“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