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All My Colors
From Emmy-award winning author David Quantick, All My Colors is a darkly comic novel about a man who remembers a book that may not exist, with dire consequences. A bizarre, mind-bending story at the intersection of Richard Bachman, Charlie Kaufman and Franz Kafka.
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 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.
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 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.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2019
63 people are currently reading
1325 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 204 reviews
January 26, 2024
If I see a premise like ‘man remembers a book that everyone else insists doesn’t exist’, I am instantly sold. All My Colors follows an obnoxious would-be writer, Todd, who’s outraged to find he’s the only one among his friends – in his whole town, even – who’s heard of the classic novel ‘All My Colors’ by Jake Turner. When he discovers he’s seemingly the only person who knows of it full stop, he decides to publish the thing himself and cash in. But, of course, when he does so, he quickly realises the original book will (literally) haunt him every step of the way. It’s fast-paced and funny – the blurb uses the word ‘rollicking’ and that actually feels appropriate. I’m always pleased when stories like this manage not to descend into some garbled cosmic horror nonsense; impressively, All My Colors maintains its tone and narrative control to the very end. A fun, quick, well-pitched horror novel that actually lives up to its concept – really good!
April 22, 2019
If you like your main characters to be likeable, you might struggle a little with this to begin with, as the main character of David Quantick's All My Colors, Todd Milstead, is introduced on the very first page as not only being a "jerk" but a jerk who "was giving free rein to his inner dickhead." But the writing is so good - and so funny - that you won't care. Todd does have sporadic moments of self-awareness and at certain points it feels like he may learn and avoid the doom we know he's heading towards- but this is the kind of story where the chance of redemption is given and the character f***s it up (this is, after all, a morality tale as well as a satirical one). I've seen it likened to an episode of The Twilight Zone and that's not a bad thumbnail description, along with some very wry meditations on the act of writing, inspiration and plagiarism. Both funny and creepy, Todd Milstead's All My Colors may not be the real deal but Quantick's is!
April 10, 2024
CRITIQUE:
An Idea for a Book Review (That Just Came Out of Nowhere)
[Apologies to David Quantick]
This novel is so well woven together, its themes and narrative so neatly combined, that it is difficult to find a part that doesn't contain a necessary revelation or a major plot twist.
"All My Colors" is a tour de force. But it's more than that. Tours de force come and go. This book is special. Find it. Buy it. Read it.
First editions of this book are going to be valuable.
"All My Colors" is the book of the year, if not the decade. It combines a modern attitude to life and society with an almost arch 1950s feel, almost as if David Quantick's novel has been transported from an earlier time, with a frank contemporary take on the war between men and women running through it like a seam of antiquated yet still valuable ore.
Move over, Saul Bellow, and let David Quantick (1) take over.
The Mathematics of Borges' Library of Babel
FOOTNOTES:
(1) I recall David Quantick as a music journalist who wrote for New Musical Express (NME) in the early 1980's. He often wrote about one of my favourite bands, the Jesus and Mary Chain. This novel is named after a song by another one of my favourite bands, Echo & the Bunnymen, whom I was lucky to see live twice in the early 80's.
SOUNDTRACK:
An Idea for a Book Review (That Just Came Out of Nowhere)
[Apologies to David Quantick]
This novel is so well woven together, its themes and narrative so neatly combined, that it is difficult to find a part that doesn't contain a necessary revelation or a major plot twist.
"All My Colors" is a tour de force. But it's more than that. Tours de force come and go. This book is special. Find it. Buy it. Read it.
First editions of this book are going to be valuable.
"All My Colors" is the book of the year, if not the decade. It combines a modern attitude to life and society with an almost arch 1950s feel, almost as if David Quantick's novel has been transported from an earlier time, with a frank contemporary take on the war between men and women running through it like a seam of antiquated yet still valuable ore.
Move over, Saul Bellow, and let David Quantick (1) take over.
The Mathematics of Borges' Library of Babel
FOOTNOTES:
(1) I recall David Quantick as a music journalist who wrote for New Musical Express (NME) in the early 1980's. He often wrote about one of my favourite bands, the Jesus and Mary Chain. This novel is named after a song by another one of my favourite bands, Echo & the Bunnymen, whom I was lucky to see live twice in the early 80's.
SOUNDTRACK:
August 19, 2019
This just didn't work for me. It's horror and a "mortality tale" (I don't like them, I don't) but both seemed disconnected to the MC. Horror things happened but they happened to other people, and the MC didn't know about them until much later. The morality aspect fell flat because we spend like 95% of the book in this asshole's dream life. The "mortality" tale part comes in at the very, very end and is very underwhelming.
Basically, there's this asshole who thinks he's this great author but he never writes. He abuses all his friends and family. He also has a perfect memory and just so happens to remember a book no one's heard of. So, naturally, he decides to write this book. It becomes a best seller. He turns into a nicer, kinder person. He lives his dream life. Then there's that morality bit at the end. But he's happy through most of the book.
