Todd Milstead is a jackass; barely tolerated by a few close friends who love his whiskey more than him and loathed by almost everybody else, his arrogance and self-satisfaction mark him for a comeuppance well overdue. Until one night when he discovers that he can recall a book, word for word, that no one else has ever heard of – the titular All My Colors. Being a wannabe writer who, until this moment hasn’t managed to construct enough narrative to fit on a napkin, Todd decides that this is his chance, and while fending off an acrimonious divorce sets about writing the next Great American Novel.
After all, if no one else can remember the book, then surely it’s his for the taking? And that’s when the weird starts.
All My Colors is the latest novel from the writer of Veep and The Thick of It, David Quantick, who this time takes a twisty look at the Publishing industry and the pain of trying to write something, sometimes anything, that might help you leave a mark. In this case it comes with a high price for Todd and his long suffering friends, proving a cautionary tale at chasing your dreams at any cost, and serving up an end reminiscent of an episode of Tales from the Crypt – weird but deserved and with a cackley twinkle.
Titan Books is promoting this to fans of Chuck Palahniuck and I can’t think of a more appropriate comparison. All My Colors is dark and twisty and has a horrible protagonist, even in his nicer moments and so-called reformation. While the end feels a little bit too rushed and the atmosphere is all over the place, it carries enough threads of curiosity through it to keep you turning the pages and wondering how they can all be tied together. Has Todd really witnessed what he thought he witnessed? Is he going mad? Or is something more malevolent at work? And will it all be worth it in the end?
I was provided a copy of All My Colors for a fair and honest review. I’d give it about 3 and a half stars (out of 5). It’s not average, but it’s not shot to the top of my must read lists either.
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