All My Colors by David Quantick is the story of Todd Milstead. Described as an egotistical a-hole— he’s a wannabe writer who talks a great deal more about writing and writers, than actually doing the work. His eidetic memory makes him able to quote books at length—a trick he uses at parties, mostly to the amusement of himself. When he finds himself quoting whole sections of a classic book nobody has heard of, All My Colors, he goes into a mania trying to track it down. When he fails to find any evidence of the book’s existence, and he can’t get the story out of his head, a supernatural force seems to force him through the process of pounding it out on his typewriter in a few days—the physical toll of which is described in humorous, graphic detail. After a publisher picks up the story, and it becomes a bestseller during his book tour, the otherworldly madness begins.
I enjoyed All My Colors. It kept me turning the pages and had dark humor throughout. It very much had the feel of a classic horror story à la Twilight Zone, Tales From the Crypt, etc. where the person gets their comeuppance and through the horror or shock there’s a moral to be had. This made it familiar and fun, while fortunately original enough to be unpredictable. It also reminded me of some Chuck Palahniuk books—with a self-absorbed male slacker anti-hero (likable enough however), the delight the author takes of running the protagonist through the rungs, and the sarcasm. This is a light horror story, in that although there’s moments of gruesome detail, it’s infrequent and counterpointed with comedy. The supernatural suspense is key in keeping the story moving.
Although Milstead is described as a jerk, Quantick makes him likable. That’s partly because of his one-liners and partly because, although he behaves badly and makes some poor decisions, he’s grappling at being a better person—just like most of us. One complaint some may have is that the supporting characters, for the most part, are not so memorable, apart from perhaps a Middle-earth obsessed bookstore owner. They are all supporting characters to Todd, which I guess is sort of the point, but with uninspired female characters, any message about the effects of toxic masculinity come off as a little less than sincere.
Fortunately, I didn’t approach this book expecting any deep revelations. I expected a fun supernatural romp and a little escapism, both of which I received. Although there might not be anything transformative about the story, it provides a bit of ghoulish fun and excitement, and not a few laughs. If you’re looking for a horror story that doesn’t take itself too seriously, All My Colors should fit the bill!
~ Ben, Adult Services