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sarjanie's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Warning: this is not a plot driven book! This book is the definition of click bait. The blurb completely misrepresents what’s happening. The moon landing storyline is irrelevant other than pinpointing the setting and timeline. It’s in fact a 1960s domestic drama.
The book is setting and character driven. Being told from the point of view of a galah, you’re made to focus on little details in the 1960s Australian setting; some relevant, others not so much. It’s not something I enjoyed - ‘90s baby here! - but other reviewers were able to reminisce with the setting.
If you were to strip this back, I honestly think there’s only 1 chapter of an actual storyline here. The galah’s presence in the story really is just a device to introduce short snippets told by other characters. I unfortunately found the galah pointless and poorly used. The main focus is on two neighbours (housewives Mrs Johnson and Mrs Kelly) and the current owner of the galah (Lizzie), with the latter’s story barely linking in with the rest, in my opinion. We follow these housewives, their kids and husbands right up until the time of the moon landing event. From the beginning you’re told how the story ends and the rest of the book shows you how we got there.
10/10 don’t recommend.
The book is setting and character driven. Being told from the point of view of a galah, you’re made to focus on little details in the 1960s Australian setting; some relevant, others not so much. It’s not something I enjoyed - ‘90s baby here! - but other reviewers were able to reminisce with the setting.
If you were to strip this back, I honestly think there’s only 1 chapter of an actual storyline here. The galah’s presence in the story really is just a device to introduce short snippets told by other characters. I unfortunately found the galah pointless and poorly used. The main focus is on two neighbours (housewives Mrs Johnson and Mrs Kelly) and the current owner of the galah (Lizzie), with the latter’s story barely linking in with the rest, in my opinion. We follow these housewives, their kids and husbands right up until the time of the moon landing event. From the beginning you’re told how the story ends and the rest of the book shows you how we got there.
10/10 don’t recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
jazzylemon's review against another edition
4.0
What did I just read? A story, at least in part, told from the view of a bird.
counterturn's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
trishagreenie's review
4.0
This book was chosen for our work book club, and I wasn't sure what I'd think since I'm not usually a big fan of books that are told from animals' points of view. However, I really liked this one in the end, for a number of reasons:
* I love galahs, and this story highlighted how much personality they really do have - and yet offered me more insight than I'd had before about the degree to which their personalities are unique.
* The book gave me a sense of nostalgia for the country I live in, with vivid description of the landscapes the story inhabited. It also made me very glad I don't live up norf in that sort of horrible weather! But mentions of red dirt, the ocean, the floods, etc., were really striking.
* I'm a bit of a space nerd, despite not having the scientific expertise to back that up, and so I enjoyed reading about the history of the area with the space dish, etc. (and the cheeky birds that constantly challenged the builders of said dish)
* For me this story highlighted how sad it is for animals be kept in captivity - particularly native animals that should be free. And the niece of Lizzie felt that way too, which I appreciated.
* The book gave insight into the horrific history of how indigenous Australians have been treated, and yet it wasn't harrowing in that it just presented them as factual moments that had been a part of a person's forebears' life story, rather than an ordeal.
* There were some truly comical elements to the book. Some of my favourites included:
1. The letter(s) written to "Kimberley" - as the description of that lady unfolded, I found myself saying, "No, it CAN'T be! Is it?!" And it was. The letter that was being written to Kimberley made me both feel pity for and derision for the author of the letter.
2. The parade they have in the town, with the hilarious costumes, town guests from NASA on the truck being lurched about (and ending up with a face full of dirt/dust), etc. It was a wonderfully comic scene that had me cracking up.
All in all, I enjoyed the read and was relieved with how things turned out for "Cocky" as well. I feared the worst at a certain point there!
* I love galahs, and this story highlighted how much personality they really do have - and yet offered me more insight than I'd had before about the degree to which their personalities are unique.
* The book gave me a sense of nostalgia for the country I live in, with vivid description of the landscapes the story inhabited. It also made me very glad I don't live up norf in that sort of horrible weather! But mentions of red dirt, the ocean, the floods, etc., were really striking.
* I'm a bit of a space nerd, despite not having the scientific expertise to back that up, and so I enjoyed reading about the history of the area with the space dish, etc. (and the cheeky birds that constantly challenged the builders of said dish)
* For me this story highlighted how sad it is for animals be kept in captivity - particularly native animals that should be free. And the niece of Lizzie felt that way too, which I appreciated.
* The book gave insight into the horrific history of how indigenous Australians have been treated, and yet it wasn't harrowing in that it just presented them as factual moments that had been a part of a person's forebears' life story, rather than an ordeal.
* There were some truly comical elements to the book. Some of my favourites included:
1. The letter(s) written to "Kimberley" - as the description of that lady unfolded, I found myself saying, "No, it CAN'T be! Is it?!" And it was. The letter that was being written to Kimberley made me both feel pity for and derision for the author of the letter.
2. The parade they have in the town, with the hilarious costumes, town guests from NASA on the truck being lurched about (and ending up with a face full of dirt/dust), etc. It was a wonderfully comic scene that had me cracking up.
All in all, I enjoyed the read and was relieved with how things turned out for "Cocky" as well. I feared the worst at a certain point there!
jaclyncrupi's review against another edition
3.0
This was slightly better than its premise – a novel narrated by a galah. I did enjoy it but it never completely captured me and fell victim to detailed descriptions rather than driving plot.
celiapowell's review against another edition
5.0
This was very Australian, and both quite bizarre and completely brilliant. Amazing characterisations, all seen through the eyes of a pet galah. (I think in knowing that this book is narrated by a galah you'll get an idea whether it's going to be for you or not.)
carlytenille's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Grief, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
blairmahoney's review against another edition
4.0
An impressive first novel from Sorensen, long listed for the 2019 Miles Franklin Award. In some ways the selling point is the perspective of a Galah who receives messages from a dish set up to track the Apollo missions in Western Australia in the 1960s, but that conceit is actually handled fairly lightly and doesn't intrude too much into the tale of people trying to find their place in small town 60s Australia that leads to a tragic outcome. There's a sense of fun to the novel that is sometimes absent in these kinds of stories.