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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
Boy Swallows Universe was one of my favourite books last year so I was highly anticipating the release of Trent Dalton's All Our Shimmering Skies. Sadly I seem to be in the tiny minority on bookstagram that didn't love this book. I am so sad about this as I was sure it would be a favourite.
The book is set in 1942 Darwin as it is bombed by the Japanese. Molly Hook is the 12 year old gravedigger's daughter who has suffered at the hands of her violent uncle and father while feeling abandoned by her mother. She is convinced that a man named Longcoat Bob has put a curse on her family.
One day she receives a gift from the sky and feels compelled to go on a dangerous quest into the wild bush country to find Longcoat Bob and break the curse. Molly's unlikely companions are Greta, an actress, and Yukio, a fallen Japanese fighter pilot. The journey is beyond strange but the descriptions of the locations are beautiful and vivid.
Trent Dalton, while tackling dark and gritty stories, has a fairy tale like approach to storytelling. This book was full of magic, imagination and wonder but to me it felt overdone. I felt the magical elements were over the top and a lot of the prose was overly long and flowery. While the magical realism of Boy Swallows Universe was a light touch in this book it was heavy handed. I also felt uneasy about the way the Indigenous characters of Longcoat Bob and his grandson Sam were portrayed.
To not love this book really feels so disappointing to me. I acknowledge I am in the minority here!
The book is set in 1942 Darwin as it is bombed by the Japanese. Molly Hook is the 12 year old gravedigger's daughter who has suffered at the hands of her violent uncle and father while feeling abandoned by her mother. She is convinced that a man named Longcoat Bob has put a curse on her family.
One day she receives a gift from the sky and feels compelled to go on a dangerous quest into the wild bush country to find Longcoat Bob and break the curse. Molly's unlikely companions are Greta, an actress, and Yukio, a fallen Japanese fighter pilot. The journey is beyond strange but the descriptions of the locations are beautiful and vivid.
Trent Dalton, while tackling dark and gritty stories, has a fairy tale like approach to storytelling. This book was full of magic, imagination and wonder but to me it felt overdone. I felt the magical elements were over the top and a lot of the prose was overly long and flowery. While the magical realism of Boy Swallows Universe was a light touch in this book it was heavy handed. I also felt uneasy about the way the Indigenous characters of Longcoat Bob and his grandson Sam were portrayed.
To not love this book really feels so disappointing to me. I acknowledge I am in the minority here!
Not as good as his first book, there really doesn't seem to be much point to the story other than to showcase the deep north of Australia and some of its characters. It's not about WWII or Darwin really. More about good vs evil, despite the different packages it comes in.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Just stunning. Such a unique story told in such a beautiful way. So many quotes thst have stayed with me. A perspective of Australia I honestly don't think we have ever seen before and it truly shows her beauty.
dark
emotional
sad
fast-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
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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