All the Colors of the Dark

I loved this book. One crime, that takes three decades to solve, ruins all those affected by it. Kids who grew up and never gave up on finding out what happened that night. We follow their lives and see the damage that was done to them. See it play out in their adult lives.

This book is a haunting portrait of the human experience, the consequences of the rich vs the poor and how a crime ruined a town. It’s so beautiful in its entirety.

I will never be able to think about beavers or ferrets the same again. NEVER. While the story is full of pain and suffering, there’s also joyous moments of unforgettable laughter. I laughed a few times myself. Seriously, getting parenting advice from Sammy? LOL!

The characters are some of the most well developed ones I’ve ever read. We can follow what happened to them as children and link it to their actions as adults. It must have been so much fun plotting these characters out.

The book leaves us with one final lesson: when you stop looking for something, that’s when you’ll find what you’ve been looking for.

Highly recommend this one. Yes it’s long but I promise it won’t feel that way. Loved the short chapters. They were each filled with just the right amount of action.

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK Chris Whitaker

When I talk about Chris Whitaker, I want to start at the beginning, but it feels more appropriate if WE BEGIN AT THE END.

Someone is missing and she’s not the first. She most likely won’t be the last. There is a hunter in their small town, in their presence. And in the hunting, the hunters become the prey. But that’s just the story's beginning and I promised to start at the end.

Patch is a hard boy to forget and over the span of decades turns into a man most will wish they never met. But his story is long, and to understand his trajectory we must start at the beginning. At the end he will be forgiven, but his actions will not be forgotten.

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK is a mystery, a thriller, a crime drama that spans states and decades. But in the end, ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK is a love story.

When the plane took off when the shades were drawn, when it got quiet, and when the lights were low, I went into the dark with Chris Whitaker. And when the plane landed, and I got to the end all I could see were ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK.

Reading over 600 pages in one sitting is not something I normally do but then again, I don’t normally get the pleasure of reading a Chris Whitaker novel. I was on an exceptionally long flight, and I needed an exceptional book to pull me through. ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK was just that.

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK is not about who you should be, not who you pretend to be, not even who you aspire to be. It’s about who you are. When it matters, when it counts.

With crushing language, a superior grasp of what the English language can do, authentic characters, and a storyline that rivals only his last work, ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK provided an exceptional reading experience and I highly recommend it.

If I could give it ten stars I would!

Thanks to Netgalley and Crown Publishing | Crown for the advanced copy! It was a pleasure!

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK…⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I read a lot of books. But rarely am I so moved by one that I take the time to write a review. But All the Colors of the Dark is a book that needs to be read by everyone. It is a masterful blend of genres- a coming of age story, crime drama, love story, mystery, thriller- all at the same time. It is also a reflection on grief, loss, and hope. The writing is lyrical and at times poetic. The characters are engaging and real. They evolve and grow throughout the novel. The end of the book brought me to tears and I have been feeling real grief since I finished reading and don't have it to read anymore. This is the best book I have read in many years.

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker

I read this and listened to the audiobook narrated by, Edoardo Ballerini, who always does an outstanding narration. He is a favorite narrator of mine and I highly recommend the audiobook.

In 1975 in the small town of Monta Clare, in the Ozark mountains of Missouri, young girls are gone missing. When a girl from a wealthy family is being attacked, Patch, a thirteen-year-old boy with one eye who pretends he is a pirate, happens to be in the area and saves her from being taken. What follows changes Patch’s life and others in this small town. This well crafted powerfully written novel is part thriller, suspense, crime fiction, coming-of-age, love story, and Bildungsroman (new word for me, and describes it perfectly).

Patch and Saint, a teenage girl, are the two main characters and have a very special bond of friendship. This novel unfolds over decades as Patch and Saint, navigate their teenage years into adulthood. Both Patch, Saint, and others in this small community live out their lives, forever changed by the tragic events of one year. This complicated story touches on serial killer violence, obsession, loyalty, kindness, memories, dreams, hope, and so much more.

I found myself getting lost in the pages of this beautifully written, character-driven story that I didn’t want to end. This book blew me away, and by far my most favorite read of 2024 thus far. Once again, Chris Whitaker has written another book of sheer brilliance.

This is one of the best books I have read… Ever! I don’t say this lightly as I have been reading for most of my 62 years and I read several books a week.

When I finished this book as I had tears streaming down my face, I told my husband “this book is life-changing “and while that might sound dramatic, that’s how I felt at the time. It is one of those rare pieces of literature that brings you to the depth of yourself ,through the sheer poetry of his words, the connections of the characters, the insights into the humanity and glory of life, the tenderness, the profane and the profound. Chris Whitaker masterfully weaves all of this and more into a story that is mind blowing and life altering. It is really that good!!

Part mystery, part love story , part exploration of life and connection …. it’s a pilgrimage and an Odyssey!

Thank you, Chris Whittaker… I am at your feet🙏🏽 I look forward to another one of your stories, and I will wait as long as it takes!

I agree with another reader, a great book does not need a long review.

It’s 1975, in a small town in Missouri, one act of bravery changes the course of a community. The story follows Patch and Saint from their early teenage years through adulthood, spanning roughly 25 years. This is a beautifully written tale with a brilliant cast of complex characters. It is a real work of literary fiction.

You as the reader are given a mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, all with plot twists. The settings are so well crafted, you exist in the story as you read it. I am purposely limiting details because the reader should experience them first hand. I love a book where you can “walk into the story” and this is one of those!

This book was AMAZING. This was my first book by Christ Whitaker, and I am very impressed. Jump in, read it and taste the honey! This is definitely in my top 5! 5/5⭐️s

This was like being a part of someone else's lifetime more than it was like reading a book. The characters were so well developed, everything tied together so well, nothing was left lose or sloppy. Some people say it dragged, I didn't feel that way. I think every part was important and beautiful. Life isn't about happy endings, it's about finding love and finding light in the dark.

but, a bit too ambitious! So many characters, farms, and plotlines. Nonetheless, a heart-filled cast, with so many twists and turns. As a professional artist, myself, I can tell you that the brilliant artist concept is cliche and unworthy of exploring. And, there are just too many trite twists, such as a filthy mouth child getting away with nonsense abandoned. I really dislike criticizing anything about this heroic effort of a novel. Shades of "Demon Copperhead?"

This book was very engaging. It was a little too long, and Chris Whitaker is a different kind of writer, sometimes, for me, sentences didn’t make sense. But this is a story about Patch, an unforgettable character and extremely endearing. Now that I’m finished with the book, I miss him. It was extremely well worth the read. I had to take a star away for the jumbling of words and the sometimes confusion.