Black Chalk

Locations
Call Number: Fiction / Yates, Christopher, Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Yates, Christopher J
On Shelf At: Downtown Library, Westgate Branch

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	Fiction / Yates, Christopher	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Westgate Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Yates, Christopher J	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Pittsfield Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Fiction / Thriller / General / Yates, Christopher J	4-week checkout	Due 01-07-2026

"One game. Six students. Five survivors. It was only ever meant to be a game played by six best friends in their first year at Oxford University; a game of consequences, silly forfeits, and childish dares. But then the game changed: the stakes grew higher and the dares more personal and 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. Who knows better than your best friends what would break you? A gripping psychological thriller partly inspired by the author's own time at Oxford University, this is perfect for fans of The Secret History and The Bellwether Revivals. The author's background in puzzle writing and setting can clearly be seen in the plotting of this clever, tricky book that will keep readers guessing to the very end"-- Provided by publisher.

REVIEWS & SUMMARIES

Booklist Review
Publishers Weekly Review
Summary / Annotation
Author Notes

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Chack submitted by smr on July 3, 2020, 10:46pm Black chack

Yikes… two stars from me submitted by bkotten on August 2, 2025, 11:34am Was constantly recommended this— it’s dark academia, they said, just like The Secret History, they said. Yikes, definitely did not live up to the hype. Writing feels like it’s done by a middle schooler and most of the characters are one dimensional.

I will say the plot may be inventive. But, for a book all about “The Game” they never once describe the game and skip over many game outcomes. It’s just a lazy book. The last 50 pages or so were fun to see if you guessed the plot twists correctly (easy if you read a lot of mystery imo). But don’t expect a tied together ending where the author answers all your questions.

I’m just ranting at this point. Was it dark academia? Maybe, sure. Was it a GREAT dark academia? Nope. I do think this book could be for others though— read the first 100 pages and decide if you want to finish it.