Reviews tagging 'Death'

Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

19 reviews

annchmn's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

First book I’ve been keen on for so long. I couldn’t stop reading it and the book felt less like reading words and more like living Eli’s life. 

This book felt like three books crammed into one but I’m glad that it was like that. There definitely were many unresolved that were a bit unbelievable. As well as some of the superhero esque invincibility. And I didn’t love the whole

Spoiler

Caitlyn Bell love story ending with them kissing and finally fulfilling Eli’s obsession with her and her looks… like after going through so much in the book it ends with them kissing which irked me

. Frankly the latter third of the book felt super different than what the start was building up to, and it was fun to read, but it felt like a whole different vibe than the style of the beginning, and I would’ve preferred more of the beginning. 

Apart from that, I had fun reading all the imagery and thoughts and details of Eli’s mind!!

Do your time before it does you!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Blood

camoo3032's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.75

Trent Dalton doesn't shy away from showing the darker bits of Australian society that we rarely get to see. Because this perspective is rarely shown, I would consider this book worth reading. I would warn fellow readers that this makes the book continuously confronting and it is certainly not a lighthearted read.
This provides the backdrop of a story that is far-fetched with descriptive writing that is quite abstract. I am sure there are people out there that would love this book but I found it was trying to be more profound than it actually is.
I also found that the female characters weren't as fully formed or complex as the male ones which is frustrating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Minor: Blood, Bullying, Ableism, Addiction, Cursing, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Rape, Torture, Violence, Sexism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Gore, and Sexual assault

mel_s_bookshelf's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Violence, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Cursing, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content

everythingemily97's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, and Emotional abuse

meganjeg's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious 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? No

5.0

This is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read which makes it so interesting when the subject matter is around suburban poverty, drugs, abuse and neglect.

For better or worse, I primarily read to be entertained and uplifted and whilst this book is many things, it isn’t those two. So it did take me a few sittings over a number of months to read this book. 

I would recommend spending time with Eli Bell and his dysfunctional family. It’s a coming of age story that swaps out cliches for the realities of generational trauma. Plus, a cracking crime story. 

This book is grim but spectacular. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Child abuse and Suicidal thoughts

sneha_srikanth's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

“do your time before it does you” 🐦
Review: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZyTZdvJZCY/

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gore, and Violence

booksforsarah's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I had trouble with this books pacing. At times there was intense actions scenes where I couldn’t put the book down, and then other times there was literally pages of internal monologue that had me nodding off. I think if the pace was a bit more consistent I would have enjoyed the reading experience a lot more. 

I can definitely appreciate the good writing, it probably just isn’t the book for me and that’s okay. 

As an Australian though, I loved it. I loved seeing references to Australian slang and brands and places ect and seeing my home country so explicitly represented 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

avgastright's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful slow-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? No

4.0

Wowzas. This was one of those undeniably excellent books that I feel will one day be studied in high schools across the globe. It discusses the burden of choices, the cyclical nature of losing, light in dark moments, crime, drugs, morality, and growing up decent despite the world demanding suffering. Brothers Eli and August were perfect. Quirky, desperate, and altogether good. Lyle was tragic. Warm, kind, and stuck in a life he wanted nothing but out of. Slim was unforgettable. Fatherly, wise, and, in spite of his past, good at heart. I especially loved what he had to say about “good” and “bad” people. Something like ‘we’re all good and we’re all bad. It’s only a matter of what we choose to do. And there is always always always a choice.’ And Robert was the perfect case study in Slim’s theory. 

My only complaints:
a) I felt that Eli fell victim to what I call “The Scout Effect,” as in when a young child is far wiser than their years and therefore their “coming of age” is ruined because they’re “coming” from wisdom already. 
b) I felt that the story was so powerful because while for me, at least, being surrounded by an international crime ring is difficult to imagine, it managed to humanize a fantastical situation. However, some elements of the story, particularly the conclusion, edged too far into the fantastical to be believable, which kind of took me out of the story. I’ll leave it at Broz’s story got a little too Batman villain-y for me to fully maintain my suspension of disbelief. 


Overall, I thought this was brilliant, powerful, funny, emotional, and a wonderful first read of the year.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Body horror

Moderate: Violence and Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcoholism and Death

ellen_nicholson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Drug use, Blood, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Alcohol, Car accident, Cursing, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Addiction, and Domestic abuse

georgiaknight's review against another edition

challenging mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Violence