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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
This novel is stunningly Australian. It is evocative and poetic, as expansive and unique as the Australian outback and just so damn captivating. The characters are complex and original, and the descriptions of northern Australian flora and fauna are as exquisitely vivid as they are accurate. I was transported right back to the breathtaking beauty of the Top End and my heart is a shimmering mess.
Gorgeous road trip story, as young Molly and her companions travel through a wild, remote part of NT, on their heels a murderous uncle, ahead of them adventures and treasure. A little bit mystical, and a lot that's magical.
All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton
I have no problem with a protagonist being a precocious child, but there is a point where precociousness becomes aggravating, and young Molly Hook hit that point for me early on. In part, this is because I did not believe in her. Given the trauma and neglect of her upbringing - told in unyieldingly graphic detail - she is remarkably erudite and thoughtful. There is a difference between "taking a strength-based approach" to building a character and "taking the piss".
In terms of other characters, Greta and Yukio were fine, albeit thinly sketched. My main issue concerns the construction of Aubrey. Dalton wants to have his cake and eat it when it comes to Molly's cruel uncle. Dalton frames Aubrey as evil personified, making some effort to explain how he came to be this way. We have many (many) pages expended on how the traumatising childhood of young Aubrey has programmed him with hate. Hate is repeatedly cited as his key motivation, yet we are to accept that spurned love triggers his actions that propel the book. Make up your mind! This jarred for me.
Mostly though, I found the treatment of the landscape – and we’re talking the awe-inspiring, gorgeous but deadly Kakadu – slight and incomplete. Given that our protagonists are on foot and alone in far north Australia in late February, they have an effortless time of it. How and where Molly learned so much bushcraft is not entirely explained, and her preternatural gifts did have me rolling my eyes on occasion.
The story's arc is solid, and there are plenty of thrills, near misses to keep you on your toes. Still, the shallow treatment of Yukio and Sam’s respective cultures had me cringing. One might have hoped that the editing phase would have corrected this course.
In summation, if cliched characterisation, anachronistic behaviours and whimsical, trite self-help-isms are your thing, this may well be the book for you. If not, best give it a miss.
⭐ ⭐
I have no problem with a protagonist being a precocious child, but there is a point where precociousness becomes aggravating, and young Molly Hook hit that point for me early on. In part, this is because I did not believe in her. Given the trauma and neglect of her upbringing - told in unyieldingly graphic detail - she is remarkably erudite and thoughtful. There is a difference between "taking a strength-based approach" to building a character and "taking the piss".
In terms of other characters, Greta and Yukio were fine, albeit thinly sketched. My main issue concerns the construction of Aubrey. Dalton wants to have his cake and eat it when it comes to Molly's cruel uncle. Dalton frames Aubrey as evil personified, making some effort to explain how he came to be this way. We have many (many) pages expended on how the traumatising childhood of young Aubrey has programmed him with hate. Hate is repeatedly cited as his key motivation, yet we are to accept that spurned love triggers his actions that propel the book. Make up your mind! This jarred for me.
Mostly though, I found the treatment of the landscape – and we’re talking the awe-inspiring, gorgeous but deadly Kakadu – slight and incomplete. Given that our protagonists are on foot and alone in far north Australia in late February, they have an effortless time of it. How and where Molly learned so much bushcraft is not entirely explained, and her preternatural gifts did have me rolling my eyes on occasion.
The story's arc is solid, and there are plenty of thrills, near misses to keep you on your toes. Still, the shallow treatment of Yukio and Sam’s respective cultures had me cringing. One might have hoped that the editing phase would have corrected this course.
In summation, if cliched characterisation, anachronistic behaviours and whimsical, trite self-help-isms are your thing, this may well be the book for you. If not, best give it a miss.
⭐ ⭐
I really enjoyed Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe, and I had grabby hands for All Our Shimmering Skies, which I loved just as much. This one definitely has a different feel with touches of magical realism, and a historical on top of it; a unique story for certain.
Set during World War II in Australia, All Our Shimmering Skies is a story of friendship and resilience that offers hope and adventure. At the heart of the story is Molly, a gravedigger’s daughter. She is seeking the sorcerer who put a curse on her family, and she has two friends along for the journey; two unusual friends: an actress named Greta and a Japanese fighter pilot named Yukio.
The descriptions are beautiful, and the story is almost ethereal with its magic; however, those feelings are juxtaposed with the darkness of the war and the evilness that abounds during that time. Overall, it feels much like a fairytale with good battling evil, which I enjoyed and can’t tell you how much I look forward to what’s next from Trent Dalton’s original voice and storytelling.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Set during World War II in Australia, All Our Shimmering Skies is a story of friendship and resilience that offers hope and adventure. At the heart of the story is Molly, a gravedigger’s daughter. She is seeking the sorcerer who put a curse on her family, and she has two friends along for the journey; two unusual friends: an actress named Greta and a Japanese fighter pilot named Yukio.
The descriptions are beautiful, and the story is almost ethereal with its magic; however, those feelings are juxtaposed with the darkness of the war and the evilness that abounds during that time. Overall, it feels much like a fairytale with good battling evil, which I enjoyed and can’t tell you how much I look forward to what’s next from Trent Dalton’s original voice and storytelling.
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
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
I cannot pinpoint exactly why but, I didn’t really like this. To be fair, I didn’t love boy swallows universe either but like that, this book got such great reviews. I find some arrogance in the writing style and at times it was a bit much and unnecessary. I loved the characters and the general story but got a bit lost in the poetry at times, as beautiful as it was. It was like someone telling you a really long story about a dream they had that’s not all that interesting to you as it is to them. It was descriptive, but in the wrong places and some parts seem to be plonked in with out much thought other than to fill the journey a bit more. Like boy swallows universe, I really wanted to like this but was held me back.