All My Colors by David Quantick

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One of my favorite things to do is find books in unlikely places. The bargain bin at Menards? Often, it’s a gold mine. Dollar Tree? I have found some wildly popular bestsellers there for a handful of quarters. This is one of those books that I discovered on the back of the shelf and it cost me four whole quarters. Why did I pick it? I liked the cover. That was my entire justification for buying it. I then let it sit on my shelf for several years as I often do with my book purchases because there is nothing wrong with that.

But then I picked it up on my quest to read more of my physical book and immediately hated every single character. Everyone is awful! Well, one person is fine but you don’t know that until nearly the end and I’m not spoiling that for you. But the story and the writing is so wild and compelling that you can’t help but get sucked in. I may have had this book for years, but I finished it in two days.

From the Publisher:

It is March 1979 in DeKalb, Illinois. Todd Milstead is a wannabe writer, a serial adulterer, and a jerk, only tolerated by his friends because he throws the best parties with the best booze. During one particular party, Todd is showing off his perfect recall, quoting poetry and literature word-for-word plucked from his eidetic memory. When he begins quoting from a book no one else seems to know, a novel called All My Colors, Todd is incredulous. He can quote it from cover to cover and yet it doesn't seem to exist. With a looming divorce and mounting financial worries, Todd finally tries to write a novel, with the vague idea of making money from his talent. The only problem is he can't write. But the book - All My Colors - is there in his head. Todd makes a decision: he will "write" this book that nobody but him can remember. After all, if nobody's heard of it, how can he get into trouble? As the dire consequences of his actions come home to both Todd and his long-suffering friends, it becomes clear that there is a high - and painful - price to pay for his crime.

This book is wild. Todd Milstead is one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve ever come across. He is given numerous chances to not just be a better person, but to be the bare-minimum of a decent human being, and at every turn, he fails spectacularly. The punishments he receives for constantly choosing to be a jerk are absolutely incredible. It is so darkly comical and slapstick that I had to reread several passages multiple times to make sure I was reading it correctly. I really enjoyed how Quantick wove together the fantastical elements with the darkly humorous realistic elements. Unfortunately for some of our characters, they meet some pretty inexplicable fates.

Overall, I found this book fascinating. The characters are well-developed, the writing is absolutely compelling, and it’s perfectly paced. I found it to be darkly funny and wildly unpredictable. If you’re looking for a weird and quirky read, this should be top of your list.

If you’d like more information about this title, including ordering information, you can click on the cover above. This post may contain links, including Amazon Associate Links, and I may earn from qualifying purchases. All opinions and mistakes are my own.