, hilarious, heart-warming, whimsical, heart-breaking, and bubbling with with mystery. Don't go into this book expecting a cute Middle-Grade read because you'll be incredibly disappointed. It's not cute at all, it's 10x better than that.

description

I loved all ...more

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Oct 31, 2014 Steysha Kravits rated it liked it

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages: welcome to Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders!

Oh, what an adventure! I haven`t read children's literature in a long time, though many things happening in this book can`t be called childish. It`s quite suitable for adults - the main characters might be children, but the events that occur in their life are definitely severe. I had goose bumps from the description of the hanged man!

This story reminded me a bit of Mi ...more

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May 30, 2016 Ivonne Rovira rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: adults who know children's lit doesn't have to be "sweet" or "gooey"

Recommended to Ivonne by: BookBub

Shelves: children-literature

Lauren Oliver, best known for her children’s book Liesl & Po and her adult novel Rooms, shows that she’s not bound by age or genre with The Shrunken Head, a middle-grades novel that will appeal as much to adults as children.

In New York City in the depths of the Great Depression, orphans Philippa “Pippa” Devue, Thomas Able, and Sam Fort have lived nearly their entirely lives at Dumphrey’s Dime Museum (a Ripley’s Believe It or Not-style museum combined with circus acts) under the watchful eye of ...more

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Mar 28, 2016 Mel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library, read-in-2016, 5-stars

Lauren Oliver has finally done it! She's finally given me a book that I enjoyed and wasn't bored throughout the entire thing. Apparently where it's at is middle grade for Lauren Oliver books!

This story followed 4 young children, Pippa, Max, Sam and Thomas and their journey and adventure to solving a series of murders before their home (a dime museum) gets closed down. Each one has very special powers that helps them solve the crime.

I ADORED this story. It was so good! The mystery wasn't predicta ...more

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Jun 02, 2015 Stacey (prettybooks) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-my-twenties, childrens-fiction

I've enjoyed two of Lauren Oliver's middle grade novels before – Liesl & Po and The Spindlers – so I was quite excited to see that she had written another. It's the first in The Curiosity House series and was perfect to add to my Halloween TBR. However, I did make the mistake of picking it up straight after reading The Diviners . Both feature an intriguing museum, mysterious murders and characters with unusual abilities. This similarity meant that I was often mixing the two up! But my I've enjoyed two of Lauren Oliver's middle grade novels before – Liesl & Po and The Spindlers – so I was quite excited to see that she had written another. It's the first in The Curiosity House series and was perfect to add to my Halloween TBR. However, I did make the mistake of picking it up straight after reading The Diviners . Both feature an intriguing museum, mysterious murders and characters with unusual abilities. This similarity meant that I was often mixing the two up! But my favourite thing about The Shrunken Head is the wonderful child characters and the message that just because you're different, doesn't mean you need to be ashamed.

The Shrunken Head features four extraordinary children: Philippa the powerful mentalist (she can guess what's in your pockets!); Sam the world's strongest boy; Max the knife-thrower; and Thomas, who can squeeze himself into a tiny spaces. They adore working at Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders, and are extremely proud of their abilities. That is, until their prized show-stopper – an Amazonian shrunken head – is stolen from the museum. After a string of brutal murders, the press start spreading lies about the children. Everyone believes it's the curse of the shrunken head and the child 'freaks', so it's up to Philippa, Sam, Max and Thomas to discover the real culprit!

The Shrunken Head is a delightful and dark children's mystery from Lauren Oliver and H.G. Chester. I'd have loved even more illustrations – one of my favourite things about children's books! – from Benjamin Lacombe. They were enchanting and brought the story to life. As with The Diviners, I would have preferred the story to be a little shorter – I like my mysteries shorty and snappy! Nonetheless, it's a story well worth reading for it's incredible, feisty protagonists!

We get to see the exciting adventure from each of the children's points of view. They're all very unique and talented, even if they're coming together for one cause. Max is possibly my favourite of them all. She's so incredibly blunt and has an amazing sense of humour, and is extremely loyal and trustworthy! All of the children were wonderful and yet are often treated as outcasts, but the message of The Shrunken Head is a powerful one: it's okay to be different.

Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review!

