All the Colors of the Dark

This was not drawing me in at all. I really didn't connect with the writing style. At this point I didn't want to invest 600 pages into this. 

I went into “All the Colors of the Dark” by Chris Whitaker thinking it was a mystery or thriller which for the most part, it absolutely isn’t.

“Colors” basically is the story of Patch, a one-eyed boy who helps a girl about to be abducted, and is abducted himself in the process. During his incarceration in absolute darkness, he’s joined by a girl, Grace, with whom he shares a year in captivity. He’s never going to get over her.

»“I carved our initials in the oak tree by the graveyard,” he said.

“Defacing nature for me, be still my beating heart,” she said, biting her lip to keep back her smile.«

On the other hand, there’s Saint, a girl Patch’s age and his best friend. Even though she is a teenager when she meets Patch, it quickly becomes clear that Saint loves Patch boundlessly and unconditionally. After Patch’s abduction, Saint investigates tirelessly until she finds him.

»To love and be loved was more than could ever be expected, more than enough for a thousand ordinary lifetimes.«

This could have been the point at which a novella might have ended with a happily-ever-after for Saint and Patch. “Colors”, though, is not that kind of novel. Instead, it moves on to show how things evolve from this point: Saint going on to become a police officer, join the FBI, and, finally, returning to her hometown becoming the new chief of police - and hunting Patch.

Patch is obsessed and as deeply in love with Grace as Saint is with him. He never ceases searching for her and other missing girls, painting their portraits with obsession and artistic merit that, ultimately, make him rich and famous. His obsession, though, frequently brings Patch into conflict with the law and so Saint does her utmost to be the one hunting for him, in order to bring him in safely.

Chris Whitaker tells a striking tale over decades during which we follow not only Saint and Patch but also their friends and relatives for whom the many twists and turns at times become as difficult as for the reader.

While the story is, without exception, always captivating and engagingly told in short, punchy chapters, there are some elements that made me roll my eyes, thinking “Was that really necessary?!”. (A certain vet at a zoo comes to mind…)

The story, at times, also slows down significantly to the point at which I wished for a bolder editor.

Amusingly, though, just like the novel I read before this, “Colors”’s messages are what made this novel work for me. Not least among them:

»[The objectors to legally sanctioned murder] would fall silent for those ten minutes when their government carried out one murder in vengeance for another.«

At times, the story is weighed down with strong pathos:

»Nix sat alone in the far corner, smiled when she met his eye, though in his she saw a hollow that dampened the stained glass, the triforium, the clerestory of color.«

Never in my life have I read “triforium” or “clerestory” before; no wonder, there are about 0.1 and 0.3 occurrences per million words respectively in modern written English according to the Oxford English Dictionary. I was not a fan of that.

Beyond the few twists and turns too many, though, I still really enjoyed “Colors” and basically didn’t want to put it down.

Four stars out of five.

Ceterum censeo Putin esse delendam

I can see why many would love this book, but it was to sprawling for me. I would have rather seen a series. I would have rather seen more development of eras over three books.

I wasn't sure how I felt about it until ~1/4 of the way through but damn, I really liked it.

Pada tahun 1975, di kota kecil Monta Clare, Missouri, gadis-gadis mulai menghilang. Joseph "Patch" Macauley, seorang remaja berusia 13 tahun yang lahir dengan satu mata, menyelamatkan seorang gadis dari serangan, namun kemudian diculik oleh pelaku. Selama penahanannya, Patch bertemu dengan Grace, seorang gadis misterius yang menemaninya dalam kegelapan. Setelah berhasil melarikan diri, Patch terobsesi untuk menemukan Grace, yang tampaknya telah menghilang tanpa jejak. Pencariannya berlangsung selama beberapa dekade, mengubah hidupnya dan orang-orang di sekitarnya.

Novel ini rentang waktu kisahnya 30 tahunan. Buatku waktu yang diperlukan untuk pembeberan fakta dan pengungkapannya terlalu lama dan lambat hingga terasa membosankan. Namun emosi yang kurasakan terhadap tokoh-tokohnya digambarkan dengan baik oleh penulis.

Masterful plot. This coming of age story reminded me of “To Kill a Mockingbird” in tone (resigned injustice). Be warned: the book is sad and slow in places. It also contains many instances of strong profanity (f-word; c-word).

Overall, just a remarkable weaving of trauma stories, vigilance and the power of spiritual forces in our darkest hours.

Free on Palace Project.

This is what reading is about!!!!!!!

So good!!! Some of the scope of Demon Copperhead, a dash of the intricate weavings of John Irving, and a sophisticated mystery a la Rebecca Makkai's I Have Some Questions for You.

⭐⭐⭐½

Ah, the book that had everyone buzzing. Well, I finally caved to the peer pressure and dove in. Was it worth the hype? Not quite.

Let's start with the positives: I'm glad I read it. At least now I can join those heated book club discussions without feeling left out. Plus, it gave me something to read at the coffee shop and on a plane (where I wasn't the only person reading it).

Now, onto the not-so-great parts. The characters were about as flavorful as unseasoned tofu. I waited for them to develop some personality, but they remained bland.

As for the plot, let's say I could see the twists coming from a mile away. I couldn't tell if the 261 chapters were meant to be a challenge to want to blow through or because there wasn't much depth to explore, so each one was a staccato thought.

"All the Colors Are Dark" is like that trendy restaurant everyone raves about, but when you finally go, you realize it's just mediocre food with fancy plating. It's not terrible, but it does not deserve all the hype. At least now I can say I've read it.