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A review by bigcandle
The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Really intense and gripping horror, balancing a complicated series of mysteries and horrors which fall together beautifully.
Tudor keeps you gripped by alternating chapters between 1986 and 2016, leaving each chapter on a mini cliffhanger that gets resolved incrementally in a way which manages to be incredibly satisfying, instead of frustrating. At no point does it get jumbled or unclear, which is impressive considering how many plot points are introduced across timelines!
It's brilliantly mysterious and spooky, funny at points and devastating at others. I just could not put it down and read the final 200 pages last night. Just a great balance of tense thriller and contemplative discovery.
Oh, and the epilogue? Incredible. It tied the story together in a way which was equal parts shocking and satisfying. I literally closed it and said "yep. That was a fucking good ending." Very gothic very good.
I think there could/should have been some more exploration of certain types of trauma and how they influence the character, specifically Ed being raped by Sean, which is really very rarely discussed, but would have been a good point of exploration/relation particularly w regards to his issues with navigating sexuality/relationships with women. Basically just. More exploration of how it affected him, would have tied in more of Adult Ed's personality to the traumatic things which happened
One thing I really enjoyed was the tragedy of consequences, how impulsive, understandable actions led to cascade effects which were unthinkable. It really evokes a feeling of the gothic, of corruption and fear meddling in people's lives, leaving them to stand by and watch their awful role.
Tudor keeps you gripped by alternating chapters between 1986 and 2016, leaving each chapter on a mini cliffhanger that gets resolved incrementally in a way which manages to be incredibly satisfying, instead of frustrating. At no point does it get jumbled or unclear, which is impressive considering how many plot points are introduced across timelines!
It's brilliantly mysterious and spooky, funny at points and devastating at others. I just could not put it down and read the final 200 pages last night. Just a great balance of tense thriller and contemplative discovery.
Oh, and the epilogue? Incredible. It tied the story together in a way which was equal parts shocking and satisfying. I literally closed it and said "yep. That was a fucking good ending." Very gothic very good.
I think there could/should have been some more exploration of certain types of trauma and how they influence the character, specifically
One thing I really enjoyed was the tragedy of consequences, how impulsive, understandable actions led to cascade effects which were unthinkable. It really evokes a feeling of the gothic, of corruption and fear meddling in people's lives, leaving them to stand by and watch their awful role.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Dementia
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicide, and Violence