Review: Black Chalk by Christopher J Yates

Black Chalk

by Christopher J Yates

Publisher: Harvill Secker

Pages: 352

Format: book

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  One game. Six students. Five survivors.

It was only ever meant to be a game.

A game of consequences, of silly forfeits, childish dares. A game to be played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University. But then the game changed: the stakes grew higher and the dares more personal, more humiliating, finally evolving into a vicious struggle with unpredictable and tragic results.

Now, fourteen years later, the remaining players must meet again for the final round.

Kritters Thoughts:  6 students who are all freshman at university and they decide to start a game with levels of consequences and as you know from the cover, one student will not make it to the end.

Unfortunately, this book just didn't do it for me and I will tell you why.  For a time, I wasn't sure which of the 6 students was narrating in the present part of the book and I didn't love it.  As far as the format of the book - there are parts being narrated in the present and then the back story being told in chronological order.  There are NO chapters per say and roman numerals all over the place and I couldn't quite get the gist of them.  I would have preferred if in editing there had been something inserted to allow the reader greater ease as to know when it was present and when it was back during the freshman year.  

Having read Panic by Lauren Oliver before I read this one, I spent some time comparing and I enjoyed Panic a little more.  Although the characters were different ages, the overall concept was the same.  

As always, I like to point out which reader would enjoy this book even if I didn't.  I think readers who enjoy books in English universities where the cultural difference between Americans and English is right front and center would love it.  If you love a little mystery and having you as the reader left out of the loop a little, then you would enjoy this one more than I did.

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.