Reviews with content warning for Rape - All Our Shimmering Skies

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton

12 reviews

euannn900's review

5.0

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious 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: Complicated

This book is fucking excellent. It paints the most gorgeous picture of the Northern Territory and creates deep and inspiring characters, who are shaped and reshaped and strengthened and tested by the magical journey that is this plot. I desperately wish I hadn't taken so long to read this book because it is so amazing.

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timmytunter's review

4.5

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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

Trent Dalton's "All Our Shimmering Skies" is an absolute gem of a novel that left me thoroughly enchanted and deeply moved. From the very first page, I was drawn into the vibrant and often harrowing world of 12-year-old Molly Hook, a protagonist you can't help but love. Molly is brave, bold, sassy, and honest, but most of all—perhaps unjustifiably so—hopeful. I couldn’t NOT cheer her on earnestly throughout her fantastical journey.

The story's primary antagonist, Molly's cruel uncle, is a proper nasty piece of work. His relentless pursuit of Molly and her unlikely travel companions Yukio and Greta adds a chilling tension to the narrative. Yet, despite the countless harrowing events she witnesses and endures, Molly maintains an inspirationally sunny and pertinacious disposition that lights up the darkest moments of the tale.

Dalton's narrative style is nothing short of magical. His depth of detail breathes vitality into what could become a same-same backdrop of endless Australian bushland. The story reads like something of a myth or legend, with Molly embarking on a treasure hunt guided by the sky itself. The sky "talks" to her and sends her "sky gifts” to aid her along the way. This infusion of wonder and the supernatural into the harsh realities of Molly's life creates a unique and captivating blend that kept me hooked until the very end. Worth noting is that Dalton’s consultation with relevant Aboriginal communities is evident: in weaving the mystical “Longcoat Bob” into his tale, he has demonstrated sensitivity and tact via incorporating aspects of existing Aboriginal lore. Although Dalton’s tale is a work of fiction, and he embellishes his work with flourishes of magical realism, Indigenous culture is referenced respectfully.

"All Our Shimmering Skies" is a beautifully crafted novel that explores themes of hope, resilience, and love. Open your heart to the novel’s protagonists, soak up the arresting imagery, bask in Dalton’s sumptuous language, and lose yourself in a delightful tale. Highly recommended.

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story_of_steph's review against another edition

2.0

adventurous challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This book felt like homework. I was so excited to read a story about Australia from an Australian author since I moved here but I was honestly bored to tears. Only positive I have to say is you can truly see the love the author has for this country with the colourful descriptions of the scenery. But even that got a bit too much. I think the book had the potential to be a great story but it didn’t reach it.

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bigolarlocat's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

carlytenille's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

kaitoro_walker13's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book was FINE. It was readable, nothing too horrible about it. But far from great.

GOOD
It had a very fun "treasure hunting adventure" feel to it, but with undertones of found family and love.

BAD
It takes WAY too long to get started, and near the end, parts of the story start feeling random, like the author is just writing them to make the book longer.

Content Warnings

emjrey's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark medium-paced

Content Warnings

ashmash's review against another edition

2.0

hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I was very bored reading this book. The whimsical language was really overbearing and the plot seemed to take a back seat to all the unnecessary fanciful vocabulary. I’m fine with novels using this sort of language, but it felt like Trent Dalton was forcing a lot of it in just for the sake of it when it just halted the story. The book begins to pick up when Yukio joins Molly and Greta, however that’s the final third of the book. I’m the type of person who has to complete a book even if I’m not enjoying it. If it wasn’t for this, I wouldn’t have even reached the part where the plot begins to become interesting.

Content Warnings