All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker – 608 pages

Thanks to Crown and Netgalley for an honest review

Book Blurb:

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy with one eye, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.
Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.

My Review: 5 stars

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All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker became an obsession for me as I couldn’t put down this incredible story that was an ode to childhood friendship as well as a tantalizing mystery.

Patch and Saint are two odd kids that find each other due to circumstance. Their loyalty to one another is steadfast. Patch will often dress as a pirate because he has only one eye and is often made fun of. Saint defends him from the bullies with her mouth and her fists. One afternoon, Patch witnesses Misty, the rich high school beauty being attacked, and immediately jumps in to save her. The predator escapes taking Patch with him. As the town commends and lauds his bravery for saving her, Saint is on a mission to find Patch. 

Told from alternating POVs, this story will stay with you for a long time. The characters are so well etched. Each having rich human characteristics of both good and bad. Some will surprise you, while others will infuriate you. Some will just plain humble you.  

What happens in the next thirty years is a testament to faith, friendship, grief, love, resilience, art, bees, the land, the law, darkness, and beauty. Don’t let the length of the book dissuade you. I’m already aching for a sequel.

Quotes I liked:

Friendship was a difficult art to master.”

“When the sky opens you got a better chance of seeing heaven.”

“If you ever get the chance to make someone smile, or better yet, make someone laugh, then you take it. Each and every time.” 

“People have short memories when you do something good, and long when you fuck things up.”

“Patch wondered if hope was its own kind of punishment, sometimes worse than certainty, than the long and closed-off road toward healing.”

“When it comes to marriage, love is merely a visitor over a lifetime. Respect and kindness, they are the true foundations.”