What do you think?
Rate this book
This Is Not My Story
An author and his hero embark on a genre-bending journey to find the right story.The brave captain of a tiny spaceship is surrounded by flying saucers. Though the situation appears dire, he knows just what to do … um, wait! The brave captain - ahem, boy - tells the author to stop the He’s got it all wrong. This is not the boy’s story. He belongs in a different story. The author considers this. Then he begins again, with a story about Cattle King Carl, the quickest cattle wrangler in the West … No! Still not the boy’s story? Hmm. Is he a dragon-slaying knight? No! A vampire’s next victim? No! A boy going on a date? No! Will the author ever come up with the right story? Multi-award-winning author Ryan Uytdewilligen employs a funny and unique take on metafiction and the literary technique of breaking the fourth wall to provide an easy-to-understand exploration of literary genres. The book also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process that highlights the value of perseverance and teamwork. The appealing graphic novel–style art by award-winning illustrator David Huyck features loads of visual interest and humorous details for readers to pore over. With each new story depicting a different genre, this book is an excellent resource for language arts lessons on literary genres. An author’s note defines the genres and the differences between fiction, nonfiction and poetry.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2023
About the author
Ryan Uytdewilligen
10 books17 followersBorn in Lethbridge, Alberta and raised on the family farm outside the town of Coaldale, Uytdewilligen studied Communication Arts with a major in Broadcast Journalism at Lethbridge College – leading to work as a radio news anchor, television reporter, and copywriter.
He later studied Writing for Film and Television at Vancouver Film School where he wrote and produced the short films Tea Time and Even the Devil Swiped Right.
His first novel, Tractor, was published in 2016 by Sartoris Literary. Taking inspiration from Jack Kerouac and Larry McMurtry novels, the story follows a teenager in the early 1960s drive a tractor across the American south.
Uytdewilligen’s second novel, Akela, was published in 2019 by BHC Press – earning numerous accolades including a nomination for the Pushcart Prize. It followed the century-spanning life of an adventurous sea turtle that becomes entangled in historical events as he searches for his long lost love.
He is also the author of numerous non-fiction works including the film history book 101 Most Influential Coming of Age Movies, the true crime story Love, Land, and Lawyers, and The History of Lethbridge, a look at the unique story of his hometown.
He currently has several feature film screenplays in development with Hollywood producers and has served as a script doctor and writer for hire.
His latest non-fiction work, Killing John Wayne: The Making of The Conqueror, tells the story of how the worst movie ever made, a 1956 epic starring John Wayne and produced by Howard Hughes, became a deadly disaster. It was published by Rowman and Littlefield.
Ryan’s third fiction novel, He’s No Angel, was released in the summer of 2022. It is an absurdist comedy book satirizing Hollywood and the afterlife.
His first children’s picture book, This is Not My Story, was published by KidsCan Press in June of 2023. His early reader novel, The Next Big Pigs, is out at the end of March, 2026.
His writing has appeared in numerous publications including The Toronto Star, Whetstone Magazine, ScreenRant, Sessions X, Quirk Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, InFocus Film School, and Taste of Cinema while his weekly column, Ryan’s Regards, maintained a popular readership in the for two-and-a-half years.
Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge for film history, Uytdewilligen can eagerly name you every Academy Award winner in case you ever wanted to know.
Ryan currently teaches several pop culture courses at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Life Institute.
Ryan lives in Calgary, Alberta with his golden retriever Fleetwood.
He later studied Writing for Film and Television at Vancouver Film School where he wrote and produced the short films Tea Time and Even the Devil Swiped Right.
His first novel, Tractor, was published in 2016 by Sartoris Literary. Taking inspiration from Jack Kerouac and Larry McMurtry novels, the story follows a teenager in the early 1960s drive a tractor across the American south.
Uytdewilligen’s second novel, Akela, was published in 2019 by BHC Press – earning numerous accolades including a nomination for the Pushcart Prize. It followed the century-spanning life of an adventurous sea turtle that becomes entangled in historical events as he searches for his long lost love.
He is also the author of numerous non-fiction works including the film history book 101 Most Influential Coming of Age Movies, the true crime story Love, Land, and Lawyers, and The History of Lethbridge, a look at the unique story of his hometown.
He currently has several feature film screenplays in development with Hollywood producers and has served as a script doctor and writer for hire.
His latest non-fiction work, Killing John Wayne: The Making of The Conqueror, tells the story of how the worst movie ever made, a 1956 epic starring John Wayne and produced by Howard Hughes, became a deadly disaster. It was published by Rowman and Littlefield.
Ryan’s third fiction novel, He’s No Angel, was released in the summer of 2022. It is an absurdist comedy book satirizing Hollywood and the afterlife.
