Kory MerrittRecensioner

This would be a perfect read for a younger child just getting interested in spooky stories. It's also perfect for a family reading night. We passed the book around and read the chapters aloud, showing the pictures as went. The illustrations throughout are really intense. There are lots of spooky images and they almost felt like hidden pictures...you could look at a spread of images and find little details throughout that were funny, odd, and/or interesting. Really liked the story. That being said...the ending was odd. I feel like maybe the moral of the story is "eat real food" or "an apple a day..." It was a quick fun read.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York by Kory Merritt is quirky, fun, and original. With bits that reminded me of Jim Henson's dark side, Tim Burton, Roald Dahl, and Shel Silverstein, it was right up my alley!

I loved the story-telling, the drawings, the characters, it all breathes life into this imaginative tale of Jonathan York, a man who, has led such a boring life, that even when told all he needs to pay for a room for a night is a story cannot think of one to tell. As he sets out on his own adventure, he meets deliciously devious creatures, overcomes obstacles and learns something about himself. If you are a little strange and quirky yourself, or just love books with strange creatures, you must pick up this book!

Reading this was a total treat. The wording is super fun, not too bubbly and not too brainy, perfectly entertaining. The art made good use of light and dark and is full of interesting and odd characters.

The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York has just the right amount of creepy without going scary and just the right amount of silly without being goofy. The lead is identifiable, showing mixtures of fear and bravery. I enjoyed the story as an adult, but I recommend it most to preteens. That age is a tough sale, but I think this author hit the mark.



***Copy given in exchange for an honest review***

toni


FangirlMoments and My Two Cents









FULL REVIEW CAN BE FOUND AT http://fangirlmomentsandmytwocents.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-dreadful-fate-of-jon...

Reading this was a total treat. The wording is super fun, not too bubbly and not too brainy, perfectly entertaining. The art made good use of light and dark and is full of interesting and odd characters.

The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York has just the right amount of creepy without going scary and just the right amount of silly without being goofy. The lead is identifiable, showing mixtures of fear and bravery. I enjoyed the story as an adult, but I recommend it most to preteens. That age is a tough sale, but I think this author hit the mark.



***Copy given in exchange for an honest review***

toni


FangirlMoments and My Two Cents









FULL REVIEW CAN BE FOUND AT http://fangirlmomentsandmytwocents.blogspot.com/2015/09/the-dreadful-fate-of-jon...

A fun, quirky, imaginative story that is spruced up with creative artwork. One without the other wouldn't work nearly as well, but together they leave a lasting impression. The book packs a larger whallop than I expected before opening it. Picture Poe, Dr Seuss, and Tim Burton sitting together around a table co-writing a children's story.

Humor is present in many forms - some ironic, some at the expense of the main character, some adult nudges buried in a middle-age book. There's some tension for the younger crowd, bizarre creatures that may as well have come out of the most imaginative of the imaginative, and plenty of adventures to arrive at for this book, which is over 100 pages in length.

The prose is poetic and enjoyable, with lines such as this: "And then the ground shook. Footsteps. Like the footsteps in a dinosaur movie. Like the footsteps you hear just before an expendable character gets chomped."

Sometimes the book seems indecisive on what age level it's aiming at - I doubt many middle schoolers today would get references to Sean Connery's appearance and being an expendable "red shirt" in a movie. But these tucked in make it enjoyable for all ages - the adult/child in me loved the colorful illustrations, the playful prose in dangerous (funny) situations, while a child would enjoy the outlandish stories, fun but stylishly sophisticated artwork, and different 'other' appeal.

The subtitle is "A Yarn for the strange at heart." No matter what age, that certainly fits me.

I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York by Kory Merritt is quirky, fun, and original. With bits that reminded me of Jim Henson's dark side, Tim Burton, Roald Dahl, and Shel Silverstein, it was right up my alley!

I loved the story-telling, the drawings, the characters, it all breathes life into this imaginative tale of Jonathan York, a man who, has led such a boring life, that even when told all he needs to pay for a room for a night is a story cannot think of one to tell. As he sets out on his own adventure, he meets deliciously devious creatures, overcomes obstacles and learns something about himself. If you are a little strange and quirky yourself, or just love books with strange creatures, you must pick up this book!

The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York is a delightful graphic story of a boring man that never has any excitement. He goes for a walk and gets lost in a swamp. He meets odd fellows and finds a place to sleep but the price to stay is a story. He doesn't have a story because his life is a bore. He is kicked out and the adventures begin. Very clever and imaginative. Drawings are too cute. All around, a very great story. Received this book for a honest review from NetGalley.