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A Language of Limbs
The first love of a teenage girl is a powerful thing, particularly when the object of that desire is her best friend, also a girl. It's the kind of power that could implode a family, a friendship, a life. On a quiet summer night in Newcastle, 1972, a choice must be to act upon these desires, or suppress them? To live an openly queer life, or to try desperately not to?
Over the following three decades, these two lives almost intersect in pivotal moments, the distance between them at times drawing so thin they nearly collide. Against the backdrop of an era including Australia's first Mardi Gras and the AIDS pandemic, we see these two lives ebb and flow, with joy and grief and loss and desire, until at last they come together in the most beautiful and surprising of fashions.
A Language of Limbs is about love and how it's policed, friendship and how it transcends, and hilarity in the face of heartbreak - the jokes you tell as you're dying and the ways laughing at a funeral softens the edges of our grief. An unashamed celebration of queer life in all its vibrancy and colour, this story finds the humanity in all of us, and demands we claim our futures for ourselves.
Over the following three decades, these two lives almost intersect in pivotal moments, the distance between them at times drawing so thin they nearly collide. Against the backdrop of an era including Australia's first Mardi Gras and the AIDS pandemic, we see these two lives ebb and flow, with joy and grief and loss and desire, until at last they come together in the most beautiful and surprising of fashions.
A Language of Limbs is about love and how it's policed, friendship and how it transcends, and hilarity in the face of heartbreak - the jokes you tell as you're dying and the ways laughing at a funeral softens the edges of our grief. An unashamed celebration of queer life in all its vibrancy and colour, this story finds the humanity in all of us, and demands we claim our futures for ourselves.
277 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2024
399 people are currently reading
21074 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,129 reviews
July 13, 2024
This was hands down the best thing I’ve ever read in my entire life. I didn’t know it was possible for someone to write so beautifully and poetically whilst telling the most amazing story at the same time. Every single word broke and remade me and I think I should reread this book yearly for the rest of my life. My life goal is to be able to write, tell stories, and make people feel things just half as much as Dylin Hardcastle does. I definitely have a new favourite author. 1000000/10!
June 22, 2025
C’est un chef d’œuvre je sais même pas quoi dire d’autre c’était magnifique et j’ai encore pleuré mais wow wow wow wow WOW OUAHHH wawwwww oh my god WOWWW mais WHATTT ouahhh c’était magnifique
March 29, 2025
it feels sacrilegious to rate this in such a way because i had such high expectations for it. ultimately a suffocatingly overwritten book that stripped it of any real rooting in location and time. knowing and loving the venues this book was written about i felt even sadder for not having loved it… the first time i went to the bearded tit was with one of my lifelong friends who was the first person to ever refer to me as butch, and i wanted so badly to love this book for the love that i have for the places it refers to. the separate stories had no distinguishing voice between them where i didn’t realise until around the 100 page mark that it was two separate characters, instead of a ‘now’ and ‘then’ between the same character. the limb two narrative was emotionally stunted until around the last 50 pages, in which the author tried to rush tragedy in such a way that felt it had no room to breath in the context of the rest of the book. i found no connection between the two stories and found them a disservice to each other’s narratives - each connection that was made between them felt contrived, only there for the purpose of proving that the stories were truly connected. and the ending made me so angry it stripped little dave’s narrative, the only one i found any particular meaning within, of all it’s grandeur for me. this is definitely a novel that some people will love, but unfortunately that does not include me!!
September 23, 2024
Sometimes I know how I come across the books I read, this time I’m not even sure. Possibly I saw it during Pride month. I do love (that may sound strange) stories about AIDS as I too, had a family member die in St Vincent’s Sydney 1980's, as this story does. And he had ‘the cancer’ just like Thomas’s dad did right here.
This story teaches us so much. I was trying to work out what I’d say about it. Two women, one theme. Love.
Dylin wrote this as part of their PhD. I’m kind of in awe. I don’t know how writers do what they do sometimes, and they’ve done it in this book. This is a dense piece, it is serious, it is deep, contemplative, and harsh. The other moments are love and light and water and warmth.
I’m a cisgender white woman. I don’t have to explain myself or be judged. I don’t have to feel all the feelings we hear from these two women in this smashing story. And smash through it does. It teaches the reader a lot through fiction, but the reader knows there is so much poured into this of the the nonfiction variety.
