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.

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.

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

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

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 just finished an arc of MY PRECIOUS DARLING by Gabriel Tallent. It will probably be my favorite book of 2017. Not since A LITTLE LIFE have I read a book that kept me reading all night into daylight for two days in a row. It's stunning, shocking, emotional and beautiful. Unbelievably fantastic writer. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this amazing novel that I will not soon forget.

Wow, this is a blistering, raw, edgy, honest, risky piece of writing! Tallent (prescient surname!) has exploded onto the literary scene with this book which left me just blown away. The content is horrific in parts so beware of you're a sensitive reader, but it never falls into the gratuitous, the sentimental or the one-dimensional.

While Turtle's voice dominates, it's her father, Martin, who is perhaps the greater achievement: it's too easy to write a monster, but while Martin certainly does some monstrous things, he's also highly intelligent, an intellectual reader, charismatic, a man who profoundly loved his wife and loves his daughter, had a troubled relationship with his own father, and has a self-destructive ability to look deep into his own soul: <i> Christ! How have I become this man I am now, set in my ways, scared like he was, set like he was, and I hate this, I never wanted to be this man.</i> In his own distorted way, he adores Turtle as the most beautiful thing in his life: <i> Do you know what you are? The only numinous thing in a dark and profane world, and without you, nihilism.</i> <spoiler> And while Turtle is certainly his victim, she's also the weapon he forges against himself, in that unstoppable, inevitable rush towards the nihilism he foresees.</spoiler>

The scenes of the book are immensely detailed, almost set out like scenes from a play, and we can feel the shifting emotional tides between people, seeping into the atmosphere. Set against the anger, the violence and the blood of the content is a gorgeously lyrical writing style, an attention to individual words and the way words fuse in an alchemical process.

I love the way Tallent doesn't overwrite: he doesn't feel the need to spell everything out for us, to excuse or explain with easy psychologising, and leaves spaces in the text for us to ponder on (<spoiler> did his wife leave or commit suicide? Did his abuse of Turtle drive her away, or did he turn to Turtle after the loss of his wife?</spoiler>). The ending, too, avoids easy neatness, and remains open-ended as real life so often is.

So this is a tense and intense book, not an easy throwaway read... but a superbly brilliant one.

Also posted on Amazon as a Vine review

My Absolute Darling is a dark and unputdownable novel about a terrifying situation and mindset forced onto a teenage girl and her battle to escape this life she is so used to. Turtle is a fourteen-year-old who lives with her father in a house filled with guns and supplies for the apocalypse he believes will be inevitable. He tells her how much he loves her, but she has never known a friend and is trapped by his creed and rules. The time comes for Turtle to fight to survive and to learn to escape from all she has ever known.

Tallent writes with a distinctively detailed style that carefully captures the ordered world in which Turtle lives and depicts her unnerving mindset as someone who has grown up knowing love and pain deeply entwined. She is a compelling character: heartbreaking in her internalised hatred and her difficulty relating to anyone, clearly intelligent and adaptable, and hard to forget once the book is put down. The narrative unfolds with tension, closely focusing on an event or occasion then jumping forward in a tightly paced manner.

The paranoia of her monstrous father is contrasted with the hippy attitudes of other locals, showing the difference between a distrust of The Man and an all-consuming belief in protecting someone who is actually being deeply scarred in those attempts. Apart from a few references by other characters, it is easy to forget the modern setting of the novel, which both gives it a timeless feel and shows Turtle’s disconnect from the world. Altogether, the writing style and seeing it all from Turtle’s perspective makes the reader feel unnerved and trapped, really getting across the horror of what is going on despite it not being described in a hysterical way.

To read the novel is to be horrified at times and to wish it was possible to reach into the narrative and make things better, in a similar way to books like Yanagihara’s A Little Life. Tallent creates a paranoid and abusive world that can be difficult to read at times, but also can be uplifting and gives a voice to a character who so often keeps to virtual silence.

