LoveReading Says
One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | October 2017 Debut of the Month
Make no mistake, this debut novel is startling and often painfully uncomfortable, yet it is a stunning, actually breathtaking piece of literature. 14 year old Turtle is strong, capable, different, she is also suffering… deeply and painfully. Within the first few pages I knew that ‘My Absolute Darling’ was going to be an unforgettable read. By the end of the first chapter, ice-cold fingers had run down my spine and sent my whole system into shock. I felt as though I was viewing life from an entirely different perspective, one absolutely humming with intensity. I wanted to stop the feelings of disbelief and horror that were crowding into my mind, but I knew that I had to bear witness. Gabriel Tallent’s writing is surprisingly simple, yet he paints a vibrant pulsating picture, this man sees life, sees beneath the surface, and grants you access too. The plants, wildlife, and surrounding countryside, so beautifully described, link with the reality of Turtle’s life and on occasion act as a buffer to what is happening. There were times when ‘My Absolute Darling’ made me scream inside, yet I couldn't stop reading this remarkable and actually rather beautiful novel. It will undoubtedly be one of my books of the year.
Liz Robinson
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My Absolute Darling Synopsis
A heartstopping, beautifully written debut, telling the story of one girl's search for freedom. 'You think you're invincible. You think you won't ever miss. We need to put the fear on you. You need to surrender yourself to death before you ever begin, and accept your life as a state of grace, and then and only then will you be good enough.' At 14, Turtle Alveston knows the use of every gun on her wall; That chaos is coming and only the strong will survive it; That her daddy loves her more than anything else in this world. And he'll do whatever it takes to keep her with him. She doesn't know why she feels so different from the other girls at school; Why the line between love and pain can be so hard to see; Why making a friend may be the bravest and most terrifying thing she has ever done And what her daddy will do when he finds out ...Sometimes strength is not the same as courage. Sometimes leaving is not the only way to escape. Sometimes surviving isn't enough.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780008185213 |
| Publication date: |
29th August 2017 |
| Author: |
Gabriel Tallent |
| Publisher: |
Fourth Estate Ltd an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Primary Genre |
Romance / Relationship Stories
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Gabriel Tallent Press Reviews
'There are books we like well enough to recommend, but there are a very few - To Kill a Mockingbird, Catch-22, The Things They Carried - that we remember forever. To my own shortlist I can now add My Absolute Darling, by Gabriel Tallent. Fourteen-year-old Turtle Alveston is a brilliantly rendered creation, and her father is the most terrifyingly believable human monster to inhabit the pages of a novel since Harry Powell in The Night of the Hunter. This book is ugly, beautiful, horrifying, and uplifting. The word masterpiece has been cheapened by too many blurbs, but My Absolute Darling absolutely is one' Stephen King
'A gut wrenching, terrifying novel written so beautifully it sings off the page. Unlike anything I've read before. An astonishing debut' Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat
'My Absolute Darling is a searing book, one that dives headfirst into the dark side of survivalism and enforced isolation without losing sight of the fact that all the bad things that ever happen to Turtle Alveston plant the seeds for her ultimate triumph' Ryan Gattis, author of All Involved
'My Absolute Darling is an utterly fantastic read. Every page is brimming with energy. And Turtle Alveston is as enthralling a character as I've encountered in a good long while. I highly recommend this book' Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds
'My Absolute Darling is about how love, manipulated by loyalty, can change so easily to fear and violence. The writing is beautiful and vivid, while the story is brilliantly urgent, brutal and uncompromising. Like a witness to a terrible car crash, I couldn't draw my eyes away' Claire Fuller, author of Our Endless Numbered Days
About Gabriel Tallent
Gabriel Tallent was born in New Mexico and raised on the Mendocino coast by two mothers. He received his B.A. from Willamette University in 2010, and after graduation spent two seasons leading youth trail crews in the backcountry of the Pacific Northwest. Tallent lives in Salt Lake City.
More About Gabriel Tallent
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