A Language of Limbs to me, tells the reader what it is like to push against what everybody else does not have to push against.
A woman falling to the ground, by the hands of a man who in his day job wears a uniform, for him to have his life, for her to be no longer. (I should have written the quote down but as I was doing the audio version of this I was quite transfixed).
For a father, husband, friend to be shunned at the pub because he had the virus.
For the young girl having found her first love and her first experience to be punched to the ground by her father.
For the young girl to love her Irish family so much to not tell them the truth about her true self. For her love of her life to not be able to say goodbye because of this.
I did feel the heft at times, I was tired this week and it did weigh on me. Ironically this weight is felt by the queer community so much.
..and as he finds his way inside me I exhale all the parts of me that imagined something else.
I implore curious readers to read this book, and Dylin, you made me think, learn, and understand. What a fabulous outcome.
I listened to this via the BorrowBox app and my public library, the only minor audio observation I had was doing accents is tricky, I enjoy it when they are done well. Here there were only little twangs, and not all of the time. Apart from the accents, it was great.
##This is going to be adapted. Wow Wow!##
This story teaches us so much. I was trying to work out what I’d say about it. Two women, one theme. Love.
Dylin wrote this as part of their PhD. I’m kind of in awe. I don’t know how writers do what they do sometimes, and they’ve done it in this book. This is a dense piece, it is serious, it is deep, contemplative, and harsh. The other moments are love and light and water and warmth.
I’m a cisgender white woman. I don’t have to explain myself or be judged. I don’t have to feel all the feelings we hear from these two women in this smashing story. And smash through it does. It teaches the reader a lot through fiction, but the reader knows there is so much poured into this of the the nonfiction variety.
A Language of Limbs to me, tells the reader what it is like to push against what everybody else does not have to push against.
A woman falling to the ground, by the hands of a man who in his day job wears a uniform, for him to have his life, for her to be no longer. (I should have written the quote down but as I was doing the audio version of this I was quite transfixed).
For a father, husband, friend to be shunned at the pub because he had the virus.
For the young girl having found her first love and her first experience to be punched to the ground by her father.
For the young girl to love her Irish family so much to not tell them the truth about her true self. For her love of her life to not be able to say goodbye because of this.
I did feel the heft at times, I was tired this week and it did weigh on me. Ironically this weight is felt by the queer community so much.
..and as he finds his way inside me I exhale all the parts of me that imagined something else.
I implore curious readers to read this book, and Dylin, you made me think, learn, and understand. What a fabulous outcome.
I listened to this via the BorrowBox app and my public library, the only minor audio observation I had was doing accents is tricky, I enjoy it when they are done well. Here there were only little twangs, and not all of the time. Apart from the accents, it was great.
##This is going to be adapted. Wow Wow!##
September 7, 2024
I expected to connect with this a bit more. It felt overwritten, sentimental and at times cringey. I could not tell there were supposed to be two separate characters for a big chunk of it because their stories were told in almost the same voice. The side characters who were supposed to be living in the 70s and 80s kept verbatim repeating really distinct 21st century phrases, cultural norms and ideas and that really distracted and bothered me. The tone was overly serious inner city white queer Australian spoken word night the whole way through with no relief
June 2, 2025
A coming-of-age story of young queer teens in Australia in the 70s, written in beautifully lyrical, endearing and heartbreaking prose.
The book is littered with poetry, fanciful experimental prose, and tragic plots. It follows two young female protagonists, and the decisions they make as they live through an environment of homophobia and violence, particularly how the gay community was affected by the AIDs crisis. While that sounds like a dark read, and it is, this novel is also so life-affirming and poignant, finding the joys in a world filled with sorrow, especially for the most vulnerable communities, that you can't help but love it. This book reads quick, many of the chapters being structured as poems or feelings more than a devoted deep dive into characterization. Less is more in this novel, and it really works.
This is a book for people who love literature packed with gut punches, flawed and complicated female protagonists, and poetic, self-indulgent narratives. This is a debut book, and reads like it, so I'll rate this a strong 4.5.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The book is littered with poetry, fanciful experimental prose, and tragic plots. It follows two young female protagonists, and the decisions they make as they live through an environment of homophobia and violence, particularly how the gay community was affected by the AIDs crisis. While that sounds like a dark read, and it is, this novel is also so life-affirming and poignant, finding the joys in a world filled with sorrow, especially for the most vulnerable communities, that you can't help but love it. This book reads quick, many of the chapters being structured as poems or feelings more than a devoted deep dive into characterization. Less is more in this novel, and it really works.
This is a book for people who love literature packed with gut punches, flawed and complicated female protagonists, and poetic, self-indulgent narratives. This is a debut book, and reads like it, so I'll rate this a strong 4.5.
Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
August 15, 2025
no words, read this.
March 17, 2025
Books like A Language of Limbs are the reason I read in the first place. I feel stunned by the beauty within these pages and completely altered after finishing the very last one.
We are presented with two limbs of life; limb one, limb two. In each limb, a young woman must decide whether to act on her feelings for her best friend. From there an entire life is built, and nothing will ever be the same.
I've never read anything like this. The way the author wove small moments from both lives into one another was breathtaking and heartbreaking in equal measure. It really shows how close we always are to a life full of different choices. How a life could have been something else, entirely, if we only made one decision differently.
This will be a queer classic, mark my words.
(thank you to the publisher for an early review copy, in exchange for a review)
We are presented with two limbs of life; limb one, limb two. In each limb, a young woman must decide whether to act on her feelings for her best friend. From there an entire life is built, and nothing will ever be the same.
I've never read anything like this. The way the author wove small moments from both lives into one another was breathtaking and heartbreaking in equal measure. It really shows how close we always are to a life full of different choices. How a life could have been something else, entirely, if we only made one decision differently.
This will be a queer classic, mark my words.
(thank you to the publisher for an early review copy, in exchange for a review)
January 2, 2025
easiest 5 stars of my life.
June 15, 2025
***Longlisted for the 2025 Stella Prize***
“Because, I realise, hate and love sometimes come wrapped up and intertwined. It’s easier this way.”
Wow. And wow again.
I’m finally writing some thoughts about this, even though I finished it several weekends ago in practically one sitting. I wasn't expecting to be as impacted by this as I was. There are so many layers to the story. So much to think about. With the biggest takeaway for me being that family are those you choose.
The story starts in 1972 in Newcastle, which is a large town around two hours drive north of Sydney. Known for its coal mining and working class ethic, to be different then would have meant sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb.
Two girls, both fifteen. One is thrown out of home for being caught in an embrace with another girl. No questions asked. Gone. The other has a boyfriend and goes through all the regular rites of passage, while often daydreaming of her best friend and the crush she has on her.
The story progresses across several decades told in alternate chapters by limb one and limb two. At first I was confused and couldn’t work out if this was the same person, but as you continue reading it flows and makes sense.
The vibrancy of the gay community in Sydney of the late 70s and early 80s is brought to life. While at the same time speaking of the fear and destruction both by AIDs which was then unknown, and the harassment of law enforcement when the first demonstrations took place for equality and recognition. The violence of the average punter on the street was perhaps even more frightening. I had no idea that people were “outed” in lists that led to them losing their jobs, relationships and livelihoods. While the world today is far from perfect, it seems to have come some way, due to the people who paved the way and fought for their beliefs.
The alternate story is of the path taken of doing well at school, going to university, falling in love and having a family. Reaching all these milestones yet always having the lingering doubt that perhaps this wasn’t really your truth.
”...two things can be true at once.”
Through this novel I found out about two Avante Garde Artists, Claude Calhoun and Marcel Moore. It was fascinating how their story was intertwined to those of our two protagonists, and I loved the ending! Subtle yet there if you’re paying attention.
I invite you to hear Dylin speak about this novel as they discuss and put into context what the book means to them, why they wrote and what they were trying to achieve.
https://stella.org.au/book/language-o...
I really wish this had gone through to the shortlist. As usual, I’m perplexed by the choices of judges of literary awards. Regardless, read this! It’ll open your eyes to an Australia most of us probably didn’t know existed.
“This is our game, of subtle gestures, a language of limbs written like words in sand.”
“Because, I realise, hate and love sometimes come wrapped up and intertwined. It’s easier this way.”
Wow. And wow again.
I’m finally writing some thoughts about this, even though I finished it several weekends ago in practically one sitting. I wasn't expecting to be as impacted by this as I was. There are so many layers to the story. So much to think about. With the biggest takeaway for me being that family are those you choose.
