Believe everything you have heard about @chriswhitakerauthor ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK, and move it to the top of your TBR. I’ll admit when I first started, I was a little concerned it would not live up to the hype, but it absolutely did.

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK is a sweeping and beautifully written story that follows Patch, the unlikely hero who saves the daughter of a wealthy family from an attempted abduction. This selfless act forever alters his life and those around him in ways they could have never imagined. I was enthralled by not only Patch but every character in this book. Spanning over four decades, this is an epic tale of loss, obsession, love, and hope. This is truly a book you can’t put down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown publishing and the author for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so hard to rate and after much debating, I'm going with 3.5 stars! The potential was there for a 5-star read and I wanted it to be 5 stars so bad but there were a few things that didn't work well for me. This book started off with a bang!! It hooked me in, it was fast paced, intriguing, and I was getting so excited. This had favorite book of the year potential and then it started to slow down. The middle of the book dragged. I was already invested, and it was still interesting enough to keep reading but it moved so slow. The ending was amazing!! It blew me away and redeemed the slowness of the middle some. This book was 608 pages and if it would have been 408, it would have been 5 stars all the way. The pacing of this one was just off. I also did not like the Charlottes character very well, which is more of a personal preference, but she was too vulgar for my liking. The storyline itself was absolutely amazing, the characters are so beautifully developed and intricately woven together. Just that middle part brings it down. The beginning of the book is 5 stars, middle of the book is 3 stars, and ending is 5 stars! If you haven't already read it, go check out, We Begin at the End, one of Whitaker's previous books. It was my favorite book of 2022! Whitaker is a talented writer, and I am looking forward to his next book.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Crown Publishing for an ARC in return for my honest review.

All the Colors of the Dark is labeled a mystery thriller but reads like literary fiction. It’s brilliant, and beautifully written from top to bottom. The story is very character driven, with a memorable cast of leads that I can’t stop thinking about. It’s powerful, and poetic. Chris Whitaker isn’t just a talented writer, he’s masterful, and his storytelling capabilities shine through All the Colors of the Dark. While the book is long and arduous at times, it’s easy to keep turning the pages because of how flawlessly Whitaker lands his most shocking moments. You never know when you’re going to turn the page and have your heart broken, or read a line that is so brilliantly written that it makes your heart soar. I loved this novel and it’s hard to say goodbye to the characters now that I’m done. The ending was perfect in every possible way, and brought tears to my eyes. I can see why it’s done so well pre-release. Congratulations, Mr Whitaker, on a fantastic n

WOW! WOW! WOW! This is a rollercoaster that you will not want to get off of. This book had me second guessing everything I originally thought. This is how a mystery is supposed to be written! Loved it!

Chris Whitaker is a new author for me. I chose to read this because it sounded like a good mystery with an unlikely hero - and I always like an unlikely hero.

Description:
1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the smalltown of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.

When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.

Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.

A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession and the blinding light of hope.

My Thoughts:
I'm so glad I picked this one up as I loved it so much I gave it five stars! This became a lifelong journey for Patch after he was taken as a child after stepping in an saving a girl form harm. While he was captive he befriended a girl who was there and kept with him most of the time. Though he never saw her face he remembered everything about her and had an image in his head abut what she looked like, where she had lived, and her memories of travels. Once he was freed he began his frustrating, seemingly impossible search for her. He wanted to find her whether she was alive or dead. I could not put the book down and stayed glued to the pages. Action-packed and totally captivating. Any mystery lover will enjoy this one.

Thanks to Crown Publishing through Netgalley for an advance copy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "All The Colors of the Dark" and all opinions expressed are my own. This book started off slow for me and was long. Even with that I loved this book. I finally got into the story and it was amazing. Everything tied together at the end. Beautifully written book.

This novel begins in 1975 in a small town in Missouri. A girl named Saint and a boy known as Patch are two misfit friends. One day, Patch sees someone in the woods attacking another girl - he intervenes and then goes missing. There is A LOT more to the plot than that but I don’t want spoil it, so let’s just say the book takes place over the many years following that incident, tracing how that affects all the characters and informs their future actions. So the book encompasses so much - coming of age stories, missing person and serial killer mysteries, stories of friendship and family, trauma and resilience or lack thereof, and so much more, with a decades-long sweep. Think Notes On an Execution crossed with Ann Patchett or Ann Napolitano.

