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.