If it’s wrong to call my top read of 2024 this early in the year then I don’t want to be right.

When you pick up ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK be prepared to meet outsiders Patch & Saint, unforgettable characters that will stick with you long after you finish the last page. We meet the duo as children in 1975 in a small Missouri town that was rocked by the disappearance of young girls, and follow them to adulthood where they seek to find their place in a broken world.

Chris Whitaker is a master storyteller that weaves threads together so meaningfully. This mash-up of slow burn mystery, cross-country travel, and heartfelt love story comes full circle in a way that feels profound and perfect. The story contains heavy themes but is not graphic in its depiction of violence. Your heart will surely break, but ultimately soar.

ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK sheds light on the power of art, the gift of people who know the longings of our heart, and the depths of loyalty.

RATING: 5/5 ⭐️
PUB DATE: June 25, 2024

READ THIS IF YOU:
•want to read a modern classic in the making
•loved WE BEGIN AT THE END
•appreciate a 600 page story with pages that fly by (I promise!)

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I could give this book 20 stars!’ Chris Whitaker’s new book ranks up there with We Begin at the End. With a soaring storyline and unforgettable characters he sweeps you in and keeps you wanting more until the very end. A true masterpiece! Thanks for the advanced copy.

Wow! This is an epic, heartbreaking but tender story spanning three decades that follows two main characters, Patch and Saint. The book opens with a bang with a traumatic event when Patch goes missing. What follows is not a thriller (don’t go into this expecting a thriller) but a sweeping saga that involves a mystery, the aftermath of dealing with trauma, and a love story. As always the author writes complicated and unforgettable characters and I absolutely loved getting to know these characters. Whittaker has a unique writing style which may not be for everyone. But I love his writing type. He is better at showing than telling and the writing is almost poetic at times. It requires sometimes re-reading to not miss what he is trying to tell you.

One of my favorite books was We Begin At The End and just as good. I am giving 4.5 stars because I did feel the length towards the middle of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown books for the advanced reader copy.

Chris Whitaker's books are often sold as a thriller, but this is absolutely NOT a typical popcorn thriller. This story will weave a beautiful saga with unforgettable characters in the darkest of places. I consider this novel to be a literary mystery. All the Colors of the Dark is a richly layered work of fiction that I could not put down.

All the Colors of the Dark begins with a poor boy saving a rich girl and in the process gets abducted. This novel is about the aftermath,, what happens after the boy, Patch, is found. It tells the story about how the trauma has altered the lives of Patch, those closest to him, and those saved by him. The story takes place over decades and is quiet and tender, yet also harsh and emotional. The characters are very well-developed and the reader will get to hear from both Patch and the girl who will stop at nothing to find him, Saint. (Chris Whitaker's characters are so perfectly named, too!)

I read this book digitally and didn't realize that it is whopping 600+ pages! I think Whitaker could have cut it back quite a bit and still had a great story, thus the 4 star rating. This is a story that requires the reader's careful attention throughout, but especially the last 20%. I tried to read this one slowly, but found myself so immersed in the characters that I had to keep turning the pages.

Thanks for Netgalley and Crown Publishing for this ARC.

I really enjoyed Tall Oaks by this author but this one missed the mark for me. Too long, meandering plot with many red herrings and twists that popped up from nowhere. It was missing the humor and quirky charm of Tall Oaks…just not for me at all. Thank you NetGalley for advance copy for honest review.

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would. Absolutely incredible. This book took my heart, cradled it, then stomped on it for 600 pages, and I happily went for the ride. Add to that emotion an incredible serial killer story and this reader is happy. I will read anything that Chris Whitaker writes.

My words alone cannot do this book justice. It’s amazing, it’s beautiful, it’s heart-wrenching and it’s so incredibly well written. It is one of my favorite books of all time.

This coming-of-age story revolves around a boy named Patch, so named because he has only one eye and wears an eye patch. He fancies himself a pirate and has a best friend named Saint. As children, the two of them are inseparable until the unthinkable happens. Patch rescues a girl from being abducted but he’s no match for the abductor and gets taken instead. As he is being held in a pitch black room, a girl named Grace saves him from his own dread and loneliness. Together, they keep each other alive, though they can’t see each other in the darkness. This shared trauma has them connected for life. Saint spends every waking moment trying to find her best friend, but what she finds instead is a broken boy.

The lengths a person will go for love is chronicled beautifully chapter after chapter. This story is larger than life, it is unpredictable and definitely unforgettable. You really need to read this. It would make an amazing movie! Thank you, NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC of this 5-star book. It is due to hit the shelves on June 25, 2024.

All the love for this beautifully written book! All The Colors of the Dark captivated me from the first page and kept me turning page after page. I did not think he could top It Begins at the End, but this on has done it. Highly recommend!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

This is my third book by Chris Whitaker, and all of them have been five star reads for me, without question this will be one of the best books I'll read this year.

If you've read any of his previous novels, I can assure you that this one is just as good, I really didn't think it could get much better than We Begin at the End but can confirm he has once again written an absolute masterpiece. All the Colors of the Dark is a beautifully constructed story, set in a small town and, per usual he has created the most loveable, flawed and incredible characters.

Many thank to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

This was a great book. I loved every paragraph, every sentence and every word of this masterpiece! I read it in 12 hours, which is a lot for me to do! It had everything and more laid out in the novel! I sure hope There is more to come from this author! I am totally hooked!

I was going to give up on this book. In fact, I put the book away many times, but I was drawn back to keep trying. A number of things kept pulling me in: I've had this same experience with other novels by Chris Whitaker, someone who has similar taste in book could not rave enough about All the Colors of the Dark, and something drove me to open myself to the experience of reading this particular book. Boy, am I glad I persevered. Like any richly written novel, it takes time to adapt to the writing style, just as it takes many pages to become familiar with the characters. As I progressed through the pages, I was fully involved in the characters' journeys, the arc of the story, and wanted to see how this played out. There were twists I did not see coming, and when I reached the last page, everything felt right about how everyone's lives turned out.