Oh, shit happens to people around him. But what's the point of that? The MC is just told of these things, sometimes they happened months ago. Very little weird happens to him. He's just la-de-da in his happy best selling author life until he isn't. Big whoop.
The reason I gave this 2 stars was because it was very readable, despite being very bland.
Basically, there's this asshole who thinks he's this great author but he never writes. He abuses all his friends and family. He also has a perfect memory and just so happens to remember a book no one's heard of. So, naturally, he decides to write this book. It becomes a best seller. He turns into a nicer, kinder person. He lives his dream life. Then there's that morality bit at the end. But he's happy through most of the book.
Oh, shit happens to people around him. But what's the point of that? The MC is just told of these things, sometimes they happened months ago. Very little weird happens to him. He's just la-de-da in his happy best selling author life until he isn't. Big whoop.
The reason I gave this 2 stars was because it was very readable, despite being very bland.
November 15, 2021
I remember reading Stephen King and he could take a mundane task and make it full of tension.
It was the same for this book. It made me feel creeped out the whole way through. I wasn't even sure why! It grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let go. I had to keep reading. I was reading late through the night, I was reading at the bus stop. If I had a spare couple of minutes, I would grab the book. Even though it's over, I miss it. I miss the feeling it gave me. Thank you for writing this and reminding me of the books I love.
It was the same for this book. It made me feel creeped out the whole way through. I wasn't even sure why! It grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let go. I had to keep reading. I was reading late through the night, I was reading at the bus stop. If I had a spare couple of minutes, I would grab the book. Even though it's over, I miss it. I miss the feeling it gave me. Thank you for writing this and reminding me of the books I love.
February 9, 2021
This was a fun read, easy and light and with some intrigue and mystery.
Unfortunately the book tries to make a point but doesn't understand what point it's trying to make, exactly. It's clear the story is INTENDED to be about toxic male artists using women and their pain as means for their own art and success. When it comes down to actually making this point though, Quantick is confused and suffers from a common issue among 'woke male writers' who want to write something saying "look, see? I get it! I'm one of the good ones" and then proceeds to show you that he either does NOT get it or he gets it and is too incompetent a writer to convey it.
spoilers
I felt like the ending was supposed to be Todd getting his comeuppance, he had done what all the other men who were killed had done- except, you know, he DIDN'T. Jake's ghost tells him he was just as guilty, that he had stolen the book and caused a murder ("the ghost lady killed the bookstore guy because you wrote the thing in your head"). It's bullshit, just absolute bullshit. All the men before him (and Quantick makes sure to emphasize MEN, because he can't trust his readers to understand subtext or put the theme together unless he spells it out) stole the story from a woman and murdered a woman. Todd did neither. He was an asshole and a misogynist and a cheater, none of which are crimes worthy of death, none of which put him in the same group as the previous men who wrote All My Colors. The book is put in his head by the ghost, who then kills a lot of men and Todd in the end, which is basically entrapment and in the end only makes me feel sympathetic for todd, which should not have been the outcome and I don't think that was intended.
The themes and message seem muddy, and like I mentioned above, like a performative display of wokeness that isn't backed by an actual understanding of the harm done to women, nor does it give the women any real focus- they're all used as backdrops to check in on Todds emotional and mental state, which I guess isn't hypocritical since the book isn't about that aspect, but it does still feel lazy on the writers part.
It does seem a bit ironic though that a man is writing a book about how men use womens lives and pain as material for their art and commerce, thus using an aspect of womens marginalization and suffering as means to write a book that will profit him and win him cultural points. It seems fitting, after reading the book, since he's clearly able to see the issue but can't really go any further than mere observation- he doesn't really know WHY it's bad, and the meta-aspect of the book is further proof of that.
Swing and a miss. This book is definitely fun if you're a writer or wannabe writer though.
Unfortunately the book tries to make a point but doesn't understand what point it's trying to make, exactly. It's clear the story is INTENDED to be about toxic male artists using women and their pain as means for their own art and success. When it comes down to actually making this point though, Quantick is confused and suffers from a common issue among 'woke male writers' who want to write something saying "look, see? I get it! I'm one of the good ones" and then proceeds to show you that he either does NOT get it or he gets it and is too incompetent a writer to convey it.
spoilers
I felt like the ending was supposed to be Todd getting his comeuppance, he had done what all the other men who were killed had done- except, you know, he DIDN'T. Jake's ghost tells him he was just as guilty, that he had stolen the book and caused a murder ("the ghost lady killed the bookstore guy because you wrote the thing in your head"). It's bullshit, just absolute bullshit. All the men before him (and Quantick makes sure to emphasize MEN, because he can't trust his readers to understand subtext or put the theme together unless he spells it out) stole the story from a woman and murdered a woman. Todd did neither. He was an asshole and a misogynist and a cheater, none of which are crimes worthy of death, none of which put him in the same group as the previous men who wrote All My Colors. The book is put in his head by the ghost, who then kills a lot of men and Todd in the end, which is basically entrapment and in the end only makes me feel sympathetic for todd, which should not have been the outcome and I don't think that was intended.