I also reviewed this book over on Pretty Books. ...more

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Jun 04, 2017 Sara Saif rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017, i-like-you-a-lot

Actual Rating: 3.5/4

I wouldn't have picked this series up if I hadn't bought the second book in this series back in February because the cover looked beautiful. Sigh. But, The Shrunken Head was surprisingly enjoyable. It was very easy to read and follow and thank goodness for that because dehydration makes you temporarily stupid and drowsy.

Pippa, Sam, Thomas and Max are four orphans with extraordinary abilities who are part of a museum in New York. The Museum allegedly exhibits oddities and

...more

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Oct 07, 2017 Kateryna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-grade-read

This story followed four orphaned extraordinary children housed in a museum of oddities and their adventures to solving a series of murders. Let it be known that I can't resist a middle grade book. And this one is just so much fun! I really liked the fact that it was extremely fast paced. I enjoyed how the mystery unraveled, it kept me guessing the entire time. It also had a great ending, everything fit perfectly together like a puzzle. Overall, this is a great story with the beautiful illustrat ...more

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Apr 22, 2015 Ms. Yingling rated it liked it

ARC from Publicist

Sam, Thomas and Pippa work at Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks and Oddities in New York City. It is one of the last dime museums operating in the 1930s, and has live performances as well as displays of "curiosities". When Mr. Dumfrey buys a shrunken head, odd things start to happen. A woman falls from the balcony and is killed, and Bill Evans, a reporter, blames the head in a sensational news article. A new girl, Max, shows up hoping for work at the museum and is taken in right ARC from Publicist

Sam, Thomas and Pippa work at Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks and Oddities in New York City. It is one of the last dime museums operating in the 1930s, and has live performances as well as displays of "curiosities". When Mr. Dumfrey buys a shrunken head, odd things start to happen. A woman falls from the balcony and is killed, and Bill Evans, a reporter, blames the head in a sensational news article. A new girl, Max, shows up hoping for work at the museum and is taken in right away, due to her ability to throw knives. When the shrunken head goes missing, the children try to investigate. The head was bought at Mr. Anderson's antique shop, but when they go there, they find Mr. Anderson hanged, and work out that it was not a suicide. They think that one of the workers at Dumfries, Mr. Potts, might have been involved in the disappearance, and he shows up poisoned with cyanide. This leads to more news articles, and more interest in the museum. The children want to figure everything out because they are very grateful to Mr. Dumfrey for saving them from a life on the streets, even though a woman from a children's home is trying to get them to come and live with her. In the end, an unlikely villain emerges, and Mr. Dumfrey gives more details to the children about themselves.
Strengths: For readers who have an interest in rough-and-tumble street urchins at differnt points in history his was a more accessible book than Blackwood's Curiosity, which had a similar setting. It also felt a bit like Nicholson's The Magician's Fire. The ensemble cast worked well, and the different abilities (light mind reading, super strength, super agility) of the children didn't seem too contrived. The best part were probably the New York City underworld setting and the puzzle of how the murders were related.
Weaknesses: I wish that the 1930s setting had been established early on. I was able to work it out about halfway through the book (the Great Crash was mentioned, as was the Spanish Flu), but students won't necessarily pick up on that and won't be able to place the time period.
What I really think: Good murder mystery which reminded me a lot of the BBC show Inspector Lewis, since there were a whole string of related murders. The historical setting makes this a harder sell to middle grade readers, however. ...more

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Aug 27, 2015 Rashika (is tired) rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-2015, awesomeness-redefined, bea-2015, historical, arc, middle-grade, good-characters, paranormal

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

This book honestly just wins. The Shrunken Head is one of the best middle grade novels I’ve read in a while and I barely even knew what it was about before diving in. I just saw the pretty cover and that it was by an author whose name I was familiar with so I decided to give it a shot. This book was 1000% worth it.

The Shrunken head is EVERYTHING. This book combines the supernatural, with a historical setting, throws in a little bit of m ***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

This book honestly just wins. The Shrunken Head is one of the best middle grade novels I’ve read in a while and I barely even knew what it was about before diving in. I just saw the pretty cover and that it was by an author whose name I was familiar with so I decided to give it a shot. This book was 1000% worth it.

