Book Review: The Chalk Man

C.J. Tudor's debut novel, The Chalk Man, kicks off an intriguing list of titles for my book club's 2019 reading selections. Only one book seems like something I wouldn't have chosen on my own. I'm looking forward to a year of outstanding discussions. This book was an amazing accomplishment as a writing debut. Although it made me uncomfortable, it was a riveting read. The premise is believable and enticing, and the plot pacing superb. The reader follows along awaiting the resolution and unveiling of the mysterious clues.

Eddie Adams' story shifts back and forth from his twelfth year, when his gang uncovered a dismembered body in the woods, to 2016, when one friend returns claiming to know the killer. It all began with a bucket of chalk. Fat Gav, the wealthiest in the group, received the chalk as an unidentified birthday gift at his party. The gang used the chalk to write messages on the sidewalk for each other. Each member claimed a particular color. They determined what stick figures and images would stand for certain activities and locations. But, they never dreamed an anonymous person would use the chalk to lead them to a dead body. Before Eddie's friend, Mickey, can show the puzzle's solution, further tragedy transpires. Now, Eddie wants to dig up the past and unravel the many pieces and clues.

I much prefer the British cover (shown to the left). As premises go, this one was truly intriguing. I loved the author's ability to capture the life and perspective of a group of twelve-year-olds. That age presents so many challenges without adding group friction and death. I also enjoyed the pacing. It made me eager to sort out the truth. I could have done without the ghost scenes and the dreams, and the book has one deeply disturbing scene of bullying. (I was thankful to be reading in hard form, so I could skim through, instead of listening with my boys hanging around on their winter break.)

The worldview of the author was clearly not my own. Indeed, faith was handled with skepticism and scorn, religious characters drawn as "the bad guy," and abortion opponents painted as angry monsters. I noted that one reviewer (Shyam) on Amazon, who gave the book one star, articulated the intensity of the author's agenda quite well:

"This book is dripping with so much hatred and cynicism toward religion that it feels like much more than fiction. It feels personal and ironically preachy. It’s not even the overdone hypocritical preacher trope, it’s lines like 'if someone mentions God at my funeral, I hope they burn in hell.'”

Nonetheless, I could still appreciate the story and the author's accomplishment. I related to the narrator's concern over travelling the same path his father took with Alzheimer's. Although I never felt affection for the characters, their trials and tribulations hooked me. The book presented enough conflict to create a compelling narrative arc. It certainly won't be my favorite of the ten book club selections, but it was still a worthwhile endeavor and a memorable story line.