The themes and message seem muddy, and like I mentioned above, like a performative display of wokeness that isn't backed by an actual understanding of the harm done to women, nor does it give the women any real focus- they're all used as backdrops to check in on Todds emotional and mental state, which I guess isn't hypocritical since the book isn't about that aspect, but it does still feel lazy on the writers part.
It does seem a bit ironic though that a man is writing a book about how men use womens lives and pain as material for their art and commerce, thus using an aspect of womens marginalization and suffering as means to write a book that will profit him and win him cultural points. It seems fitting, after reading the book, since he's clearly able to see the issue but can't really go any further than mere observation- he doesn't really know WHY it's bad, and the meta-aspect of the book is further proof of that.
Swing and a miss. This book is definitely fun if you're a writer or wannabe writer though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 21, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book although I really don't quite get why. It's an odd mix of dry comedy with sharp bursts of body horror, all the while coming off a bit like an episode of The Twilight Zone where the overarching message is men are the absolute worst!
I was sucked in by the fact the author writes for Veep and The Thick of It but in all honesty this couldn't be much further from either of those.
I would give it 3.5 stars if Goodreads allowed. It's an easy, breezy bit of fun if you like your novels a little different.
I was sucked in by the fact the author writes for Veep and The Thick of It but in all honesty this couldn't be much further from either of those.
I would give it 3.5 stars if Goodreads allowed. It's an easy, breezy bit of fun if you like your novels a little different.
April 20, 2019
Who doesn’t like a horror tale where the mediocre but very loud man gets his just desserts? Funny and pacy
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...
July 23, 2019
This was such a cool story. I’ve never heard of David Quantick but this book popped up in my recommended, so on a whim I decided to give it a try and I’m so glad I did.
I strangely enjoyed disliking the asshole main character, and had mixed emotions about his almost success as a writer. I’m almost surprised I was so pulled into this book with Todd being such a jerk, but I found myself almost wanting him to succeed and then I found myself confused because he was such a jerk, why would I want him to succeed?
Quantick’s writing style is great- it’s just descriptive enough to pull you into the story but not enough to bore you with too many details. The story line itself is my favorite part of this book. I love the idea (as I’m sure a lot of writers would) of a book just popping into my head and all I have to do is let it out- be the copyist. I wish it was that easy (minus the adult diapers, of course).
I’ll admit I was hoping for a little more from the ending. I’m not sure what exactly- I did like the Epilogue and how it might leave room for a sequel. I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like the ending didn’t quite match the rest of the book.
But with that said, I still recommend reading All My Colors, especially if you enjoy darker stories. It’s not quite horror, I don’t think, but it’s dark. If you enjoy Stephen King, you’ll probably enjoy this book too. Also, (I know this could be said much more eloquently but this is just how I roll) this really was such a cool story. So if you’re not sure if you should read it, just read it. It’s worth the time, besides what else are you going to do? Scroll social media?
I strangely enjoyed disliking the asshole main character, and had mixed emotions about his almost success as a writer. I’m almost surprised I was so pulled into this book with Todd being such a jerk, but I found myself almost wanting him to succeed and then I found myself confused because he was such a jerk, why would I want him to succeed?
Quantick’s writing style is great- it’s just descriptive enough to pull you into the story but not enough to bore you with too many details. The story line itself is my favorite part of this book. I love the idea (as I’m sure a lot of writers would) of a book just popping into my head and all I have to do is let it out- be the copyist. I wish it was that easy (minus the adult diapers, of course).
I’ll admit I was hoping for a little more from the ending. I’m not sure what exactly- I did like the Epilogue and how it might leave room for a sequel. I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel like the ending didn’t quite match the rest of the book.
But with that said, I still recommend reading All My Colors, especially if you enjoy darker stories. It’s not quite horror, I don’t think, but it’s dark. If you enjoy Stephen King, you’ll probably enjoy this book too. Also, (I know this could be said much more eloquently but this is just how I roll) this really was such a cool story. So if you’re not sure if you should read it, just read it. It’s worth the time, besides what else are you going to do? Scroll social media?
April 22, 2019
I was in my late teens when Jurassic Park and The Firm were originally published. While reading those books, I couldn't sleep until I read one more chapter. Of course one more chapter turned into “All the Chapters” and I was exhausted at high school the next day.
This was a new phenomenon for me. I had heard people say they couldn't put a book down, but I had never heard of people not being able to sleep because they were so engaged with the plot. That's the power of a good book.
I'd regularly experience it after that into my early 20s and then the magic stopped. I know part of that had to do with age and priorities and so on. It's been a long, long while since I've read a book that kept me up until the wee hours of the morning.
All My Colors broke that trend. I couldn't sleep until this book was done (and this was on the first night I started it). And I don't even mean “fighting off sleep so I can power through and finish.” No, this was a bona fide NEED to know how this is all going to end.