The Shrunken head is EVERYTHING. This book combines the supernatural, with a historical setting, throws in a little bit of mystery AND also goes on to explore the awkwardness of being a preteen who is starting to go through puberty. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?

This book is a very quick read (even at 360 pages) and you will be flipping pages, BELIEVE ME. You will want to see these kids get down to the bottom of the mystery. You will be cheering them on and you will want to punch all the assholes who refer to them as freaks.

Phillipa, Sam, Thomas and Max are children with special abilities. Phillipa can read minds (kind of), Sam is super strong (and tends to break a lot of things as a result), Thomas can bend his body into various shapes and fit anywhere and Max possesses epic skills with knives. When the only home they all have ever known is in danger, they decide to get down to the bottom of this mystery and find out who is causing the deaths.

The mystery aspects of this book were fantastically done but one of my favorite things was how the 1930s setting was weaved into the book. Oliver doesn’t focus too much on the time period but there are little details that make it evident that the book is set in a time around the great depression. The time period is not forgotten but introduced into the story in little ways that make it all the more interesting.

ALSO the illustrations in this book are GORGEOUS.

I’d definitely recommend this book to readers who love a little bit of magic and mystery. This is a fun read that won’t fail to charm your socks off.

Note that I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review ...more

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May 29, 2015 Michelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2015, kids-books

My Review:
I never read a Lauren Oliver book before and I am not sure why. I absolutely loved this story and the cover is fantastic. This book is a lot of fun to read and the 4 main characters in this book make this book a great read. The story is told in 4 different POVs Pippa, Max, Thomas & Sam. The kids live at Dumbfrey's Dime Museum as one of the attraction. Each kid has a special talent that is unique, most of the oddities at the museum are like side show performers but the kids are diffe ...more

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Oct 17, 2015 Kelly (Diva Booknerd) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: hachette, middle-grade

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/11/t...
I haven't always had the best author reader relationship with Lauren Oliver. I enjoyed her Delirium series, but both Before I Fall and Panic were books that I had so many issues with. Her new foray into middle grade with The Curiosity House series is a complete success and I enjoyed every moment. There is something so utterly lovely about a well written and adventurous middle grade series and installment one, The Shrunken Head, shows exactly why the young http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/11/t...
I haven't always had the best author reader relationship with Lauren Oliver. I enjoyed her Delirium series, but both Before I Fall and Panic were books that I had so many issues with. Her new foray into middle grade with The Curiosity House series is a complete success and I enjoyed every moment. There is something so utterly lovely about a well written and adventurous middle grade series and installment one, The Shrunken Head, shows exactly why the young and young at heart are enamored by the genre. It follow the story of three orphans in twelve year old Sam, Pippa and Thomas who are about to be joined by new resident Max. The four children have extraordinary abilities and are among the headline acts at Dumfrey's Dime Museum, but business hasn't been as prosperous of late and without the shrunken head, they will be forced to close.

The storyline although character driven, also features an old world charm to the New York location. Dime Museums were popular during the middle Nineteenth century as a form of entertainment for the working class. Most were little more than trickery in order to give patrons a cheap thrill, which also seems to be the case with Mister Dumfrey, with the exception of the four children of course.

One of the main aspects that also draws me into reading middle grade are the illustrations. Whether it just be chapter pages or full page illustrations, it only adds to the magical reading experience and The Shrunken head was no different. The monochrome illustrations scattered throughout were absolutely lovely, I especially loved the imitation performer advertisement posters. So lovely and vintage.

Even being a longer middle grade read, the storyline is not only wonderfully written but well paced. A mixture of old world charm, mystery and cheekiness that middle grade and early young adult readers will be enchanted by.

The Shrunken Head is a brilliant first installment in what will no doubt be an incredible new middle grade adventure series. Mixing old world charm and a motley crew of weird and wonderful characters, it's wonderfully written and the mystery will thrill and delight readers with it's sense of fun and lighthearted humour. Perfect for older middle grade or primary school readers and early young adult readers alike. I can't wait to for the next installment in The Curiosity House series. Thoroughly enjoyed it. ...more

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Nov 29, 2015 ellemaddy rated it liked it

Shelves: i-m-too-old-for-this, not-my-cup-of-tea, read-2015

Ah, here I am again. I found myself always attracted to read books with pretty covers and a famous author and The Shrunken Head has all that, and most of the time sadly I am left unimpressed by the story. I had no idea what it had in store when I started reading it because I don’t really read the summary on gr but I know that it’s a children book (pretty obvious from the cover, title, etc.)

