Rex Grammaticus is the son of Ambrose, renowned architect in the town of Oppum Oppidulum – home
of the Asylum for the Peculiar and Bizarre set right in the middle of the very, very cold Lake Baluarum.
When Mr. Grammaticus is declared insane after ingesting a meal cooked and served by his sinister
second wife, Acantha, Rex is left at the mercy of his cruel and heartless stepmother. When a new doctor
moves to Oppum Oppidulum to take over the Asylum, Rex has hope that his father will be cured and
return home. What he doesn’t know is that both the doctor and Acantha, have very different plans
for his father and for him.
With a healthy dose of the macabre, Higgins has created a world filled with
danger, secret identities, magical creatures, and heartless humans. Will Rex find the answers he needs
to save his life and the life of the Asylum inmates before it is too late?
Higgins’ novel is a companion piece to her novels The Eyeball Collector, The Bone Magician, and The Black Book of Secrets. Each book
stands on its own but there are some intriguing overlaps that will have readers reaching for the other
titles. Challenging vocabulary adds to the bleak tone but readers will be rewarded with a story that is
deliciously creepy.
Recommended by: Susan Grigsby, Librarian, Georgia USA
978-0312566821 Ages 10 and up 350 pages