His first children’s picture book, This is Not My Story, was published by KidsCan Press in June of 2023. His early reader novel, The Next Big Pigs, is out at the end of March, 2026.
His writing has appeared in numerous publications including The Toronto Star, Whetstone Magazine, ScreenRant, Sessions X, Quirk Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, InFocus Film School, and Taste of Cinema while his weekly column, Ryan’s Regards, maintained a popular readership in the for two-and-a-half years.
Armed with an encyclopedic knowledge for film history, Uytdewilligen can eagerly name you every Academy Award winner in case you ever wanted to know.
Ryan currently teaches several pop culture courses at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Life Institute.
Ryan lives in Calgary, Alberta with his golden retriever Fleetwood.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 8, 2023
This is such a cute book where our hero starts out in a spaceship. He informs the author of the story that we can’t see, that this isn’t his story. They move onto a different genre constantly throughout the book. It’s a unique way to introduce children to different genres of reading. I would recommend book this as a reference book for early readers classrooms. The illustrations are great. Very colorful and really bring the point home!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review.
July 26, 2023
A great read
May 24, 2025
This book grows on you. it's cute how it breaks the 4th wall and the romance scene made the kids gasp, but they didn't like it as much as I did. They only read it once though. I think I read it 17 times.
April 28, 2023
Once upon a time there was a brave astronaut, no, a cattle wrangler, actually, a dragon-slaying knight, or rather the victim of a vampire, well no, not that either. In a running dialogue between an earnest character and the author of his story, the perfect story is in dispute. Each time the author suggests a genre with an opening line and corresponding illustrations, the cute gap-toothed kid announces, “This is not my story.” More humorous ideas are suggested by the author until finally the author gives up and tells the kid to find their own story. By then, the kid knows what he wants to write: “My search for a story IS the story!”
Hugely appealing graphic art, with a fun combination of full page spreads and graphic panels, does a wonderful job of switching genres on a dime. The author’s voice is different from the character’s in the speech bubbles’ font and background color, so it’s easy to see. The protagonist, who cues as Black, is a relatable newbie writer who takes seriously his job of finding the right story for himself. The humor and interactivity between the kid and the author, who is off-page, will resonate with young writers and their teachers. Younger readers will love searching for the adorable alien throughout the pages. An informative page on genre in fiction and non fiction is at the end. This book is a great combination of inspiration and pure fun.
Hugely appealing graphic art, with a fun combination of full page spreads and graphic panels, does a wonderful job of switching genres on a dime. The author’s voice is different from the character’s in the speech bubbles’ font and background color, so it’s easy to see. The protagonist, who cues as Black, is a relatable newbie writer who takes seriously his job of finding the right story for himself. The humor and interactivity between the kid and the author, who is off-page, will resonate with young writers and their teachers. Younger readers will love searching for the adorable alien throughout the pages. An informative page on genre in fiction and non fiction is at the end. This book is a great combination of inspiration and pure fun.
April 18, 2023
Ryan Uytdewilligen has conceived a cute story idea with This Is Not My Story. His main character, a young boy, keeps protesting about the storyline in which the author places him. He objects to flying a spaceship, riding a giant hedgehog, being a cowboy, a knight, and a detective, among other ideas. The author and the boy keep arguing about what the author is attempting to write: "I've never flown a spaceship and I definitely don't believe in aliens." While the concept is fun, and the author devises entertaining scenarios, the book fell a bit flat for me at the end. The boy's solution for a plotline didn't grab me. However, most of the book is enjoyable and introduces children to many fiction genres. David Huyck's illustrations were tremendously detailed, and I loved having the boy climb out of the book page when he didn't like the story. At the end of the book, the author addresses the reader to tell us about different genres of books. It's a good list with simple explanations. This is a pleasing book to teach children about types of books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the ARC of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the ARC of this book.
January 23, 2023
I'm always looking for new books to read to the children I watch, and I loved the idea behind this one. This Is Not My Story is a fun book that explores many different genres, such as Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery, etc. It is great for readers and young writers. Also, the format of a graphic novel was clever, especially with the main character walking out of the panels.
The main character does not want to be in any of the stories the author is writing for him and talks to him throughout the book. I enjoyed the fourth wall breaking in the book, and this would be a good way of teaching genres to children. It would have been even better if there were interactive elements for the readers. Kids would love to interact with the main character.
Overall this was a cute book with a good premise. I know a couple of kids that would enjoy this format.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
The main character does not want to be in any of the stories the author is writing for him and talks to him throughout the book. I enjoyed the fourth wall breaking in the book, and this would be a good way of teaching genres to children. It would have been even better if there were interactive elements for the readers. Kids would love to interact with the main character.