The Shrunken Head is about four orphan kids who live in a museum of wonders. Think about American Horror St Ah, here I am again. I found myself always attracted to read books with pretty covers and a famous author and The Shrunken Head has all that, and most of the time sadly I am left unimpressed by the story. I had no idea what it had in store when I started reading it because I don’t really read the summary on gr but I know that it’s a children book (pretty obvious from the cover, title, etc.)

The Shrunken Head is about four orphan kids who live in a museum of wonders. Think about American Horror Story: Circus but about children and without all the weird sex stuff. There is Thomas, the boy who could bend his body like rubber and could get into the air shaft and spy on people(?), Pippa who is a mentalist (but could only so far know about the content of your pocket, not your mind), Sam, the strongest boy alive, and Max, the famous sarcastic, illiterate knife thrower. Their life changed when one day they were performing and a lady passed out after seeing the shrunken head and died later on. They started getting hounded by the press (some smarmy guy named Evans) and people started dying, some said from the curse of the shrunken head which had gone missing after the lady died.

Some characters in the book reminds me of those from Harry Potter (could it be because I was also reading Harry Potter at the same time I read this?). Like Dumfrey reminded me of Dumbledore and Potts reminded me of Filch….

Moving on…
Everytime I read children’s book I always found myself gritting my teeth because there’s always that one scene that just make me want to punch the wall, usually the heroines nearly caught the bad guy but then missed and they got all disappointed and one of them would be like, ‘don’t worry we’ll catch him next time!’ then the book ended, proceed to book two please. It’s so frustrating because they all had this power but they’re hopeless because they’re just a bunch of kids! Maybe i’m getting a bit too old for this. The mystery in this book really keeps you guessing, though, I’ll give you that. And although the ending isn’t very satisfying and I don’t really find myself liking this book enough to give it 4 stars, but I think it’s not really that bad that it deserve 2 or 1 star. It just didn’t leave an impression on me, so perhaps it’s a matter of age and taste. I think kids will love this book just fine. ...more

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Jul 25, 2015 Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict) rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, middle-grade

At Dumfrey's Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders, a person can see many unusual things. like relics, mummies, a bearded lady and more. It's 1930 New York City and everyone is intrigued by the items found at the museum, especially with the arrival of the new Amazonian shrunken head. Philippa, Sam, Pippa and Max are all orphans and live at the museum, but they aren't like other children. They all have extraordinary abilities, which makes them part of the appeal at the museum. Things start ...more

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May 27, 2016 Randee rated it liked it

Shelves: children-juvenile, randee-s-wom-challenge-2016, the-great-escape

I enjoyed reading this story. I especially love the drawings/illustrations. I think this is a good mystery for the pre-teenager. Anyone older may find it a bit more style over substance. However, I do think this shows a great deal of promise as a series. This being the first one, I think this is a novel situation that can grow into its own in the future. I think this is a bit too tame for teenagers. But for the young at heart, I think there is an old fashioned innocence mixed with a lot of empat ...more

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Jun 03, 2016 Cristi-Lael rated it liked it

Shelves: middle-grade

This is one of the most beautiful middle grade books I've seen. The hardback version has a lovely dust jacket and also some pretty art on the book itself. But the artwork inside the book is my favorite. Such great illustrations.
The story is really good as well. A very nice middle grade mystery with a supernatural flair. I really enjoyed it and look forward to where the series is going. Plus, I think my daughters are going to really enjoy reading it as well. ...more

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Nov 26, 2016 Kara rated it liked it

This one was just okay for me. Everything felt rushed and too easy to figure out. I liked the writing enough, and generally there is more telling than showing in middle grade (and I totally get that), but this felt like it went above and beyond. I felt the same way about Oliver's other middle grade novel, Liesl and Po, as well.