This one is hard one for me to review, because I feel that the writing was just not a good fit for me.
This is an emotional, moving and almost epic story following Patch, our main character, but I got tripped up with how the story is told. Patch disappears in the beginning of the story after saving a girl from almost being kidnapped by a man. After that, Patch and his best childhood friend spend decades weaving in and out of each other's lives on a journey to figure out what happened.
Unfortunately, the writing style left me confused at times along with feeling like parts were just really dragging.
Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and Chris Whitaker for the ARC of this story in exchange for my honest review..

I know We Begin at the End is very high on people's favourite books lists, but I've yet to read it.
This book, however, is simply incredible.
I adored the writing style. It's smooth, poetic, heartwarming and heartbreaking with every line.
I adored the characters. Patch is still in my head, days after finishing, and his obsession with the girl he saved from abduction tore my heart out. The plot has so many layers and moves along at a wonderful pace.
There is no doubt that this is a long book at 592 pages, but it genuinely feels half that. I was never bored, I was just in awe and clinging on to every word.
This is sure to be in my books of the year.

Engaging and immersive. A recommended purchase for collections where lit-leaning crime and thrillers are popular.

A beautiful story about love and survival Chris Whittaker’s newest novel takes you on a trip through the decades looking for lost youth and love surviving and pursuing serial killers and freeing the shackles of the past. And it’s all from a pirate and beekeeper. Wonderfully written the novel is fast paced and exciting beautiful and heartbreaking. Just as all his novels are. 5⭐️

A novel penned by the acclaimed author Chris Whitaker, this captivating literary work intertwines elements of mystery, love, and tragedy. Set against the backdrop of a transforming America in 1975, the story invites readers on an emotional journey. Within the pages, small-town secrets, unexpected heroes, and heartache unfold, creating a rich tapestry of human experiences. Whitaker’s skillful prose immerses readers in

"All the Colours of the Dark" is a captivating and meticulously crafted novel that leaves a lasting impression. Its emotional richness and intricate narrative will deeply resonate with readers. While it grapples with weighty themes, it also provides glimpses of grace and redemption. I enthusiastically endorse this book for aficionados of literary fiction, mystery enthusiasts, and anyone who values character-driven storytelling. Brace yourself for an evocative and haunting experience.

There is a deeply emotional story at the heart of this novel but unfortunately, the author’s choice of writing style is not a fit for me, which hampered my enjoyment.

Patch and Saint are 13-year old best friends, outcasts, poor, and struggling in their small town in 1975. But they have each other. When Patch disappears one day after saving another girl from being abducted by a man, she (Saint) is understandably devastated, and thus begins her quest in finding what happened to him as well as solving the mystery of the man. A quest that will last for decades.

The writing is at times overwrought, odd and even incomprehensible. I can’t say how many times I read and re-read sentences. I ended up skimming half of the book.

Some of the characters were unique but didn’t feel realistic. The dialogue at times was not believable and some of the plot was not logical. I would give specifics but they would be spoilers. I am an outlier I can see, and I'm glad that many people seem to enjoy this book, because it is quite ambitious and there is a lot of heart at the center. But just not for this reader.

Wow! I read “All the colors of the Dark” in about 24 hours. It’s a gripping coming of age/serial killer psychological thriller by Chris Whitaker. And it is 630+ pages but hard to put down….The two main characters are two friends, Patch and Scout, who we are introduced to as young teenagers. I hesitate to write more than that because of spoilers.

Chris Whitaker delves deep into his characters. This book is no exception. It’s a mammoth character study in the after effects of trauma for the victims and for those who love them.

This is not your traditional police procedural or run of the mill thriller. There is a lot of substance and emotion here. It’s a story about the power of friendship, the power of love and the power of hope.

There are twists and turns and then, there are tears. This is an emotional masterpiece.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating 4.5 stars.

Even though I knew Chris Whitaker’s name, I never read one of his books. I feel so ashamed …

When I started reading, I thought of Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, the same short chopped-off chapters with a constant threat at the end of each chapter. And even though this book is pitched as a thriller, it’s far more than that, maybe not even a thriller, but more like general fiction, a story about trauma, family, love, and loss, with a much slower pacing and some plot twists.

It’s about a missing boy and mainly about the aftermath, and this book reminded me a lot of Robin Roe’s Dark Room Etiquette, one of my favorite YA stories ever. If you think this one is too long and love YA, I highly recommend you to read Dark Room Etiquette.

All the Colors of the Dark is told from a dual narrative. Thirteen-year-old Patch, the pirate who saves a wealthy classmate from a serial killer and goes missing instead, and his best friend Saint, the beekeeper, who can’t believe Patch would have died and tries everything to find him. Until …

Spanning decades, this novel is quiet and harsh, and at the same time tender, with so many feelings flooding the chapters. Saint’s despair when Patch went missing, her pain when Patch was not the same boy when he came back, and her determination as an adult to help the kid she once knew. Patch’s loneliness and longing to be back at that horrible place. His constant search, going above and beyond, even though others didn’t understand him, didn’t believe him. Two soul mates, forever connected and yet so alone. The last part was stunning, and those last sentences made me cry …

The only reason I’m not rating this book five stars is those 600 pages. I think it could have been tighter written, like fifty or a hundred pages less or so, with the same outcome. But overall, All the Colors of the Dark is a beautifully crafted story and a must read for all of you who love stories about trauma, love and loss.

Thank you, Crown Publishing and NetGalley, for making me acquainted with Chris’ writing! I can’t wait to read more of his books!