I loved Chris Whitaker’s last book We Begin at the End, but I thought this one was even better. Even though it was 600 pages long, I seriously couldn’t put it down and read it in less days than I’ve read books half the length. It did get a teeny bit slow in the middle, but the last stretch of the book was perfection. I predict you will be seeing this book on a lot of end of the year best of lists, and it just might be on mine too.

4.5 stars

𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌

𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠
by Chris Whitaker
608 pages (doesn’t feel like it - very readable with short chapters) I’ve read it twice.
published June 25, 2024

Thank you @chriswhitakerauthor @crownpublishing and @netgalley for allowing me to read this amazing novel.
I have read this twice, and will read it again when I receive my personalized signed copy from @bluewillowbooks and I am hoping I will be able to participate in an author chat because I am very curious about the author’s research and writing process.

Please do not miss this book especially if you are a reader who

🎢 loves a great suspense thriller
👮‍♀️ enjoys following cold case investigations
👱‍♀️👨🏻👩🏻‍🦰 enjoys character driven drama
♥️ enjoys deep love stories
⏰ enjoys a 30 year epic search for answers and redemption
📖 is looking for your next book club title- This is IT.

I won’t stop raving about this story to every person I encounter. It is a Jenna’s Book Club pick and deserves to be celebrated and read over and over!

All The Colors Of The Dark is one of my best books of the year. It is at the top of my favorite reads of 2024.

I received this book as an ARC from @netgalley and I immediately pre-ordered from a book store. This will also be added to our high school library. It is a must purchase, must read book that should be in every library collection.

This will also be adapted to the screen, so read it before we watch. I can’t wait to see who they cast.
#newbooks #bestbooksof2024 #mustreadbooks #currentlyreading #bookreviews #allthecolorsofthedark #chriswhitaker #bookstoscreen #bookclub

What a phenomenal story. Initially, I wasn't sure where this one was going but what a sweeping, unforgettable novel. I will carry these characters in my heart forever. Definitely a heavier, sad book but so powerful and will be recommending this one to everyone! A definite favorite of 2024.

Wow. Don't you dare blink and miss a word! This sweeping, slow burn thriller is delightfully detailed that you dare not read with distractions. This is my first time reading this author, and I did find his writing flawless. It's 1975 in Monta Clare, Missouri and a serial killer is hunting girls. As another one is about to be taken a brave boy, a pirate you might say, steps in and alters his life and those around him forever. A sweeping saga of friendship, family, and the pursuit of solace after loss that will keep you turning the pages. It's going to be on my best books of the year by far.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown for the ARC!

This book was not for me. I tried so hard and got to around 45%. It kept going on and on without getting anywhere. A lot of reading for nothing too exciting, character based and just continued to drag on. Strong profanity and crude language, also religion is portrayed in a very derogatory and offensive way.

All the Colors of the Dark is a mystery, a thriller. But it’s also so much more than that. It’s a story of outsiders, a story about unlikely friendships and the lengths that people will go to in order to save those who matter the most. It’s a story that makes you care...even for people that may seem hard to care about. I loved this story and all its ins and outs. I have one critique. In the beginning, the writing seemed choppy. It took me a little bit to get used to, but I persevered. Partly because I had read and enjoyed another book (We Begin at the End) by this author. Also, because I liked the premise of the book. Reviews on Goodreads so far were very positive. I’d requested and received a copy of this book to read and review and I don’t easily give up. I’m so glad I didn’t put it aside, because it’s truly a wonderful book. As I neared the end, my head was spinning with all that was going on and trying to make sense of it. Then, I slowed down. I didn’t want it to end. I enjoyed it so much that I was afraid the ending might disappoint. Again, I was wrong. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

This one has it all! Love, coming of age, mystery, thriller, all interwoven into an unputdownable read. It spans the story of Patch and Saint and their friendship across 25+ years. At one point I thought it was going to take a certain route, the author had laid out all the Easter eggs, and I was disappointed, but they didn’t lead where I thought they would and he tied it all together so well. Well done Chris Whitaker. Perfect summer read.

