Narration: 𝙴𝚍𝚘𝚊𝚛𝚍𝚘 𝙱𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚒

Genre: suspense/saga/lit fic

Soundtrack: Another Leaf: Charles Lesley Gordon 

A small town, a best friend, a life-altering trauma, an enigma, and the enduring power of hope collide in 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬. Chris Whitaker takes us on an epic voyage as we follow Patch, Saint, and several Monta Clare, Missouri townsfolk into their darkest days and deepest secrets. 

Through 261 succinct chapters, we pursue Joseph ‘Patch’ Macaulay and Saint Brown from adolescence to adulthood. Blending thriller, coming-of-age, romance, and police procedural, Whitaker makes this seemingly long book fly by. While at its core it is character-driven, the plot moves quickly both through time and the very nature of life itself. Each suspenseful chapter leaves you tearful and with bated breath as you attempt to crack the unknown.

 The main characters were multilayered, and the supporting characters vividly brought Monta Clare to life. I was wholly invested in this story and spent many chapters worrying over my beloved characters’ fate. Similar to other coming-of-age novels like 𝘎𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘩 or 𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥, the reader wishes to stop both Patch and Saint from the path they were heading on. Yet with every seemingly wayward turn, Witaker laid the foundation for the astonishing yet completely satisfactory conclusion. 

Like everything else about this  book, Edoardo Ballerini’s narration is tremendous. His intonation distinguishes each character and adds a richness that drives the emotional elements to the surface. The performance enhances the intricate detail and suspenseful nature of the story.

This review is intentionally vague because the less you know, the better. If you enjoy genre-bending sagas or just want to witness an incredible yet tragic devotion among friends, pick up this book! 

This book is for fans of sweeping epics like Demon Copperhead and stories covering a lifetime of unfortunate circumstances such as The Berry Pickers.

It’s tender, it’s shocking, it’s full of want and heartache and the kind of suspense that will captivate you to the very last sentence! Undoubtedly,  𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 is contender for best book of the year.