“All the Colors of the Dark” by Chris Whitaker is an amazing novel! Some readers won’t like it because of its length – 592 pages – but the chapters are very, very short and the storytelling is beautiful. The novel is a combination serial-killer mystery/coming of age story with a need for justice woven throughout every chapter. The bonds of friendship shine through on every page too, despite the traumas that the characters endure.
Joseph “Patch” Macauley was born with only one eye. He tells people he is a pirate, as a way to explain the difference between him and the other children. At age 13, Patch’s best friend, Saint Brown, is not a typical 1970’s young girl. She is being raised by her grandma, loves bees, gets in fights and has a smart mouth. These two kids have brilliant imaginations and a friendship that will last for decades. One day, Patch saves a girl from being kidnapped, but is taken himself. The entire town begins searching for him, but Saint is the most determined of all of them. The ripple effect of Patch’s disappearance is heartbreaking and Whitaker’s story tells of the next several decades. You need to read this one and discover all of the plot intricacies on your own!!!
I will think about this novel for a long time – it was so well-written and had such heart! Some of the happenings are brutal and tragically sad. But there is so much beauty and love in the novel too!! I was emotionally invested in this story and the unfairness of certain events broke my heart several times. But hope and love never leave for long in this novel and Patch and Saint will be two of my favorite characters forever!
Leave a Reply