The Chalk Man: A Novel

by C. J. Tudor

“Want to read something good?. . . If you like my stuff, you’ll like this.”—Stephen King • WINNER OF THE ITW THRILLER AWARD • WINNER OF THE STRAND MAGAZINE AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT NOVEL

A riveting psychological suspense debut that weaves a mystery about a childhood game gone dangerously awry, and will keep readers guessing right up to the shocking ending

In 1986, Eddie and his friends are on the verge of adolescence, spending their days biking in search of adventure. The chalk men are their secret code, stick figures they draw for one another as hidden messages. But one morning the friends find a chalk man leading them to the woods. They follow the message, only to find the dead body of a teenage girl.
 
In 2016, Eddie is nursing a drinking problem and trying to forget his past, until one day he gets a letter containing a chalk man—the same one he and his friends saw when they found the body. Soon he learns that all his old friends received the same note. When one of them is killed, Eddie realizes that saving himself means figuring out what happened all those years ago. But digging into the past proves more dangerous than he could have known. Because in this town, everyone has secrets, no one is innocent, and some will do anything to bury the truth.

Praise for The Chalk Man

“Wonderfully creepy—like a cold blade on the back of your neck.”—Lee Child

“An assured debut that alternates between 1986 and 2016 with unpredictable twists. The Chalk Man fits well with other stories about troubled childhoods such as Stephen King’s novella Stand by Me. . . . Tudor never misses a beat in showing each character as both a child and an adult while also exploring the foreboding environs of a small town.”—Associated Press

“Utterly hypnotic. The Chalk Man is a dream novel, a book of nightmares: haunted and haunting, shot through with shadow and light—a story to quicken the pulse and freeze the blood. A dark star is born.”—A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

“If you can’t get enough of psychological thrillers with sharp twists and turns, you need to read The Chalk Man”—Hello Giggles
 
“I haven’t had a sleepless night due to a book for a long time. The Chalk Man changed that.”—Fiona Barton, New York Times bestselling author of The Widow

• ISBN10: 1524760986
• ISBN13: 9781524760984
• Publish Date: 9 January 2018
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 18 September 2020
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 288
• Language: English

Reviews

[zooloo1983]

This is book is something else. It is a book that will make you question everything and everyone. I can’t tell you what I loved the most about the book because well it’s a huge spoiler but it is immense. The Chalk Man is one clever twisty tale. A story that leads you down so many paths and they aren’t necessarily ones you are ready for.

This was a debut by the talented Ms Tudor, but I have read it last. All her tales err on the edge of the supernatural within the visceral pictures that are chalked in front of us (oh yes I did that). It is no different here, unexplained things happen within these pages, enough to send that shiver down your spine and who doesn’t love that thrill.

Within this small world built by Tudor, we are shown a past where its 1986 and ways to entertain ourselves do not include phones, internet or computers. Instead, the story focuses on how young boys imagination with chalk can cause deadly outcomes. When things start to get a bit juicy, we are brought back to the present day, where history can not rest until we have answers. These answers are delicious and some were not expected and some were shocking and some are left to your imagination, mine is a wild one!

The ending feels like a full circle, not sure if it’s satisfying for my bloodthirsty needs but it’s a tantalising one for sure.

I would be sitting there thinking ooh X has happened it would be awesome if it was Y that happened. Then I turn the page and I chuckled with glee when Y did happen but then Z happened too and I hadn’t planned for that and then throw in A and B! Then you are close to understanding a book by CJ Tudor.

I would read anything Caz writes, I am itching for her next book and The Other People is definitely one of my favourites I have read this year. To have a story teased out the way she does, yet never relenting the tension over 300 pages is no easy feat. I was on tenterhooks trying to finish this book and over 3 evenings I did. I was buddy reading this with Chloe (Chloe’s Reading Room) and she was flying quicker than me but it didn’t stop with all our speculation. Shame I can not share some of our theories because of well SPOILER!! But it was great because she made me realise things I hadn’t thought of so it was much more interesting for sure.

If you haven’t read this one yet then I urge to read it and enjoy this journey. You may never look at a bucket of chalks or chalk men the same way though…

This is one of those books that is packed with a lot of suspense, mystery and thrills. If you’re looking for a well written story that will redefine the mystery/thriller genre; then this is the book for you.

It’s been awhile since I read a book this engaging; the constant (yet consistent) twists and turns had me guessing and re-guessing the ending; and yet, I was still surprised about a few things in this book.

C.J. Tudor did an excellent job with this one; I highly recommend it!


*I received this book from Crown Publishing (and thank them greatly for it!) in exchange for an honest review. My review is entirely my own and in no way affiliated with the author or Publishing company.*

[lovelybookshelf]

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, but the blurb that described it as a combination of Stranger Things and Stand by Me was what grabbed my attention.

Tudor totally captured the feel of the 80s, and accomplished that without needing to constantly name-drop video games, movies, musicians, etc. The entire atmosphere simply felt like being a kid in the 80s. The hops in time between 1986 and 2006 worked so well and really added to that “gotta find out what happens (or happened) next” feeling.

One thing that disappointed me about the book: There were a couple of slurs and a racist stereotype of Romani people that caught me off guard. It wasn’t revealing anything about a character’s biases. It just perpetuated common racist attitudes toward Romani people.

The big reveal – I did not see it coming! Some of the dialogue during that scene was cliche, and further wrap-up was a tad rushed, but overall, The Chalk Man is a gripping page-turner. I think it’d be fun to read again and see what other little details I didn’t pick up the first time around.

