Every so often a book comes along that blows everything out of the water.. and then a book like this comes along and blows that away! This is a brutal, disturbing yet utterly compelling read and I don't say this often about books but it actually blew my mind & smashed it to pieces! Firstly Gabriel Tallent's prose is incredible, so sparse yet beautifully descriptive and so wonderfully evocative that you feel every step of Turtle's incredible journey. The characters are so well developed and the interactions so authentic that they leap right off the page. Secondly the subject matter is extreme... it deals with physical and psychological abuse and is often very graphic so this is not a book for the faint-hearted. This is a book that will challenge the reader on every conceivable level but it's a story that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. If anyone is put off by the 'extremeness' of the subject matter I would urge you to step outside of your comfort zone and give this story a chance because it truly is a masterclass in how modern fiction should be written and Gabriel Tallent is undoubtedly a brave, new, incredible talent and I cannot wait to read more from him.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for giving me the opportunity to review Gabriel Tallent's My Absolute Darling.
Turtle is a character that will stay with me for a while. I kept hearing about this book without hearing about the storyline and it does not fail to impress. We are drawn into 14year old Turtles life off the grid with her survivalist, anti establishment, brutal father where we see her struggle with relationships outside the home. A chance encounter in the woods with two lost local high school students marks a series of eye opening and coming of age events that make her realise that life with Martin is not tenable.
The writing is beautifully descriptive, which makes the brutal sections of the story quite harrowing in contrast to the evocative scenes in nature and the woods. Additionally the characters are complex and very real.
While the subject matter in some passages are difficult to read the narrative flows and draws the reader in. This book was unputdownable but not for the faint hearted.

A profoundly disturbing story of young Turtle (Julia) who dwells in Mendocino an America's west coast an area of outstanding natural beauty with dense forests and a rugged coastline. In deep contrast to this utopian scene Turtle lives alone with her father Martin who, although he expresses his undying love for her, feels the need to rape her in a never ending cycle of loathsome self pity. This is her guardian, the one entrusted to care for her, and because of these despicable acts Turtle cannot comprehend her feelings towards him, she both loves and loathes him in equal measures. The controlling influence of the father creates some frightening and upsetting scenes to read: The child is forced to complete a number of pull-ups from a rafter and when she lowers her body Martin holds a knife beneath her..."Then he raised the knife and lays the blade up between her legs."....."The knife bites into the blue denim of her jeans and Turtle feels the cold steel through her panties."

Turtle meets and befriends a boy called Jacob and she begins to understand that kindness and friendship can exist even in a world where despicable acts are performed on a daily basis. As she returns home one evening she notices that her home has a new lodger a young child Cayenne and realizes now as she is almost a teenager, Martin has acquired a new defenceless child, to fulfil his sickening sexual desires. Can Turtle escape the claws of this evil monster? Can she rescue Cayenne before it is too late? This is at times a very difficult story to read as the author paints a picture of an unsettling family life against a picturesque and idyllic backdrop. I was captivated by both the innocence and evil and found myself reading this story in a very short time. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

"My Absolute Darling" is a searing, unforgettable novel about fourteen year old Turtle, known to outsiders as Julia and to her father as Kibble, his absolute darling. Turtle lives alone with her father, her companion, protector and abuser, in a life built on in isolation and survival that is preparing her for the end of the world, which her father believes is imminent.
Her only contact outside this are her Grandfather, who she visits and hides the truth from and a teacher at school, Anna, who's well meaning but ineffectual concern for Turtle is met with derision. It is is only when Turtle ventures away from her home and meets Jacob and Brett that she begins to see a way she could be free of her father, though this freedom could only have devastating consequences.
I would recommend this book to someone looking for a really intense portrait of survival, and can only praise Tallent's painfully beautiful rendering of the wilderness, internal and external, in which Turltle inhabits.
The only problem I would have with recommending it would be the deeply disturbing accounts of sexual abuse, and particularly what often seemed like complicity or reluctant willingness on Turtles part were unrealistic and distressing to me.
Overall, this was a really well written, though emotionally hard going read.

Beautifully developed characters and a fast-paced, engaging plot. Some of the more graphic scenes of violence and abuse were hard to read, but they weren't gratuitous, each taking the story further. Wonderful writing and unforgettable characters put this at the top of my 2017 list so far.

An outstanding novel.Tallent's prose is spare and compelling. From the first page, the reader is drawn into the tragic cycle of violence that defines the young protagonist's life.

This is a psychologically chilling, dark and disturbing novel set in remote Mendocino, California, charting the dysfunctional, an understatement, relationship between 14 year old Turtle (Julia) and her end of the world believer, armed to the teeth, survivalist father, Martin, who has stockpiled dried food that will last 3 years. This book has echoes of Helena and Jacob Holbrook's relationship in The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne, although in comparison to this, that is a picnic in the park. Turtle is a wild child, a daddy's girl, and never happier than when roaming the wild coastal landscape. She is a silent child, lacking friends, and treats with contempt other girls and women, echoing the heartfelt misogyny of her ever loving father. Every morning she wakes up, slings a can of beer to Martin and cracks eggs into her mouth, prior to leaving for school, where she is visibly struggling. Martin is Turtle's world, she is kibble, his absolute darling, his reason for living. Turtle's entire identity is predicated upon Martin's perceptions and attitudes, she knows no other world. This is an intimate character study with a narrative related from Turtle's perspective.

