In Review: The Chalk Man
I can’t remember how long I wanted to read a CJ Tudor. Since the author blew up with her debut novel, The Chalk Man, I was intrigued. Mystery, thriller, maybe with a little sprinkle of horror, it’s always a good combination for me. And the more gruesome, the better! The book might not have been exactly what I was expecting, but CJ Tudor’s writing is one I want to read again.
Title: The Chalk Man Author: CJ Tudor Publication year: 2018 Length: 9 hours 50 minutes Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Horror Pace: Medium Story focus: Character & Plot
It was the summer of 1986 when everything changed. One accident on a fair ride begins a succession of events that will change Ed and the whole town. Meanwhile, Ed and his friends start to communicate using chalk stick figures, and what starts as a child’s play quickly takes a turn for the worst. 30 years later, that year still hunts Ed and his childhood friends. And when they receive a letter with a hanging stick figure and a piece of chalk, Ed knows he needs to go back to the past and uncover what truly happened that year.
I appreciated a lot Ed not going into PI mode. The story isn’t focused on Ed snooping around to find answers. Half of the story is his memories of that summer, and the other half, told in the present, fills in the gaps. He built the full picture with the different perspectives of what happened in 1986 provided by other people. Although he was never actively searching for those answers, they casually came into the conversation as casually as murder can be brought up.
The story was very gruesome, and the atmosphere top notch. It managed to keep the vibe for the whole book without fluctuating. I also found the vibes close to It (the movie, I never read the book) because of the friend group relationships in the small town. The atmosphere felt similar except for the horror and supernatural elements. There’s always this eeriness that while everything seems fine, danger lurks around the corner. And that’s one of the best parts of this book.
The pace of the book was the best to tell this story. I wouldn’t change a bit. It’s a short slow-paced story meant to be read at that pace. I was in the middle of a readathon when I read The Chalk Man, and I felt I was trying to read this book faster than it allowed me. If that makes any sense. It’s a book to read calmly. To take as long as the book asks for. To read at the pace the story imposes.
Despite enjoying the atmosphere and the story overall, it wasn’t one of my favourite thrillers. It lacked suspense and surprise. The story kept itself constant, and as the mystery was solved, I didn’t feel anything. I was expecting to be gripped, and that never happened. There were also horror elements that missed the mark for me. It wasn’t scary or suspenseful. Because of it, the story was a slight letdown. Until I read the epilogue.
The ending was one of the most satisfying I’ve read. I was sad the mystery didn’t grab as much as I would like, although the epilogue didn’t let the story end there. Not only did it tie some loose ends, but it also gave a glimpse into the future and a secret skeleton in Ed’s closet. It’s such a small detail, but one that uncovers a story kept from the reader. A hidden flaw in the character. Something wrong, something bad, and something I needed.
While The Chalk Man wasn’t the best mystery thriller I’ve read, it compensates tremendously with the atmosphere. And not only that, but it also shows that CJ Tudor isn’t afraid to make her main characters a teeny-tiny unreliable and verging on psychopathic. If this book shows the kind of writing the author will do in the future, then I’ll read more from her.
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