[kimbacaffeinate]

The story told from the perspective of Eddie with an alternating timeline between 1986 and present day (2016) hooked me immediately. In 1986, Eddie is twelve years old and fondly referred to as Eddie Munster by his best friends and schoolmates, Metal Mickey, Fat Gav, Hoppo and the only girl of the group, Nicky. They spend their days biking, exploring and hiking in the woods. In 2016, Eddie is a single, forty-two years old school teacher. He lives in his parent's former home and has a young female tenant named Chloe. Eddie is a bit of an oddball, with some issues that I will leave the listener to discover.

The story begins with a prologue that sets the tone for the entire story. I immediately settled in with the narrations of Euan Morton and enjoyed both his tone and voices for each character.

We spend time getting to know Eddie and his friends and experience life in 1986. From controversies to kids roaming free in the lazy days of summer we get a sense of their friendship and daily lives. I loved their friendship and getting to know the dynamics of the group. When I think of them, the young characters of Stand By Me, It, and Stranger Things come to mind.

The kids are brimming with excitement one Saturday because they are attending the fair. It will be their first time without adult supervision. Tudor vividly brought their enthusiasm and the sights and sounds of the county fair to life as he introduced each friend. What should have been one of their fondest childhood memories ends in tragedy. Events over the summer will split them apart and strip them of their childhood innocence. But for now, the promise of summer lies before them. They spend their days together, face down bullies and tease each other relentlessly. When one gets a bucket of chalk, they begin leaving messages for each other. I loved the secret codes they created. However, a mysterious chalkman leads them to a grizzly discover, and nothing will ever be the same.

Tudor touched on controversies such as abortion, tight-knit communities, Eddie's disorders and character's issues with Alzheimer's. These matters grounded the story while adding depth, doubt, and insight into the characters and events. The switch from the past to present was done with dates and by chapter making it easy to know exactly where you are. It also allowed for slow reveals and created suspense. Tudor also had a firm grasp of their language, and it reflected in the switch from youth to adulthood.

As an adult, Eddie is taken aback when he receives a note in the mail with a chalkman figure. He soon discovers he isn't the only one. Tudor kept me listening as the past met the present. We got to know the kids as adults, find out what happened in the past, and see them join together again. The plot was dark and twisted with moments where I doubted everything. While I figured somethings out, I was surprised by some of the reveals. I even appreciated the theories presented for the pieces that didn't quite fit. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

[Quirky Cat]

The Chalk Man is C.J. Tudor’s debut novel. Touted as the perfect book for Strange Things fans, it immediately caught my attention. After having read it, I can see the comparison, but would like to emphasize the lack of paranormal threat in this novel. In many ways (again, minus the paranormal element) it reminded me of IT as well; the group dynamics were clearly based on a similar structure, and the method of storytelling (one chapter being present time, the next being in the past) is reminiscent as well.



Warnings first: Quite a lot goes on this in this novel, despite its deceptively small size. Obviously based on the description you know that somebody dies, but more than that there’s sexual assault, bullying, suicide, and animal death. If seeing any of these describes upsets you, I would strongly urge you to prepare yourself before reading.
I was really excited when I saw The Chalk Man listed as an option for December’s Book of the Month (BOTM) selection. Seeing the tag “perfect for fans of Stranger Things” certainly caught my attention, being that I’m currently going through Stranger Things withdrawal. But if I’m being honest with myself, the book didn’t really live up to that description, or my excitement.
First the obvious reason why it didn’t quite read like the compared TV series; there’s no paranormal activity of any kind. It’s a group of kids/adults (remember, it bounces back and forth between the past and present) that get dragged into a situation that’s over their heads. That’s pretty much the extent of what they have in common however. Oh! I take that back; there is a bully as well. Though I’d argue that while he isn’t around nearly as long as the TV show bully, what he does is much worse. As mentioned above, I found the setup of the group to remind me of the one in IT, but it also lacks an evil clown entity, so there’s that.
I think the other reason I found myself underwhelmed with this novel was just how heavy handed certain elements were. There was an obvious trail that was laid out, with very little hidden beneath the surface. The metaphors were so blunt I almost feel like I can’t even call them metaphors. The bully who can’t accept who is really is, so he takes it out on everyone else. The vicar that’s actually a letch, and worse. The mother who is honest and good, but whose career is controversial. The hoarder who can’t let go of his past.
My last complaint is I feel like the novel broke the promise (the promise being more or less what it sounds like; we’re given to assume that the author will conclude the novel in a way that’s satisfying, makes sense, and doesn’t violate logic in the process. Usually this is all based off of how the novel as built up events). I don’t want to give away the ending, so forgive me to dancing around the subject here; something happens in the end that completely throws the events that had occurred previously in a different light. I would normally be completely ok with that, except the perspective never changes. The person that does said action is the same one telling us the story the whole time. It makes no sense to me that he wouldn’t mention (even mentally) these events that happened so early on, especially as they’re so important. Yes, it makes for a better story this way, but only during the buildup phase. The actual revelation was a massive disappointment to me, as I felt like I’d been lied to (and in a way, I had been).
I did find myself devouring this book, despite my complaints. So obviously I found it worthwhile to finish. Perhaps I’m so disappointed because of how much potential I felt it had? I would very much be curious to see what Tudor writes next, and follow her as her writing develops. I think she’s got a lot of potential, and is worth keeping an eye on.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[dpfaef]

For a début novel The Chalk Man was very good. The book was a mixture of Kate Atkinson and Mo Hayder, two very skilful storytellers to my mind. I like books that move from past to present, the author did a good job of moving gracefully between the periods.

You get the sense that not everything is as it seems. Not really sure whats what, Eddie, who is recounting the story tends to neglect telling you all, leaving a bit for later. So do not get comfortable while reading cause you never know what is right around the corner.

This review was originally posted on The Pfaeffle Journal