Incredible story. Goes way beyond your average missing child thriller. About 150 pages too long, I have a feeling that will put people off even though this one is receiving loads of buzz on social media.

"All the Colors of the Dark" is a stunningly crafted and masterfully executed novel that captivates readers from beginning to end. With its intricately developed characters, the story draws us in and leaves a profound impact. I found myself deeply enamored with the well-defined personalities of Patch and Saint, experiencing a whirlwind of emotions as their journeys unfolded.

Patch emerges as a heroic figure when he rescues Misty from the clutches of a malevolent antagonist. Yet, this is merely the beginning of Patch's own narrative. Meanwhile, Saint grapples with her love for Patch while grappling with heart-wrenching decisions that will shape her future.

The novel takes us on a riveting rollercoaster ride as the identity of the kidnapper gradually unravels across its 600 pages. I highly recommend adding "All the Colors of the Dark" to your must-read list.

Thank you to Net Galley and Crown Publishing for the ARC to read and review.

Thank you to Crown for the free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for a review. This one is out now!

1975, Monte Clare, Missouri. A one eyed boy named Patch, who fancies himself a pirate, has known nothing but a hard life when a shy and brilliant girl, Saint, befriends him. Normally joined at the hip, their lives change unimaginably when Patch saves a local girl from a predator and is abducted in the process. Saint will stop at nothing to find her best friend. An event that dictates the next decades of their lives, and all the loved ones caught in the aftermath. The search for justice, a missing girl, a serial killer, and the incredible lengths people will go to for the people they love.

In the words of Lady Gaga: talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before. Love love love this book. The story telling and depth of character is unmatched, the writing beautiful. Tears were shed multiple times. Jordy’s Book Club did not lie…fave book of 2024 for good reason. Unlike most 600+ page books I’ve read, I think it actually merits the length and couldn’t imagine it having the same impact if it was shorter. I need to read the rest of Whitaker’s books IMMEDIATELY.

Wow. Amazing book. You’ll fall in love with Patch, the Pirate, and Saint, the Beekeeper. So many other characters to love as well. A book that isn’t easy to define: mystery, serial killer thriller, love story, coming of age tale. In a less skilled author’s hands the genre-hopping would’ve led to disaster. Here, Chris Whitaker gives you a wholly satisfying literary gumbo. Spicy and delicious.

Teens Saint and Patch are outsiders in their small town, but are fast friends. When Patch saves a local girl from being kidnapped by a serial offender, the trajectories of their lives are forever altered. All the Colors of the Dark is an epic 25-year plus saga of cops and robbers, lovers and dreamers, triumph and loss -- with a beekeeper and a pirate at the heart of it all.

This book doesn't slot easily into one genre. The story begins in the 70s against the landscape that necessitated Roe v. Wade, giving it the feel of historical fiction; but it follows a decades-long missing person story and hunt for a serial killer, which makes it more akin to a crime thriller. And there is so much focus on the inner lives of the characters that it feels more like literary fiction than a typical thriller or mystery novel. This is really a reader's novel, and never feels too long despite its length.

Be prepared to hear a lot about this one in the coming months. It is truly magnificent and moving.

I received at complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the author and the publisher.
This is an epic saga that spans decades of the lives of two friends and how their lives intertwine through hardships, loves, loses and trauma. As they grow they change, but something still holds them together with an unbreakable bond. Chris Whitaker has a way of writing that is so descriptive and detailed that it makes you feel like you are living the lives a long with these characters. I enjoyed this book immensely, it was a great read!

I managed to finish this long book that covered a time span of thirty years . It dragged on and I just got tired of all the places Patch visited and all the years he searched for Grace . His existence just became tiresome as other very worthwhile and meaningful relationships were jeopardized especially the one with his soulmate Saint. He never really saw her utter devotion and love for him . Patch was selfish and although his painting talent helped some families he didn’t truly acknowledge the people who were his real family , like Sammy , Charlotte, Misty and Saint’s grandmother, Tooms ,Nix and others in his home town. When it was convenient he saw their worth but his search for Grace was all consuming.