The story starts in 1972 in Newcastle, which is a large town around two hours drive north of Sydney. Known for its coal mining and working class ethic, to be different then would have meant sticking out like the proverbial sore thumb.
Two girls, both fifteen. One is thrown out of home for being caught in an embrace with another girl. No questions asked. Gone. The other has a boyfriend and goes through all the regular rites of passage, while often daydreaming of her best friend and the crush she has on her.
The story progresses across several decades told in alternate chapters by limb one and limb two. At first I was confused and couldn’t work out if this was the same person, but as you continue reading it flows and makes sense.
The vibrancy of the gay community in Sydney of the late 70s and early 80s is brought to life. While at the same time speaking of the fear and destruction both by AIDs which was then unknown, and the harassment of law enforcement when the first demonstrations took place for equality and recognition. The violence of the average punter on the street was perhaps even more frightening. I had no idea that people were “outed” in lists that led to them losing their jobs, relationships and livelihoods. While the world today is far from perfect, it seems to have come some way, due to the people who paved the way and fought for their beliefs.
The alternate story is of the path taken of doing well at school, going to university, falling in love and having a family. Reaching all these milestones yet always having the lingering doubt that perhaps this wasn’t really your truth.
”...two things can be true at once.”
Through this novel I found out about two Avante Garde Artists, Claude Calhoun and Marcel Moore. It was fascinating how their story was intertwined to those of our two protagonists, and I loved the ending! Subtle yet there if you’re paying attention.
I invite you to hear Dylin speak about this novel as they discuss and put into context what the book means to them, why they wrote and what they were trying to achieve.
https://stella.org.au/book/language-o...
I really wish this had gone through to the shortlist. As usual, I’m perplexed by the choices of judges of literary awards. Regardless, read this! It’ll open your eyes to an Australia most of us probably didn’t know existed.
“This is our game, of subtle gestures, a language of limbs written like words in sand.”
May 21, 2025
If you read one book during PRIDE month, it should be A Language of Limbs.
A Language of Limbs is a story of love but most importantly it recounts the modern history of queer communities. Beginning in the early 20th century to present times the book covers the rise of the N- - i movement in the 30s, the AIDS crisis in the 80s, the emergence of queer theory in the 90s, to the white supremacy movement today.
Beautiful, breathtaking, and devastating, this captivating story just blew me away. Dylin Hardcastle is a gifted storyteller, and his prose had me entranced from page one until the end. But as you can tell, this isn't an easy story. The story focuses a lot on the worst of humanity, but there are also some lighter parts in the book. The book also includes themes of found family, trauma, and identity.
Books like A Language of Limbs are why I love reading. They give the reader a gift- insight into lives of those who are different from our own and teach us the struggles these people face just to live an ordinary life that so many cis people (myself included) take advantage of. But most importantly, these stories evoke empathy and ignite a fire in the reader to the injustices marginalized communities face.
A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle will be available on June 3. Many thanks to Dutton Books for the gifted copy!
A Language of Limbs is a story of love but most importantly it recounts the modern history of queer communities. Beginning in the early 20th century to present times the book covers the rise of the N- - i movement in the 30s, the AIDS crisis in the 80s, the emergence of queer theory in the 90s, to the white supremacy movement today.
Beautiful, breathtaking, and devastating, this captivating story just blew me away. Dylin Hardcastle is a gifted storyteller, and his prose had me entranced from page one until the end. But as you can tell, this isn't an easy story. The story focuses a lot on the worst of humanity, but there are also some lighter parts in the book. The book also includes themes of found family, trauma, and identity.
Books like A Language of Limbs are why I love reading. They give the reader a gift- insight into lives of those who are different from our own and teach us the struggles these people face just to live an ordinary life that so many cis people (myself included) take advantage of. But most importantly, these stories evoke empathy and ignite a fire in the reader to the injustices marginalized communities face.
A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle will be available on June 3. Many thanks to Dutton Books for the gifted copy!
