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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
This was a book that really took me on a journey. I paused reading this, at about the halfway point, to take up reading Apples Never Fall for book club and then The Silent Patient. Both of these are cracking reads, great page-turners. I found it challenging to get back into Trent's story of war-time Darwin, but once I did, I finished it quickly, enjoying the story and loving the ending.
It's a great read, and I recommend it.
It's a great read, and I recommend it.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I cannot do justice to just how I feel about this novel. But I mean, I’m going to try…
So, first off, that cover is so splendiferously amazing; whoever designed this truly deserves some sort of award. On first glance its all flowers and nature, but when you take the time to have a good look, there’s little easter eggs from the novel like a rising sun, a Zero fighter and endless butterflies. It’s just *flail*. Also, that foiling is just divine.
This is the story of Molly Hook – grave digger, 12 year old girl and possessor of heart that will soon be stone. It’s a tale of love, loss, and an adventure to last a lifetime. Set in the midst of World War 2 as the Japanese bombed Darwin, Molly goes on a trek to find Longcoat Bob, the man who cursed her family to never again feel. Befriended by her uncles wife and a fighter pilot with a dark history of his own, she is determined to right the wrongs done to her family.
Honestly, I was a little dubious going in. I had heard friends who had received early copies saying that they were having trouble getting into and it wasn’t anything like Boy Swallows Universe (which I also adored by the way). Come dinner time yesterday, I decided to attempt to take the plunge. While it does have a kind of strange start, I was hooked from the first poetic chapters as Molly loses her mother at a young age. Fast forward to 1942 and Molly is a tween with a crush, an absent father, an abusive uncle, and an aunt who has her sights set on Hollywood. From here the story unfolds beautifully, giving me a Where the Crawdads Sing type feel but also being quintessentially Australian. Following a great loss, Molly becomes determined to make it right and heads on an epic quest filled with unlikely allies, unconditional love and a drive that puts the rest of us to shame.
If you have read BSU, you know that Trent Dalton has a way with words that draws you in and holds on until you simply succumb rather than fight its power any longer. His prose is almost lyrical, his worldbuilding so very vivid the reader has no choice but feel like they are in the middle of the tale, watching on as his characters find their way. All Our Shimmering Skies is no different, drawing you into the lush surroundings of outback Australia. One can taste the dust and smell the brush; this is a novel that engages all the sense despite being words on a page.
Also, I want to say here, if you follow my blog or reading habits, you know that theses sorts of novels are pretty much never up my alley. I have a deep aversion to historical novelisations because they always seem to feel fake and inaccurate regardless of whether they have been thoroughly researched or not. But this one drew me in before I could make any real judgement. Is it historically accurate? I have no idea. Do I actually care? No. no id don’t because it’s a beautiful story.
So, I’m going to sum it up here. It’s a beautiful novel which will pull on the heart strings. I found myself loving it the further I got through. There is love and war as well as heartbreak and the inevitable deaths that come with war time stories. Dalton once again knocks it out of the park with this one. Definitely give it a go regardless ff whether you enjoy historically set fiction.
So, first off, that cover is so splendiferously amazing; whoever designed this truly deserves some sort of award. On first glance its all flowers and nature, but when you take the time to have a good look, there’s little easter eggs from the novel like a rising sun, a Zero fighter and endless butterflies. It’s just *flail*. Also, that foiling is just divine.
This is the story of Molly Hook – grave digger, 12 year old girl and possessor of heart that will soon be stone. It’s a tale of love, loss, and an adventure to last a lifetime. Set in the midst of World War 2 as the Japanese bombed Darwin, Molly goes on a trek to find Longcoat Bob, the man who cursed her family to never again feel. Befriended by her uncles wife and a fighter pilot with a dark history of his own, she is determined to right the wrongs done to her family.