I thought My Absolute Darling was outstandingly good. It is beautifully written, remarkably insightful and completely gripping.

This is the story of 12-year-old Julia "Turtle" Alveson who lives with her survivalist father on the fringes of society in Mendocino, California. She is skilled in guns, survival skills and so on, but at sea with other people and in social situations. Told entirely from Turtle's point of view, we see her struggles with understanding her father's obsessive and abusive behaviour which she (and probably he) believes to be what love is. As events and growing maturity begin to make her more aware, the tension between what she has believed and what she begins to recognise as reality grows and Turtle has to wrestle with where her future lies and how, if at all, she can realise it.

This doesn't sound like a great read on the face of it, but it is. I genuinely found it hard to put this book down; the story is gripping, with some passages of incredible tension and real adventure, and Gabriel Tallent takes us right inside that young woman's head with her confusion, self-doubt (often spilling into self-loathing) and resilience in a way which I have seldom experienced. The portraits of her and of her monstrous father are fantastically real, and I found the entire thing completely convincing. Be warned that there are some quite horrifying scenes of child abuse, but they are absolutely justified in the context and excellently judged - a world away from the often offensively facile use of child abuse as a theme in run-of-the-mill thrillers.

The prose is excellent. Gabriel Tallent writes in a measured, unmelodramatic but rather lyrical style, which brings the people, especially Turtle, wonderfully to life. Just as a tiny example, we get sentences like this: "She waits there in the grass, feeling her every thought stored up and inarticulate within her," and this sort of brilliant distillation of internal experience shines through the book. The sense of place is excellent and dialogue is completely convincing; I especially liked some wonderful episodes of the jokey, wordy, literate chatter of two High School boys as it contrasted with Turtle's near-silent inarticulacy.

I find it hard to express quite how good I thought this book was. It is a rare combination of an utterly gripping story, excellent writing and genuine depth of content. Very, very warmly recommended.

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.

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.

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.

My mind is still reeling from My Absolute Darling, Tarrant's first, and I sincerely hope not his last novel. I would have read straight through, and finished in a day had life not interrupted. It is truly a special read.

Martin and Kibble, Kibble and Martin. The depravity of the situation manifests itself so early in the novel. Their home was overgrown, almost surrendered to nature. Roses and poison oak clawing their way into Kibble's bedroom. Martin retrieving the skillet to cook the steak, which raccoons had licked clean. Kibble's daily breakfast brought a feral child to mind, and her actions reinforced that perception as the novel progressed. I waited in anticipation during her forest trip, to learn what the fall out of her following Brett and Jacob through the forest would be.

Jekyll and Hyde came to mind on many occasions in the form of Martin. How one man can profess to possess so much love for an individual and then can utterly transform. His forcing of Kibble to perform chin ups from the kitchen rafters. His reaction when he discovered the amnesty international t-shirt in her bedroom chest. His alienation from life, willing detachment from society and reality, his constant subtle, and not so subtle threats.

Whose heart could Julia's plight not possibly break? Wanting to love, believing in love, starved of societal norms, craving to belong, trusting, believing because she's always believed, believing because not to believe is not an option for her, not to believe means not to live.

The descriptions throughout this book far exceed so many expectations on so many levels. The language was exquisite, the imagery was photographic in its precision.
I expect a background in botany, or just a superb researcher, for he seems to have left no stone unturned. The descriptions are exquisite, down to the most minute detail. To say that the reader is planted right in the heart of her life, among the Redwood, Timothy and Poison Oak, is an understatement. We can see, hear and sense every aspect of Turtle's pitiful existence.

And her meltdown. When left alone, isolated and unsure. With the chain saw and the cherry bookshelves. The gasoline and the skillet. What next, we're aching to know. What more can this child endure?

Stranded on the island, caught in the swell. Blood and breaks, wilderness survival at its very best. With breaking point reached she begins to talk. And some of the truth is out. She knows, he knows, they all know really. But so does she, and that's what frightens her most.

