Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I enjoyed about 80 percent of it..the beginning totally had me hooked in, unfortunately I felt a bit heavy with it in the middle but the end definitely redeemed itself. The storytelling in this book was excellent, and I loved and was concerned about the characters, Patch especially. I think I personally just struggle with longer books but it was a beautiful book overall.

Hands down this is going to be my favorite book of 2024! Thank you Netgalley and Crown Publisher AND Chris Whitaker. I didn’t think he could top We Begin at the End,, which I also read this year and will also be in my top 5 books for 2024. I won’r rehash the plot, but this is a gorgeous fictional thriller bordering on literary set in 1970s and feels like a Martin Scorsese movie from that time period. That’s the best way I can describe the writing. You just simply feel each word down to its core.
Loved loved loved

I will not love the horrible book hangover this book is sure to cause.

Whoa. This story lingers long after the last page. All the Colors of the Dark covers more than twenty-five years from 1975 to 2021 in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri where Saint and Patch are drawn together as outcasts. Saint, raised by her no-nonsense bus driving grandmother whom everyone thinks is a lesbian, has an obsession with bees. Patch has one eye and not only takes care of himself, but also his drug addict mother who cannot get over the loss of her husband in the Vietnam War. The two awkward kids have only each other courtesy of their abnormal family dynamics.

This small town is much like any other, until young girls start going missing. Patch, an unlikely hero, makes a choice that will permanently alter his life, and Saint who would do anything for her best friend relentlessly proves her loyalty as their lives diverge and converge across the years. Their childhood bond is pushed to the limits as obsession overtakes both Saint and Patch as they find ways to overcome their past traumas.

This novel reads like a psychological thriller at times and an unrequited love story at times. Ultimately this is character-driven novel and Whitaker’s cast is not only diverse, but incredibly intriguing, sometimes inspiring, and occasionally disturbing. The short chapters make this genre-bending novel very hard to put down. Though some characters’ motives had me questioning their direction, and I knew a twist was coming, I was still shocked by a few plot lines (and that rarely happens).

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and of course the author Chris Whitaker for the advanced copy of the book. All the Colors of the Dark is out now and should definitely be added to your reading pile! All opinions are my own.

One of the best books I'll read this year!

I was intimidated to start this book because of the length, but the short chapters quickly moved the story along.

In All the Colors of the Dark, Patch the local "weird" kid, missing an eye, wears an eye patch, and is obsessed with pirate. Saint, raised by her grandmother is Patch's only friend. When Patch goes missing, Saint seems to be the only person determined to find out what happened to him.

In a cycle that follows them throughout their lives, Saint becomes the only person able to track down Patch while he keeps running away to track down the girl Grace who lived alone with him in the dark for the 9 long months he went missing.

Similar to We Begin at the End, Whitaker knows exactly how to draw out how the acts of one person can impact the lives of many multiple times over.

Loved, loved, loved.

Thank you to NetGalley, Crown Publishing, and Chris Whitaker for a copy in exchange for a review.

If any book were perfect, this would be it. Whitaker follows the stories of Saint and Patch from middle school through adulthood. Both only children, Saint is being raised by her grandmother and Patch by his mentally ill mom. There is mystery, romance, murder, and twists. The character development is tremendous. I loved the short chapter format. The tale is wholly original. The story unfolds like pieces of a puzzle that slowly come together. This is probably the best book I will read this year and it’s only July. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Let me start by saying this is a brilliant story. How Whitaker managed to take such heavy content and turn it into a story that felt poetic and wistful, heartfelt and magical, sweet and yet heavy is artistry. It truly is.

It's a story about how one event can change the entire life of not just one person but all the individuals they are connected to. It captures the interconnectedness of humanity in a truly powerful way.

1975. Small town girls are disappearing. Patch, best friend to Saint, a small town girl, is kidnapped while saving a local girl. Saint goes on a mission to save him and, in doing so, they both realize that tragedy and triumph can coexist. The course of their lives are changed permanently by the events and choices made that day.

It's a serial killer thriller, an FBI novel, a family drama and a love story, full of friendship, mystery and redemption, all rolled into one.

I truly adored Whitaker's last book and the way it was written. I was expecting the same style on this one. I would say that my only complaint in this book was the actual writing structure. While the story itself was rich and full and poetry in motion, the structure itself felt short and choppy. To me, it actually broke up the story. I'm sure there are people that loved it because of the style but when I was at 30% and reading chapter 80, to me it broke it up too much. It actually felt like there were times that thoughts were broken up between chapters. That would be my only complaint; the story was beautiful, the structure was not.

Thanks, Crown Publishing, for the early review copy via NetGalley and @PRHAudio for the #gifted audiobook. #PRHAudioPartner #sponsored

You undoubtedly see this on everyone’s “best of 2024” lists, and it’s only July. The story starts in 1975 in a small Missouri town when an unlikely hero (Patch) saves the prettiest girl in town from a kidnapping and disappears. His best friend (Saint) will stop at nothing to save her friend.

Make sure you are in the right headspace before starting this one. Stretch first and hydrate because it’s an epic, multifaceted tale of friendship, family, loss, redemption, and heartbreak. The writing is lovely, the pacing is methodical, and the characters will not just take up residence in your heart but also your thoughts long after you've finished the book. I had a serious book hangover after finishing this, not only because it was a 14-hour audiobook but also because I was wrung out from living this story with Patch and Saint over their decades-long friendship.

This is exceptional storytelling, and Ballerini is the perfect choice for the narrator. His unique blend of gravitas and whimsey suits Whitaker’s heartfelt saga about a pirate and a beekeeper (#IYKYK).