Meh. ...more

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Oct 26, 2014 Petra rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-books, 4-stars, fantasy-paranormal-etc, read-in-english, own-in-english, ya-read, middlegrade, thriller-mystery-crime

Great character. Great mystery. Great book.

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Feb 02, 2018 Eye of Sauron rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, middle-grade

I loved this book at the beginning. The back cover is fantastically eccentric, and the strange and weirdness-infested introduction and setting are enough to make the darkest of Dark Lords feel a little bit of creepy curious magical energy.

The wonder (and perhaps the novelty) wore off, though, as the novel progressed, and the elements of mystery faded into explanations decidedly less attractive as cliché after cliché popped up in the dialogue, and every plot "twist" was visible from at least fift ...more

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May 07, 2020 Samm | Sassenach the Book Wizard rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: tbr-2020-may, own

This was so much fun! It was kinda dark and murder-y for a middle grade but that made it different from a lot of other middle grades. The mystery even kept me guessing and I freaking loved the "you make family" sentiment of the cast. I can't believe I got the whole series on Book Outlet for under $10 CAD! So freaking worth it! ...more

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Jun 28, 2015 Alexandra marked it as to-read-own

Shelves: avail-on-audible, unread-own-on-kindle, own-on-kindle

1/4/18 On sale for Kindle $2.24.

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May 24, 2015 Cathy rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2015, urban, young-adult, mystery, fantasy, historical, juvenile

Lauren Oliver is really Laura Schechter (check the copywrite) and she wrote this with Harold Schechter, so I'm presuming he's her dad, who is a well known true crime and mystery author (primarily, he's really versatile, and seems quite impressive). It could be a brother also named Harold, or some random guy with the same last name, but I think it's a fair assumption that it's her father. It makes sense that they'd want to do a book together and make it a young adult mystery, a combination of the Lauren Oliver is really Laura Schechter (check the copywrite) and she wrote this with Harold Schechter, so I'm presuming he's her dad, who is a well known true crime and mystery author (primarily, he's really versatile, and seems quite impressive). It could be a brother also named Harold, or some random guy with the same last name, but I think it's a fair assumption that it's her father. It makes sense that they'd want to do a book together and make it a young adult mystery, a combination of their areas of expertise. And it kind of worked. It's charming. The kids are appealing. Their situation living in the museum and being different from other people is one that should resonate with kids. It just missed the mark for me on some levels.

It was a bit simplistic for a middle grade book. I can't figure out who the audience is. This is a long book, 360 pages, and the kids are twelve-ish (at least two are, I didn't notice the other two), so on the surface it should be for older tweens to teens. But the story felt kind of dumbed down, more the kind of straightforward story I'd read in an early reader book. More Betsy-Tacy than Wrinkle In Time even. Though a more innocent tone is charming for a historical book (it appears to be the later 1930s, post Depression, pre-war) it still has to appeal to the probably-too-sophisticated kids of today. Not that I want them to be too grown up, not at all! But kids are used to more complex storytelling, more layers, more complex emotions from the kids in their stories, more difficult challenges, more interesting mysteries. The language/vocabulary isn't particularly scaled back, just the storytelling. More Magic Tree House than Harry Potter. Which is totally fine, a book aimed more at 8-10 year-olds would be great, if it seemed like a book younger kids could/would read. But it seems too difficult or long for any but the more advanced younger kids. Maybe I'm wrong and kids all over of all ages are loving it, that would be great. I was just surprised at the lack of sophistication in the story and the mystery. And the answers to the mystery came out of nowhere, it was annoying that the kids had no chance to have actually solved it.

The cover is really wonderful, back and front and inside flap. Sometimes illustrations are better than pictures. Lots of romance and urban fantasy covers prove that lately, I'm not always a fan of some of the covers with models. The wrong picture sucks when you feel like you know exactly what the character looks like because the author described them so well. The sketches on the back of this book were so expressive of their personalities, as were the silhouettes inside the front flap. And the front cover is all of that plus gorgeous, both quirkily charming and a little bit spookily at the same time. And the rest on the back, the text, is funny, quite cleverly different than the more stranded description inside the front flap. It's definitely the kind of cover that sells books, all around. Whoever designed this one did a terrific job, I'd pick this out for a gift based on just seeing this in a book store, or want to buy it for myself. And the interior art is really enjoyable as well. It really adds a lot to the book.

