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Boy Swallows Universe

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Boy Swallows Universe

By: Trent Dalton
Narrated by: Stig Wemyss
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About this listen

'The best Australian novel I have read in more than a decade' Sydney Morning Herald

'Astonishing, captivating ... a wild, beautiful, heart-exploding ride' Elizabeth Gilbert

The bestselling novel that has taken Australia, and the world, by storm. Winner of Book of the Year at the 2019 Indie Book Awards, winner of a record four Australian Book Industry Awards in 2019, including the prestigious Book of the Year Award, and winner of the 2019 UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing, NSW Premier's Literary Awards

Brisbane, 1985: A lost father, a mute brother, a junkie mum, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious crim for a babysitter. It's not as if Eli Bell's life isn't complicated enough already. He's just trying to follow his heart and understand what it means to be a good man, but fate keeps throwing obstacles in his way—not the least of which is Tytus Broz, legendary Brisbane drug dealer.

But now Eli's life is going to get a whole lot more serious: he's about to meet the father he doesn't remember, break into Boggo Road Gaol on Christmas Day to rescue his mum, come face to face with the criminals who tore his world apart, and fall in love with the girl of his dreams.

A story of brotherhood, true love and the most unlikely of friendships, Boy Swallows Universe will be the most heartbreaking, joyous and exhilarating novel you will hear all year.

Reviews:

'Boy Swallows Universe is a wonderful surprise: sharp as a drawer full of knives in terms of subject matter; unrepentantly joyous in its child's-eye view of the world; the best literary debut in a month of Sundays.' The Australian

'Boy Swallows Universe hypnotizes you with wonder, and then hammers you with heartbreak.' Washington Post

'This thrilling novel' New York Times Book Review

'Marvelously plot-rich ... filled with beautifully lyric prose ...At one point Eli wonders if he is good. The answer is "yes," every bit as good as this exceptional novel.' Booklist

©2018 HarperCollins Publishers Australia pty Ltd (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers Australia pty Ltd Biographical Fiction Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Heartfelt Funny

Editorial reviews

Beloved performer Stig Wemyss voices the story of Eli, a young boy growing up in Brisbane in the early 1980s trying desperately to navigate a world of notorious criminals. Eli’s father is missing and his mother is imprisoned in the Boggo Road Gaol, leaving him and his mute brother August to fend for themselves with only a heroin-dealing stepfather and an infamous felon to watch over them. And if that weren’t enough, Eli is about to discover his first love.

A gorgeous, gritty coming-of-age story, Boy Swallows Universe made big waves when it was released in 2019, earning 10 prestigious awards, including the 2019 Indie Book of Year and 2019 ABIA Audiobook of the Year. Celebrated journalist and author Trent Dalton drew on his own troubled youth to craft this incredible story, which is both hilarious and heartbreaking in equal measure.

Critic Reviews

"I couldn't stop reading from the moment I started, and I still can barely speak for the beauty of it. Trent Dalton has done something very special here, writing with grace, from his own broken heart." (Caroline Overington)

"Dalton's splashy, stellar debut makes the typical coming-of-age novel look bland by comparison.... This is an outstanding debut." (Publishers Weekly)

"One of the best Australian novels I've ever read." (The Guardian)

All stars
Most relevant
I selected this book without much thought but can't recommend it highly enough. The performance by the reader was perfect too.

Exceptional

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Such clever compelling writing. Well drawn characters that are endearing and terrifying in various measures throughout the book. The cycle of crime, mental illness, poverty and self destruction and redemption are all so beautifully bound together. I could not stop listening!

Riveting

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Unfortunately it's spoiled every other future book.
I love the way it's written.
There a a couple of sad bits but there are countless hilarious bits.
The ending was a bit crazy but you get so involved in the characters that you'll want to hear about the rest of their lives.
Sign me up for any and all future Trent Dalton books. He writes so differently than any author I've read.
Sting Wemyss was really good too.

Best book I've ever read

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I think this is teen fiction, but not sure. Written from the perspective of a teenage boy. Good listen overall, however my pet peeve is that it is written catering to an American audience. I think it insults American's intelligence that they won't be able to work out what a torch is, alternatingly between flashlight and torch.

Teen fiction?

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I tried to read the book but found it hard going, so bought the audiobook. The performance is excellent and brought the characters to life, which brought me into the story and allowed me to invest in the story. Not your typical story, and it takes some concentration to keep track of all the threads, but ultimately fascinating and a highly satisfying conclusion, where everything comes together. Would certainly recommend. It takes a while to get into, but it a memorable journey.

Memorable

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