Martin is a pathologically sick, brutal and sadistic father, prone to terrorising and belittling Turtle, and sexually abusing her. He is clever, volatile, manipulative, emotionally damaged and obsessed with absolute control over his daughter. Turtle is his possession, anyone that challenges that is in grave danger, none more so than Turtle herself. She routinely practices her shooting with her various guns and commits to the daily cleaning of her guns. However, chinks begin to appear in Turtle's armour as she begins to become aware that others live different lives, with more integrity and decency, and that it is possible for her to have the potential to make friends and relationships that challenge the way she and her father live. Turtle has a primal need for a separate identity from her father, one that has her taking risks as she reaches for alternative choices but one which drives Martin wild with fear, hatred and cruelty.

Turtle finds her intentions undone when she meets and befriends Jacob and Brett, mesmerised by their literary and philosophical banter, and taken aback by their respect, attention, and the high value they place on her. Anna, her teacher, eventually manages to connect with Turtle sufficiently for Turtle to break the block preventing her from educationally moving on, as she demonstrates her personal understanding of exacerbate and recalcitrant . Brett and Jacob's family connect with and come to care for Turtle. However, these developments bring their stresses, strains and challenges for Turtle. Her unsettled psyche is still caught up with her unconditional love for Martin, which makes moving on excruciatingly painful. Martin punishes Turtle brutally for her infractions and threatens her friends. Full of shame, self hatred, yet determined to keep her friends safe, Turtle makes a devil's bargain to sacrifice herself for her friends and for her father. A bargain that Turtle will break, not for her own safety and sanity but for another, after which all hell breaks loose.

This is a viscerally atmospheric and compelling novel from Gabriel Tallent, taking on the desperately disturbing territory of Martin and Turtle's relationship, a veritable terrifying can of worms. The prose is vital and vibrant, with exquisite descriptions of the wild flora and fauna of the coast. The characters are nuanced and complex, Martin is charming, and with enough self awareness to see the monster that he has become, yet he just does not have the capacity to act on this for change. The trigger for change lies in his beloved kibble, Turtle, but Martin is not going to give up without the fight of his life. It is not easy for Turtle to do the right thing and break the only world she knows, this psychological portrayal feels authentic, change comes gradually, until Turtle reaches the point where she must act, whatever the outcome. This is a raw, intelligent and moving novel that I will not forget. It is undoubtedly a challenging read that I highly recommend. Many thanks to HarperCollins 4th Estate for an ARC.

Never in my life have I read a book so truly harrowing and rewarding. I will never, ever forget Turtle.
This story is more than a tale of an abused child. It's more than a story about a young heroine, coming of age. This is such a psychologically vivid, multi-layered masterpiece of a resilient and honest young woman who is a product of her childhood...or is she?
Absolutely incredible with an ending that stays with you. I adore this novel.

This book is refreshingly different. Martin is trying to bring his daughter Turtle up in an unconventional way. Some of his beliefs are extremely disturbing and throughout the book there are times when you wonder what is going through his head and how he thinks his parenting is correct. I felt so sorry for Turtle. She so needed to be loved and cared for. The descriptions in this book are all beautifully written and they were a pleasure to read. They are so descriptive you can feel yourself drawn into Turtle's world and story.

This is the story of fourteen-year-old Turtle, who has been brought up by her sociophathic father in near isolation, and her struggle for freedom.
Completely immersed in their little world, Turtle slowly comes to realise that something is very wrong. Unable to ask for help and torn between her love for her father and a glimpse of an alternative way of life she must find her own, painful way to freedom.
I was completely gripped by this book and, although it’s at times not a comfortable read, couldn’t put it down.

A riveting page turner , a very intense book would recommend

This was a harrowing read, but so gripping and despite its darkness, so beautiful.

I appreciated the opportunity to read this book but sadly I was disappointed by it. In the end I felt it was yet another book about child abuse, and whilst i learnt a lot about different guns, and the narrative was peppered with philosophical and literary references, I felt I learnt nothing new about abusive relationships. I also found it difficult to believe that Turtle was left so physically able following her various traumas and self treatments,

Extremely fascinating story with a lead character in Turtle that I'll never forget. Awesome awesome book!

Really hard to read due to the sensitive content but I found myself drawn into turtles's world. Well worth slogging through

Turtle is perfectly named. Hard as nails on the outside, vulnerable and adrift on the inside. A slow burner, this breathtaking book sets the scene so skilfully that the reader feels each skipped heartbeat as the menacing, charismatic Martin steps closer to the event horizon. Strongly recommended.

This book is gripping, from the first paragraph to the tense final chapters. It is frustrating and heartbreaking and harrowing and hopeful. A fantastic psychological portrayal of abuse, I would recommend this to everyone and anyone - even if just to understand how other people may view the world so differently.

I began reading this book and felt bombardes with tons of things going on and I felt like I was either out of the loop or was missing half the book.
Not for me, sorry.