Quantic set the hook during a particularly uncomfortable and chilling scene in a library. At that moment, I was in it for good, almost as if I was driven similarly by the same supernatural energies that made Todd Milstead write the novel that shares this novel's title.
As someone else has said already, All My Colors is indeed the love child of Franz Kafka, Charlie Kaufman and Richard Bachman. And that's a good thing through and through. Read this book.
Though you might want to pace yourself if you have to get up for work in the morning.
This was a new phenomenon for me. I had heard people say they couldn't put a book down, but I had never heard of people not being able to sleep because they were so engaged with the plot. That's the power of a good book.
I'd regularly experience it after that into my early 20s and then the magic stopped. I know part of that had to do with age and priorities and so on. It's been a long, long while since I've read a book that kept me up until the wee hours of the morning.
All My Colors broke that trend. I couldn't sleep until this book was done (and this was on the first night I started it). And I don't even mean “fighting off sleep so I can power through and finish.” No, this was a bona fide NEED to know how this is all going to end.
Quantic set the hook during a particularly uncomfortable and chilling scene in a library. At that moment, I was in it for good, almost as if I was driven similarly by the same supernatural energies that made Todd Milstead write the novel that shares this novel's title.
As someone else has said already, All My Colors is indeed the love child of Franz Kafka, Charlie Kaufman and Richard Bachman. And that's a good thing through and through. Read this book.
Though you might want to pace yourself if you have to get up for work in the morning.
May 4, 2019
2.5 stars. I picked this book up because I wanted something to get me out of my reading slump. At first, I was intrigued and I enjoyed the books beginning but by the end, the whole mystery of Helen just didn't make any sense to me at all. I finished Al My Colors not understanding anything.
June 16, 2019
Goosebumps for adults.... I dig it.
July 12, 2019
Would make a great twilight zone episode
December 4, 2019
Weird. So very weird. Weird in a good way, a great way, but still.....weird.
Bit sad the ending seemed a little rushed and confused but the build up was entertaining - funny, dark and sharp.
Bit sad the ending seemed a little rushed and confused but the build up was entertaining - funny, dark and sharp.
April 13, 2019
Starts with a Saturday night meeting of writers, struggling ones, and strange conversing on Norman Mailer and a story of a women and a case of wanting a finger sawn off.
Main protagonist Todd Milstead has a Jerk-off room.
Which writer has that?
There will be dark comedy in the narrative and I happen to be in need of a laugh or two.
Struggling writer to successfull published first novel, but at what cost and length of the road will this main character Todd partake upon?
Absurdities await the to be novelist of something that well you must discover but don’t take it all serious there is dark humour on the road of this authors writing life, one that is succumbed within that great or not so great pursuit of a published novel.
Review also @ More2Read
Main protagonist Todd Milstead has a Jerk-off room.
Which writer has that?
There will be dark comedy in the narrative and I happen to be in need of a laugh or two.
Struggling writer to successfull published first novel, but at what cost and length of the road will this main character Todd partake upon?
Absurdities await the to be novelist of something that well you must discover but don’t take it all serious there is dark humour on the road of this authors writing life, one that is succumbed within that great or not so great pursuit of a published novel.
Review also @ More2Read
November 18, 2020
Man, Todd Milstead is a jerk.
Making the protagonist of All My Colors such a thoroughgoing asshole right off the bat was a gutsy move, all right, and a risky one on David Quantick's part. Those first few pages were pretty hard going for me, and I came close to giving up on this novel. But Todd starts getting his comeuppance pretty quickly—we can see it coming even if he can't—and that makes up for a lot.
See, Todd's a writer—or he would be, except that he doesn't ever, y'know, actually write anything. So when Todd suddenly and with eerie precision (even for a guy who's inordinately proud of his "eidetic memory") remembers an entire novel that no one's ever heard of—Jake Turner's forgotten masterpiece All My Colors—and he can't find a copy anywhere on his shelves, or in the bookstore, or at the library either... he decides that it won't hurt anyone to just start... typing it out for himself.
If you've ever seen The Shining, you'll probably remember what Jack Torrance had been typing all along, while he was hard at work at the Overlook Hotel. The novel Todd Milstead transcribes is... well, it's not like that, really, but All My Colors does share some attributes with Torrance's obsessive work... just as David Quantick's All My Colors does with Stephen King's.
*
All My Colors is short and compulsively readable—I finished it in a single day, despite distractions—but even so David Quantick tucks in some good points (the phrase "morality tale" does seem appropriate) in between the jump scares and gory set pieces.
And, sneakily, Quantick actually makes Todd more likeable as his situation deteriorates. But not too likeable—Todd remains a jerk, the guy you'll come to love to hate.
*
I was pointed toward All My Colors by John Scalzi's long-running blog, Whatever. I've gleaned several such successful recommendations from Scalzi's "The Big Idea" series over the years, by the way—and, in case you can't tell, I think the way Scalzi lends his spotlight so graciously to other authors is one of his more admirable habits. He's no Todd Milstead.
