Review: The Chalk Man by C.J. Tudor

Title: The Chalk Man

Series: Stand-Alone

Author: C.J. Tudor

Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Publication Date: January 9th 2018, by Crown Publishing Group (NY)

Format: Hardcover

Source: I received this book in blogging for books programs in exchange for an honest review.

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Rating: 

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?

Holy crap I had no idea what I was going to read in The Chalk Man I heard mix reviews about it, but when I had I chance to get it and you bet I was going to check this book out and see if I like it or not. I will tell you this book is not for every reader which I can totally understand why some readers didn't like it and that is totally ok because I love seeing different opinions in reviews as well. But I absolutely love and enjoy this book so much I don't want to go into any details about The Chalk Man because I don't want to be too a spoiler. But this book I mean This Freaking Book yall wow, wow, wow, I absolutely love thrillers book and The Chalk Man was so much more than a thriller book. From the prologue at the very beginning intraps you and get you thinking about what it is going on. This book has alternate timelines one set in the past of 1986 to 2016 30 years later around Eddie Addams and his friends, which I will tell you that Eddie and his friends to me were unlikable characters I really didn't connect to them or even like any of them especially I didn't like Eddie. I really can't explain why I didn't like or connect with any of these characters it's just I didn't, but that's ok I really don't mind reading unlikable characters because I love reading books with unlikable characters if that makes sense. But this book goes back to the year of 1986 when Eddie and his friend were kids hanging out during the summer and getting ready for the new school year. Now Eddie and his friends do normal kids stuff during the summer and school year when one day Eddie saw a chalk message on the sidewalk what he thought was one of his friend that made it from him, but it was actually a more sinister message that leads Eddie and his group of friends to a body in the woods and that they were lead there by The Chalk Man. Now while reading The Chalk Man you read from the past 1986 to 30 years later at 2016 I really don't mind the alternate timelines I thought it added more to the plotlines and characters in this amazing book. There are so many dark secrets that Eddie and his friends were keeping from each other and there were so many twists and turns in this book that I so didn't see it coming! Especially that ending OMGosh that ending caught me way off guard I so didn't see it coming I mean it shouldn't have surprised me but it absolutely surprises me at the end. Now I am going to stop here without getting too a spoiler but all and all I absolutely love and enjoy The Chalk Man I will most diffidently continue on reading more books by C.J. Tudor in the near future.

*** I received this book in blogging for books programs in exchange for an honest review, thank you so much to Crown Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review The Chalk Man! ***

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C. J. Tudor was born in Salisbury and grew up in Nottingham, where she still lives with her partner and young daughter.

She left school at sixteen and has had a variety of jobs over the years, including trainee reporter, radio scriptwriter, shop assistant, ad agency copywriter and voiceover.

In the early nineties, she fell into a job as a television presenter for a show on Channel 4 called Moviewatch. Although a terrible presenter, she got to interview acting legends such as Sigourney Weaver, Michael Douglas, Emma Thompson and Robin Williams. She also annoyed Tim Robbins by asking a question about Susan Sarandon’s breasts and was extremely flattered when Robert Downey Junior showed her his chest.

While writing the Chalk Man she ran a dog-walking business, walking over twenty dogs a week as well as looking after her little girl.

She’s been writing since she was a child but only knuckled down to it properly in her thirties. Her English teacher once told her that if she ‘did not become Prime Minister or a best-selling author’ he would be ‘very disappointed.’

The Chalk Man was inspired by a tub of chalks a friend bought for her daughter’s second birthday. One afternoon they drew chalk figures all over the driveway. Later that night she opened the back door to be confronted by weird stick men everywhere. In the dark, they looked incredibly sinister. She called to her partner: ‘These chalk men look really creepy in the dark . . .’

She is never knowingly over-dressed. She has never owned a handbag and the last time she wore heels (twelve years ago) she broke a tooth.

She loves The Killers, Foo Fighters and Frank Turner. Her favourite venue is Rock City.

Her favourite films are Ghostbusters and The Lost Boys. Her favourite authors are Stephen King, Michael Marshall and Harlan Coben.

She is SO glad she was a teenager in the eighties.

She firmly believes that there are no finer meals than takeaway pizza and champagne, or chips with curry sauce after a night out.

Everyone calls her Caz.