This book was a cute read, that I thoroughly enjoyed. I’m not sure what I was expecting based on it’s title but what I got I really liked.

"Readers, beware: what you hold in your hands is a dreadful fairy book. I wish I were narrating almost any other fairy story, but alas, this is my lot. Whatever expectations you have of delightful and whimsical fairies are sure to be disappointed."

Lillyshadow Glitterdemalion, or Shade as she prefers to be called, is a little sprite, but she's unlike any other sprite in Pleasant Hollow. She's a little bit rounder and doesn't have colorful butterfly wings like the others, and most of all, she LOVES books, which the other sprites just can't wrap their heads around. Shade lost her parents but still has the books they all used to read together, until the other sprites set off fireworks and burn her house down. All but one of her books are destroyed ("Traveling in the Greater Kingdom: A Guide to the Wonders and Dangers of the Fairy World," written by Stinkletoe Radishbottom), and Shade decides she has to leave Pleasant Hollow and go in search of a place full of more books than she could read in her lifetime. During her adventures, she meets a host of colorful characters who help her out in her quest.

The world building in this book was phenomenal. The characters were fun and varied, and you find yourself rooting for Shade and her friends. I did think Shade had an attitude most of the time, but since this book is written for the middle grade crowd, I don't know if that would be a problem with them or not, although I doubt it. This was a very easy and quick read.

In summary, I enjoyed reading this book and think the MG crowd would also have fun with it.

4/5 stars.

*** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley free of charge in exchange for my honest review.

My daughter definitely enjoyed this book, whereas I was a little less enthusiastic. I like the story well enough, but I wish the main character were a little less harsh in her language. That being said, we may just have read it a couple of years too early for my daughter. Thank you for the chance to read!

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a clever book. I think it flowed well and had likeable characters.

A Dreadful Fairy Book was a unique read. The book has a narrator that directly speaks to the reader, and the fairy protagonist, Shade, is quite dreadful (as the title implies). Sadly, I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I would, but it was still okay.

I enjoyed the first third of A Dreadful Fairy Book the most because it had an amount of charm that the rest of the book eventually lost. At the beginning of the story, Shade's house catches on fire with no help from her many shelves of books. The fairies make fun of her for some reason, and Shade utters some choice words such as dingle-dangle and whatnot. The made-up swearing was funny at first, but the main character seems to say something bad every other time she talks, which got annoying after the first few chapters.

Speaking of annoying -the other main character, Ginch, was bad. He-a talks like-a this, and not just sometimes. Every other word Ginch says has "-a" at the end. In fact, I don't even remember Ginch doing anything worthwhile throughout the story. There were other characters with odd speaking patterns, such as the French(?) librarian towards the end who says "ze" instead of "the", which I thought was slightly offensive. But whatever.

I love fairy books, and A Dreadful Fairy Book is a fairy book, obviously. It just didn't have much charm to it, no cutesy fairies or fun adventures. Shade and her non-fairy friends do go on a long journey to find a library for her, but it wasn't that great. I do have to say, though, that the ending was satisfying and some parts made me want to laugh out loud, such as the part with the bridge troll, but after the first third of the story the plot got uninteresting.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed reading this. An interesting story with fun characters. Well written.

Just when you thought it was safe.... Meet a fairy who is more on the ornery side as she travels through the woods to find her purpose. As you travel, you’ll meet an entire cast of woodland creatures and discover that not everyone is nice!
This was a great read that kept me both entertained and on the edge of my seat. The narrator was fantastic and was my favorite character. I’ve already recommended it to my fellow school-age counterparts as a great book for a reluctant reader.

Around 3.5 stars. I’m rounding up as I believe the children this is written for will love it.
This is Lemony Snicket but with a quest and fairies instead of children and a scheming Count. Not that the style of writing isn't super fun, because it is, but it is predictable when any book starts off by telling you that awful things happen. Of course it's in a children's tongue and cheek way; and this is middle grade level literature after all.
Perhaps worth noting is The Dreadful Fairy Tale does put our characters in peril and discusses death. So be prepared for possible questions from your young one. It's all done in a tasteful and easy to consume way, in my opinion.

