En stødtand for meget

The Incredibly Dead Pets of Rex Dexter #2

by Aaron Reynolds

Drengen Rex Dexter troede, det var slut med at blive hjemsøgt af døde dyr. Men det er det ikke. Pludselig bliver han hjemsøgt af en narhval og en hammerhaj, der begge husker en svømmetur ved byens fyrtårn som det sidste af deres liv i havet. Nu skal han hjælpe dem med at opklare, hvad der skete.

Andet bind om drengen Rex Dexter er grin, spænding og far-jokes i børnehøjde.

Genres: Middle Grade, Mystery, Humor, Animals, Fiction, Chapter Books, Fantasy

216 pages

Published February 10, 2022

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Aaron Reynolds is a New York Times Bestselling Author of many highly acclaimed books for kids, including Dude!, Creepy Carrots!, Creepy Pair of Underwear!, Nerdy Birdy, and tons more. He frequently visits schools and his highly participatory presentations are a blast for kids and teachers alike. He lives in the Chicago area with his wife, two kids, four cats, and between three and ten fish, depending on the day.

(source: Amazon)

Reviews

[Caitlin Rassenti · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate to be the only downer for this book but having read a few of them I can't get over the fact I cannot stand the main character. He's rude, conceited, acts annoyingly superior to others when he clearly isn't and really doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities. If I hadn't had to read these for my job I would have never read past the first one. I would not give these books to any kids I know despite how "funny" others claim it to be. Books can be enjoyable to kids without the main character being such an unlikable know it all.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't as good as the first installment in the Rex Dexter series for me but maybe just because my expectations are now super high and I had no expectations going in initially. This was still a wonderful bedtime read with my kid. The biggest selling point of these books, for me, is that, as an adult, you will enjoy it as much as your kid but in different ways. What a luxury! My kid is super pumped to move on to the next in the series and I am too!

[LisaSunshineGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment in this silly and sarcastic series. Very enjoyable, especially as an audiobook.

[Sharla Desy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rex, Darvish and Drumstick return in this sequel. Instead of recently departed zoo animals seeking Rex's help, this book features creatures of the sea.

Reading this book reminded me of taking my children to see a Disney movie when they were small: they were amused by the obvious kid humor and oblivious to the references to things that only adults would appreciate.

The first book in the series is very popular with third graders in my school, and I am sure they will be eager to read this one. I worry that some of the vocabulary might be beyond them:

a boon companion
credenza
laissez-faire attitude
dissuade
affront
carte blanche
rudimentary
Machiavellian
angst
in flagrante delicto
garrote
infiltrate
"cold war era KGB"
juggernauts
soiree
duplicitous
"swallow your cyanide pill"

Woven into Dexter's comic/paranoid search for his aquatic friends' killer is a nicely done subplot dealing with Darvish and Dexter's friendship and how it is challenged when they discover that they are not always interested in the same things.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers through Edelweiss+.
The second in this series about Rex and his friends - alive and dead. This time Rex meets a dead narwhal and later a dead whale shark. Each died near the local lighthouse but does not know how except they were in bad water. Together with Darvish, Rex works to figure out what happened so they can move on. Rex learns some valuable lessons about friendship and listening to others as he risks losing his only friend. They resolve their issues and add two new people to their group. Rex even tries again to play M&M with the group to finish the book.
Reynolds has made the jump to middle grade chapter books with this series. The humor will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. The concept will also pull them in as he keeps it on the light side. His illustrations capture the fun and humor of the living and dead.
Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a work of comic genius. The humor is spot on my kind--sarcastic and "dad jokes" all the way. I loved getting back into Rex's life and having another mystery to solve. I thought the spookiness was at the right level for this age group; the dead animals had full personalities and offered much humor themselves. The friendships and hints of possible puppy love felt authentic for middle grade readers. I enjoyed the character growth of Rex as he learned what it means to be a true friend and appreciate others. This book is entertaining and I hope for more books featuring Rex and his "dead pets."

[B.C. Dittemore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really loving the Rex Dexter books! The second installment doesn’t stray too far from the framework of the first: wisecracking, overconfident Rex must solve the mystery of the deaths of two animals whose ghosts look to him for help. As with the first, the mystery is merely a vehicle for Reynolds to crack joke after joke. And it had me smiling and laughing the whole time.

Reynolds does up the stakes by placing Rex’s friendship with his best bro Darvish on the line; I was legitimately concerned for the future of their camaraderie. It’s really a very nice subplot, and it goes a long way in building a well-rounded protagonist.

