Book Summary and Reviews of All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

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Cathryn_Conroy

An Intense, Pressure-Pounding Thriller/Mystery That Is Grounded with Compassion and Caring
This psychological thriller by Chris Whitaker is by turns frightening and gentle, heartbreaking and heartwarming. It reached out and grabbed my heart (and sometimes my throat) and wouldn't let go.

It's 1975 in Monta Clare, Missouri. Joseph Macauley, 13, is nicknamed Patch because he was born with only one eye and wears a patch, something his mother told him from a young age made him a pirate. He and his mother are desperately poor. Patch's only friend is Saint Brown, an orphan with big glasses and ill-fitting clothes, who lives with her widowed grandmother. Saint is fascinated with nature—from bees to birds. Both Patch and Saint endure much ridicule from their classmates and the townspeople.

One day as Patch is cutting through the woods on his way to school, Patch hears a girl scream—a frightened, terrified scream. He runs toward it to find that Misty Meyer, the most popular girl in school who is from the wealthiest family in town, is being assaulted by a strange man. Patch intervenes, which allows Misty to run away, but Patch is captured by the demon. He awakens in a pitch black room and quickly realizes there is someone else in the room with him, a girl named Grace. She tells him that she is the only one who has survived this brutal man's killing spree of teenage girls. And Grace says she has done this by loudly reciting biblical scriptures whenever the man—Eli Aaron—comes near them.

Meanwhile, Saint is obsessed with finding Patch, and even though she is only a young teenager, she nags and prods the police to do more. It's not a spoiler to say that Patch is rescued (although I won't reveal the drama behind it) because the rest of the book is about both Patch and Saint's mutual obsession with finding abducted girls—even if all they find are their bones. Everything these two become and do as adults is determined by this one act of evil perpetrated on young Patch that day in the woods.

As much as this is a page-turning thriller/mystery, it is also a perceptive novel about human endurance when hope is all there is—and even when there isn't much of that. It is a story about the many kinds of love that keep us all alive.

This is an intense read, sometimes a pressure-pounding and unsettling read, because the subject matter is so chilling and formidable. But through it all, it is grounded in compassion and caring.

And the ending? Let's just say is surprising, astounding, and very (very!) good.

True to the title, this book presents a palette of colors through words, painting mind-pictures with color names that reach far beyond our typical lexicon, from ochre to titanium white, from viridian to carbon black, from cardinal to mulberry. In fact, the descriptions of color—from a young woman's eyes to a church's stained glass windows—are breathtaking. I've never read anything like it.

Not only is the novel filled with color symbolism, but also colors serve as a metaphor for finding a greater meaning in life when all is covered in darkness.

labmom55

Poetic
Was a huge fan of We Begin at the End, so I couldn’t wait to read All the Colors of the Dark. I hadn’t realized what an undertaking it would be, clocking in at 608 pages. I can’t say it was a fast read, but it was such an engrossing read that I didn’t mind the length.
At the start of the book, it’s 1975. A man attempts to kidnap a teenage girl and a young teenager intervenes. He ends up being taken instead. It’s a story of the have and the have nots, the obsessed, hope and despair. But mostly, it’s about what we will do for those we love.

The plot is character driven, with each of the three main characters driven by their own hopes and demons. Saint is being raised by her grandmother. Her only friend is Patch, a poor one eyed boy who believes himself a pirate. When Patch saves Misty, the daughter of one of the town’s wealthiest families, Misty becomes obsessed with him and sees him as her savior. All three of them are damaged by the events. I was totally engrossed in their lives and where things would end up for each of them. But I also loved Sammy and Charlotte. His exploits and her language were priceless.

The writing is beautiful, poetic really, and I found myself highlighting multiple passages. It’s a fine line between a book that is philosophical and one that tries to cram philosophy down your throat. This is the former. Every time I put the book down, I found myself still thinking about it. And I loved the ending which brought a few tears to my eyes. Another reviewer (thanks Adrian) mentioned the fairy tale feel of the book and I totally get it. There’s a bit of a magic realism feel to Patch’s early art and his search for Grace.

My thanks to Netgalley and Crown Book for an advance copy of this book.

Karen Lewis

A wonderful book
The prose and character development in this book are beautiful and masterful. The story has many twists and surprises. Yes--it is sometimes overwhelmingly sad, but so beautifully written it gets you through those parts. And, in the end, you will feel uplifted and better for having read it.

Shelley

Riveting Tale
I highly recommend this hauntingly riveting tale. I fell in love with the intricately drawn characters who will remain with me for a very long time.it is beautifully written with insightful quotes sprinkled throughout.

jillg

Outstanding
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.

Mary Ann

Epic drama you won’t soon forget.
I can’t say enough about Chris Whitaker’s new release - All the Colors of the Dark. It is so many things - quietly beautiful and deep, haunting, dark, bright and hopeful. It’s an unputdownable coming of age tale, a buddy story, a serial killer mystery, and an epic drama about love and obsession. All the Colors of the Dark is storytelling at its best - finely drawn characters you won’t soon forget and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Here’s the set up. It’s 1975, in the small town of Monta Claire, Missouri and girls have gone missing. Patch, a poor one-eyed boy, who thinks he’s a pirate, and Saint, a beekeeper raised by her grandmother, are outsiders. They form a quick and long lasting friendship which will span decades and be tried by circumstance. Everything changes when Patch becomes the unlikely hero who thwarts the kidnapping of a local girl and is taken instead. He is held captive in a dark room. There he meets Grace, a voice in the dark, his angel and savior. But does she really exist? Patch believes she does, and he will stop at nothing to track down his capture and find the girl he loves.

Trigger Warnings: violence, abuse, predatory behaviors, captivity

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