Overall this was a cute book with a good premise. I know a couple of kids that would enjoy this format.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
December 30, 2022
An attempt at one of those more meta kind of kids' books, with the main character interrupting the voice-over to say he's going to be no good in a sci-fi action drama, ill-fitting in a Western, and not suited at all to the lovey-dovey romance stuff. Yes, kind of unwittingly and cleverly we're being introduced to genre and the different forms narratives can take. But that benefit doesn't exactly make this a hugely entertaining read – it's no abject failure, but I didn't find it the best book to engage with, the ending is a touch on the weak side and the lesson was definitely the reason of the book as opposed to any enjoyment. If a young reader has never seen a character react to its author, and break the frame of the cartoonish illustrations, then this may please them a bit more than it did me, but I can't see beyond a generous three and a half stars.
June 23, 2023
This book was the perfect match up as a picture book versus comic book. It’s very reminiscent of the old Disney shorts where the narrator would be telling you about something and the characters would take over. The main character of the story is absolutely positive that they are not in the right story. Their story is not a spaceship, it’s not a knight, a dragon, etc. The author and the main character are trying to find the perfect name of the perfect story and what one is reading about. This is all done with a very clever mix of graphic novel and picture books style with interesting and impactful narration. This is a five-star read. The author has helps kids find what type of stories they like, through a glossary of story types at the end of the book.
July 16, 2023
“This Is Not My Story“ by Ryan Uytdewilligen with art by David Huyck is a graphic novel for young readers about an author and a character who won’t obey.
The story starts on a spaceship, surrounded by aliens, but the main character says that’s not who he is so the situation changes. Now the story takes place in a cattle ranch and the main character is a cowboy, but that’s not who he is either. The author keeps trying to find the character and the character keeps resisting.
This is a fun way to explore genres of literature. There’s even a glossary at the end that explains different genres that are used in the making of the book so the reader can explore which story is right for them. The story is pretty funny and the art is pretty comical. I liked it.
The story starts on a spaceship, surrounded by aliens, but the main character says that’s not who he is so the situation changes. Now the story takes place in a cattle ranch and the main character is a cowboy, but that’s not who he is either. The author keeps trying to find the character and the character keeps resisting.
This is a fun way to explore genres of literature. There’s even a glossary at the end that explains different genres that are used in the making of the book so the reader can explore which story is right for them. The story is pretty funny and the art is pretty comical. I liked it.
January 13, 2023
I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This book is written in the style of a graphic novel that breaks the fourth wall. The main character, a young boy, tells the narrator and author how and why he is not suited for different plots. The young boy is put in different situations and rejects each for various reasons before settling on a story about his journey finding a story. The end of the book has a list of the different genres of fiction and nonfiction with short definitions for each.
I thought it was an interesting story, but was left feeling like it was lacking any real depth.
This is a good book to teach young readers about different types of literature.
This book is written in the style of a graphic novel that breaks the fourth wall. The main character, a young boy, tells the narrator and author how and why he is not suited for different plots. The young boy is put in different situations and rejects each for various reasons before settling on a story about his journey finding a story. The end of the book has a list of the different genres of fiction and nonfiction with short definitions for each.
I thought it was an interesting story, but was left feeling like it was lacking any real depth.
This is a good book to teach young readers about different types of literature.
May 2, 2023
This is a funny and inventive picture book story that breaks the fourth wall. It's the kind of story that will be great to inspire young authors and illustrators. The kid in the story talks to the author and objects to the genre of story he finds himself in (we start with science fiction) and asks to be put in another type of story again and again to find the right one. The author's note in the back of the book includes more details about genres of fiction, which I think is a great way to inspire young children to create on their own.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via the publisher. Opinions are my own.
***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via the publisher. Opinions are my own.
June 27, 2023
Given its nature, this book is ALL over the place, a little too much for my liking, though I did like what they're trying to do (introduce various genres of literature). Some of the pages are almost set up like a comic so some of the images are small. Because of this, it would probably only work for a storytime with small groups (or you could use an eBook version if you are able to display it larger).
Though it is not a fav of mine, I think it could work well in an English class or a school library program when wanting to introduce the different genres so children better know how to explain what they're looking for and want to read.
Though it is not a fav of mine, I think it could work well in an English class or a school library program when wanting to introduce the different genres so children better know how to explain what they're looking for and want to read.
February 26, 2023
This Is Not My Story is such a fun read! The book introduces younger readers to a variety of literary genres, but the story and illustrations are so funny that kids won't even realize they are learning. There is even an informational page at the end that gives more details about the genres, which seems to tie it all together. The graphic novel format is enticing and works well. I would definitely recommend as a purchase for libraries serving elementary students. (This review is based on an ARC of the book)
May 18, 2023
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for my honest review.