March 16, 2025
a novel about two queer teenage girls who come of age in australia throughout the 70s and 80s. the writing is beautifully poetic and it’s a very touching novel, particularly the chosen family element (and the ending!).
it is worth pointing out that the voices/writing style of the two protagonists are quite indistinguishable from one another, so it took a while for me to realise that we were following 2 different characters, instead of the past/present of one character. i might have to re-read this again knowing that as i think it’ll make for a different reading experience. but it’s still a beautiful, important book and one i think a lot of people will connect with deeply.
it is worth pointing out that the voices/writing style of the two protagonists are quite indistinguishable from one another, so it took a while for me to realise that we were following 2 different characters, instead of the past/present of one character. i might have to re-read this again knowing that as i think it’ll make for a different reading experience. but it’s still a beautiful, important book and one i think a lot of people will connect with deeply.
June 11, 2025
DNF @ 50%
guys did Jojo Siwa write this when she found out about activism
why are we making out with a girl you barely know (who i guess is the other perspective but god knows how we were supposed to figure that out in any comprehensive manner) underneath of a car during a protest turned violent while your FRIEND is literally being beaten next to the car and you can hear his yells and see his BLOOD on the ground next to you.. what
very cringy and fake deep, tokenized diversity that felt very shallow and low effort, two quite indistinguishable narratives and neither developed enough to provide any type of meaningful characterizations. the protagonists were both incredibly corny and said things i feel like Jojo Siwa would say in/about her cringe worthy public relationships 🫠
guys did Jojo Siwa write this when she found out about activism
why are we making out with a girl you barely know (who i guess is the other perspective but god knows how we were supposed to figure that out in any comprehensive manner) underneath of a car during a protest turned violent while your FRIEND is literally being beaten next to the car and you can hear his yells and see his BLOOD on the ground next to you.. what
very cringy and fake deep, tokenized diversity that felt very shallow and low effort, two quite indistinguishable narratives and neither developed enough to provide any type of meaningful characterizations. the protagonists were both incredibly corny and said things i feel like Jojo Siwa would say in/about her cringe worthy public relationships 🫠
December 31, 2024
Finishing the year with an unexpectedly good novel.
A Language of Limbs is set in Australia, beginning in the 197os. Two narratives, two women, queerness, Mardi Gras, the AIDS crisis, lots of grief.
The writing was sumptuous, lyrical and visceral.
I'm super impressed with this novel. Don't let the cover put you off.
Looking forward to reading whatever Hardcastle writes next, they sure great talent.
A Language of Limbs is set in Australia, beginning in the 197os. Two narratives, two women, queerness, Mardi Gras, the AIDS crisis, lots of grief.
The writing was sumptuous, lyrical and visceral.
I'm super impressed with this novel. Don't let the cover put you off.
Looking forward to reading whatever Hardcastle writes next, they sure great talent.
November 22, 2024
“And I get the sense that the word family means something else in this sentence.”
“Because a love that never could be, is now the love that never was.”
I am not sure any of my words can give this incredible book the justice it deserves. It’s raw, it’s emotional, it hurts, it’s real. No blurb or review can truly express the beauty of this book unless you read it for yourself.
This story is told in two perspectives; two women, their choices; to live an openly queer life or to try not to. They live parallel lives that almost cross over, two very different lives, two different paths but often going through the same pain, trauma, loss and heartbreak until one day they come together. So many tears were shed throughout this story. I don’t have the words.
The writing in this book is lyrical, it’s poetic, elegant and expressive, unlike anything I have ever read before. It’s about family, the ones we are born into and the ones we make ourselves. It’s above love and death. It is incredibly powerful and moving as well as painful, devastating, crushing and heartbreaking.
There’s a lot more I could say but I’m unable to put it into words. I think you just have to read it. I highly recommend it and it’s definitely now one of my favourites. I don’t re read books, but I will re read this book.
Thank you Dylin, for writing this poetic masterpiece. Thank you so much to the team @macmillanaus for sending me a copy to read and review.
“Because a love that never could be, is now the love that never was.”
I am not sure any of my words can give this incredible book the justice it deserves. It’s raw, it’s emotional, it hurts, it’s real. No blurb or review can truly express the beauty of this book unless you read it for yourself.
This story is told in two perspectives; two women, their choices; to live an openly queer life or to try not to. They live parallel lives that almost cross over, two very different lives, two different paths but often going through the same pain, trauma, loss and heartbreak until one day they come together. So many tears were shed throughout this story. I don’t have the words.
The writing in this book is lyrical, it’s poetic, elegant and expressive, unlike anything I have ever read before. It’s about family, the ones we are born into and the ones we make ourselves. It’s above love and death. It is incredibly powerful and moving as well as painful, devastating, crushing and heartbreaking.
