laisozs's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
eu nem sei o que dizer à respeito do final desse livro, que plot
wombat_88's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gothichues's review against another edition
3.0
I was so intrigued when I first started reading this book but then I found myself not really invested in the story. The writing is good, not bad for a debut author. It has a strong premise but I guess its poorly executed. I didn't really feel much about the twist because all through out, the story felt anticlimactic.
smexy_smerf's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
THIS- I CAN'T. I NEED PART TWO <SPOILER MF> WHAT THIS PSYCHO THIEF DO WITH HER HEAD. HER FUCKING HEAD.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Body horror, Bullying, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Murder
gioreader's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
sooky's review against another edition
5.0
Set in an unassuming small English town, filled with murder, mysterious chalk figures and lovable characters, this page turner will surely spice up your reading list.
The girl’s head rested on a small pile of orange-and-brown leaves.
With an opening like this, you just know you are in for something good. When every so often I dramatically faint back into my pillows, wishing for a cleverly plotted thriller that will take me to places, this is exactly the sort of book I’m talking about. There’s a massive trash pile of thrillers out there, ranging from meh to okay, but finding The Chalk Man is like the moment you dig out a rare gem from underneath all that sludge.
The narrative alternates between 1986 and our present days. There’s always a hanging question or an unexpected revelation to increase your growing apprehension and make you turn the pages well into the night.
In 1986 Eddie Adams and his friends Hoppo, Fat Gav, Metal Mickey and Nicky are your typical twelve year old kids – with amazing nicknames. They love riding their bikes, hanging out in the park, building a club house and creating secret signs as a way of sending each other messages. But then their secret signs start appearing all over town. (The blood is pouring out from the pages in bucketfuls, oh yeah.) Add to this a strange, pale man, a body found in the woods and some creepy religious stuff going on around town, and the kids are sure in for some excitement.
All the chapters set in the past are very atmospheric, evoking Stand By Me with a bit of It by the Master (Stephen King, that is, for you non-fanatics).
In 2016 Eddie, who is now Ed, is still haunted by the events of that summer. The arrival of the cards decorated with chalk figures and a visitor from the past dig up memories that are best forgotten. As we fly through the pages, more and more questions arise. Who can we trust? Who is guilty? Guilty of what? What exactly happened back then?
My life has been defined by the things I didn’t do. The things I didn’t say. I think it’s the same for a lot of people. What shapes us is not always our achievements but our omissions. Not lies; simply the truths we don’t tell.
Even though The Chalk Man is an exceptional debut, it had its flaws. Most of the loose ends were masterfully tucked in at the end, but a few others were just left there hanging, forgotten. If it wasn’t for the gut punch at the end, this could have ended badly. (See what I did there?)
We think we want answers. But what we really want are the right answers. Human nature. We ask questions that we hope will give us the truth we want to hear. The problem is, you can’t choose your truths.
C.J. Tudor created a fast-paced, chilling tale that will surely leave you satisfied. It’s truly one of those books worthy of reading in your blankie fort. Don’t have one? Well…
More reviews on my blog
The girl’s head rested on a small pile of orange-and-brown leaves.
With an opening like this, you just know you are in for something good. When every so often I dramatically faint back into my pillows, wishing for a cleverly plotted thriller that will take me to places, this is exactly the sort of book I’m talking about. There’s a massive trash pile of thrillers out there, ranging from meh to okay, but finding The Chalk Man is like the moment you dig out a rare gem from underneath all that sludge.
The narrative alternates between 1986 and our present days. There’s always a hanging question or an unexpected revelation to increase your growing apprehension and make you turn the pages well into the night.
In 1986 Eddie Adams and his friends Hoppo, Fat Gav, Metal Mickey and Nicky are your typical twelve year old kids – with amazing nicknames. They love riding their bikes, hanging out in the park, building a club house and creating secret signs as a way of sending each other messages. But then their secret signs start appearing all over town. (The blood is pouring out from the pages in bucketfuls, oh yeah.) Add to this a strange, pale man, a body found in the woods and some creepy religious stuff going on around town, and the kids are sure in for some excitement.
All the chapters set in the past are very atmospheric, evoking Stand By Me with a bit of It by the Master (Stephen King, that is, for you non-fanatics).
In 2016 Eddie, who is now Ed, is still haunted by the events of that summer. The arrival of the cards decorated with chalk figures and a visitor from the past dig up memories that are best forgotten. As we fly through the pages, more and more questions arise. Who can we trust? Who is guilty? Guilty of what? What exactly happened back then?
My life has been defined by the things I didn’t do. The things I didn’t say. I think it’s the same for a lot of people. What shapes us is not always our achievements but our omissions. Not lies; simply the truths we don’t tell.
Even though The Chalk Man is an exceptional debut, it had its flaws. Most of the loose ends were masterfully tucked in at the end, but a few others were just left there hanging, forgotten. If it wasn’t for the gut punch at the end, this could have ended badly. (See what I did there?)
We think we want answers. But what we really want are the right answers. Human nature. We ask questions that we hope will give us the truth we want to hear. The problem is, you can’t choose your truths.
C.J. Tudor created a fast-paced, chilling tale that will surely leave you satisfied. It’s truly one of those books worthy of reading in your blankie fort. Don’t have one? Well…
More reviews on my blog
southern_chime's review against another edition
3.0
This is a hard review to write. One one hand the book was a pretty easy read. The writing was great and the pages flew by to the point that I read the whole thing in a day. One the other hand it wasn't really a edge of your seat thriller. It lacked the sense of foreboding and fear that comes with a good thriller. I felt like I was reading more to find out the ending than I was because I cared about any of the characters. There is also a certain way that Tudor writes some of her female characters that I don't really enjoy. (I had a similar issue with The Burning Girls.) With all things considered I'm giving it a review of 2/5.
michela_h's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0