Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

57 reviews

kiwichill's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

A tragic but funny book about growing up in a chaotic household where there is alcohol and drug addiction and domestic violence.  Parents are friends with ex criminals.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Blood, Cursing, Drug use, Bullying, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Gun violence, Trafficking, Drug abuse, and Excrement

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Car accident, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Torture, and Misogyny

juju_432's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? No

4.0

Boy indeed swallows universe 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Death, Violence, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, and Toxic relationship

lazydayreader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Book is raw intriguing addictive and uncomfortable - its 50 % auto biography and 50% fiction - the former is disturbing the latter a clever embellishment with some dark scenarios.  I felt a bit obsessed after and googled everything I could lay my hands on.. Not for faint-hearted. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Murder, Violence, and Addiction

bbbreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Alcoholism, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

mother_of_theo's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The start of the book is a bit slow, the story picks up at about page 150 and is well worth the read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, and Violence

aliengirlreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

5.0

the greatest book i have ever read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Physical abuse, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence, Drug abuse, Grief, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Car accident, and Medical content

Minor: Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Child abuse, and Mental illness

baikiebookie's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Child abuse

lottiegasp's review against another edition

dark funny inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This is a beautifully written coming-of-age story of precocious  Eli Bell, whose parents struggle at various times with substance abuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse and financial insecurity, and as such Eli Bell is forced to grow up too soon and look after himself and his family. It demonstrates how no one is fully good or bad, but can try to make good choices. It depicts the insidiousness of substance abuse and drug dealing in the context of low income and overcriminalised communities who are unable to escape from their intergenerationally-entrenched dangerous lives.

Despite it being quite long, it was readable and compelling from start to end. It moved between some witty moments, to highly poignant and sad events, to episodes of thrilling action. I would caution readers to check the content warnings, as it is quite a depressing setting with heavy themes, however with that in mind I would say that overall the book is surprisingly uplifting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence

Moderate: Drug abuse, Death, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Death of parent

erinsmithart's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, and Alcoholism

spacewahine's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Body horror, Vomit, and Violence