So, I liked the book, I just found it confusing. It felt like a book that could have been published decades ago. If it was just an old-fashioned style that might not be a problem, some kids might be enchanted by a historical book. I'm just not sure the book is consistently appropriate for it's target audience, I found it confusing based on it's length, the level of storytelling and other elements. ...more

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May 04, 2015 Jennifer rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

The Shrunken Head is a middle grade mystery. It is the first book in The Curiosity House series.

It features four remarkable orphans (all around 12 years old): Pippa, Sam, Thomas and Max. Pippa is a mentalist (she can tell what is in people's pockets). Sam is the world’s strongest boy. Thomas can squeeze himself into small spaces. And Max (girl) is an amazing knife-thrower. They perform and live at Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders.

This book is MG, which is not really my norm
The Shrunken Head is a middle grade mystery. It is the first book in The Curiosity House series.

It features four remarkable orphans (all around 12 years old): Pippa, Sam, Thomas and Max. Pippa is a mentalist (she can tell what is in people's pockets). Sam is the world’s strongest boy. Thomas can squeeze himself into small spaces. And Max (girl) is an amazing knife-thrower. They perform and live at Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders.

This book is MG, which is not really my normal reading. Although I do read a lot of Young Adult. I really like some of Lauren Oliver's other books. So that is why I wanted to read this book.

I did really enjoy the kids performing. They were all incredibly talented and it was amazing to read about what they could do. I also thought that the mystery was a very cute idea.

Mr Dumfrey owns and runs a crazy museum. He gets a new exhibit, a shrunken head. It goes missing. And subsequently all kinds of craziness and disasters occur (including accidents and murders).

The four kids try to solve the mystery. This part of the story was interesting. And I liked the mishaps they got into while trying to figure things out.

However, the book has third person narration. And the POVs change a lot. Truthfully I struggled to figure out who was talking. And I really don't think that this should be the case for a MG book.

I don't know that the time period the book is set in is listed. Although I've seen some people say it is the 1930s, which feels right. I think this might be part of the reason why I had a hard time finishing this book. I would have rather that it was made clear when this book was taking place.

There is so much description about the museum. Too much description. And almost 400 pages for a middle grade book seemed like too much to me.

I think that kids who are 10-13 might enjoy this mystery. However, there are a lot of murders. So I am not sure how appropriate the book would be for younger kids. The book is obviously targeted to kids. And the murders aren't overly gory. But I don't think I would recommend this to those under 10.

The ending was good. There was an explanation re: the murderer and an explanation re: the kids. Also there was a twist that I liked (and didn't guess). Overall, this was a cute middle grade mystery.

Thanks to edelweiss and HarperCollins for allowing me to read this book. ...more

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Oct 16, 2015 Jessica rated it really liked it

Let it be known that I can't resist a middle grade book at the best of times, but if it's by Lauren Oliver there's no question it will end up on my reading list! She charmed me with Liesl & Po, made me shiver with The Spindlers, and left no doubt in my mind that I'd pick up any middle grade book she puts forth. There are certain authors who just understand what a book for this age group needs. A pinch of madness, a few drops of magic, some interesting history, and the type of characters who stea Let it be known that I can't resist a middle grade book at the best of times, but if it's by Lauren Oliver there's no question it will end up on my reading list! She charmed me with Liesl & Po, made me shiver with The Spindlers, and left no doubt in my mind that I'd pick up any middle grade book she puts forth. There are certain authors who just understand what a book for this age group needs. A pinch of madness, a few drops of magic, some interesting history, and the type of characters who steal your heart before you even know it's gone. This book is all of that, and it's wonderful.

Charming, is probably the best word to describe Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head. Honestly, it's hard not to smile as you read the first few pages. Pippa, Sam, Thomas and Max are quite the cast of characters. Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders is a setting all its own. Add in a smattering of 1930's history, and you have the perfect stage for a wonderful story. I'll warn you now that this story is a bit on the darker side. Think Lemony Snicket. Bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people, and sometimes it's a little gruesome. Still, at the end of the day we all know how things wrap up. These are my favorite kinds of stories. The kind that doesn't shy away from the darker parts of life, but embraces them as truth.

