Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I did like this book, but I wanted to like it more. I, like other reviewers found it hard to read without wanting to skim some of the drawn out descriptive passages. I really liked the three companions but again, wanted to be invested in them more.
However, I love Trent Dalton as an author and would still recommend this book to avid readers.
However, I love Trent Dalton as an author and would still recommend this book to avid readers.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It took me a couple tries to get past the first few chapters, but the audio narrator did a great job and kept me going. Very much Crawdads vibes.
This is a very long love story to Australia how colourful and spiritual this continent can be.
Would have given 5 star if not for the terrible translation of Yukio's dialogue. Almost all of his dialogue seemed to be translated so directly word by word, without a proper understanding of context or some of them didn't even make any sense and completely broken, and this really put me off. English and Japanese have completely different structures and grammar, You cannot just translate "I am from Sakai, Japan" to "kara, Sakai, Japan" for example.
I guess this would not matter for the majority of the readers who don't speak Japanese but it was pretty disappointing point for me.
Other than that I enjoyed colourful writing of Trent Dalton, his love to Australia, magicalness of this wonderland. Reading through her adventure felt like walking through the great outback of Australia with her. Made me think what Australia was like during the war, how people lived and tried to live during the gold rush then the war.
I liked the characters, even the awkward clumsy adults who doesn’t know how to love or how to express love to young Molly. Sam was my favourite character along with Molly and Greta, generous, smart, and kind.
Although I found Yukio’s samurai sword battle was a bit too much, but many descriptions of Yukio, like carrying a gun with only one bullet for himself, was sadly genuine.
Would have given 5 star if not for the terrible translation of Yukio's dialogue. Almost all of his dialogue seemed to be translated so directly word by word, without a proper understanding of context or some of them didn't even make any sense and completely broken, and this really put me off. English and Japanese have completely different structures and grammar, You cannot just translate "I am from Sakai, Japan" to "kara, Sakai, Japan" for example.
I guess this would not matter for the majority of the readers who don't speak Japanese but it was pretty disappointing point for me.
Other than that I enjoyed colourful writing of Trent Dalton, his love to Australia, magicalness of this wonderland. Reading through her adventure felt like walking through the great outback of Australia with her. Made me think what Australia was like during the war, how people lived and tried to live during the gold rush then the war.
I liked the characters, even the awkward clumsy adults who doesn’t know how to love or how to express love to young Molly. Sam was my favourite character along with Molly and Greta, generous, smart, and kind.
Although I found Yukio’s samurai sword battle was a bit too much, but many descriptions of Yukio, like carrying a gun with only one bullet for himself, was sadly genuine.
I was so excited about this book and I must say, I was a bit disappointed. A second novel after Boy Swallows Universe must be daunting. This novel’s best parts were the lush descriptions of nature in beautiful Australia and the heartbreaking descriptions of the Japanese attack on Darwin. I love the fantasy part but the hero’s journey plot was a bit thin in parts. I think I just didn’t feel attached enough to the characters. I’m still a big Trent Dalton fan!
Strong contender for the best book I’ve read this year. When you need to sit and absorb a book after you’ve finished and you already know you’ll read it again...
For me, it’s the way Trent Dalton writes, his exquisite descriptions and characters.
“Carry all you own, own all you carry”. Molly Hook, I’ll be back.
For me, it’s the way Trent Dalton writes, his exquisite descriptions and characters.
“Carry all you own, own all you carry”. Molly Hook, I’ll be back.
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
Heart-warming and life-affirming. A story about finding beauty in the world, and about what happens when people value the wrong things.
12-year-old grave-digger Molly sets off on a quest across the wilds of northern Australia in search of an Aboriginal magic man who will remove a curse that has turned her family's hearts to stone. She is joined by a budding actress and a Japanese Zero fighter pilot who wasn't really that into fighting (it's set in 1942 btw), and also a baby dropped from the sky by a hawk (I wasn't convinced by this last one).
The premise sounds a bit hackneyed but Dalton's writing is so full of colour, images and joy in life that the wind was taken out of my criticism. He manages to keep it on the right side of Just-So Stories.
It does feel a bit like a modern day parable. In this book it is men's lust for gold that turns them inward and stops them being fully human, but gold could easily be replaced for status, bit coin, or territory in eastern Europe.
Nice to read a book set close to home that really pops. Wonder if a similar book exists for Aotearoa, one that really dwells on the natural beauty of a place?
My main complaint would be that it just lacks a bit of bite (big fluffy marshmallows of images and themes), and maybe could do with a bit of tightening up here and there. Not sure 100 pages were necessary to depict how shit Molly's life with her abusive father and uncle was? Would've packed more punch in fewer pages.
12-year-old grave-digger Molly sets off on a quest across the wilds of northern Australia in search of an Aboriginal magic man who will remove a curse that has turned her family's hearts to stone. She is joined by a budding actress and a Japanese Zero fighter pilot who wasn't really that into fighting (it's set in 1942 btw), and also a baby dropped from the sky by a hawk (I wasn't convinced by this last one).
The premise sounds a bit hackneyed but Dalton's writing is so full of colour, images and joy in life that the wind was taken out of my criticism. He manages to keep it on the right side of Just-So Stories.
It does feel a bit like a modern day parable. In this book it is men's lust for gold that turns them inward and stops them being fully human, but gold could easily be replaced for status, bit coin, or territory in eastern Europe.
Nice to read a book set close to home that really pops. Wonder if a similar book exists for Aotearoa, one that really dwells on the natural beauty of a place?
My main complaint would be that it just lacks a bit of bite (big fluffy marshmallows of images and themes), and maybe could do with a bit of tightening up here and there. Not sure 100 pages were necessary to depict how shit Molly's life with her abusive father and uncle was? Would've packed more punch in fewer pages.