*
I'd like to think I'm not as much of a jerk as Todd is, in general... but if a whole novel presented itself to me, ready to be transcribed, I have to ask myself: would I be able to resist the temptation?
Would you?
One thing about Todd Milstead, he knew when to ignore a hint. Put Todd Milstead in a Victorian Christmas story, have him visited by three Christmas ghosts, and at the very last he'd still be maintaining it was someone else's fault and what the fuck was Bob Cratchit bitching about anyway.
—p.69
Making the protagonist of All My Colors such a thoroughgoing asshole right off the bat was a gutsy move, all right, and a risky one on David Quantick's part. Those first few pages were pretty hard going for me, and I came close to giving up on this novel. But Todd starts getting his comeuppance pretty quickly—we can see it coming even if he can't—and that makes up for a lot.
See, Todd's a writer—or he would be, except that he doesn't ever, y'know, actually write anything. So when Todd suddenly and with eerie precision (even for a guy who's inordinately proud of his "eidetic memory") remembers an entire novel that no one's ever heard of—Jake Turner's forgotten masterpiece All My Colors—and he can't find a copy anywhere on his shelves, or in the bookstore, or at the library either... he decides that it won't hurt anyone to just start... typing it out for himself.
If you've ever seen The Shining, you'll probably remember what Jack Torrance had been typing all along, while he was hard at work at the Overlook Hotel. The novel Todd Milstead transcribes is... well, it's not like that, really, but All My Colors does share some attributes with Torrance's obsessive work... just as David Quantick's All My Colors does with Stephen King's.
*
All My Colors is short and compulsively readable—I finished it in a single day, despite distractions—but even so David Quantick tucks in some good points (the phrase "morality tale" does seem appropriate) in between the jump scares and gory set pieces.
And, sneakily, Quantick actually makes Todd more likeable as his situation deteriorates. But not too likeable—Todd remains a jerk, the guy you'll come to love to hate.
*
I was pointed toward All My Colors by John Scalzi's long-running blog, Whatever. I've gleaned several such successful recommendations from Scalzi's "The Big Idea" series over the years, by the way—and, in case you can't tell, I think the way Scalzi lends his spotlight so graciously to other authors is one of his more admirable habits. He's no Todd Milstead.
*
I'd like to think I'm not as much of a jerk as Todd is, in general... but if a whole novel presented itself to me, ready to be transcribed, I have to ask myself: would I be able to resist the temptation?
Would you?
December 16, 2018
So, kind of an odd book, and not something I would typically pick up (expanding my perspectives!), but it kept me turning pages until the end. It's a great premise, and I just had to connect the dots laid out in the beginning. For those who like quirky, speculative, horror-ish fiction.
October 4, 2025
You know what really sucks? When a good book stumbles at the finish line. Don’t get me wrong, I know how hard it is to write an ending bur in my opinion, All My Colors is a perfectly executed triple axel where the skater catches their blade on the landing.
I gave the book a 3.75 out of 5.00 overall, but really, it’s a rating in two parts. The first 90% of the book would have given it a spot on my best books of the year list, but the last 10% makes the rating plummet. David Quantick tries to be cheeky with a fourth-wall-break big reveal that, to me, cheapened everything that came before it. Instead of being wowed by an excellent book, I was left frustrated.
So with that rant out of the way, let’s break it down. The premise, although done before, is a classic for a reason. The aspiring writer who’s suddenly given the perfect book from an unknown source and is propelled into stardom, only for all the success to come with more conditions than anyone could have ever expected? A modern twist on a Faustian deal! Great!
Finding out that the supernatural source of the book is some ambiguous angry female entity with motivations too complex for us mere mortals to comprehend and powers of almost godlike magnitude? I’m not opposed to a Diabolus ex Machina, but make it a good one at least?
Anyway… If you’re going to read this book, stop when Todd goes on the talk show. From there, imagine an ending for yourself. Whatever you decide to envision, it’ll be better than the real ending.
Like I said, the first 90% were great and it’s only by the rule of averages that this book ended up with it’s 3.75 rating.
I gave the book a 3.75 out of 5.00 overall, but really, it’s a rating in two parts. The first 90% of the book would have given it a spot on my best books of the year list, but the last 10% makes the rating plummet. David Quantick tries to be cheeky with a fourth-wall-break big reveal that, to me, cheapened everything that came before it. Instead of being wowed by an excellent book, I was left frustrated.
So with that rant out of the way, let’s break it down. The premise, although done before, is a classic for a reason. The aspiring writer who’s suddenly given the perfect book from an unknown source and is propelled into stardom, only for all the success to come with more conditions than anyone could have ever expected? A modern twist on a Faustian deal! Great!
Finding out that the supernatural source of the book is some ambiguous angry female entity with motivations too complex for us mere mortals to comprehend and powers of almost godlike magnitude? I’m not opposed to a Diabolus ex Machina, but make it a good one at least?