Am I rambling? Probably! I don't want to spoil anything, because this book is just so much fun! The mystery is probably the best part of this whole package. As if our plucky and talented young characters weren't amazing enough on their own, this story pits them against one heck of a mystery. When the prized possession of Dumfrey's goes missing, and all the people involved start to die in mysterious ways, what do you do? If you're Pippa, Sam, Thomas and Max you set off on an adventure to figure out what's going on. Possibly putting yourself in mortal danger at the same time.

This is a great story. Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head is completely charming from the writing on the page, to the stunning illustrations, and it will definitely make you want to come back for more. What are you waiting for? Go add this to your reading list. It's definitely worth your time. ...more

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Jul 09, 2020 Evelyn Brewer rated it it was ok

DNF. Got as far as p. 205.

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Feb 20, 2016 Ensiform rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction

In Depression-era New York City, four exceptional and quirky orphans who live in a freak show find themselves embroiled in a mystery after the show’s shrunken head is stolen. When innocent people start dying off, all somehow related to the head, there is a media sensation, and their own guarder and the museum’s proprietor is arrested on suspicion of murder. Of course, there is a deeper secret, one concerning the strangely powerful and talented kids’ origins, and they find that they are the ones ...more

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Oct 25, 2015 Cheryl rated it liked it

I found this book to be a fun read. There are so many eccentric characters that reside at Dumfrey’s Dime Museum of Freaks, Oddities, and Wonders. Additionally, Philippa, Sam, Thomas, and Max keep things interesting as well. However as much as all of the characters were entertaining, I did that I was not as fully invested in the story as I thought I would be. The events that happened in the story were toned down for the younger readers like the deaths of some of the characters. Which on the one h ...more

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May 12, 2016 Allyson Shelton rated it it was amazing

4.5/5

I really dug this book! It has a great cast of characters and the growing relationships between them. Max, Pippa, Sam, and Thomas... I loved them all. I wish the novel was longer and we had more down time with the characters. The story arc and mystery was interesting till the very end. It was fun and nerve racking. The setting is whimsical and dark and speaks to me. I recommend this if you love middle grade, freak shows (or just the AHS show), who dun it's, and just amazing novels honestly. ...more

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Jul 28, 2015 Billie rated it really liked it

Charming middle-grade adventure featuring a cast of misfits and oddballs. There's enough violence (several murders) that this book is probably not for the more faint- or tender-hearted reader. Those who don't mind a little bloodshed and some gruesome details--not to mention petty thievery and other assorted vices--will find a cracking good mystery and an exciting start to this new trilogy from best-selling author Oliver. ...more

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Aug 26, 2015 Astrid Lim rated it really liked it

Shelves: puzzle, new-york, adventures, children, series, middle-grade

House of curiosity, freaky entertainers, weird museum, wonders of the world, four misfits, murder mystery, and.. most of all, new york city. Why not to love about this book? Lauren Oliver, as usual, delivered the story nicely, with lots of interesting details that she actually got from the real famous collector, HC Chester. Plus, the illustrations are cute!!! I can't wait for the next book of the series!! ...more

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Feb 03, 2015 Miranda Lynn marked it as not-interested

Okay, I don't even want to read this, but I just feel the need to point out that Miskatonic University is not in Rhode Island, it's in Arkham, Massachusetts! ...more

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topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. (Fantasy, mystery) Four kids with strange powers grew up in a freak house and eventually solve a murder. Read in early 2016. [s]	3	30	Jun 08, 2018 01:10PM
All About YA : Curiosity House	1	7	Mar 22, 2016 09:06PM

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About Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver

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Lauren Oliver is the cofounder of media and content development company Glasstown Entertainment, where she serves as the president of production. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of the YA novels Replica, Vanishing Girls, Panic, and the Delirium trilogy: Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem, which have been translated into more than thirty languages. The film rights to both Replica ...more

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The Curiosity House (3 books)

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Quotes from The Shrunken Head

“People thought she and Pippa and Thomas and Sam were the freaks. But the real freaks were people like Evans—people who could hide their true selves completely, as if all their lives they were wearing Halloween masks.” — 0 likes

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