Honestly, I was a little dubious going in. I had heard friends who had received early copies saying that they were having trouble getting into and it wasn’t anything like Boy Swallows Universe (which I also adored by the way). Come dinner time yesterday, I decided to attempt to take the plunge. While it does have a kind of strange start, I was hooked from the first poetic chapters as Molly loses her mother at a young age. Fast forward to 1942 and Molly is a tween with a crush, an absent father, an abusive uncle, and an aunt who has her sights set on Hollywood. From here the story unfolds beautifully, giving me a Where the Crawdads Sing type feel but also being quintessentially Australian. Following a great loss, Molly becomes determined to make it right and heads on an epic quest filled with unlikely allies, unconditional love and a drive that puts the rest of us to shame.
If you have read BSU, you know that Trent Dalton has a way with words that draws you in and holds on until you simply succumb rather than fight its power any longer. His prose is almost lyrical, his worldbuilding so very vivid the reader has no choice but feel like they are in the middle of the tale, watching on as his characters find their way. All Our Shimmering Skies is no different, drawing you into the lush surroundings of outback Australia. One can taste the dust and smell the brush; this is a novel that engages all the sense despite being words on a page.
Also, I want to say here, if you follow my blog or reading habits, you know that theses sorts of novels are pretty much never up my alley. I have a deep aversion to historical novelisations because they always seem to feel fake and inaccurate regardless of whether they have been thoroughly researched or not. But this one drew me in before I could make any real judgement. Is it historically accurate? I have no idea. Do I actually care? No. no id don’t because it’s a beautiful story.
So, I’m going to sum it up here. It’s a beautiful novel which will pull on the heart strings. I found myself loving it the further I got through. There is love and war as well as heartbreak and the inevitable deaths that come with war time stories. Dalton once again knocks it out of the park with this one. Definitely give it a go regardless ff whether you enjoy historically set fiction.
Leiskimės į nuotykius, stebuklus ir naujas draugystes. Norėjau dar pridėti ir „į vaikystę“, bet tokios vaikystės kaip pagrindinės veikėjos Molės – niekam nelinkėčiau. Patirianti psichologinį smurtą, nepriteklių, patyčias ir net tapusi našlaite, ji nepraranda savo vaikiško naivumo, tikėjimo raganiais bei stebuklais, kurie nukrenta iš dangaus.
Šiame romane pasinersite ne tik į odisėjinę kelionę per Australijos gamtą, bet susipažinsite su ja iš daug arčiau, atkreipsite dėmesį į kiekvieną gražiausią smulkmeną, išgirsite Japonijos folkloro bei legendų, mėgausitės poezija ir kvėpuosite pačiu gyvenimu. Autorius sujungia savo kūrybinį bei žurnalistinį talentus ir smulkmeniškai, detaliai, kruopščiai bei labai įtraukiančiai pasakoja apie tokius skirtingus dalykus kaip Antrojo pasaulinio karo technika, šeimos drama, kuo tikriausia nenugražinta realybė po miesto bombardavimo bei magija.
O kas gali būti bendro tarp dvylikos metų našlaitės, būsimos aktorės Gretos ir japonų karo lakūno? Kad ir skirtingai žvelgdami į pasaulį, juos vienija draugystė bei tas pats kelionės tikslas – rasti raganių, prakeikusį Molės šeimą, nors, žinoma, priežastys gali ir nesutapti. Todėl dažni Gretos nutylėjimai, Molės stebuklų paieškos, karo lakūno prisiminimai taip įtraukia ir visiškai nukelia į nematytus pasaulio užkaborius.
Nesu detalių aprašymų gerbėja, man norisi veiksmo, dialogo, gilesnių pamąstymų ar tiesiog gyvenimiškų, bet įdomių situacijų. Ir būtent šiame romane visko buvo tiek, kiek reikia, net tie patys Australijos gamtos aprašymai taip įtraukė ir viliojo, kad norėjosi pamatyti daugiau, norėjosi išgirsti ir daugiau istorijų japono lūpomis, sudalyvauti ir sekančioje šios keistokos kompanijos kelionėje.
Teko girdėti atsiliepimų, kad pirmoji Trent Dalton knyga, tapusi bestseleriu, „Berniukas nuryja visatą“ daug geresnė, paveikesnė ir na, šioji antroji kiek nublanksta. Paneigti ar patvirtinti šių atsiliepimų negaliu, nes pirmoji knyga dar tik laukia savo eilės, kuri tikrai ateis 2022-aisiais. Tačiau vėlgi norėčiau ir pati sau priminti, kad kiekviena knyga randa savo skaitytoją, savo auditoriją, todėl kartais pravartu atsisakyti to paties autoriaus knygų lyginimo bei užsikeltų ar sumažintų turimų lūkesčių, ir tik tada atvira širdimi mėgautis parašyta istorija.
Daugiau apžvalgų rasite:
https://www.juoduantbalto.lt
IG: https://www.instagram.com/panele_zi
Šiame romane pasinersite ne tik į odisėjinę kelionę per Australijos gamtą, bet susipažinsite su ja iš daug arčiau, atkreipsite dėmesį į kiekvieną gražiausią smulkmeną, išgirsite Japonijos folkloro bei legendų, mėgausitės poezija ir kvėpuosite pačiu gyvenimu. Autorius sujungia savo kūrybinį bei žurnalistinį talentus ir smulkmeniškai, detaliai, kruopščiai bei labai įtraukiančiai pasakoja apie tokius skirtingus dalykus kaip Antrojo pasaulinio karo technika, šeimos drama, kuo tikriausia nenugražinta realybė po miesto bombardavimo bei magija.
O kas gali būti bendro tarp dvylikos metų našlaitės, būsimos aktorės Gretos ir japonų karo lakūno? Kad ir skirtingai žvelgdami į pasaulį, juos vienija draugystė bei tas pats kelionės tikslas – rasti raganių, prakeikusį Molės šeimą, nors, žinoma, priežastys gali ir nesutapti. Todėl dažni Gretos nutylėjimai, Molės stebuklų paieškos, karo lakūno prisiminimai taip įtraukia ir visiškai nukelia į nematytus pasaulio užkaborius.
Nesu detalių aprašymų gerbėja, man norisi veiksmo, dialogo, gilesnių pamąstymų ar tiesiog gyvenimiškų, bet įdomių situacijų. Ir būtent šiame romane visko buvo tiek, kiek reikia, net tie patys Australijos gamtos aprašymai taip įtraukė ir viliojo, kad norėjosi pamatyti daugiau, norėjosi išgirsti ir daugiau istorijų japono lūpomis, sudalyvauti ir sekančioje šios keistokos kompanijos kelionėje.
Teko girdėti atsiliepimų, kad pirmoji Trent Dalton knyga, tapusi bestseleriu, „Berniukas nuryja visatą“ daug geresnė, paveikesnė ir na, šioji antroji kiek nublanksta. Paneigti ar patvirtinti šių atsiliepimų negaliu, nes pirmoji knyga dar tik laukia savo eilės, kuri tikrai ateis 2022-aisiais. Tačiau vėlgi norėčiau ir pati sau priminti, kad kiekviena knyga randa savo skaitytoją, savo auditoriją, todėl kartais pravartu atsisakyti to paties autoriaus knygų lyginimo bei užsikeltų ar sumažintų turimų lūkesčių, ir tik tada atvira širdimi mėgautis parašyta istorija.
Daugiau apžvalgų rasite:
https://www.juoduantbalto.lt
IG: https://www.instagram.com/panele_zi
A mystical journey of a troubled young Australian 'grave-digger' girl, whose mother dies when she's 7, leaving her with a drunken, sometimes harsh father and a sinister, brutal uncle. She has to be self-sufficient and relies on her shovel, Bert! She does have one friend, an aboriginal youth, Sam, whom she admires and who shows her many of the old ways of the people of the land. Another beautiful woman, Greta, also takes Molly under her wing, but she is in a toxic relationship with the uncle Herbert, who often beats her.
Molly believes that their family has been cursed by Longcoat Bob - an aboriginal elder - because her grandfather stole gold from the land, although he later returned it. Molly's mother told her to keep her eyes on the sky and Molly waits for gifts from the sky - which arrive in the form of a gold-digger's pan, which seems to guide her to the source of the gold. Later, after Darwin is totally bombed by the Japanese airforce, Molly sets off on her journey to find Longcoat Bob. Her father has died in the bombing and her uncle is injured. Greta joins her. They make their way through magical Australian landscape. One Japanese pilot, Yukio, ejects from his plane and Molly and Greta rescue him. Although he speaks little English, Molly's spirit resonates with him and he is captivated by the beautiful Greta. The rest of the book follows their amazing adventures through the Australian landscape, with narrow escapes along the way. Yukio proves to be their protector and hero.
Another gift from the sky is a baby which falls from an eagle's claws and unlocks Greta's anguish about having given up her baby when she was young.
Although the language in the book was mystical and expressive, I found it hard to relate to the story.
Molly believes that their family has been cursed by Longcoat Bob - an aboriginal elder - because her grandfather stole gold from the land, although he later returned it. Molly's mother told her to keep her eyes on the sky and Molly waits for gifts from the sky - which arrive in the form of a gold-digger's pan, which seems to guide her to the source of the gold. Later, after Darwin is totally bombed by the Japanese airforce, Molly sets off on her journey to find Longcoat Bob. Her father has died in the bombing and her uncle is injured. Greta joins her. They make their way through magical Australian landscape. One Japanese pilot, Yukio, ejects from his plane and Molly and Greta rescue him. Although he speaks little English, Molly's spirit resonates with him and he is captivated by the beautiful Greta. The rest of the book follows their amazing adventures through the Australian landscape, with narrow escapes along the way. Yukio proves to be their protector and hero.
Another gift from the sky is a baby which falls from an eagle's claws and unlocks Greta's anguish about having given up her baby when she was young.
Although the language in the book was mystical and expressive, I found it hard to relate to the story.
4.5⭐️
Had to give this one a crack, since I adored Love Stories and was gripped by Boy Swallows Universe. The first 1/3 of the book, while the characters were being introduced and back stories set-up, was a hard read (but necessary for the rest of the story). I really found myself needing to keep reading about Molly’s journey, poor neglected and abused child who loses her mum and lives/works with her alcoholic dad, digging graves. She believes wholeheartedly that her life is cursed, and goes on a journey through the Australian bush to undo the curse. Set in Darwin Aus in 1942.
Trent’s writing style is poetic, vivid and deep; at times I found the sentences (which were paragraphs) quite hard to follow. But all in all, I think necessary for the story-telling, which he does so well.
Had to give this one a crack, since I adored Love Stories and was gripped by Boy Swallows Universe. The first 1/3 of the book, while the characters were being introduced and back stories set-up, was a hard read (but necessary for the rest of the story). I really found myself needing to keep reading about Molly’s journey, poor neglected and abused child who loses her mum and lives/works with her alcoholic dad, digging graves. She believes wholeheartedly that her life is cursed, and goes on a journey through the Australian bush to undo the curse. Set in Darwin Aus in 1942.
Trent’s writing style is poetic, vivid and deep; at times I found the sentences (which were paragraphs) quite hard to follow. But all in all, I think necessary for the story-telling, which he does so well.
adventurous
emotional
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 have loved this book every bit as much as Boy Swallows Universe, if not more. Dalton continues to explore similar themes, but in different ways; a book that manages to balance unflinching realism with the poetry and mysticism Molly Hook encounters because she has the eyes to see it and the ears to hear it.
The most enchanting and glorious depiction of country vs the brutal greed of man. This book was unreal.
I liked the plot of the book: a young girl sets out on a quest to remove a curse that has been placed on her family. The story is set in Darwin, Austrailia in 1942. I was on board as the story began, but her journey just got stranger and stranger and I was ready for it to end before I finished the book. I loved Dalton's Boy Swallows Universe but this one is more "magical" than "realism."