I am really enjoying this author. I like that this book is set in a small town in the South-somewhere I have never been. Rural America--this book made me feel like I was in the conservative south instead of liberal California. Patch, a boy born with one eye starts life without a father, a mother who is useless--she'd rather drink than try to better herself, and only one friend. Patch is a thief, made that way by circumstance because his mother is unable to support them. He is a tough kid but only because he gets through life by pretending he is a pirate. He has one good friend who will be with him his entire life. Where Patch is a thief, Saint is honest, direct and ethical. When Patch is abducted at 13, both his and Saint's whole life will revolve around the abduction. While I really enjoyed the book I did not understand some of the things that were said or done. I am not sure if it was the phrasing or whether thoughts were left uncompleted. Better for me if those things were left out rather than wondering what I am missing. It may have been cultural, it may have been generational. Either way it caused me to drop my rating to 3.5 stars which gets rounded up to 4 which still reflects a very good book. Thank you to NetGalley and Crown for the digital ARC. This is my own words and feelings about the book.

I went into this blind and really enjoyed it. The characters and plot were fantastic. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

You did it Chris Whitaker! I have such a book hangover now. I can’t remember the last time I forced myself to read a book so slowly because I was so immersed in the story, in love with characters, I didn’t want it to end. I thought We Begin at the End was special but you’ve outdone yourself with ATCotD. Epic, thrilling, suspenseful, a LOVE STORY, haunting - I’m running out of words but you did not. Thank you for Patch. For everyone he touched, loved and fought for. My new favorite book, ever! @chriswhitakerauthor #allthecolorsofthedark #aperfectbook #patch #bookhangover #thisbookownsmyheart ❤️📚

This is going to be a HIT! The characters are everything! Chris Whitaker can write characters, especially sassy young women and sassy older women so well. It's long...and sometimes it feels long, but I can't think of anything to cut. The last 20% reads like a thriller-the rest of the book is a mystery/coming of age story that I could not put down. There's hope and laughter and love and sorrow all wrapped up in one. I liked this one more than his debut! The only thing that bugs me is that this is a British author writing about American, and he uses some words that don't fit. He kept calling the flashlights "torches". I grew up not too far from where this is set and no one called flashlight "torches". Otherwise, this book is great! LOVE!

Chris Whitaker is an amazing writer with the ability to craft incredibly nuanced characters that carry the story. In this book it’s Patch and Saint, who become very close friends as children. When Patch saves a local girl from being kidnapped and is taken himself, Saint vows she will never stop looking until Patch is found. Held in complete darkness Patch is helped by a girl in the dark with him, and they form a special bond. All their lives are forever altered by this tragedy as the book spans decades in their lives.
Brilliantly written, all the characters will stay with you long after you’ve finished.

First, I noticed all the raving reviews. My first thought was that this was going to be an epic read. For me, I did not experience that, unfortunately. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so darn picky.

This story is categorized as a mystery/ thriller. Yes, there is some of that. However, most of this tells like a drama. All The Colors of The Dark is about growing up with friends and family. Hardships in childhood and growing as an adult. How friendships are developed in childhood to only grow apart when life hits you.

Patch and Saint are best friends. Patch is teased for his one eye while Saint stands her ground standing up for her friend. Soon, they learn there are girls missing in town, including one who almost becomes a victim until Patch saves her. I would love to tell you more, but I don’t want to give any spoilers. Basically, the hunt is on for the missing girls…. One particular girl becomes the focus.

I found myself bored throughout this. The pacing was off too. There was something that happened about 17% in, and then the story stalled for a very long time. The characters talked in riddles. I don’t know, it just wasn’t my style. I skimmed quite a bit. More than normal.

Most people are raving about this book, so what do I know? Please read the other reviews, many rated it 5 ⭐️.
For me….. it just fell flat. The ending was enjoyable so that is a huge plus. I will say Chris Whitaker is a talented author with a vivid imagination.

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and Chris Whitaker for the opportunity. All opinions are my own.
Publication date June 25, 2024

This will be one of the Top 2024 Books for sure! This may end up being on my Top Books of All Time. While this is a very long book I don't feel like any words could be missed. It was written in such Chris Whitaker style of so deliberate and so wrought with emotion. The novel covers over 30 years of friendship between two somewhat outcasts who meet when they are quite young. Patch, the young pirate, because he has only one eye helps stop a crime against one of the wealthiest girls in the town and then he disappears.

Patch's best friend is absolute lost without him and sets out to try and find him. What follows is 30 years of searching, discovering, hoping, and praying, guilt, love, anger, despair, and just living. You will feel every single emotion reading this book.

I love how Whitaker closes a chapter with somewhat of a cliff-hanger moment and the next chapter takes several pages to disclose it. It is so smartly written that I honestly did not want this book to end. I tried to savor it and forced myself to stop reading it at times because I wanted this story to go on and on. Take time to read this book and know that at times it may appear a bit disjointed but read the next chapter and the next and the next.

Absolutely one of the best reads ever. Thank you to NetGalley, Chris Whitaker and Crown Publishing for allowing me an ARC and to completely immerse myself in the story of Patch and Saint.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so beautifully written. All the Colors of the Dark follows Patch, a kid with one eye who saves a local girl from being kidnapped. There’s mystery, heartache, love. This book is all of the feelings wrapped into one. The book is over 600 pages, but it doesn’t feel that way when you’re reading it. Whitaker does an amazing job with the characters in this book and you grow to love (most of them) by the end. I will be highly recommending this book when it comes out in June.

Thanks to Crown Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC!

This is one of those books to savor. As I found myself nearing the end of this book I wanted to slow down to be able to spend time with these amazing characters. After falling in love with Duchess in Chris Whitaker's last book I was nervous he wouldn't be able to make the magic happen again. I quickly found, however, that characters you can't help but love and root for are his specialty. I found myself falling for Saint and Patch early, and then some of the side town characters and characters you don't meet until later (who I won't name to avoid giving anything away). His characters are nothing short of amazing.
The story itself is a beautifully written journey through the decades of the Pirate and the Beekeeper. Its an emotional journey with plenty of twists and turns for the characters.
Read this if you like long, winding character driven novels that will make you so sad to say goodbye.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!
While this is the first Chris Whitaker book I’ve read, I do own we begin at the end, and now I HAVE to read that.
Impossibly beautiful. That’s the best way to describe this. The characters are flawed, but inspirational and unforgettable. This grabs at your heartstrings from the beginning, and doesn’t let up until the end. I enjoyed the journey through Patch and Saint’s childhood trauma to adulthood, and beautifully wrapped up at the end, despite all they had been through. Easily going to be a top, if not the top, book for me this year. All of the stars for this one.

Five stars is not enough for the best book I have read in ages. I was deeply touched by All the Colors of the Dark, especially the fully-fleshed-out characters. Looking forward to Chris Whitaker's next masterpiece!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read what might be my favorite book of 2024.

Another fantastic novel from Chris Whitaker. All the Colors of the Dark is an epic story brought to life by two lovable characters, Patch and Saint, who first meet as teenagers and become the best of friends. Bound together for life by tragedy, this story follows Patch and Saint on separate but converging paths of honor and justice and love. Rich and deeply moving, a book I simply didn’t want to end.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

Chris Whitaker's All the Colors of the Dark is truly a masterpiece in every sense of the word. If you've read any of his previous novels, you know his talent lies in his ability to defy genres and create a sweeping epic that demands your attention from beginning to end. His writing is candidly gritty and beautiful.

All the Colors of the Dark tells the story of two characters, Patch and Saint. Joseph "Patch" Macauley is called Patch because he has one eye and wears a patch to cover the missing one, convinced he is a pirate. Saint is being raised by her grandmother and is a rough-around-the edges, tough girl who loves bees. The story takes place in the 70s in Monta Clare, Missouri.

When Patch witnesses the attempted abduction of a young girl, Misty, he intervenes, helping her escape and he is captured instead. What transpires is a search for the kidnapper and Patch. Saint will not rest until her friend is back home and safe. While captured, Patch meets Grace- confined to this dark place as well. She is the only thing he can hold on to to survive.

The story takes place over 25+ years, therefore, I don't want to say much more as this is a book you MUST pick up upon its release June 25, 2024. A HUGE thank you to Crown and Netgalley for an advanced digital copy to read for review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

This is my 4th novel by this author, and I say this every time I read one: why isn't everyone talking about Chris Whitaker? He is quite simply one of the best writers I've read in the last decade. His books tend to span the mystery and thriller genres, but they're--at heart--character-driven stories that will make you both laugh and cry. And his plots are intricately woven with satisfying endings.

This one was no exception from the norm. This book is Dickensian in scope--we enter this tale when the main characters are kids, 13 or so, and ends decades later, after we've followed them through the tremendous events of the book. And once you start the first chapter you won't be able to put this down. The characters, as mentioned above, come to life on the page. Patch, our primary protagonist, is a young boy, poor, with a mother who loves him very much but is struggling with depression and alcoholism after the death of Patch's father. Oh, and Patch only has one eye. His best friend, Saint, becomes his lifeline to, perhaps, a better world. But then that all crumbles one day when Patch bravely stops the abduction of another teen and becomes the victim himself.

Patch is a very well-rounded character, finely drawn and compelling. As is Saint, the girl who never turns her back on Patch, and Sammy--the local, wealthy drunk who owns an art gallery. These characters are screaming to be put on the screen. I don't want to say much more about the plot since allowing the threads to separate and then weave together is part of the beauty of this novel. But really, if you haven't read Whitaker, I urge you do to so. He's an incredibly talented author who creates stories you won't quickly forget.

Every once in a while, a book comes along that just grips you with story and characters that engage and enthuse you. The storytelling and writing is gorgeous.. Whitaker has a beautiful way of expressing the language and pulling you in with rich descriptions and world building.

This was a book I read in a day, as I simply could not put it down.. I laughed. I cried, I gasped. I grieved. Until the very satisfying end of this book, I was thoroughly engaged—invested— in this story which pulled me in and never let go.

This is a mystery and a thriller contained in a piece of well written literature.