In the Seam

by Kirk James Folk (Illustrator)

In the Seam
By Kirk James Folk


You think you’re having a rotten day? When nine year old Frank Frandoza’s father goes on the lam, Frank is sentenced to attend public school, asphyxiated in a cave-in and awakens in a surreal realm known as the Seam. The Seam houses the essence of the comatose and unconscious and is overseen by a literal big cheese: a giant rogue dairy product who’s exceeded his expiration date.
The fabric of the Seam has begun to fray. Numbed by their surroundings and oblivious to time, the residents are morphing into physical manifestations of their personalities and losing all memory of their former lives. Meanwhile, an unseen malevolent force conspires to prevent any of them from ever returning to the corporeal world.
Frank and new-found friend and guardian Ivan Blastov soon cross paths with Harvey Melodrama, the only person known to have toggled between realms.
Confronted at every turn by misfits, grotesques and villains, Frank, Ivan, Harvey and a shaggy group of improbable heroes devise an escape plan which may end with all of them wounded, dead or worse: hellbent on returning to the Seam to save our world.
A vigorously shaken cocktail of social satire and juvenile whimsy, "In the Seam" is an illustrated novel about hope, camaraderie, polecats, rock’n’roll and what happens when the stories we tell intertwine with the stories we live. In other words, it is appropriate and intended for adolescents of all ages. Let yourself be knocked out!

228 pages, Paperback

First published August 24, 2015

About the author

Kirk James Folk is a musician, artist and after endless dilly-dally, author. He resides in Southern Pennsylvania, where they no longer enjoy Spring or Fall. Summer lurches into Winter, and Winter sneezes back into Summer without apology or remorse. He lives with his 15 year old son and 85 year old mother. Yes, you read that correctly. Karma has an evil sense of humor.
“In the Seam” was written for Kirk’s son, Skylar and is his first novel. If you know the author and his son, you may be able to spot them both lurking throughout. Or not.

Reviews

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. You know the way a book will normally just gather a few characters together, and settle there with what it's got, and carry on with, like, a story? Well this author doesn’t. An hour in, and it seems to have a plot (two kids who get knocked unconscious have to escape from The Seam, a bizarre institution in a kind of limbo-land), but it's still piling on the absurd characters left, right and centre. That's before it breaks off to have yet more stories-within-stories, lengthy asides about rock concerts, comic strip attempts… The author has clearly brought a lot to the book – and I did like his arch, adult way of looking at and telling a story of a nine-year-old child at first – and clearly forgot to edit. What with providing a soundtrack, and the artwork (not the world's best), it's clearly a labour of love. I couldn't love it enough to labour through it, myself, although it does have a readable thrust now and again; it just tries to be too wacky, too inventive and fantastical, and less sometimes is more. Two stars as there has to be space left for the truly execrable, which this isn't, TBF.

[Tony Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Muck-in-Spud, Pennsylvania. James Jimmy Jameson Jr. (son), Joshua Jimmy Jameson (dad), the Rock Brothers band Cliff, Igneous, and Ish & Nish (sister) wee my favorite comic characters.
Defiantly different & quite bizarre.

I did not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing this book. While I receive free books from publishers & authors, I am under no obligation to write a positive review. Only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great colored pictures, font & writing style. A very well written HS or YA age comic book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great comic movie, animated cartoon, or mini TV series. Not for everyone so I will have to rate it at 4/5 stars.

Thank you for the free Goodreads; Read Books; Autographed; paperback book
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Lorraine Rudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever, clever, clever!!!

This is not merely a book, it is an experience!! Delightfully entertaining! Great accompanying music! I not only smiled throughout , but spent much of the read laughing out loud!!! Marrying the music to the story introduces us to a whole new genre of entertainment! Loved it & will be highly recommending it!

[Alaina Maxam · Rating 3 out of 5]

THIS WAS KINDA WEIRD BUT A GOOD BOOK