[McKenna R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one more than the first one, because Rex starts to show some character development and he befriends a few others. I also really like Rex and Sammy’s relationship. It was great as an audiobook too! I wish Miss Mary would have made another appearance toward the end since she seemed like an important part of the book that got easily dismissed once she wasn’t a suspect any longer. But this was a funny read.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

My reluctant reader son & I have devoured this series on Audible (though I have to turn it down when we drive into the school parking lot because audiobooks are embarrassing. Whatever, at least he talks about his feelings, which he sure didn’t learn from my husband).

Ahem.

This story was less funny somehow than the first - I had to explain the Russian spy references to my 12 y/o. But there’s more intrigue and swashbuckling, as well as more character development for Rex and his friends.

Other reviewers are right: The main character is an arrogant little brat who sort of reads like a benign sociopath. But since he’s fictional & has some mild redemption (due to BFF Darvish standing up to him) , his over-the-top self-centeredness is funny. And promoted a good discussion with my son about how pausing/ending friendships can be necessary sometimes.

Obvious cliffhanger into the next book in the series but if you’re a NYT bestselling author you can get away with it.

[Camille · Rating 2 out of 5]

God, I wish my kid liked reading alone already. I loved reading as a kid. Swrong with this kid? I swear to God, I'm gonna stop reading to him soon. It's starting to drag. So keep in mind that this review is colored by the fact that I'm in a bad mood because I am tired of reading to this kid every night after like a full decade.

This book was needlessly long and repetitive, though I give it points for a somewhat diverse cast of characters. The overall premise is absurd and the outcome of the investigation was a letdown after so much set-up.

[Alex Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Var desværre ikke lige så vild med den her som jeg var med den første 😭

Noget af det bedste ved den første var imo humoren og karaktergalleriet - det manglede lidt i nr. 2.

Samtidig virkede Rex mere ondskabsfuld over for f.eks. Darvish, hvilket gav mening i forhold til plottet, men det blev bare lidt for meget i længden.

Har stadig lyst til at læse videre i serien , men håber virkelig den bliver bedre 😅

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kids and I listened to the audiobook. I don't know if it was the narrator's voice, but I did not like Rex in this book. My kids enjoyed listening to it. If a third one is published, we'll definitely check it out, but not the audiobook.

[Katra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rex is getting a pretty soggy and foul smelling bedroom bunking up with a dead Narwhal, and his attempts to help the aquatic mammal move on are hampering by a best friend who's not fully invested in his plight. Do I feel bad for him? Not really, but I do enjoy every moment of his misery. Great fun!

[Sara Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a little more challenging for my 7yo to follow, but still great for its descriptive vocabulary! The way Rex talks is hilarious and had me laughing out loud as we listened to the audio version. Would definitely recommend and my girls already asked for book 3.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rex is A LOT. We all know kids just like him, ones that are incredibly obnoxious but also incredibly charismatic that we can’t help but like even though he’s INCREDIBLY OBNOXIOUS. But he’s got some redeeming qualities in there, and the book was pretty fun.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent follow up for this hilarious series. I love how the small town has its own billionaire 🤣 and M&M! Amazing. As always Rex’s commentary was hilarious and I never saw the twist at the end coming! Can’t wait to read more!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun read! I hadn't read the first book in the series, so you don't need to. I like the author's really humorous writing style. I also like his accurate descriptions of how it feels to have Asperger's Syndrome!

[Pilppu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hyvää huumoria, kuten ensimmäisessäkin kirjassa. Vitsit vähän toistavat itseään, mutta toisaalta toistossa on voimaa. Iltasatuna luettu, poika (9v) tykkäsi tästä kovasti ja naureskeli jutuille ääneen.

[Ariel Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was cracking up! My students will love this one as well.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is so fantastically stupid and I love every page of it!

[Jen T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please listen to the audio books of this series, they are amazing, your kids and you will love it!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequels are difficult - that being said, this was a good one. Tied into the first story, but could easily stand alone. Funny and relatable for MG readers. The vocabulary is OUTSTANDING!

[Ashley Mages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious. Rex is a kid who has his own view of the world and will let noone change that. The writing is clever and a funny enjoyable read from a sassy 6th grader's point of view.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Corrine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong sequel. Kept me and my kiddo entertained.

[Britt, Book Habitue · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Maybe I just wasn't in the mood but somehow this one wasn't as funny as the first one.

[Lauren Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the original but the kids still loved the mystery in it.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook

Loved this one! So glad the series continued!

[Gena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how his life exists as a subplot and the evil villains are never quite as sinister as he expects (at least not in the first two books)

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the 1st, but my kids and I still enjoyed it and we’ll read book 3!