This thrilling novel takes you along for the ride.” — New York Times Book Review
“ Boy Swallows Universe hypnotizes you with wonder, and then hammers you with heartbreak. . . . Eli’s remarkably poetic voice and his astonishingly open heart take the day. They enable him to carve out the best of what’s possible from the worst of what is, which is the miracle that makes this novel marvelous.” — Washington Post
“A splashy, profane, and witty debut.” — USA Today
"Extraordinary and beautiful storytelling." — The Guardian
“This novel about a pair of brilliant and sensitive young brothers in Brisbane in the 1980s trying to survive a swirling, dangerous world of drug dealers, damaged parents, inexplicable supernatural occurrences, true love, mysterious ex-convict babysitters and murderous tyrants is a dazzlingly good . . . . I absolutely loved it.” — Elizabeth Gilbert
“At times Boy Swallows Universe will grip your attention and then break your heart. It is a story of love, crime, and hope. It is written with love and told with joy. Trent Dalton is a powerful new voice in fiction.” — Washington Book Review
“Dalton’s splashy, stellar debut makes the typical coming-of-age novel look bland by comparison…In less adept hands, these antics might descend into whimsy, but Dalton’s broadly observant eye, ability to temper pathos with humor, and thorough understanding of the mechanics of plot prevent the novel from breaking into sparkling pieces…This is an outstanding debut.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A marvelously plot-rich novel, which…is filled with beautifully lyric prose….Exceptional.” — Booklist (starred review)
“An electric novel. . . . a lively, funny affirmation of the human instinct for survival.” — The Times (London)
“A captivating and quirky life story that leads the reader on an intense and rewarding journey; highly recommended.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“An insightful coming-of-age novel.” — Book Riot
“Joyous. Simply joyous. I hugged myself as I read it. My heart raced, swelled, burst; my eyes leaked tears; my stomach ached from laughter. Boy Swallows Universe is—I can’t think of a word more apt—magical. This vibrant, vital, altogether miraculous coming-of-age novel marks the debut of an exquisitely gifted storyteller. . . and what’s more, it’s transformative: After reading Trent Dalton’s book, you won’t be the same as you were before.” — A.J. Finn, author of The Woman in the Window
“Welcome to the weird and wonderful universe of Trent Dalton, whose first work of fiction is, without exaggeration, the best Australian novel I have read in more than a decade. . . . The last 100 pages of Boy Swallows Universe propel you like an express train to a conclusion that is profound and complex and unashamedly commercial. . . . The book is jam-packed with such witty and profound insights into what’s wrong and what’s right with Australia and the world. . . . A rollicking ride, rich in philosophy, wit, truth and pathos.” — Sydney Morning Herald
“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 Weekend Australian
“It is such a pleasant shock to encounter a new Australian novel in which joy is shamelessly deployed. . . . It is a story in thrall to the potential the world holds for lightness, laughter, beauty, forgiveness, redemption, and love. . . . [Dalton] invests this unlikely cast and milieu with considerable energy, wit and charm. He delights in the play of language and imagination that a child can summon: the sense in which the clear moral eye of youth can critique and adore simultaneously without judgment or adult moral finessing.” — The Australian
An electric novel. . . . a lively, funny affirmation of the human instinct for survival.
Boy Swallows Universe hypnotizes you with wonder, and then hammers you with heartbreak. . . . Eli’s remarkably poetic voice and his astonishingly open heart take the day. They enable him to carve out the best of what’s possible from the worst of what is, which is the miracle that makes this novel marvelous.
A splashy, profane, and witty debut.
This thrilling novel takes you along for the ride.
New York Times Book Review
"Extraordinary and beautiful storytelling."
At times Boy Swallows Universe will grip your attention and then break your heart. It is a story of love, crime, and hope. It is written with love and told with joy. Trent Dalton is a powerful new voice in fiction.
This novel about a pair of brilliant and sensitive young brothers in Brisbane in the 1980s trying to survive a swirling, dangerous world of drug dealers, damaged parents, inexplicable supernatural occurrences, true love, mysterious ex-convict babysitters and murderous tyrants is a dazzlingly good . . . . I absolutely loved it.
A marvelously plot-rich novel, which…is filled with beautifully lyric prose….Exceptional.
Booklist (starred review)
A splashy, profane, and witty debut.
Boy Swallows Universe hypnotizes you with wonder, and then hammers you with heartbreak. . . . Eli’s remarkably poetic voice and his astonishingly open heart take the day. They enable him to carve out the best of what’s possible from the worst of what is, which is the miracle that makes this novel marvelous.
An insightful coming-of-age novel.