There’s a lot more I could say but I’m unable to put it into words. I think you just have to read it. I highly recommend it and it’s definitely now one of my favourites. I don’t re read books, but I will re read this book.
Thank you Dylin, for writing this poetic masterpiece. Thank you so much to the team @macmillanaus for sending me a copy to read and review.
October 28, 2024
2.5 If you are looking for nuance you will not find it here. It was injected with so much emotional charge that it became heavy handed and lost the charge that was intended. An attempt to make it interior as well as plot driven meant neither were overly successful, keeping me at a distance. A buzz book that did not have me buzzing.
August 3, 2024
i have no words. reading this felt like a rebirth
April 4, 2025
This is a love letter to queerness in its purest form. Soft, tender, and at times brutal.I kinda wanna die, but I loved it sm it actually physically hurts.
Language of limbs tells a story of two girls on completely separate paths that are somehow intertwined and overlapping regardless. Their journeys with queerness and womanhood both differ, but it ultimately leads them to the same place.
One thing i loved about this was the prose. It is super lyrical, which won't be for everyone, but it most definitely worked for me. If you loved Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth and The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, you can't skip this. It reminded me a lot of both of them, but with a found family aspect that was rooted in so much love, i couldn't help but be drawn in by it.
My throat ached, and my eyes watered through most of this. I can't lie to you, but it will also go down as one of my fav sapphic books of all time. What a fucking treat.
Language of limbs tells a story of two girls on completely separate paths that are somehow intertwined and overlapping regardless. Their journeys with queerness and womanhood both differ, but it ultimately leads them to the same place.
One thing i loved about this was the prose. It is super lyrical, which won't be for everyone, but it most definitely worked for me. If you loved Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth and The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, you can't skip this. It reminded me a lot of both of them, but with a found family aspect that was rooted in so much love, i couldn't help but be drawn in by it.
My throat ached, and my eyes watered through most of this. I can't lie to you, but it will also go down as one of my fav sapphic books of all time. What a fucking treat.
Read
May 17, 2025truly nothing braver than a lesbian defying expectation to be her true masculine self. nothing stronger than butch women defying odds to walk down the street with their femme, and butches who earn their strength through their countless battles, and use that strength to protect the women in their life. nothing better than a queer person who refuses to be told who they are or who they need to become, and care for their queer family with a tenderness and love that is only curated in queer spaces. this book paints the strength of the queer community and how its a constant choice by us to create a love that is like no other. 5 stars + extra star for pretty cover
May 31, 2025
some really powerful moments (particularly about grief and the aids crisis) but i wasnt too impressed with the execution of the split structure. the idea of parallels was cool but every parallel was so material and on the nose
:(( lost opportunities for abstraction, i think!
:(( lost opportunities for abstraction, i think!
April 25, 2025
4.5⭐️ I loved the writing and although incredibly sad, thought the story was beautiful.
April 25, 2025
Major thanks to NetGalley and Picador for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts:
*3.5 rounded up
".. 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴, 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘩, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸.."
You can’t blame a young thing for how it moves, let alone how it feels.
To be at the mouth of adulthood is to feel everything before feelings become a reserve for how we stay in the world.
It suffers from not being able to kill all your darlings. Everything is here. The run on sentences. Details that would work better on the surface but tell too much. It’s all too much. The love. The bedroom poetry. The lust. The longing.
But it’s grief as maturity that allows our narrator to become something more for themselves. The bad poetry remains, but when we know love dies in parts, do we learn to grow out of the things that keep us young.
This is writing from direct pain. This is writing straight from the heart. This is writing that could use an editor. But in its unfiltered existence, it reminds me too much of being young and dumb with all my feelings, and whenever I’m in harmony with these old feelings, I can’t help but be back, think back, to heartaches and pains and even all the great glories that made me who I am today.
As a teen who read Genet and Palahniuk, it’s a fine young adult novel that reinforces and validates all those big feelings. All with heart and truth.
"..𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘬𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰. 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦."
*3.5 rounded up
".. 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴, 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘩, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸.."
You can’t blame a young thing for how it moves, let alone how it feels.
To be at the mouth of adulthood is to feel everything before feelings become a reserve for how we stay in the world.