Chris Whitaker writes the most beautiful books about childhood friendships. Saint and Patch have a bond that we follow throughout their lifetime. It’s a mystery meets coming of age story and you’ll finish it and wonder how 600 pages went by so quickly. Chris Whitaker has quickly become one of my favorite authors and this book is a masterpiece. Loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this ARC.

This was an excellent story, but so many pages long it took me several days to finish. My suggestion would be for a reader to pick up this book to read when they had time to devote to enjoying it without too many interruptions.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. The characters and story are unforgettable and will stay with me for a long time. I was hooked from the beginning and devoured the book in 2 days. Highly recommend. There is so much here to think about and discuss. It will be a big book club hit.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

Five stars hands down. A truly gripping story with unique characters and you will never guess the outcome. I wish there would be more novels like this. Highly recommended.
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This book is going to be such a big deal when people catch on. It reminds me a bit of The Goldfinch if it had been written by Stephen King. 7 out of 5 stars. This is a must read.

I’m usually quick to DNF but I hung with All the Colors of the Dark even though the first 80 pages or so read slow for me and was scarier than I normally go. After that though, I did not want to put it down, and read the last 500 pages in two days. Patch and Saint are great characters, and I love how Whitaker constantly scaffolds the story, revealing just enough at a time. Patch gave real Andy DuFresne vibes at times and I’m always here for that. Although I generally like knowing an author is going to hand me the ending I want, I could see multiple possible endings here that would make sense and not knowing which way Whitaker would go kept me turning the pages.

If your book club will read chonky books, there’s lots to discuss here. The prison system, the death penalty, domestic abuse, social safety nets, policing over the decades, love, found family, parenting, I could go on.

A serial killer, a mystery, a romance. A little something for everyone!


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Only this author can get me to pick up a 600 page book. As with We Begin at the End, this book is full of characters that you can’t help but love. Written in his unique style, this story was the highlight of my reading year so far.

Chris Whitaker has kept me enthralled once again. Yes, it was long, but I loved the characters and the details. All the Colors of the Dark tells the story of Patch, a young boy with a big heart. He steps forward to help a girl from a wealthy family when he sees her being abducted. This act of bravery alters the rest of his life and so many others who lived in the same town. I loved this book and will read it again.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Crown Publishing and Chris Whitaker for this e-ARC while asking for an honest review.

This book was so gripping from start to finish. I’m so pleased that I did not guess the ending at all. I loved the characters. They were perfectly developed over years and years. The dynamic and relationships were amazing. The story was original and unique.

This is one of my favorite books of the year and I know it will stay with me for a long time. It was my most anticipated book of the year because I could not wait for Chris Whitaker’s next book after reading We Begin at the End, my favorite book of 2021. My review will not do it justice.

The characters: Patch, Saint, Charlotte, Chief Nix, Grace, Misty - they are all fleshed out so well. I cared for each of their relationships and how they evolved through the years.

The twists and turns throughout the book and then the ending were plotted so well and I never saw them coming.

I love this book and feel like I can recommend it to every kind of reader. Go out and read this book!

All the Colors in the Dark is my first novel by Chris Whitaker. I enjoyed the genre-defying plot and the character deep dives over decades. Saint, driven to do the right thing. Misty, narrow escape with tragedy shaping the rest of her life. Patch, searching for the woman who was there with him in his darkest hours. It was longer than it could have been but the story will stick with you.
*Thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for the ebook copy

All the Colors of the Dark. I know this is technically classified as a thriller\suspense, but this is a multi genre novel. It is also not a fast paced page turner so be mindful of that when starting this. This is a multi generation epic saga. It's hard to put in to words the depth of this novel but I'll do my best.

Patch (Joseph) is a young (one eyed boy) living in severe poverty with an alcoholic but loving mother. One summer afternoon, Patch stumbles along a scene in the woods of a masked man trying to kidnap Misty, the most beautiful and popular girl at school. A pirate at heart, he decided to step in. Saving the girl but sacrificing himself, he's taken.

Saint, Patch's best friend, makes it her mission to find Patch. Between endless trips to the Sheriff's station and conducting her own investigation, her gut is telling her she knows where he is. And finds him.

Patch being held in complete darkness for over 300 days, finds solace in Grace. A young girl also being held. Together, Grace and Patch form a kind of friendship that can only be created in the worst of situations. They find comfort in each other, trust in each other and ultimately a kind of love that is pure and full of trauma, even though they've never seen each other's face.

After Saint finds where Patch is being held, somehow Grace disappears leaving him distraught and thus starting a life long search for a person he isn't sure really existed.

Told over the course of decades, Patch makes it his life's mission to find Grace to make sure she's okay, while ultimately damning himself to a life of misery.


So much happens in the first 200 pages you'll feel as if the book should be wrapping up but there's another 400 pages to go. I will say, this drags in the middle. There is so much content it feels as if it will never end. But, please, please stay with this. Every detail, even the minor ones, are important and the author ties everything up at the end so beautifully like he's presenting you with a precious gift. The last 100 pages had me holding my breath and I cried through all of it. This has made my list of best books not just for 2024 but for all time. I plan to read again to connect the missing pieces I had been holding my breath for during my first read and to highlight some of the most beautiful passages exchanged by friends, lovers and even enemies.

Five stars. Five stars. Five stars. Thank you NetGalley, Chris Whitaker and Crown Publishing for the arc in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

Absolutely amazing. I cannot imagine there being a better book in 2024 and not for some time to come. As soon as I finished this I ordered a hardcover physical copy to keep on my shelves.