Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton

1 review

lililoves's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

I should preface this by saying that I have not read Trent Dalton's 'Boy Swallows Universe' which is meant to be fantastic. In saying that, I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. 

I think, as an Australian, I have an issue with Aus fiction in general. I find the pseudo-spiritualism and over description a bit tiresome after a while (see anything by Tim Winton). Everything has to have meaning. Something just can't be a dingo or a shovel, it has to have all this external meaning attached to it. 

I also think Aus authors almost view it like a competition to see how many metaphors and similes they can cram into one book. For example, when describing naval ships, Dalton writes: 
"They are as lengthy to Sam's eyes as the dead-grass Australian Rules football fields he bounces around on with his cousins, as wide across the beam as the cricket pitches he mows into the lawn behind the church." -p.95
Maybe I am a simpleton but when everything is described as such, I find it exhausting. I do think that he managed to really capture the beauty of the Australian outback, but I couldn't enjoy it because every little thing prior was over described. 

I also took issue with some of the tropes Dalton used. For example, the wise old Aboriginal man that acts as a spiritual guide. It's been done 1000 times and really does not capture how rich the Indigenous cultures are here in Australia. It also felt like he hadn't done any research into the Indigenous cultures of the area in which this book is set and instead opted to use general terms, like 'walkabout', which I feel furthers the narrative that Indigenous Australians are monocultural, which is far from true. As a white Australian, I cannot say whether this assessment of the book is true, it is just how I felt while reading and based on information I have read (or seen) from Indigenous Australians. I would like to read more adventurous fantasy based stories from Indigenous authors in the future as I just feel they would bring more depth. 

This book is saved by the relationships between the characters, especially Molly and Greta, and the character of Molly in general. I think she is well written and a great example of a young girl growing up in regional Australia: headstrong, brave, and adventurous. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...