Characters
There are some really fun characters that our lead fairy meets along her journey. They include a dainty troll who prefers to dress up nice and have tea than to scare others off his bridge, a bored billy goat, a perfect chivalrous knight, and a good ole dragon. Plus we encounter some other pixies, fairies, gnomes, etc.
The characters and their bickering, joking and (mostly harmless) picking on one another are easily the highlight of the book for me. Additionally Jon Etter has left a lot of references that a child may not pick-up on but an adult is sure to. These might include defunct technology (see example below), old-school words, or even cultural norms.

Write About Books and They Will Come
There is a secret to the book industry, in case you were not aware. If you write about books or a bookworm you have a guaranteed audience! Everyone who loves to read wants to read about characters like them, book lovers! Our fairy is unhappy with her lot in life and goes on a quest to find... a library! Who doesn't want to find an awesome library?
On the topic of libraries, this quote really amuses me and shows some of the cleverness that Etter has put into his story;
"...Dewey, the fairy who organizes the library. Hes done it by colour, weight, first letter on 89th page (don't ask what about books with less pages)...".
Super cute! Who hasn't struggled with how to organize their bookshelves. And the name is (of course) a throw-back to the Dewey Decimal system. A perfect opportunity for a parent (if reading aloud to a child) to explain to a little one how we used to find books and topics before the internet and computers. Etter does do some of that explaining for you as well.

Overall
While I didn't adore this book it was definitely cute enough to warrant a read. I would recommend it for adults (even though it's a middle grade) or if you need something more interesting than Captain Underpants for an adult to read aloud it's the perfect selection.
If nothing else this one is worth a library check-out.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

While an argument can be made that this book is derivative, it thrives on that and does it well. Narrated in a style similar to Series of Unfortunate Events and others, with asides to the reader, the text is clever and engaging. Shade is a book-loving fairy who doesn't fit in. When her fellow fairies accidentally burn her house down through their idiocy, she sets off on an adventure. She encounters various characters and experiences a range of new things, all peppered with intertextual jokes which make it entertaining for adults and encourages cultural literacy.

An original and creative modern fairy book. Jon is recreating the magic was supposed to be.

#DreadfulFairyBookMyDreadfulStory #NetGalley

“It’s-a nothing! Just a silly misunderstanding that might get us all killed.”

Shade is a sprite who lives in a happy-go-lucky village but who herself, isn’t quite as cheery. When her house filled with her much-loved books is burned down in a fireworks display she journeys away to find a library to spend her days in. Along the way she runs into some interesting characters; a bridge-troll who delights in a good set of manners, a fearless knight who just may be a little bit obsessed with chivalry and a handful of other eccentric beings.

The story is broken up into chapters that act almost as titles to short stories that make up the whole of the book. Each chapter has Shade in a new complicated circumstance with a new set of challenges on her journey whether it be her annoying (and hilarious) companions rubbing her the wrong way, or a new person met along the path. The book is told from the point of view of the narrator, almost a character themself, telling Shade’s story as if reading it from a book sitting on their lap and occasionally adding their own thoughts and commentary. This is a fun effect that makes the book feel like an old fairytale, one that might have been read to you as a child, only of course it is not because it contains 110% more wit and 200% more fairy swear words than Cinderella.

Shade is a dreadful character (perhaps the reason for the title?) in that she never sees the sense of adventure that many of the other characters do like Ginch or The Professor. Those two are the real reason to read this book (and Chauncy of course, can’t forget my manners) because they offer a whimsical comic relief that is weaved through with true wit that makes the book that much more enjoyable. Overall, the book was a fun adventure with a truly amusing narration style that was refreshing and fun to read and feel like I was a part of. I would recommend this book to all ages for the most part, it truly feels entertaining and meant for most ages, though I believe that middle-grade and young adult readers may appreciate it the most.