Joyous. Simply joyous. I hugged myself as I read it. My heart raced, swelled, burst; my eyes leaked tears; my stomach ached from laughter. Boy Swallows Universe is—I can’t think of a word more apt—magical. This vibrant, vital, altogether miraculous coming-of-age novel marks the debut of an exquisitely gifted storyteller. . . and what’s more, it’s transformative: After reading Trent Dalton’s book, you won’t be the same as you were before.
Welcome to the weird and wonderful universe of Trent Dalton, whose first work of fiction is, without exaggeration, the best Australian novel I have read in more than a decade. . . . The last 100 pages of Boy Swallows Universe propel you like an express train to a conclusion that is profound and complex and unashamedly commercial. . . . The book is jam-packed with such witty and profound insights into what’s wrong and what’s right with Australia and the world. . . . A rollicking ride, rich in philosophy, wit, truth and pathos.
It is such a pleasant shock to encounter a new Australian novel in which joy is shamelessly deployed. . . . It is a story in thrall to the potential the world holds for lightness, laughter, beauty, forgiveness, redemption, and love. . . . [Dalton] invests this unlikely cast and milieu with considerable energy, wit and charm. He delights in the play of language and imagination that a child can summon: the sense in which the clear moral eye of youth can critique and adore simultaneously without judgment or adult moral finessing.
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.
Trent Dalton is the most extraordinary writer—a rare talent. A major new voice on the Australian literary scene has arrived.
An astonishing achievement. Dalton is a breath of fresh air—raw, honest, funny, moving, he has created a novel of the most surprising and addictive nature. Unputdownable.
At times Boy Swallows Universe will grip your attention and then break your heart. It is a story of love, crime, and hope. It is written with love and told with joy. Trent Dalton is a powerful new voice in fiction.
An insightful coming-of-age novel.
Trent Dalton is the most extraordinary writer—a rare talent. A major new voice on the Australian literary scene has arrived.
A marvelously plot-rich novel, which…is filled with beautifully lyric prose….Exceptional.
Booklist (starred review)
A splashy, profane, and witty debut.
An electric novel. . . . a lively, funny affirmation of the human instinct for survival.
An astonishing achievement. Dalton is a breath of fresh air—raw, honest, funny, moving, he has created a novel of the most surprising and addictive nature. Unputdownable.
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.
★ 01/31/2019
Dalton’s splashy, stellar debut makes the typical coming-of-age novel look bland by comparison. The novel tracks bright, confused young narrator Eli as he moves through the ages of 12 to 19 in the 1980s in a seedy suburb of Brisbane. Eli’s best friends are his older brother, August, an electively mute genius with premonitions of the future, and former felon Slim, his babysitter and a notorious, frequent escapee from a heavily guarded prison. Eli loves his parents, but they’re a mess: his mom and step-dad deal heroin, and his dad is a depressed, panic-stricken alcoholic. The novel follows Eli as he nearly gets caught up in dealing drugs himself, discovers a secret room with a mysterious red telephone in his house, breaks into prison to wish his incarcerated mom a merry Christmas, and avenges the wrongs done to his family—all while pursuing his dream of becoming a journalist. In less adept hands, these antics might descend into whimsy, but Dalton’s broadly observant eye, ability to temper pathos with humor, and thorough understanding of the mechanics of plot prevent the novel from breaking into sparkling pieces. The author shapes Eli into an appealingly credible hero capable of shaping a future for himself despite a background that doesn’t bode well for him. This is an outstanding debut. (Apr.)
Stig Wemyss's performance of this unique audiobook is brisk and bold. His gorgeous Australian accent takes some getting used to—largely due to his fast pace—but once the listener is immersed in the story, any confusion largely disappears. What makes this production a challenge is the prose itself. Dalton sweeps from poetic meanderings to clear narrative at a moment's notice. The invested listener is the most likely to acclimate to the all-consuming style; this is not an audio performance for a casual or distracted listener, though. Once the story takes off, Eli's coming-of-age account is distinctive and appealing, thanks in large part to Wemyss's skill and enthusiasm as a narrator. His high energy and keen understanding of the characters bring the production to life. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Stig Wemyss's performance of this unique audiobook is brisk and bold. His gorgeous Australian accent takes some getting used to—largely due to his fast pace—but once the listener is immersed in the story, any confusion largely disappears. What makes this production a challenge is the prose itself. Dalton sweeps from poetic meanderings to clear narrative at a moment's notice. The invested listener is the most likely to acclimate to the all-consuming style; this is not an audio performance for a casual or distracted listener, though. Once the story takes off, Eli's coming-of-age account is distinctive and appealing, thanks in large part to Wemyss's skill and enthusiasm as a narrator. His high energy and keen understanding of the characters bring the production to life. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
