This novel is an ambitious accomplishment by Chris Whitaker. Even though I knew that this is a long book, I was not prepared for the scope of it, the epic quality of the narrative, the journey the author would take me on, nor the arcs of the characters' journeys, We Begin At The End was one of my favorite books of the year in 2021. While this new novel's hero didn't charm me nearly as much as WBATE"s singular plucky heroine did (forever rooting for you, Duchess!), I felt very intrigued by the way that this book's characters' lives intertwined and unraveled and reassembled over the course of decades. It's not easy to pull off what Whitaker did here, with hundreds of tiny chapters propelling the dense story forward a way that doesn't feel rushed. The narrative felt mysterious and moody, while the underlying character motivations were serious and admirable. Patch and Duchess both share a passionate mission to bring justice to painful situations. I am already looking forward to seeing what Whitaker publishes next.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

There’s not much to say other than read this book. Chris Whitaker is so talented and this was yet another 5 star read of his.

This book had all the potential for being an amazing masterpiece. But to me, it was just too dang long. It could’ve easily been 200 pages less. And yes, I get the joy is in the journey, but this journey was just too winding and slow. I could see the brilliance but just not for me.

Really incredible read by an author I’ve come to enjoy. It’s hard to put this story into one category, it’s part mystery, part thriller, part romance, part tragedy. It's really well written, which was to be expected by this author.

One of my favorite reads of 2024! This book tugged at my heart strings and kept me turning the pages endlessly, despite the lengthy page count. I will always read whatever Chris Whitaker comes out with. He knows how to write believable characters and make you care deeply for them.

Chris Whitaker has done it again. He has taken a seemingly unlikeable character, who turns out to be one of the best fictional people you'd ever meet and made him a beloved, rogue hero. I have nothing negative to say about this book. I can't wait to read the next one. If this author isn't considered one of the best fiction writers of our time, I'm going to come back and haunt people.

Long live the Patches and Duchesses of the world.

Thank you, Chris Whitaker.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review a digital copy of this book. All opinions are mine and freely expressed.

All the Colors of the Dark is a mystery that spans across 30 years following multiple characters. Ultimately I felt that the theme of this novel is "How far would you go for the ones that you love?" Filled with loss, pain, friendship, love, perseverance - this novel kept me enthralled to the last page and will stick with me for a long time.

I received an ARC from Crown Publishing | Crown via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the best book I have ever read! Read it twice actually. The story and the details in this book are amazing. This is a book for those that read a lot. So much depth. The mystery was great and pulled you throughout the story. But the love that was embedded throughout really got me. I have recommended it too everyone I know.

I find this author to be insanely talented and both books I’ve read are very well written and gripping. However, I felt this book could’ve been cut way down. Many parts felt very repetitive and the reader can come to conclusions without having everything spelled out so clearly. On the other hand, important scenes with “big” action felt rushed.

Not my favorite from a beloved author but still a pretty good read for me. No one does gritty and bleak in a thriller better than the author and that was apparent again here. His writing is amazingly strong and his storytelling is fantastic!

This is, without a doubt, one of the best books I have ever read.

Whitaker paints a story that is so vivid in its depth. It starts out with a gut punch and never really stops landing punches until the very end. The way in which the story unravels is unique and brilliant and keeps this 600 page book moving along, at times at a breakneck pace.

The way the lives of the characters are changed by one simple act of bravery is shown with such care and understanding. One act leads to many others, the paths of every character involved changing and branching off with every discovery or every decision made. Whitaker takes the reader on a roller coaster of emotions, the story a ride he never lets up on. But that is what makes the story feel so real and personal, as though the reader is a character in the story as well, experiencing the events, not as a bystander, but as one who is involved with the story.

Any and all hype surrounding this book is beyond deserved.

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker is a mystery/thriller set in the 1970s about Patch, a boy with one eye who saves a girl from being kidnapped. This action sets Patch's life in motion, and this book tells the story of his life and his obsession with solving the attempted kidnapping. I really enjoyed this story, partly because it was so interesting, but also because it was full of solid life advice. "At ten years old he realized that people were born whole, and that the bad things peeled layers from the person you once were, thinning compassion and empathy and the ability to construct a future. At thirteen he knew those layers could sometimes be rebuilt when people loved you. When you loved." Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

Be prepared for a long book but this one is worth it! This is a true bildungsroman, starting with 2 young kids, Patch (A boy who is missing an eye and dresses as a pirate) and Saint collects bees and makes honey. It would not do readers any favors to give away the plot, but Patch is kidnapped at the beginning of the story, setting the stage for many other events. The story spans many years, and connects beautifully throughout and in the end. It has some very Dickension elements, and if you enjoyed books like the Goldfinch and Demon Copperhead, you will like this one.

I would like to thank Crown Publishing for the ARC of this novel ! It was such a joy to read. I would describe it as an epic - the entire read was a roller coaster of emotions . I was sad to let the characters and the story go.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

5/5

𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 🤝🏻 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒔

This book is everything. I’m fairly certain it will take me a few days to really digest and process all that I just read but wow. This book is it.

100% will be my top favorite of the year. Aka, you all need to read this book.

🏴‍☠️𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤🏴‍☠️
•Missing person mystery-but it’s SO much more than a mystery novel. This is a true work of literary fiction😭🥂
•Epic love story
•Coming of Age
•Moving through trauma and grief
•Power of dedication and obsession
•Triumph and tragedy
•and most importantly: HOPE

Quick synopsis:

‘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.’

If there is one book I recommend everyone read this year, it is this one. Grandmas, teenagers, your local pirate🏴‍☠️ this is the book y’all.

All the Colors of the Dark hit me hard. . .I fell hard for Patch, the Monta Clare, Missouri community that circled round unevenly - from which girls were going missing, yet which closed in tight in certain areas and lost their grip on others.

Mysteries nested in the others' stories, too: Saint, Sammy, Chief Nix, the Beautiful Misty Meyer, purple honey?!?, bees, paint, brushes and portraits of the long lost, and now I keep singing of Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters. . . .(thank you, Elton J.), and thinking about life dreams that don't happen and make one wistful, and then life's unexpected twists that open doors to utter joy. Then there's the waiting, the terror, and the grief. It never goes the way it is planned. Can you handle that? Can any of us?

This read went fast, I stayed attentive and didn't wander. . .until it was completely and absolutely concluded. Feeling rather shorn, bereft, I tuned up Spotify with Elton and googled purple honey. It's out there. That felt better. All the stars.

*A sincere thank you to Chris Whitaker, Crown Publishing, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #AlltheColorsoftheDark #NetGalley

This was a beautiful book. I enjoyed the friendship between Patch and Saint, although sometimes it seemed a little melancholy or one sided. Ultimately, it wasn’t, but sometimes it came off that way. Anyway, my only qualm with this book is that it probably could have been 100 pages shorter and then it would have been five stars for me.

I think this was the book for summer 2024, but it unfortunately was not for me. I like the set up- a quirky young man saves the most popular girl in school's life, and in doing so, gets taken himself. What didn't work for me were the short chapters. Forget short- these chapters were micro! The book had over 200. The shift in perspective kept jarring me and unfortunately I never settled in. I'm glad it worked for so many other readers though.

Wow--just wow! This novel is so deserving of all the praise it is receiving this summer! It is a novel full of mysteries, coming of age, friendships, trauma, complex characters, wonderful descriptions, lyrical prose, and multiple stories of love spanning 30 years.

Highly recommend!