It suffers from not being able to kill all your darlings. Everything is here. The run on sentences. Details that would work better on the surface but tell too much. It’s all too much. The love. The bedroom poetry. The lust. The longing.
But it’s grief as maturity that allows our narrator to become something more for themselves. The bad poetry remains, but when we know love dies in parts, do we learn to grow out of the things that keep us young.
This is writing from direct pain. This is writing straight from the heart. This is writing that could use an editor. But in its unfiltered existence, it reminds me too much of being young and dumb with all my feelings, and whenever I’m in harmony with these old feelings, I can’t help but be back, think back, to heartaches and pains and even all the great glories that made me who I am today.
As a teen who read Genet and Palahniuk, it’s a fine young adult novel that reinforces and validates all those big feelings. All with heart and truth.
"..𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘬𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥, 𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭. 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘨𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰. 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦, 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦."
July 13, 2025
as if it were a memory. And perhaps it is. A memory of a memory of a yearning.
August 22, 2025
fairly gorgeous, aggressively sad, what a beautiful take on parallel lives and the queer experience. I’m just going to have to dwell in these sad vibes for a bit. Fuck aids
July 2, 2024
this book absolutely destroyed me.
tbr-most-anticipated
March 12, 2025great day to be gay (i got an ARC)
July 1, 2025
this story spans 3 decades & follows two people who are queer and coming of age in a very conservative, anti-lgbtqia time. the narrative perspective is limited and shifts between both characters as they discover their identity, fall in love, and survive the HIV epidemic of the 1980s.
the writing was so poetic! some lines truly took my breath away. i also enjoyed the infusion of poetry and art history into the prose. however, the narrative was a bit confusing to get into at first, as this story follows two people- one who decides to embrace queerness and one who leads a life where she suppresses her desires- and the 3rd POV was indistinguishable in their respective chapters.
the writing was so poetic! some lines truly took my breath away. i also enjoyed the infusion of poetry and art history into the prose. however, the narrative was a bit confusing to get into at first, as this story follows two people- one who decides to embrace queerness and one who leads a life where she suppresses her desires- and the 3rd POV was indistinguishable in their respective chapters.
June 3, 2025
3.5 ☆
A Language of Limbs is a tricky one to review—it’s a novel that I really loved in places, but really struggled with in others. Despite its flaws (or, more accurately, things that didn’t mesh with my personal tastes), the novel is a wonderful depiction of queer love, joy, and resilience with a very thoroughly researched representation of Australia’s queer history. I can easily see Hardcastle becoming a prominent voice in the contemporary queer & lesbian literary scene, and it will be well-deserved.
The novel is told in alternating perspectives—limbs one and two—with each following a (mostly) nameless woman as she grows into her sexuality and experiences the shifting dynamics of queer representation and politics in the last decades of the twentieth century. Hardcastle tackles several topics and ideas through these characters, and is mostly successful in doing so. Limbs one and two each have their own relationship to education as an institution, to religion, to unloving blood relatives and loving chosen families, to compulsive heterosexuality, and to queer culture and history. But where things stumble just a touch is Hardcastle’s integration of Aboriginal representation; comments that were made regarding Australia’s long and dark history of robbing Indigenous peoples of their land and their children stick out like a sore thumb—a necessary topic to cover, but one that reads like a checklist of political talking points rather than a carefully integrated element of the novel.
Hardcastle’s writing is generally very strong—descriptive where it needs to be, emotional without being overwritten, and propulsive. The interplay between limbs one and two allowed the novel to just fly by, and I found the book difficult to put down—just one more cycle through these characters’ lives, please! But Hardcastle wrote this novel as part of their PhD work, and it does show in a sort of Iowa-writer’s-workshop way, iykwim. I don’t know how to say this delicately, but the poetry woven throughout the novel was not good, and said poetry being good was somewhat integral to events in the novel. I also found certain sections of the book to play a little bit into the phenomenon of queer fiction being just so incredibly sad and traumatic. If something heartbreaking can happen to these characters, it does, often very explicitly. And while there are necessary reasons for some of this—the devastation of the AIDS crisis, for example—it just feels like a LOT crammed into 200 pages.
But I am overall very happy to have read this novel, as it put a promising author onto my radar and allowed me to learn so much about Australia’s own queer history and culture. An emotionally difficult novel at times, but one that is perfect for an introspective Sunday afternoon.
Thank you to the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
A Language of Limbs is a tricky one to review—it’s a novel that I really loved in places, but really struggled with in others. Despite its flaws (or, more accurately, things that didn’t mesh with my personal tastes), the novel is a wonderful depiction of queer love, joy, and resilience with a very thoroughly researched representation of Australia’s queer history. I can easily see Hardcastle becoming a prominent voice in the contemporary queer & lesbian literary scene, and it will be well-deserved.
The novel is told in alternating perspectives—limbs one and two—with each following a (mostly) nameless woman as she grows into her sexuality and experiences the shifting dynamics of queer representation and politics in the last decades of the twentieth century. Hardcastle tackles several topics and ideas through these characters, and is mostly successful in doing so. Limbs one and two each have their own relationship to education as an institution, to religion, to unloving blood relatives and loving chosen families, to compulsive heterosexuality, and to queer culture and history. But where things stumble just a touch is Hardcastle’s integration of Aboriginal representation; comments that were made regarding Australia’s long and dark history of robbing Indigenous peoples of their land and their children stick out like a sore thumb—a necessary topic to cover, but one that reads like a checklist of political talking points rather than a carefully integrated element of the novel.
Hardcastle’s writing is generally very strong—descriptive where it needs to be, emotional without being overwritten, and propulsive. The interplay between limbs one and two allowed the novel to just fly by, and I found the book difficult to put down—just one more cycle through these characters’ lives, please! But Hardcastle wrote this novel as part of their PhD work, and it does show in a sort of Iowa-writer’s-workshop way, iykwim. I don’t know how to say this delicately, but the poetry woven throughout the novel was not good, and said poetry being good was somewhat integral to events in the novel. I also found certain sections of the book to play a little bit into the phenomenon of queer fiction being just so incredibly sad and traumatic. If something heartbreaking can happen to these characters, it does, often very explicitly. And while there are necessary reasons for some of this—the devastation of the AIDS crisis, for example—it just feels like a LOT crammed into 200 pages.
But I am overall very happy to have read this novel, as it put a promising author onto my radar and allowed me to learn so much about Australia’s own queer history and culture. An emotionally difficult novel at times, but one that is perfect for an introspective Sunday afternoon.
Thank you to the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
September 28, 2024
I wasn’t as blown away by this as I wanted to be. It is beautiful and worthy for sure. A story of two women and how they experience their sexuality in the 80s during the AIDS pandemic in Australia. I think for me it felt pretty green, definitely a debut (is it a debut? I don’t actually know). Some of the sensory signifiers (freshly cut grass, juicy peaches etc) were too ubiquitous to be terribly earth shattering and look, maybe I just don’t really like poetry. Or the poetry in this book is bad. Or both. I’ve also read narratives on this subject matter that have moved me to sobbing tears, which this didn’t. I think it also suffered from a long trigger warning at the beginning that took out any shock from particular plot points. I wish I hadn’t read the trigger warning. You need a trigger warning for trigger warnings: WARNING, this trigger warning will spoil the plot. This book takes itself VERY seriously, which I suppose with the subject matter makes sense, but it just didn’t hit for me. I may be an outlier. I dunno, maybe when I chat about it at bookclub next weekend I’ll have my mind changed. 3.5 stars.
February 3, 2025
This is a novel about love and being who you are. While Australian author Dylin Hardcastle identifies as transmasculine, the novel is about lesbian love. The nonbinary struggle does not really surface.
Traversing the 70s and 80s in time, the story even takes us through the tragedy of AIDS/HIV. Gay and lesbian bashing, a heterosexual relationship, writing and publishing as a queer person, great lesbian sex, and questions about the very word queer are all thrown into this very readable novel.
We follow two women characters who survive— two limbs. The Language of Limbs is a tour de force, a book I’d recommend to anyone curious about the struggles queer people have had over the past few decades and to any of us ready to remember and in the end feel the pain and the pride.
Traversing the 70s and 80s in time, the story even takes us through the tragedy of AIDS/HIV. Gay and lesbian bashing, a heterosexual relationship, writing and publishing as a queer person, great lesbian sex, and questions about the very word queer are all thrown into this very readable novel.
We follow two women characters who survive— two limbs. The Language of Limbs is a tour de force, a book I’d recommend to anyone curious about the struggles queer people have had over the past few decades and to any of us ready to remember and in the end feel the pain and the pride.
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