And then we meet Cayenne, and the coin. And Turtle knows, and reaches out to Wallace. She's young, and scared, but she still knows. Fight or flight, it wasn't just her anymore. Survival instincts kicked in. The homecoming party was a home coming in more ways than one. A day of reckoning, one we will all face in the end, the outcome of which is in our own hands.

This is the story of 14 year old Julie "Turtle" Alveston and her Survivalist father. I don't want to go too deep into the story for a couple of reasons - the main one being that I think the subject matter could turn people off and they could miss out on a brilliant read; the other being that I went in blind and found it tense, claustrophobic and harrowing: I think some of that could be lost if you know what's coming.

This isn't an easy read - it's a story of a young girl caught between love and hate, light and dark, good and evil. I was reminded, in places, of early Stephen King - particularly Carrie. If you're able for a graphic, dark, unsettling read that doesn't hold back - then I'd highly recommend this. It's one that will stay with me for a very, very long time.

Just such a gripping, visceral read. A darkly twisted tale, deeply uncomfortable at times but with such a captivating heroine and a nuanced, insightful portrait of an abusive relationship. I loved the contrast between Turtle's curious, stilted world and then the joyful, linguistic acrobatics of Brett and Jacob. And - thankfully - a powerfully satisfying ending that you fear might never come.

One of the most horrific of human betrayals must be the abuse of a child by a parent. Not only does this warp a young person's development, but normalizes cruelty to the degree where a child might then inflict it upon others and themselves. Debut novel “My Absolute Darling” by Gabriel Tallent gives a startlingly new and heart-wrenching look at the way a child is made to feel dependent upon her father's abuse. Fourteen year old Julia is raised by her single father Martin in a rundown house on the California coast. The only other familial contact she has is with her decrepit but kindly grandfather, Daniel. She goes by the nickname 'Turtle' but Martin more often affectionately calls her 'Kibble' or 'My Absolute Darling.' Martin is very scholarly and often reads philosophy, but he’s prone to paranoia as he has extreme survivalist beliefs. Their shack is filled with an arsenal of weapons which he frequently trains Turtle in using. She’s a very adept student who can load, clean and accurately fire a range of guns. As Turtle prepares to go to high school and grows older, their isolated home life becomes more strained and intolerable. This is a mesmerizing story full of courage, dramatic scenes and insight into the formation of a severely damaged young individual’s identity.

Tallent has a curious writing style which treads somewhere between a hyper-realized reality and an elevated intellectual drama. The story is highly attuned to the natural world. Frequently scenes are filled with rich descriptions of the plants and animals that surround their rural house. This reminded me of the kind of detail found in recent novel “The Sport of Kings” by C.E. Morgan or the pastoral scenes found in books by Émile Zola. Turtle’s psychology is presented in a complex way to show her skewed perspective of the world that’s been tainted by Martin’s oppositional personality and overbearing ideology filled with hate towards women. For instance, when she sees a well-meaning girl at her school she thinks: "I will grow up to be forthright and hard and dangerous, not a subtle, smiling, trick-playing cunt like you." The blunt unmediated reality of her inner and outer life are so forcefully presented, yet the trajectory of her story and interactions with others feel more akin a highly stylized drama. The closest comparison I can make is to the film ‘The Night of the Hunter’ which pays close attention to the details of nature and children’s loss of innocence under an insidious masculine figure. It’s both concretely realistic and saturated by an elegiac filter that makes it feel mythic.