Anyway… If you’re going to read this book, stop when Todd goes on the talk show. From there, imagine an ending for yourself. Whatever you decide to envision, it’ll be better than the real ending.
Like I said, the first 90% were great and it’s only by the rule of averages that this book ended up with it’s 3.75 rating.
January 12, 2024
3.5 Stars rounded up. Honestly, I would've liked this book a lot more if it was focused on the villain, and probably wouldn't have liked it at all if I wasn't a struggling writer myself. A friend recently mentioned that she had just read through Y: The Last Man and when I asked what she thought of it her response was, "why did it have to be focused on the man?" Which pretty much sums up my issues with this book. Especially given that the moral part was focused on misogynistic plagiarism. I liked the cosmic horror aspects, though, and I like books that deal with the concept of creative expression, and books that deal with gender roles, but honestly I feel like combining those issues in a work of fiction often doesn't work well due to how painful the historical reality of female representation in the arts is. At least the asshole gets their comeuppance in this one. I'm looking at you, Addie LaRue.
February 27, 2019
Some asshole is the only person who knows a book, so he writes it it himself. Turns out it's really good, and then the accolades start rolling in. Sure, it might be plagiarism, but so what? It's not hurting anyone, right? Wrong.
I found All My Colors to be a wild, and at times frightening book. It's kind of like a David Lynch movie, one of the Coen Brother's stranger offerings, or the magnificent White Tears (which is also about a person who "steals" an un-attributable work and then has to "pay the piper" as it were). It starts out normal enough, then some small weird things start happening, but we don't really have time to dwell on them. Then, about halfway through, things start getting really strange, then things start getting just plain old scary.
It's got the right mix of strange and scary, but I do have just two critiques of it; and SPOILERS will happen in this paragraph: First, we're told that Todd, the main character, is an asshole, but we're never really shown the full extent of his assholery. Yes, he cheats on his wife, and yes, that's a bad thing to do, but does he really deserve his fate? (To say nothing of several of his friends and acquaintances, who also meet grisly ends.) There's a lot of jerks and philanderers out there, so what made Todd so special? Which leads to my second point: If everyone who cheated on their spouse (not to mention innocent people in their orbit) suffered the same fate as Todd, there would be way more unexplained disappearances and mutilations happening. Hell, if you just limited that to male aspiring writers who cheat on their wives, there would probably be an All My Colors situation happening every day. So why Todd?
Anyways, don't let my critiques ruin the book for you. It's a damn fine story.
Note: I read an ARC, which may differ from the final version that is due out in April.
I found All My Colors to be a wild, and at times frightening book. It's kind of like a David Lynch movie, one of the Coen Brother's stranger offerings, or the magnificent White Tears (which is also about a person who "steals" an un-attributable work and then has to "pay the piper" as it were). It starts out normal enough, then some small weird things start happening, but we don't really have time to dwell on them. Then, about halfway through, things start getting really strange, then things start getting just plain old scary.
It's got the right mix of strange and scary, but I do have just two critiques of it; and SPOILERS will happen in this paragraph: First, we're told that Todd, the main character, is an asshole, but we're never really shown the full extent of his assholery. Yes, he cheats on his wife, and yes, that's a bad thing to do, but does he really deserve his fate? (To say nothing of several of his friends and acquaintances, who also meet grisly ends.) There's a lot of jerks and philanderers out there, so what made Todd so special? Which leads to my second point: If everyone who cheated on their spouse (not to mention innocent people in their orbit) suffered the same fate as Todd, there would be way more unexplained disappearances and mutilations happening. Hell, if you just limited that to male aspiring writers who cheat on their wives, there would probably be an All My Colors situation happening every day. So why Todd?
Anyways, don't let my critiques ruin the book for you. It's a damn fine story.
Note: I read an ARC, which may differ from the final version that is due out in April.
December 3, 2021
Todd, wannabe author & huge asshole, suddenly remembers a book - remembers the full story paragraph by paragraph - but nobody else seems to remember that the book ever existed. And so Todd decides to write if himself - hungry for fame and money the book almost possesses him. Everything goes so well...but he quickly realizes that the dreams coming true are nightmares in disguise.
------ SPOILERS - - - - - - -
This book is fun! You get a good look into the publishing industry with our main character Todd trying to become the next Stephen King. Todd is honestly such a jerk (kudos to the author. He wrote his assholeness so well). He's arrogant and narcissistic and is also not contributing anything to society. But when the book idea gets into his head and he suddenly is able to write, you almost cheer for him.
There was one point when I really wanted him to succeed because deep down he's a decent human being that is capable of loving and kindness. We saw how his personality has shifted throughout the book and that was so well made. It was an incredible change but also believable.
I was really disappointed in him when he fell back in this old toxic ways. "what a f***ing ass"i wanted to scream.
The storyline is funny and disturbing at the same time. I love the revenge aspect of it and how the story proceeded at the end with so many more scenarios from the past. It was super interesting. Like a curse that can't be broken and haunts generations of generations. The muse of death - nice!
