A review by cec_loves_to_read_books
All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

From the first page of All the Colours of the Dark by Chris Whitaker I was hooked and I raced through 577 pages in just days.

The back of the book blurb promises “a sweeping story of love, loss, art and sacrifice” and that’s exactly what this superbly crafted novel delivers. 

In small town Monta Clara, USA, Scout and Patch are outsiders but they have each other. That is until a shocking crime tears them apart. When they find their way back to each other nothing will ever be the same again. Spanning three decades this is a gripping story of friendship, found family, loyalty and the search for justice.  

The loveable characters will stay with readers long after their journeys to forgiveness, redemption and truth are over.

With short, pacy chapters (most no longer than two pages) and some perfectly timed humour to add touches of light to the, at times bleak, subject matter this novel is the very definition of a page turner. 

While one or two of the plot twists are barely plausible readers will not care in the slightest. They work for how this story needs to play out to reach its inevitable ending.

With 100 or so pages to go I was biting my nails and gasping out loud. By the end I was left reeling from the roller coaster of emotions I had ridden. 

Get your hands on a copy of this book as soon as it is released in July. This was my first Chris Whitaker book, but it will certainly not be my last. 
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