Will I love Boy Swallows Universe?

A witty story of a boy coming of age in a dysfunctional Australian family, made up of his absent mother, drunk father, and mute brother. Even in the darkest moments the book has a warmth and my heart was moved by both boys trying their best in a broken world. Loved this book (and the later film) and - like all the best books – I was disappointed to leave it behind when I reached the end. My only wish was that I understood more of the Australian cultural references which would no doubt have deepened my appreciation even more.

I loved this book. Eli is such a delightful character, even when he's in some stupidly awful situations. And the relationship he has with his silent, possibly magical older brother is beautiful. You know what a sucker I am for a good brother relationship... The depiction of Brisbane's criminal underworld in the 1980s is perfectly drawn in its gritty, slightly shabby and worn-out criminality.

And the writing is gorgeous. As a wannbe reporter, Eli's editor tells him he's too flowery, too focused on the details, and the author is just as focused on the details - to great effect. There's… show more.

What a fantastic and poignant tale, beautifully written with loveable Australian protagonists. Eli is a precocious boy, growing up in hot and humid Queensland during the 1980s with his mute brother, Gus. The nostalgia was pretty strong with Boy Swallows Universe, being of a similar vintage to the author. The fact that Eli also followed his dreams to become a young journalist made the book a real page-turner for me. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Here’s another tantalizing underdog story, this time about a 12-year-old boy coming of age under impossible circumstances, and he does it with such innocence and goodness and almost poetic thoughtfulness that you can’t help but love him.

Our young hero is Australian. His task: Save his mother from disaster, face off against a powerful and violent drug dealer, and find his way into a career in journalism, all the while relying for friendship and advice on an escaped convict.

Dalton’s novel is thrilling, heartbreaking, and heartwarming all at once.

Equal parts quirky, literary, humorous, and touching, Dalton’s debut novel won him a record four Australian Book Industry Awards in 2019, and it’s not hard to see why. Boy Swallows Universe follows the ups and downs of teen protagonist Eli’s descent into a world of drug-lords and prison barons, all while caring for his messed-up parents and mute brother and seeing the world in a uniquely beautiful way. Ex-journalist Dalton’s prose will sometimes take your breath away in this modern classic about life in the far-outer suburbs of Brisbane, Australia, where a ‘normal’ life seems simultaneously too far away and… show more.