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Boy Swallows Universe

By Trent Dalton
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Boy Swallows Universe follows twelve-year-old Eli Bell navigating a turbulent life in 1980s Brisbane. With his father absent, mother imprisoned, and stepfather involved in heroin dealing, Eli finds guidance in Slim, a notorious felon who watches over him and his brilliant older brother, August. Amidst a backdrop of immigrant communities and crime, Eli pursues his dream of journalism, confronts dangerous drug lords, and experiences the pains and triumphs of growing up.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$5100

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This novel is suited to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction with themes of family, friendship, and resilience, particularly those interested in gritty, coming-of-age Australian stories with a strong emotional core.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Now a Netflix original series starring Simon Baker, Travis Fimmel, and Phoebe Tonkin!

"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

"The best book I read this decade." --Sharon Van Etten in Rolling Stone

A story of brotherhood, true love, family, and the most unlikely of friendships, Boy Swallows Universe is the tale of an adolescent boy on the cusp of discovering the man he will be in this powerful work of contemporary fiction.

Eli Bell's life is complicated. His father is lost, his mother is in jail, and his stepdad is a heroin dealer. The most steadfast adult in Eli's life is Slim—a notorious felon and national record-holder for successful prison escapes—who watches over Eli and August, his silent genius of an older brother.

Exiled far from the rest of the world in Darra, a neglected 1980s Brisbane suburb populated by Polish and Vietnamese refugees, this twelve-year-old boy with an old soul and an adult mind is just trying to follow his heart, learn what it takes to be a good man, and train for a glamorous career in journalism. Life, however, insists on throwing obstacles in Eli's path—most notably Tytus Broz, Brisbane's legendary drug dealer.

But the real trouble in this gripping Australian saga lies ahead. Eli is about to fall in love, face off against truly bad guys, and fight to save his mother from a certain doom—all before starting high school.

Powerful and kinetic, Trent Dalton's debut is sure to be one of the most heartbreaking, joyous, and exhilarating novels you will experience.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780062898111

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 April 2020

Country: United States

Imprint: Collins

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 28.0mm

Width: 137.0mm

Height: 203.0mm

Weight: 318g

Pages: 464

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction New Zealand and Australia Published Trent Dalton

About the Author

Trent Dalton is a two-time Walkley Award-winning journalist and the international bestselling author of Boy Swallows Universe, All Our Shimmering Skies, and Lola in the Mirror. His books have sold over 1.3 million copies in Australia alone. He lives in Brisbane, Australia, with his wife and two daughters.

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