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adriennegg's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Physical abuse, Car accident, Drug use, Addiction, and Torture
simonmartin's review
5.0
is this the great australian novel???
a gripping 500 pages that flew by; not a word wasted nor an unnecessary moment included. this story checks so many of my boxes, effortlessly morphing between a gripping crime thriller, family drama, and a coming-of-age story with touches of magical realism and gory horror, a setting that could fit comfortably within the burgeoning australian gothic aesthetic/scene/whatever and a dry, darkly funny wit threaded throughout its prose. the last 100 pages or so really ramp things up, and are extremely entertaining if potentially a little unbelievable given how grounded the south brisbane setting feels earlier in the novel. this can be forgiven - as our charming teenaged protagonist eli bell states, all good storytellers need to know how to bullshit, and with boy swallows universe he has proven himself a storyteller of the highest caliber.
a gripping 500 pages that flew by; not a word wasted nor an unnecessary moment included. this story checks so many of my boxes, effortlessly morphing between a gripping crime thriller, family drama, and a coming-of-age story with touches of magical realism and gory horror, a setting that could fit comfortably within the burgeoning australian gothic aesthetic/scene/whatever and a dry, darkly funny wit threaded throughout its prose. the last 100 pages or so really ramp things up, and are extremely entertaining if potentially a little unbelievable given how grounded the south brisbane setting feels earlier in the novel. this can be forgiven - as our charming teenaged protagonist eli bell states, all good storytellers need to know how to bullshit, and with boy swallows universe he has proven himself a storyteller of the highest caliber.
_joyfullyyy's review
5.0
I absolutely loved it - it’s wholesome, hilarious and so, so heartbreaking.
mishsquishhhh's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Loved it. Following the upbringing of a boy in a typical Queensland (Aussie) lower socioeconomic area. I found it really relatable, dark, emotional, and raw but hard to put down by the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Addiction, Physical abuse, Drug use, Child abuse, and Alcoholism
chantalthibaut's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
snow_on_top's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
LOVE IT!! was such a good read and I love how the metaphors, themes and phrases were repeated consistently but woven in so cleanly with Eli’s thoughts that it was never boring to hear those phrases again and again. So cool how everything connected in the end. Awesome writing style really encompasses the endless stream of thoughts in Eli’s head with long sporadic sentences.
vasilevnicole's review
4.0
i did not think i was gonna like this book as i started it and i ended up struggling for a while to get into it- but my god what a read and i can honestly understand why so many others call this their favourite book, (however this is definitely a read you need to process over some time)
juliabrewer's review against another edition
just did not feel invested in the story? really enjoyed the first ~150ish pages but then the plot felt like it stopped moving along and the writing started to feel really clunky