Eliza's Review

This is the kind of novel readers devour in one go. It’s a delicious binge-fest by Brisbane journalist Trent Dalton. This is his first novel and his seriously anticipated second; All Our Shimmering Skies will be published later this month making this the perfect time to revisit Boy Swallows Universe in preparation for what’s to come.

At the heart of it, it’s a tale of a dysfunctional family in 1980s suburban Brisbane. But really it’s so much more.

Suspended reality and magical realism bring delight to these pages and the story told through the eyes of 12-year-old Eli Bell. After a situation with local drug lords between his Eli’s mum and stepfather (also a low level drug dealer) escalates, he and his brother August are forced to move in with their estranged father and it’s then that this saga really kicks off.

There’s drug use, machetes and blackmail as well as an improbable jail-break-in going on.

And while some of Eli’s observations are funny in the face of such horror, the pages reveal that monsters can be real. Some of the heartbreaks within are quite difficult to read. The violence is visceral thanks to Dalton’s precise language and beautifully crafted attention to detail but it’s the fact that the two brothers are so adorable that makes this read so gut-wrenching. You fall in love with them.

It’s a brutal redemption tale steeped in Australiana that will seduce you with all the joy and wonder of Eli Bell. Can’t wait for the next one…

You'll Love It If

You love a rollercoaster ride of a read where you’re veering from emotion to emotion as you run through the pages. This is one to get completely lost in.