A brave space captain is about to fight aliens… or is he? The main character has an opinion or two about where this story is going. This cute book is all about writing and books! As the author tries to please the main character, they travel through genres of books, showing all the ways you can take a single character and run with it. A wonderfully entertaining introduction book about writing and books.
A brave space captain is about to fight aliens… or is he? The main character has an opinion or two about where this story is going. This cute book is all about writing and books! As the author tries to please the main character, they travel through genres of books, showing all the ways you can take a single character and run with it. A wonderfully entertaining introduction book about writing and books.
July 16, 2023
This humorous picture book breaks the 4th wall. A character finds himself battling aliens in space, chasing a vampire, solving a crime, starring in a romance, and wrangling cattle but in each scenario he announces to the author that these are not his stories and at the end the character and author begin a collaboration telling the character’s real story. Includes an excellent description of book genres.
March 7, 2026
This was cute. I liked how this unconventional story broke the fourth wall, and the main character and the author had a conversation. I loved that the illustrations had the characters coming out of the panes, portrayed as actors, aliens showing up in the other scenes, etc. And I enjoyed the genre breakdown at the end. Unfortunately, I do think this will be more portable with adults (particularly struggling writers) than with children.
January 7, 2023
In this short comic we find the main character and author attempting to find the story that they’re supposed to be telling. It’s a fourth wall breaking identity crisis. The illustrations are well detailed, but the story line is a little flat. A good read, but not one that would likely be reread much.
*ARC via Netgalley
*ARC via Netgalley
January 27, 2023
I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A funny, informative, entertaining story about different genres of story and how the author could use the same characters for different stories. Kids will enjoy the comic style picture panels and funny writing.
A funny, informative, entertaining story about different genres of story and how the author could use the same characters for different stories. Kids will enjoy the comic style picture panels and funny writing.
February 8, 2023
This Is Not My Story is a fun bit of metafiction that pulls back the 4th wall on the writing process. An author starts telling a sci-fi story, only for the protagonist to say "this is not my story!" Kids will get a big laugh of the silly settings the author tries. This would be a great book to use in a creative writing unit. Pure fun!
March 19, 2023
Our main character finds himself in many different stories but doesn’t feel he belongs in them. It’s a good way to introduce young readers to genres. It includes sci fi, mystery, horror, western, and fantasy. It ends with the main character writing his own story. This book would be great for elementary libraries and classrooms.
June 13, 2023
An author and his main character disagree on what sort of story to tell, and then the reader is invited to think about their own story. Clever, inventive, and a whole lot of fun, this makes for an unusual and entertaining read.
With delightful illustrations by David Hyuck.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for sharing.
With delightful illustrations by David Hyuck.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for sharing.
December 27, 2023
This romping graphic novel has a conversation between the author and the main character as the main character stops the author in stories that make him uncomfortable. There is back matter to teach readers about genres after the story.
This book is for all the teachers out there tasked with teaching genre to young readers.
This book is for all the teachers out there tasked with teaching genre to young readers.
July 30, 2024
Cool concept. Felt very interactive, as if the reader is a party in a conversation between the author and his character. I thought the main character was a little too picky lol... but I get the idea. The back of the book has a glossary of book genres that I think could be a great start of a conversation about getting kids into more reading. All around a good time!
February 22, 2026
Kids Can Press 2023
Clever - but annoying. I have been a writer all my life, even as a child and I think I would have felt as impatient with this book then as I do now. There is information at the end about different kinds of stories - biography, memoir, different kinds of fiction, etc. but I'm not sure how useful that is to the age group this book is targeting.
Clever - but annoying. I have been a writer all my life, even as a child and I think I would have felt as impatient with this book then as I do now. There is information at the end about different kinds of stories - biography, memoir, different kinds of fiction, etc. but I'm not sure how useful that is to the age group this book is targeting.
September 7, 2023
When an author tries to write a story, his main protagonist is in disagreement with every style or topic he tries placing him in. A funny and humorous tale of selecting a style and genre to choose when writing.
November 8, 2023
This is a fourth-wall breaking graphic novel good for a younger crowd. It's lively and engaging and downright funny at times. It's a fun introduction to genre, but would probably be too long for a read aloud. The art is funny and energetic and I really love the end pages.
December 11, 2023
I honestly didn't enjoy this story at first, but then I realized it was a good way to showcase and teach students about literary genres. I appreciated that the author included more information at the end about the different genres.
August 1, 2024
An adorable book about trying to find an idea to create a story. This book walks through various stories and genres to express the difficulty in picking a topic of a story. This would be a great book to introduce to students as they begin to write their own stories.
June 29, 2023
It was cute. I feel like I’ve seen that idea done better? But it’s not bad.
August 27, 2023
A great introduction to genres for young readers!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews