What do you think?
Rate this book
Bootstrap
Jackson Sweeney is stewing in his tiny hometown, feeling stuck as he spends his days working at Al’s Takeaway and fending off homophobic losers. His childhood friend Marnie returns to Ginsborough on her family’s annual visit, but she’s reeling from a break-up and is determined to lie low. After all, nothing ever happens in this part of the world.
But then one night an odd-looking stranger shows up: he has long black hair, a leather trench coat and the improbable name of Bootstrap. What’s more, he says he’s here to see the night Jackson Sweeney becomes a hero.
Soon, Sweeney and Marnie find themselves swept up in an adventure they never could have dreamt of—with a fugitive from the future.
Both a thrilling race against time and a witty contemporary love story, Bootstrap is the genre-bending new novel from the brilliant Georgina Young.
But then one night an odd-looking stranger shows up: he has long black hair, a leather trench coat and the improbable name of Bootstrap. What’s more, he says he’s here to see the night Jackson Sweeney becomes a hero.
Soon, Sweeney and Marnie find themselves swept up in an adventure they never could have dreamt of—with a fugitive from the future.
Both a thrilling race against time and a witty contemporary love story, Bootstrap is the genre-bending new novel from the brilliant Georgina Young.
336 pages, Paperback
First published July 19, 2022
3 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 17, 2022
Potentially my favourite book of the year and quite some time. I read the second half in one sitting and couldn’t stop.
The way the author creates such visceral characters and cleverly works all the time-travelling elements kept me so entranced. Everything just works so well together: the differing narrator voices; the rural setting; the language; the dialogue; and all the references. This book has everything I wanted.
I’m still trying to find the words for a proper review, but in the meantime I’ll be trying to convince everyone I know to read this book.
The way the author creates such visceral characters and cleverly works all the time-travelling elements kept me so entranced. Everything just works so well together: the differing narrator voices; the rural setting; the language; the dialogue; and all the references. This book has everything I wanted.
I’m still trying to find the words for a proper review, but in the meantime I’ll be trying to convince everyone I know to read this book.
July 7, 2022
Received from the publisher, Text, at no cost.
As a time travel/ romance set in Australia, this book is fine. A pretty slow start - there's a lot of setting up of the small town and the two main characters - but the second 2/3 is pretty well paced. There are some quirky ideas, the characters are believable (and recognisable, for Australians at least), and it's... fine.
Yes, I know that sounds like damning with faint praise. And it is fine! Truly! I didn't mind reading it! But... it's not outstanding. Sadly. For a YA audience that's not read many time travel stories; or for Australians who have never seen themselves on the page before, maybe it would be different? I don't know.
I have a couple of issues with the book. The first is with the blurb writer - note, please, NOT with the author. The book itself literally references The Time Traveller's Wife. So when the blurb calls this a "genre-bending" novel? No, it's not. Jonathan Strahan's new anthology is literally Someone In Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance. So time-travel and romance isn't new. Even making it queer doesn't make it new.
The second issue is the language. It's very Australian. In fact, I would go so far as to call this excruciatingly Australian. I am a big fan of stories being told in the vernacular, but this felt like the author had first written the story in more generic English and then went back and switched everything to the most ocker she possibly could. For instance: "I get a schnozz full of water" (138), "I wanna touch him" (140), "And it's like finally, ya nong" (144) and so on. Piles of Aussie slang (logs in the toilet) and references to Australian brands (Lemon Fresh, a man eating a Barney Banana ice cream "shoulda gone a chocolate Paddle Pop, idiot" (58). It just ends up feeling like the author is trying too hard. But maybe I've become an elitist and I don't appreciate what kids in small towns really want to read. So if this works for those kids, awesome! It just means I'm not the right audience, and I'm fine with that.
As a time travel/ romance set in Australia, this book is fine. A pretty slow start - there's a lot of setting up of the small town and the two main characters - but the second 2/3 is pretty well paced. There are some quirky ideas, the characters are believable (and recognisable, for Australians at least), and it's... fine.
Yes, I know that sounds like damning with faint praise. And it is fine! Truly! I didn't mind reading it! But... it's not outstanding. Sadly. For a YA audience that's not read many time travel stories; or for Australians who have never seen themselves on the page before, maybe it would be different? I don't know.
I have a couple of issues with the book. The first is with the blurb writer - note, please, NOT with the author. The book itself literally references The Time Traveller's Wife. So when the blurb calls this a "genre-bending" novel? No, it's not. Jonathan Strahan's new anthology is literally Someone In Time: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance. So time-travel and romance isn't new. Even making it queer doesn't make it new.
The second issue is the language. It's very Australian. In fact, I would go so far as to call this excruciatingly Australian. I am a big fan of stories being told in the vernacular, but this felt like the author had first written the story in more generic English and then went back and switched everything to the most ocker she possibly could. For instance: "I get a schnozz full of water" (138), "I wanna touch him" (140), "And it's like finally, ya nong" (144) and so on. Piles of Aussie slang (logs in the toilet) and references to Australian brands (Lemon Fresh, a man eating a Barney Banana ice cream "shoulda gone a chocolate Paddle Pop, idiot" (58). It just ends up feeling like the author is trying too hard. But maybe I've become an elitist and I don't appreciate what kids in small towns really want to read. So if this works for those kids, awesome! It just means I'm not the right audience, and I'm fine with that.
Read
November 25, 2022The following book reviews have been shared by Text Publishing – publisher of Bootstrap
‘Bootstrap is a wild, exhilarating ride of a book, from start to finish, bending and transcending genre and creating something powerfully original in the process. Georgina Young perfectly captures the language and attitude of rural Australia, and the tender core beneath rough-around-the-edges characters. This book is funny, witty and razor-sharp—a pure adrenaline rush!’
Holden Sheppard
‘Nails the dialogue of country Australia…Heart-warming, heart-wrenching, but also just really fun…I bloody adored it.’
Kylie Maslen
‘Young grounds the book in the cadences of daily life in regional Australia, while also having lots of self-aware fun winking at the conventions of sci-fi and romance storytelling. Crackling with irreverent energy…appealing to a wide range of readers.’
Doug Wallen, Big Issue
‘Genre-bending...a bit of a love story and a race against time…Australian flavoured Neil Gaiman Doctor Who action romp.’
RNZ Nine to Noon
‘There is vibrancy and energy in each protagonist…Wonderful precision and wit…A remarkably entertaining story.’
Jessie Tu, Sydney Morning Herald
‘A fantastic tale of Victoria…It really catches the Australian vernacular…Really entertaining [and] funny.’
Sam Elkin, 3RRR 'Queer View Mirror'
‘Young wonderfully weaves in complex ideas and a character-driven plot.’
Barry Reynolds, Herald Sun
‘Young’s novel contemporises the tropes [of time travel and romance]…[The] dialogue between the characters is witty, fiery and eminently readable…and the use of colloquialisms and slang really situates this as an Australian novel. People of all ages…will find something to love in this whip-smart tale of what it means to be in love.’
Blake Curran, Aurealis
‘Bootstrap is a wild, exhilarating ride of a book, from start to finish, bending and transcending genre and creating something powerfully original in the process. Georgina Young perfectly captures the language and attitude of rural Australia, and the tender core beneath rough-around-the-edges characters. This book is funny, witty and razor-sharp—a pure adrenaline rush!’
Holden Sheppard
‘Nails the dialogue of country Australia…Heart-warming, heart-wrenching, but also just really fun…I bloody adored it.’
Kylie Maslen
‘Young grounds the book in the cadences of daily life in regional Australia, while also having lots of self-aware fun winking at the conventions of sci-fi and romance storytelling. Crackling with irreverent energy…appealing to a wide range of readers.’
Doug Wallen, Big Issue
‘Genre-bending...a bit of a love story and a race against time…Australian flavoured Neil Gaiman Doctor Who action romp.’
RNZ Nine to Noon
‘There is vibrancy and energy in each protagonist…Wonderful precision and wit…A remarkably entertaining story.’
Jessie Tu, Sydney Morning Herald
‘A fantastic tale of Victoria…It really catches the Australian vernacular…Really entertaining [and] funny.’
Sam Elkin, 3RRR 'Queer View Mirror'
‘Young wonderfully weaves in complex ideas and a character-driven plot.’
Barry Reynolds, Herald Sun
‘Young’s novel contemporises the tropes [of time travel and romance]…[The] dialogue between the characters is witty, fiery and eminently readable…and the use of colloquialisms and slang really situates this as an Australian novel. People of all ages…will find something to love in this whip-smart tale of what it means to be in love.’
Blake Curran, Aurealis
October 16, 2022
Typically twisty and turning. This is one version of time-travel I can accept.
Sweeny is a flawed yet wonderful voice and Marnie is a crack-up, but also they are both more than just small country-town hicks.
They deserve all the good things. But as with all things time travel, who knows what the future holds...
Sweeny is a flawed yet wonderful voice and Marnie is a crack-up, but also they are both more than just small country-town hicks.
They deserve all the good things. But as with all things time travel, who knows what the future holds...
January 9, 2024
Jackson Sweeney spends his days lazing about his small hometown of Ginsborough occasionally working in Al's takeaway, and spending his nights at the pub. His best friend Marnie has recently broken up with her boyfriend and is having a hard time. She rolls back into Ginsborough with her tail between her legs, eager to spend quality time with Sweeney. Then one night a stranger called Bootstrap appears and says he is there to see the night Jackson Sweeney becomes a hero. Soon Marnie and Sweeney are swept up in an adventure they could never have predicted.
This is a enjoyable Australian, time travel book, the rules to time travel are pretty basic (as is the storyline). Although this was an enjoyable read it definitely wasn't ground breaking in the genre. The blurb describes it as 'genre bending' but it really isn't, it isn't unusual for a book from any genre to have a romantic angle, it doesn't make it a romance. I enjoyed the chapters from Marnie's perspective a whole lot more than Sweeney's, for some reason the author decided a 20 year old from rural Australia must sound like an extra on Crocodile Dundee. Besides the very liberal and excessive swearing, Sweeney uses words like Nong, Drongo, Schnozz, basically he is Alf from Home and Away. Sweeney has absolutely no drive, despite wanting to get out of the town he makes no plans to escape, he doesn't even show up for his 6 hours a week at the take away shop. When Bootstrap shows up he resists being drawn into the drama, he is basically a rock. While Marnie's life might be a mess she at least has moved, has a job, has uni, has made some effort in improving her life. Although Marnie and Sweeney are supposedly best friends they aren't together through a lot of the story and we see them interract with other characters a lot more than with each other, meaning I didn't really buy their friendship. I generally love time travel books and I was keen to read an Australian time travel novel, although this was an enjoyable read it wasn't amazing. The ultra-Australian language turned Sweeny into a caricature and it really didn't feel like a sci-fi novel, I'm not sure if the author is unfamiliar with the genre or if my expectations on time travel are too high.
This is a enjoyable Australian, time travel book, the rules to time travel are pretty basic (as is the storyline). Although this was an enjoyable read it definitely wasn't ground breaking in the genre. The blurb describes it as 'genre bending' but it really isn't, it isn't unusual for a book from any genre to have a romantic angle, it doesn't make it a romance. I enjoyed the chapters from Marnie's perspective a whole lot more than Sweeney's, for some reason the author decided a 20 year old from rural Australia must sound like an extra on Crocodile Dundee. Besides the very liberal and excessive swearing, Sweeney uses words like Nong, Drongo, Schnozz, basically he is Alf from Home and Away. Sweeney has absolutely no drive, despite wanting to get out of the town he makes no plans to escape, he doesn't even show up for his 6 hours a week at the take away shop. When Bootstrap shows up he resists being drawn into the drama, he is basically a rock. While Marnie's life might be a mess she at least has moved, has a job, has uni, has made some effort in improving her life. Although Marnie and Sweeney are supposedly best friends they aren't together through a lot of the story and we see them interract with other characters a lot more than with each other, meaning I didn't really buy their friendship. I generally love time travel books and I was keen to read an Australian time travel novel, although this was an enjoyable read it wasn't amazing. The ultra-Australian language turned Sweeny into a caricature and it really didn't feel like a sci-fi novel, I'm not sure if the author is unfamiliar with the genre or if my expectations on time travel are too high.
May 24, 2024
this one feels like a miniseries produced by the ABC (does anyone remember Glitch??? i’m not sure i ever found out how it ended, or if i did then i don’t remember) and also like a pastiche time travel romance/thriller movie which is directed by edgar wright and really leans into the absurdity of the entire storyline (i think i would have preferred this story in either of those mediums). and also kind of like the interactive web story i made in my third year of uni (which was the same year this book came out! kinda cool)
i think this was just slightly too incoherent to completely work for me - it’s definitely not committed to being a hard sci fi, exploring the moral and ethical implications of time travel or giving us a deep and meaningful exploration of characters and their relationships. it’s just kind of a silly romp and the Big Plot Elements don’t really come together in any way. which could work, if it had the stylistic flair of being directed by edgar wright. but it was a fun ride. not bad for random obscure australian book i stumbled across on the library’s ebook catalogue, that i’m probably the only person who’s ever borrowed it because this literally has less than 60 goodreads ratings at time of writing. i personally just need my time travel stories to be doing a little more with that storytelling device and i will forget about this book in a week.
i think this was just slightly too incoherent to completely work for me - it’s definitely not committed to being a hard sci fi, exploring the moral and ethical implications of time travel or giving us a deep and meaningful exploration of characters and their relationships. it’s just kind of a silly romp and the Big Plot Elements don’t really come together in any way. which could work, if it had the stylistic flair of being directed by edgar wright. but it was a fun ride. not bad for random obscure australian book i stumbled across on the library’s ebook catalogue, that i’m probably the only person who’s ever borrowed it because this literally has less than 60 goodreads ratings at time of writing. i personally just need my time travel stories to be doing a little more with that storytelling device and i will forget about this book in a week.
November 27, 2022
I approached this book with some trepidation as the person who suggested it for our book group then started reading it before the rest of us and got cold feet, not even wanting to finish it. We have not yet met to discuss it, so I will be interested to hear why she felt that way.
Having said that, I found this an enjoyable book with some interesting characters. The main protagonist, Sweeney, is a self-confessed loser who would like to break free of life in his one-horse town but is seemingly gripped by inertia and is unable to do so. He is also the only gay person there.
This is also a love story between Sweeney and the eponymous Bootstrap and a secondary one between Marnie and her recent ex boyfriend, Ben. The whole thing is complicated but time travel and the hunt for Bootstrap for a crime that he did not commit. It had shades of the Time Traveller’s Wife, and indeed it alluded to this book at one point.
Georgina Young captured the vernacular of the characters. The f word was used liberally, but then it is the way someone like Sweeney would speak. Don’t read it if this will offend you.
I look forward to reading more form this young Melbourne writer.
Having said that, I found this an enjoyable book with some interesting characters. The main protagonist, Sweeney, is a self-confessed loser who would like to break free of life in his one-horse town but is seemingly gripped by inertia and is unable to do so. He is also the only gay person there.
This is also a love story between Sweeney and the eponymous Bootstrap and a secondary one between Marnie and her recent ex boyfriend, Ben. The whole thing is complicated but time travel and the hunt for Bootstrap for a crime that he did not commit. It had shades of the Time Traveller’s Wife, and indeed it alluded to this book at one point.
Georgina Young captured the vernacular of the characters. The f word was used liberally, but then it is the way someone like Sweeney would speak. Don’t read it if this will offend you.
I look forward to reading more form this young Melbourne writer.
November 26, 2022
Bootstrap is genre-bending for sure and I just don't think I managed to get past the disorientation. As someone who dislikes time-travel this probably was not the book to pick up but I absolutely adored Georgina Young's Loner and vowed that she was an autobuy author for me. Young is amazing at dialogue and the contemporary Australian nuances of Australian young adults in particular, however there was multiple settings in this book (and not exactly contemporary ones) and a distinct lack of world-building for them which left me confused. I loved the characters and their diversity which was a massive tick for me, Young always write characters who seem to just walk off the page for me. This book is full of wit but I still cannot wrap my head around it, it wasn't my cup of tea but maybe it will be yours.
Read
August 9, 2023Thoughts
-absolutely loved this. Devoured it
-hard to believe Sweeney struggles to grasp concepts of time travel when he knows who captain Jack harkness is. Also, gay
-the use of colloquialisms either was overdone in the first chapter or I got used to it. Definitely easier to read if you’re from aus or nz
-LOVED everything slotting into place timewise. Wish it had a bit more focus, like when bootstrap goes back to the night Sweeney became a hero
-would be a great film and adored by gay teenage nerds
-hated vaping being a central plot point. Cringe. Like Covid we will want to wipe vapes from the collective memory in years to come. Could have used chewing gum or something instead
-I want to know more about Rick. And I want him and marnie to be ❤️❤️❤️🫶🫶🫶
-never really explained bootstrap’s history of violence. Also wtf about that scene with his ex
-LOVE GAY TIME TRAVEL
-absolutely loved this. Devoured it
-hard to believe Sweeney struggles to grasp concepts of time travel when he knows who captain Jack harkness is. Also, gay
-the use of colloquialisms either was overdone in the first chapter or I got used to it. Definitely easier to read if you’re from aus or nz
-LOVED everything slotting into place timewise. Wish it had a bit more focus, like when bootstrap goes back to the night Sweeney became a hero
-would be a great film and adored by gay teenage nerds
-hated vaping being a central plot point. Cringe. Like Covid we will want to wipe vapes from the collective memory in years to come. Could have used chewing gum or something instead
-I want to know more about Rick. And I want him and marnie to be ❤️❤️❤️🫶🫶🫶
-never really explained bootstrap’s history of violence. Also wtf about that scene with his ex
-LOVE GAY TIME TRAVEL
September 8, 2022
I'm completely stuck on what to say about this book. It's different. The characters were really strong - amazing voices. The setting was vivid. It's the most Australian book I've ever read. It was so easy and natural to read, and I loved Sweeney and Marnie. But the time travel and the romance - the two major plots - were a bit lacking. I like my time travel to be unique and mind-bending, and here it felt quite basic. And I like to really care about love interests and see a couple's chemistry. But I never got a good grasp of Bootstrap's character (he was a bit too mysterious) and this made it hard for me to root for him. So while parts of this book were great, after about halfway I got a bit bored. I do think, though, that a lot of people will adore this book.
August 9, 2022
What would you do if you met someone who could time travel?
Introducing Bootstrap, a strange gentleman who turns up out of the blue one evening at a small Australian town – Ginsborough and meets Jackson Sweeney on the exact same night Sweeney becomes a hero. Could this be a coincidence? Marnie comes home for the annual family holiday and also meets a dark and mysterious man at the pub. Soon they both become fugitives and get taken on a trip of a lifetime.
This book is full of Australian sayings, swearing and an adventure or five. If you enjoy book set in a regional Australian town with some contemporary romance and time travel all put together, than this book is for you.
The ending had me thinking we might get another book from Georgina Young.
Thank you Text Publishing for sending me a copy of this gifted book in exchange for my honest review.
Introducing Bootstrap, a strange gentleman who turns up out of the blue one evening at a small Australian town – Ginsborough and meets Jackson Sweeney on the exact same night Sweeney becomes a hero. Could this be a coincidence? Marnie comes home for the annual family holiday and also meets a dark and mysterious man at the pub. Soon they both become fugitives and get taken on a trip of a lifetime.
This book is full of Australian sayings, swearing and an adventure or five. If you enjoy book set in a regional Australian town with some contemporary romance and time travel all put together, than this book is for you.
The ending had me thinking we might get another book from Georgina Young.
Thank you Text Publishing for sending me a copy of this gifted book in exchange for my honest review.
September 30, 2022
Awesome!
October 11, 2022
3.5 stars
February 24, 2023
An interesting plot line, some spectacularly annoying characters, a lighthearted read. Probably a bit too "Young Adult" for me.
April 30, 2023
Im kinda over coming of age gay stories, even quite well written ones like this. Think I'm getting old.
September 3, 2025
What a book! Could be summarised as a witty quirky rural romance (two romances - one gay, one straight) with time travel. Also part coming-of-age coming out in a country town. Fast paced, sparky dialogue, great story. The time travel just blends in and adds to the story. Loved it. 4.5* rounded up to 5*.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews