Book Review - All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker
‘1975. Monta Clare, Missouri. Patch is a one-eyed teenager who considers himself a good pirate. His only friend is the whimsical thirteen-year-old Saint, who lives with her grandmother. In their small town where everyone knows everyone else, Patch and Saint think they have their future paths clear. All changes when a mysterious man attacks Misty, the only daughter of a wealthy family. Patch emerges as an unlikely hero in this situation, but the life trajectory of the people involved changes forever as a result.’
One of the things I do on this blog is to categorise what I read - it helps my readers find similar novels. I’ve had to think about this one, as it’s a missing persons mystery, a serial killer chase, and an unrequited love story. Not only that, but it weaves all these threads seamlessly, ultimately landing in my end of year category of Best Thrillers.
Epic
Weighing in at over 600 pages hardback, and a mammoth 14 and a half hours audiobook, this is very much an epic read. It spans decades, focusing on two characters from when they are children - Saint and Patch, from the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri.
The plot at the beginning of the review is all that you’re going to get from me - I knew nothing when I started this book, and it was all the better for it. This is very much a character driven story - once you are invested in Patch and Saint, you’ll not want to stop reading. Their relationship is a thing of beauty.
Characters
There’s also a great supporting cast, which there has to be in a book this size. One of my favourites was the curmudgeonly artist Sammy, who has some of the best gruff lines and a steady presence in the life of some of the townsfolk.
Misty is also an important character, with a particularly emotional story arc whilst Nix, Norma and Grace are also memorable.
I loved how the characters age and their personalities develop, especially in relation to their experiences. It felt real, though it certainly helped with some of the plot turns in the second half. There’s one scene where Patch does something that just feels out of character - but it helps both him, and the story, in the long term
If colourful language ain’t your thing, this mightn’t be the book for you. But if you like characters all too human, who speak openly and are damned funny, you’ll be fine. Personally I loved the dialogue in the book, and manys the early morning I found myself chuckling away under the duvet.
‘Reading isn’t a privilege, sir. I believe we all have the right to leave our problems and escape into another world, if only through the written word.’
Audiobook
I listened to this on audiobook - all 14 hours and 36 minutes of it. This was my early morning book, and I appreciated how it was broken down into 261 chapters; I felt I could come and go with it, and it was easy to pick up the thread.
However. There were many times in this book when I wanted to check something, and it’s just impossible to do with an audiobook. There were a number of occasions when I really wished I had a hardback copy - there are some books, especially mysteries, when I feel the need to doublecheck a name or incident. That’s my fault, rather than the format. I should say - I never lost track of the story. But it’s a lesson for me - no more really long mystery books on audio.
There were also some longer passages of prose where my attention drifted. Dialogue is much easier to follow, but I think I would have appreciated the writing more if I had been able to read it. Some books are just like that for me.
Edorado Ballerini does a sterling job of giving personality to the considerable cast, making them nuanced and warm. He’s also got a good sense of comic timing, as even though there’s plenty of heartbreak in the book, it’s also got a lot of laughs, especially with the colourful language.
Honestly, I found that this dragged a bit in the middle. Perhaps I noticed it more because I was listening on audiobook, but the plot just felt stuck for quite a while. I suppose this ties in with the frustration that patch felt, but I was just waiting for something to happen. Thankfully the pace picked up, and the ending more than made up for it.
Themes
The obvious theme is never, ever giving up. Having the courage of your beliefs, even when others are telling you to move on. Never giving up on those you love, even when they exasperate and confound you.
Reading this book also made me think of another few classics - both cinematic and literary. Two that continually sprung to mind were ‘Shawshank Redemption’ and ‘Silence of the Lambs.’ I’ll say no more. I also drew comparisons between Patch and a certain ‘Demon Copperfield’ for reasons that should be quickly apparent when you start.
I suppose there was a little bit of disbelief at some of the twists in ‘All the colors of the dark’ but hey, that’s entertainment. Put my heart through the wringer, have me late for work because I can’t stop listening to the audio, and I’ll forgive you anything.
‘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.’
Writing
Chris Whitaker has quite a few balls in the air, and he somehow pulls it all together. Honestly, with an hour or so left of the audio, I was worried it wasn’t going to come together. There’s a trust built between the reader, an unspoken contract of sorts, that if you’ve invested that much time in a book, there better be a payoff - ie a satisfying conclusion.
For me, it delivered on all fronts, and the ending made up for the saggy middle section. I haven’t read ‘We begin at the end’ by the same author but I’ll happily give it a go based on ‘All the colors of the dark.’
Mystery Thriller
It’s been a fine year for mystery thrillers - The God of the Woods by Liz Moore was another particularly strong outing. If there are any others I’ve missed in 2024, please let me know in the comments below. I still find it hard to beat a character driven, well written, with a plot as ‘tight as a drum’, mystery novel.
All the Colors of the Dark Summary
My own feeling is that this book is best enjoyed as a physical copy rather than an audiobook, for reasons mentioned above. Despite that, this is a superb thriller that will keep you gripped to it’s considerable end, with a proper emotionally rewarding ending.
I found myself so involved with Patch and Saint, and they were the heartbeat of book. If you enjoy a story that will break your heart a little, and a cracking mystery story to keep you turning the pages, ‘All the colors of the dark’ is for you.
Easy to categorise in the end - not just one of my thrillers of the year, but one of my 2024 favourites.
608 pages hardcover / 14 hours 30 mins Audiobook
First published June 25, 2024 by Orion