A review by allisonboydcrane
All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 because it was a fun read and I don't want to be a downer. 

Plot:

Set in Monte Clare, Missouri, and spanning from 1975 to 2001, the book is told from the perspective of two childhood best friends, Patch and Saint. As teenagers, Patch is abducted while saving the life of a local girl, and Saint dedicates the next year to finding him—and eventually does. Over the following decades, Saint becomes a homicide investigator, while Patch dedicates his life to finding one specific lost girl, using his artwork to bring awareness to many kidnapped girls. While definitely a crime/thriller, this story is more about love, friendship, art, and how trauma shapes you but doesn’t define you.


Pros:
- Great characters: I loved all the characters and thought Whitaker did an amazing job bringing them to life. While I didn’t always love their decisions, I understood their behavior and was rooting for their happiness and peace the entire time. The character development really set this book apart from other crime/thrillers, and for that reason, I was okay with the length!

- Page-turner: It was fun to read, and I was always excited to find out what would happen next.

Neutral:
- Kinda unbelievable: Major plot points I was like....this doesn't make sense. & some of the dialogue from the kid's POV was aggressive.....I was okay with this because it was a good story. To avoid spoilers, I’m not going to write here, but if you’ve read—let’s talk!

Cons:
- Writing style: Too many chapters. I’m usually fine with this—it often indicates a POV change or a shift in the storyline—but there were often 3-page chapters, and the next chapter would be a continuation of the same storyline. Why weren’t these just one chapter? It was confusing. Whitaker also used pronouns excessively, leaving me unsure of who was speaking. In a book with so many plot lines and characters, there needs to be clearer delineation. I felt like I was searching for clues about who was talking when I wanted to be cataloging clues for the mystery itself.

- Predictable: I found the major moments quite predictable. While there were many small twists that were compelling, some felt like they came out of left field and didn’t add much to the overall story.

Themes:

- Love and friendship: While many of the families and relationships were dysfunctional, it does not take away from the love and commitment the characters have for one another. It’s a persistent thread that motivates all actions—a lot of heart!
- Art: Patch’s evolution as an artist is one of the most compelling aspects of the book. His motivations, the subjects of his work, and how his art plays a pivotal role in solving the crime add rich layers to the story. It brings to mind the quote from Martyr!: “Art is where what we survive survives.” The novel illustrates art’s power in personal recovery, storytelling, and shaping how we comprehend history.
- Loss, fear & trauma — This novel is commentary on the many ways people deal with loss, how they harness the associated anger, and how it drives their relationships and decisions.

 (https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/203019740)
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