Boy Swallows Universe is simply put it a formidable book.
We are in Brisbane, Australia in 1985. The 12-year-old Eli Bell lives with his mother who is a heroin addict. Eli has an older brother August who has chosen not to speak. And then there is Lyle who is his mother’s boyfriend. Lyle is a good stepfather, but he is also a drug dealer. With that profession comes all kinds of bad things. Eli’s mother divorced his father years ago, and the father now lives in another part of Brisbane.
Their everyday is very much characterized by their mother’s heroin abuse. But despite the erratic family life, the two boys find great joy in each other’s company and also in the fantasy world they build up. Is Lyle at home he’ll take care of the boys.
When Lyle and their mother are busy with their drug dealing jobs Eli and August are looked after by an elderly man. His name is Slim, and he is a friendly although brusque man who is also a street savvy man wise of many things. Eli attaches himself to Slim and in return Slim teaches Eli and August about the world that they will grow up in. However, Slim has a problematic past to say the least. He has spent most of his adult life in prison. But despite Slim’s dubious background the two boys love him.
Eli grows up to be a teenager and dramatic circumstances do that the two boys must move in with their father when their mother is imprisoned, and Lyle mysteriously disappears from the face of the earth. At this point things escalate rapidly, and Eli is whirled into a cobweb of mysterious circumstances. These dramatic happenings make him decide to follow his dream of becoming a journalist so that he can bring these mysteries to daylight. And that’s all I’ll tell you for now………
Boy Swallows Universe is a wonderful but harsh mixture of humor, fantasy, romance, and social realism. But also, an intense crime novel which is easy to read. It is an imminent book. And in case you should doubt me take a look at the headlines below. Happy reading. A great book awaits you.
‘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
‘Dalton’s splashy, stellar debut makes the typical coming-of-age novel look bland by comparison … This is an outstanding debut.’ Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)
‘Extraordinary and beautiful storytelling’ Guardian
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