Right now, it seems to many that society is ready for stereotypes to be flipped on their heads. This book does that perfectly!! Perhaps my favorite character in this book is the narrator them-self, who guides you along the tale, never forgetting to remind you what you would expect to read if this were an ordinary fairy book and lamenting that it is not. Because you, the reader, are insisting, the narrator will continue to lead us through this quite dreadful fairy book. The tongue-in-cheek humor is equal only to the lessons we inevitably learn along the way as well as a cast of characters who aren't afraid to throw tradition to the wind and be who they truly are. So, who is the audience for this book? Everyone. Quite simply, I could see giving it to any number of different types of readers regardless of age. The humor is written so that children and adults alike are delighted. The lessons contained are pertinent reminders to any and all ages as well. If you're looking for a good bedtime story to read to your little ones? This is as good as any other you could possibly wish for among the well-known classics. I highly recommend that you give this book a chance to thrill and delight you as well.

Thank you to Amberjack Publishing, Jon Etter, and NetGalley for the chance to read this book and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others. .

So fun to read! I love any tale that can be magical! Thank you netgalley for the free arc in exchange for an honest review!

After the dingle dangle other sprites in her village burned down her house Shade decides to search out a new place to live - a place with books, or a library where she could work. Along the way she meets a host of quirky companions and has loads of adventures.
I enjoyed this book - quirky, adventurous, and funny.

This was an adorable book for readers young and old. Read this to my daughter and we both loved Shade and her rag-tag band of misfits. Another fun read especially for booklovers!

A Dreadful Fairy Book is a wonderful children’s book full of adventure, friendship, and dreadful fairies! An outsider sprite named Shade leaves the village in which she grew up to search for adventure and books. Along the way she meets all kinds of fairy creatures, all of whom are not what they first appear. Shade must learn who to trust as she makes friends and enemies on her journey.

The narrator has a strong presence in the book with plenty of amusing and clever remarks about Shade and the fairies she meets. There is a delightful cast of mischievous and interesting characters with twists on traditional types of fairy folk.

The story and narrator embrace the morals of the story; friendship, trust, belonging. This book is a simple, fun tale, which adults and children can all enjoy.

Fairies with attitudes, a melancholy narrator (in the vein of Lemony Snicket), and an assortment of other-worldly creatures all make for an interesting read. A Dreadful Fairy Book follows the adventures misadventures of Lilyshadow Gliterdemalion--better known as "Shade."

After a heartwrenching tragedy of epic proportions, Shade leaves her home of Pleasant Hollow, vowing never to return again. The array of characters (good, bad, and ugly) she encounters will delight youngsters of all ages. Children may come away from the book learning a new phrase or two ("dingle dangle" was the most memorable for me).

Shade learns a lot about herself and a little about the parents she never knew in the course of her journey. Shade and her sidekicks reminded me of the camaraderie of The Three Musketeers. Some of the humorous characters of her journey reminded me of Don Quixote. Through it all, Shade learns what it means to be a loyal friend and that sometimes we have to face our past to enjoy a better future.

This book would make a great Christmas gift for children ages 8 and up. There is a bit of violence but it's more along the lines of Laurel and Hardy and not anything too frightening for young readers.

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of A Dreadful Fairy Book from NetGalley for the purpose of review. No other compensation was received.

Free digital ARC via netgalley, which does not influence my review.

4.5 stars. This book was fantastic, it was hilarious, beautiful and smart. The characters were endearing and I loved everyone I got to meet. Shade is AMAZING and I am just very happy I got a chance to read this book. The only thing costing it the .5 stars is the accent of the characters, which drove me quite mad a some points.

This story follows Shade a wood sprite in her quest to find a library to replace the home full of books she lost. She encounters many stereotypes of villains, who may or may not turn out for the better and finds many friends on her journey. This story is filled with friendship and wit and forgiveness and I recommend it for every book nerd with an inner child as it's a children's/middle grade book narrated similar to a series of unfortunate events. The "references" to great works of literature such as Moby Dick and Rome and Juliet also make it interesting to "older" readers.

Big reading recommendation

Very fun adventure book. The narrator’s interjections add a spark of originality to the way the story unfolds. Twists and turns what might be expected of the characters are endearing. Absolutely lovely.

Diabolicamente divertente. ;) Da adesso in poi starò ben lontana da fate e affini, come mi ha indicato, a suo rischio e pericolo, l'eroico autore di questo libro.