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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
"No weights of gold to measure
Only sales of truth & lies
For ware al living treasure
Under all our shimmering skies"
After finishing off Dalton's debut novel, Boy Swallows Universe, I was incredibly excited to dive into All Our Shimmering Skies and explore another world guided by his beautiful writing.
Synopsis:
Darwin, 1942, and as Japanese bombs rain down, motherless Molly Hook, the gravedigger's daughter, turns once again to the sky for guidance. She carries a stone heart inside a duffel bag next to the map that leads to Longcoat Bob, the deep-country sorcerer who put a curse on her family. By her side are the most unlikely travelling companions: Greta, a razor-tongued actress and Yukio, a fallen Japanese fighter pilot.
Review:
All Our Shimmering Skies is filled with complex & vivid characters making it so inviting & compelling. I fell in love with the main protagonist Molly right away & continued to love her more & more as the book went on. Similar to Eli in Boy Swallows Universe, she is incredibly wise beyond her years & has an energy & vulnerability that was completely endearing. She has become easily one of my favourite literary characters of all time & some of the lessons she taught me throughout the book will stay with me for a long time. I adored the way her relationships with Greta & Yukio bloomed throughout their journey together & their interactions had me both in tears & laughing out loud.
Daltons beautifully descriptive writing once again drew me in immediately. The way he takes his time in building the setting & characters makes you feel like you are there with them every step along the way. He so perfectly blended drama with classic Australian comedy which resulted in pure poetry for the soul.
All Our Shimmering Skies walked the thin line between brutality & raw beauty. It is so beautifully written & is a heart breaking story packed with an incredibly range of characters. A simply stunning book that I feel would make an absolutely breath-taking & visually fantastic movie! Trent Dalton, you've done it again - I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us next!
Only sales of truth & lies
For ware al living treasure
Under all our shimmering skies"
After finishing off Dalton's debut novel, Boy Swallows Universe, I was incredibly excited to dive into All Our Shimmering Skies and explore another world guided by his beautiful writing.
Synopsis:
Darwin, 1942, and as Japanese bombs rain down, motherless Molly Hook, the gravedigger's daughter, turns once again to the sky for guidance. She carries a stone heart inside a duffel bag next to the map that leads to Longcoat Bob, the deep-country sorcerer who put a curse on her family. By her side are the most unlikely travelling companions: Greta, a razor-tongued actress and Yukio, a fallen Japanese fighter pilot.
Review:
All Our Shimmering Skies is filled with complex & vivid characters making it so inviting & compelling. I fell in love with the main protagonist Molly right away & continued to love her more & more as the book went on. Similar to Eli in Boy Swallows Universe, she is incredibly wise beyond her years & has an energy & vulnerability that was completely endearing. She has become easily one of my favourite literary characters of all time & some of the lessons she taught me throughout the book will stay with me for a long time. I adored the way her relationships with Greta & Yukio bloomed throughout their journey together & their interactions had me both in tears & laughing out loud.
Daltons beautifully descriptive writing once again drew me in immediately. The way he takes his time in building the setting & characters makes you feel like you are there with them every step along the way. He so perfectly blended drama with classic Australian comedy which resulted in pure poetry for the soul.
All Our Shimmering Skies walked the thin line between brutality & raw beauty. It is so beautifully written & is a heart breaking story packed with an incredibly range of characters. A simply stunning book that I feel would make an absolutely breath-taking & visually fantastic movie! Trent Dalton, you've done it again - I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us next!
Loved this just as much as his first. A beautiful story telling capturing both the beauty and danger in humanity.
I was hooked by this book and enthralled by the characters.
Really enjoyed the narrative arc and, although probably not everyone’s cup of tea, the poetic descriptions of Australian landscapes were a delight.
Felt like a mix of “Holes”.
After reading boy swallow universe, the themes and writing style of Dalton becomes very clear. I wouldn’t suggest reading one directly after the other.
Really enjoyed the narrative arc and, although probably not everyone’s cup of tea, the poetic descriptions of Australian landscapes were a delight.
Felt like a mix of “Holes”.
After reading boy swallow universe, the themes and writing style of Dalton becomes very clear. I wouldn’t suggest reading one directly after the other.
bit underwhelming after the masterpiece that was BSU but still had all the✨magical✨poetic imagery of Dalton, just found Molly and her quest childish and a bit insufferable
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, Violence
Boy Swallows Universe was a 5 star read for me so I had pretty high hopes for this book but it just wasn’t it. Although I love Trent Dalton’s writing, the characters and the storyline of this book just weren’t as engaging to me. DNF’d at 42%
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
Fantastic writing style that draws you in. Some of the characters have great depth and really sell the themes of hatred and intergenerational abuse. However, some of the characters can feel a bit too much like archetypes to really feel attached to. A gripping read.
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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