In 1986, Eddie and four friends used chalk drawings as a way of communicating. Each friend was different enough to attract incidents of bullying, and the drawings gave them an almost magical sense of secrecy and protection. One day, however, a chalk drawing leads the group to a gruesome discovery that taints their childhood and continues to affect them as adults. Who was responsible for that particular drawing; who led them to discover the body? Who is the Chalk Man?
Twenty years later, Eddie, the narrator, receives a letter containing a stick figure drawn in chalk. The past is not always past, to paraphrase Faulkner. The author moves back and forth in time, alternating between 1986 and 2016.
Everyone has secrets and when chalk figures appear again in 2016, the group of childhood friends, whose remaining attachments are largely a result of the events of that dreadful summer, find themselves nervous and uncertain. The reappearance of one of the old friends who wants to write a book about the events of that summer in 1896 sets in motion another calamity.
Intense and twisty, moving from past to present, The Chalk Man is imaginative and cleverly plotted. An impressive debut that kept me glued to the pages.
Read in Aug.; review scheduled for Jan. 12, 2018.
NetGalley/Crown Publishing
Mystery/Psychological. Jan. 9, 2018. Print length: 280 pages.
I've set my eyes on this for a while and I'm waiting for it to arrive! I'm glad to hear it was a great read.
ReplyDeleteThere have been comparisons to Stand By Me, and they are justified, but it has been so long since I saw the film (and I didn't read the book) so I didn't really make the comparison when I read it The Chalk Man. C.J. Tudor looks like an author to watch. :)
DeleteI had this as a Book of the Month pick a couple of months ago, but haven't read it yet. Yours is not the only positive review I've come across. I can see the comparison to Stand By Me, but this one sounds a little more grim. Which is OK. LOL
ReplyDeleteIt definitely kept me reading. :)
DeleteI really like the sound of this one! I will definitely be giving this one a read. :)
ReplyDeleteI liked the kids using the colored chalk, a color to identify each one, to send messages. It added just the right touch...and the perfect title. :)
DeleteI am glad you enjoyed this one because I love the premise of this one. I will have to be sure to check this one out.
ReplyDeleteI like the premise, too!
DeleteI've been hearing about this one and have it on my radar. I like that it goes back to 1986 - that'll bring memories to me of my high school days!
ReplyDeleteI read it in August, but lately, I'm seeing a lot of reviews. It is a twisty one.
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