A review by lottiegasp
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

dark funny inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75

This is a beautifully written coming-of-age story of precocious  Eli Bell, whose parents struggle at various times with substance abuse, mental health issues, domestic abuse and financial insecurity, and as such Eli Bell is forced to grow up too soon and look after himself and his family. It demonstrates how no one is fully good or bad, but can try to make good choices. It depicts the insidiousness of substance abuse and drug dealing in the context of low income and overcriminalised communities who are unable to escape from their intergenerationally-entrenched dangerous lives.

Despite it being quite long, it was readable and compelling from start to end. It moved between some witty moments, to highly poignant and sad events, to episodes of thrilling action. I would caution readers to check the content warnings, as it is quite a depressing setting with heavy themes, however with that in mind I would say that overall the book is surprisingly uplifting.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings