The Chalk Man

by C. J. Tudor

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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.