------ SPOILERS - - - - - - -
This book is fun! You get a good look into the publishing industry with our main character Todd trying to become the next Stephen King. Todd is honestly such a jerk (kudos to the author. He wrote his assholeness so well). He's arrogant and narcissistic and is also not contributing anything to society. But when the book idea gets into his head and he suddenly is able to write, you almost cheer for him.
There was one point when I really wanted him to succeed because deep down he's a decent human being that is capable of loving and kindness. We saw how his personality has shifted throughout the book and that was so well made. It was an incredible change but also believable.
I was really disappointed in him when he fell back in this old toxic ways. "what a f***ing ass"i wanted to scream.
The storyline is funny and disturbing at the same time. I love the revenge aspect of it and how the story proceeded at the end with so many more scenarios from the past. It was super interesting. Like a curse that can't be broken and haunts generations of generations. The muse of death - nice!
August 18, 2020
"It's got its teeth in me."
A character story of an unpleasant man descending into horror. Where even his fantasies turn against him
"One thing about Todd Milstead, he knew when to ignore a hint."
The story is interesting, but becomes soft in the middle once the titular in-book novel is published, a lull akin to knowing there's a car crash down the road, but you get stuck in the traffic jam leading up to the mangled metal.
The climax is a surreal set piece that pulls together and amplifies what precedes it, bringing a mythological weight to the lead character's moment of judgment.
Generally a worthwhile read, but only if you don't bail out before the end.
A character story of an unpleasant man descending into horror. Where even his fantasies turn against him
"One thing about Todd Milstead, he knew when to ignore a hint."
The story is interesting, but becomes soft in the middle once the titular in-book novel is published, a lull akin to knowing there's a car crash down the road, but you get stuck in the traffic jam leading up to the mangled metal.
The climax is a surreal set piece that pulls together and amplifies what precedes it, bringing a mythological weight to the lead character's moment of judgment.
Generally a worthwhile read, but only if you don't bail out before the end.
May 4, 2019
Really weird and enjoyable novel. I'm still not totally sure what the point of it all was but it's a really fun ride.
It had elements of horror, sci-fi, classic noir, comedy and several other genres too. I suppose it's basically a satire on both the life of a writer and also the male domination of literature. Light, funny and well worth a read.
It had elements of horror, sci-fi, classic noir, comedy and several other genres too. I suppose it's basically a satire on both the life of a writer and also the male domination of literature. Light, funny and well worth a read.
September 21, 2019
A gripping page-turner that mixes suspenseful horror with dark humour. It has the intriguing premise of a would-be writer whose eidetic memory conjures up verbatim a great American novel that appears not to exist.
April 2, 2022
Meh. Interesting concept. The book cover said "funny." I didn't find a single humorous part. Horror, maybe. The douche factor of the main character bored me and I didn't really connect with this story. Seems to just drag on till the last two chapters. I wasn't wowed like I wanted to be.
February 15, 2020
Great idea, bad execution
Astounding idea for a story which then proceeds to rapidly go nowhere with that idea and to do so slowly.
Astounding idea for a story which then proceeds to rapidly go nowhere with that idea and to do so slowly.
March 21, 2025
"All My Colors" is the first book by David Quantick that I have read, I can assure you that it will not be the last.
In television, Quantick has writing credits for shows like "Veep," "The Thick of It," and "On the Hour." But if I were also to mention shows like "Jam" and it's radio predecessor, "Blue Jam," you will get an idea of the kind of territory in which "All My Colors" sits.
The book revolves around Todd Milstead, a boorish thug of a man who fancies himself a writer. His delusion is held back by one simple reality: he really cannot write. But he can quote, and he can lecture which, for the time being, will have to be enough.
That is until a book spews about of him, the next Great American Novel, "All My Colors."
Quantick skilfully steeps the novel in a foreboding sense of doom from the beginning, as Milstead slowly sinks into the filthy mire of gothic horror. The language is exact, and the pace is exhilarating, leaving a book that breathlessly swirls around and captivates the reader. I am not usually a swift devourer of books, unlike Tim, Quantick's fictional bookshop owner, but this was a tome that I could not put down. When it was over, I had to sit, breath, and regain my troubled equilibrium.
On a deeper level, Quantick explores the nature of certainty and ideas, with Kafkaesque precision. As a would-be writer myself (though hopefully not a Milstead), I recognize that there are few new ideas, that we are all composites of everyone who has come before. There is a horror in questioning the illusion of individuality. Has there ever been an original thought in my brain?
Quantick deftly picks at this question, creating characters like Behm, the private detective, who deliberately ticks every box in P.I. checklist, much to the delight of the main protagonist.
If you are an insecure writer, I would thoroughly recommend this book. You will not sleep for weeks.
If you are not an insecure writer, well, I also thoroughly recommend this book. You might regain healthy sleep patterns a little sooner, but I would still plan for a couple of days of nocturnal nail gnawing.
To summarise, buy and read this book, then tell others to buy and read this book. What lives in our minds cannot be forgotten, right?
