REVIEW: The Chalk Man by C.J Tudor

Genre: Thriller, Adult

Publisher: Crown Publishing Group

ISBN: 1524760986

Format: Paperback, Hardback, E-Book

Release Date: 9th Jan 2018


Links: Goodreads, Amazon.com, Indigo
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Rating: 8/10


Synopsis:

You can feel it in the woods, in the school and in the playground; you can feel it in the houses and at the fairground. You can feel it in most places in the small town of Anderbury . . . the fear that something or someone is watching you. 

It began back in 1986, at the fair, on the day of the accident. That was when twelve-year-old Eddie met Mr Halloran - the Chalk Man. He gave Eddie the idea for the drawings: a way to leave secret messages for his friends and it was fun, until the chalk men led them to a body.

Thirty years later, Ed believes the past is far behind him, until an envelope slips through the letterbox. It contains a stick of chalk, and a drawing of a figure.

Is history going to repeat itself?

Was it ever really over?

Will this game only end in the same way?

Review:

**Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for sending me this book in return for my honest review**

It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. It was so excellently written and the characters so well developed, you could easily believe it was written by a long-time author.

Our story takes place in Southern England and flicks between 1986 and 2016 for each chapter. In 1986, we read about 4 friends and the adventures they find themselves in with their chalk drawings. They enjoy their summer until the chalk drawings lead to a grim discovery.

The man character, Ed, is forced to recall the past as Chalk Man drawings make their reappearance in 2016 and lead to a series of further dark circumstances.

This story starts with a gruesome discovery that had me hooked from the very start. (I did find some parts a little too gruesome but that's just my personal taste). A lot is going on as we slip between 1986 and 2016 but the story and events slowly come together.

I loved the format of the book switching between 1986 and 2016. The little references to 80's England like Woolworths and Doctor Who were also a joy to find in the book. I felt I connected more to the setting with these references as well as those to places mentioned such as Southampton and Bournemouth.

The entire book had me gripping to the edge of my seat. I didn't know what to expect or what was going to happen next. And THAT ending was something I never expected. For me, it was THAT ending that took the box to the next level. I felt I was left unsure of all the events that had happened and I question if the ending was, in fact, the true ending.

Seriously, if you haven't read this book already I highly recommend it. Fans of Stephen King's work will love this one. It's dark, thrilling and has an ending you'd NEVER expect.