There was a lot of pre-publication hype for this book, which always makes me a bit nervous. You never know if there is actually going to be any substance under all the froth, but luckily in this instance the reality lives up to the promise. Though a novel, the story has its basis in Dalton’s own 1980s Brisbane childhood, when for a short period he was babysat by a notorious convicted criminal. Now an award-winning journalist, he has taken his somewhat chaotic childhood and turned it into a hilarious and poignant novel. Full to the brim with larger than life characters, some good, some bad, most a mix of both, Boy Swallows Universe is a coming of age story to be relished.
Share on Twitter Share on Facebook