In television, Quantick has writing credits for shows like "Veep," "The Thick of It," and "On the Hour." But if I were also to mention shows like "Jam" and it's radio predecessor, "Blue Jam," you will get an idea of the kind of territory in which "All My Colors" sits.
The book revolves around Todd Milstead, a boorish thug of a man who fancies himself a writer. His delusion is held back by one simple reality: he really cannot write. But he can quote, and he can lecture which, for the time being, will have to be enough.
That is until a book spews about of him, the next Great American Novel, "All My Colors."
Quantick skilfully steeps the novel in a foreboding sense of doom from the beginning, as Milstead slowly sinks into the filthy mire of gothic horror. The language is exact, and the pace is exhilarating, leaving a book that breathlessly swirls around and captivates the reader. I am not usually a swift devourer of books, unlike Tim, Quantick's fictional bookshop owner, but this was a tome that I could not put down. When it was over, I had to sit, breath, and regain my troubled equilibrium.
On a deeper level, Quantick explores the nature of certainty and ideas, with Kafkaesque precision. As a would-be writer myself (though hopefully not a Milstead), I recognize that there are few new ideas, that we are all composites of everyone who has come before. There is a horror in questioning the illusion of individuality. Has there ever been an original thought in my brain?
Quantick deftly picks at this question, creating characters like Behm, the private detective, who deliberately ticks every box in P.I. checklist, much to the delight of the main protagonist.
If you are an insecure writer, I would thoroughly recommend this book. You will not sleep for weeks.
If you are not an insecure writer, well, I also thoroughly recommend this book. You might regain healthy sleep patterns a little sooner, but I would still plan for a couple of days of nocturnal nail gnawing.
To summarise, buy and read this book, then tell others to buy and read this book. What lives in our minds cannot be forgotten, right?
July 10, 2020
I NEVER (check my Goodreads account, I'll wait...) give one star reviews.
But All My Colors was bad on so many fronts: the characterization, the story, the dialogue (oh...it hurt).
The characterization -- We are following the worst character in the book; if this kind of egotism surfaces in Quantick's actual life then I either feel sorry for him (if he's witness to it) or for those around him (if he's a prick). No one would put up with Todd. From the very first page (until the last) the people around him are supposed to be in his orbit for a reason, with so many hints and outright decrees of his greatness. If I was around him I would start punching his face and never stop.
The story -- Rod Serling and Richard Matheson are both rolling over in their respective graves.
The dialogue -- Riddled with assholish internal asides, any dialogue with Todd at the center fluctuates between unmanageably bad (NO ONE has ever answered the phone that way) to eyeball-gaugingly horrific (I want to unread some parts of this book).
Neil Gaiman and Caitlin Moran raved over DQ's genius.
J*** H****** (me) jeered it to about 400 words.
Take my negative blurb to heart: don't waste your time.
But All My Colors was bad on so many fronts: the characterization, the story, the dialogue (oh...it hurt).
The characterization -- We are following the worst character in the book; if this kind of egotism surfaces in Quantick's actual life then I either feel sorry for him (if he's witness to it) or for those around him (if he's a prick). No one would put up with Todd. From the very first page (until the last) the people around him are supposed to be in his orbit for a reason, with so many hints and outright decrees of his greatness. If I was around him I would start punching his face and never stop.
The story -- Rod Serling and Richard Matheson are both rolling over in their respective graves.
The dialogue -- Riddled with assholish internal asides, any dialogue with Todd at the center fluctuates between unmanageably bad (NO ONE has ever answered the phone that way) to eyeball-gaugingly horrific (I want to unread some parts of this book).
Neil Gaiman and Caitlin Moran raved over DQ's genius.
J*** H****** (me) jeered it to about 400 words.
Take my negative blurb to heart: don't waste your time.
May 29, 2025
This book was both better and worse than I thought it would be.
On the one hand, an overused plot with a twist that does not add up.
On the other - still better than any other book I read using this idea, and here an there the author inserted some really great descriptive writing (e.g., "the corridor [...] was a testament to the power of carpet").
I wish it was edited a little better as there were very clear issues - missing punctuation, repetitive phrasing that ought to be a mistake. Also there are a whole bunch of plot holes.
All in all, it was a fun read.
On the one hand, an overused plot with a twist that does not add up.
On the other - still better than any other book I read using this idea, and here an there the author inserted some really great descriptive writing (e.g., "the corridor [...] was a testament to the power of carpet").
I wish it was edited a little better as there were very clear issues - missing punctuation, repetitive phrasing that ought to be a mistake. Also there are a whole bunch of plot holes.
All in all, it was a fun read.
July 22, 2019
Teetering between 3 and 4 stars. I actually found the beginning a little subpar and then the middle section became more interesting with the finish being a bit of a letdown. Usually more mediocre books follow a different arc. Certainly a quick and engaging read, but it seemed like it could’ve grasped greatness at times through the book but then that section would just end without further explication.
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