The most fascinating way the novel deviates from being truly naturalistic is in the social interactions Turtle has with a couple of boys she meets on a hike. Brett and Jacob are just a little older than her, yet they are so learned that they frequently drop literary allusions into their discussions and reference classic literature. This is a consistent trope throughout the novel with Martin who often applies philosophical stances to their situations or even how he names a hated spider that inhabits their house Virginia Woolf. It’s through the friendship that Turtle strikes up with Brett and Jacob that the reader is keyed into a whole level of society surrounding her which Turtle is excluded from. The landscape which felt totally wild, untamed and impoverished through Turtle’s eyes reveals itself as an ordered and privileged place filled with affluent houses and valuable property. This realization forcefully smacks the girl: "Turtle has always known that other people grew up differently than she did. But she had, she thinks, no idea how differently." It’s tremendously powerful how the author presents this shift, yet it also felt slightly jarring. Brett and Jacob’s characters are so idiosyncratic that it’s difficult to believe the bond they hurriedly form with the aloof and combative figure of Turtle.

The greatest power of this novel is in its evocation of Turtle’s development and conflicted psychology. Her father insults her horrifically leading her to hate her personality, her intellect and her body. At one point she thinks "the slit is illiterate - that word undresses her of all that she has knotted and buckled up about herself; she feels collapsed – every bitter, sluttish part of her collapsed and made identical to that horrible clam." Yet she thinks his behaviour is justified and she mentally defends him: "she thinks, you are hard on me, but you are good for me, too, and I need that hardness in you.” Martin alternates physical, mental and sexual abuse with declarations of how much he values her and how they stand as a pair in opposition to the world. This makes Turtle feel that she has no purpose or value outside of this enclosed severely dysfunctional relationship. The author shows how this inner conflict plays out through torturously tense scenes and how painful it is for Turtle to imagine a life without her father’s dominant presence: "She thinks, I don't even know what all right would look like. I don't even know what that would mean."

Other recent novels such as Hanya Yanagihara’s “A Little Life” and Eimear McBride’s “The Lesser Bohemians” have shown the long-term effects of abuse for difficult individuals. But I think “My Absolute Darling” gets a fascinating new angle on this harrowing issue capturing the powerful emotion of a damaged individual’s trajectory. Tallent shows the way a person’s instinct can help guide her towards realizing what’s right for her life. Even though this is an intensely dramatic and sensational story that’s definitely nothing like my own life, I found myself connecting with and relating to Turtle’s shifting internal logic. It’s challenging to reconcile the way you perceive and value yourself in relation to how others’ react to you. Learning to take on and process what others make you feel without letting it distort your sense of being is monumentally difficult. “My Absolute Darling” inhabits this struggle so powerfully.

This debut certainly lives up to the praise from Stephen King. I was invested in Turtle from the get-go, rooting for her to break free from the terror and abuse her fathet inflicts on her. There are dark, brutal scenes which are tough to read but woven throughout is strong characterisation, occasional glimpses of a life free from hardship and pain where people do care, joyful moments where Turtle experiences friendship and the possibility of love, and wonderfully evocative descriptions of place. The author portrays Turtle's inner thoughts, and a strong sense of place fantastically well. Five stars from me. I'll be urging people to read this.

This was a dark, disturbing and difficult to read book, but I could not rate it as anything less than five stars. As hard as it was to read this book, and at times it was so difficult that I had to put it down and come back, I have rarely come across a fictional character that has invaded my mind in such a pervasive way as Turtle did,not only while I was reading her story, but for some time afterwards.
My Absolute Darling is the story of 14 year old Turtle (Julia) who lives with her violent, abusive survivalist father in rural isolation. The things Turtle knows most, and understands best are guns, when it comes to people, her father has twisted her thinking so much that she has become an aggressive,angry ball of hatred and misogyny. The strange mix of love and hate she feels for him eventually comes to a head in a tense and dramatic fashion that will change both their lives forever.
Turtle is a complex, frustrating character, which makes her all the more interesting to read about, and while Martin, her father is clearly the villain of the piece, we do learn something about what may have made him become this terrible person,though it is never at the expense of our understanding that at his core is a despicable, mean and violent man.
One of the most interesting things about the writing in the book was the inclusion of numerous passages about the beauty of nature, and the juxtaposition of natures beauty and Martins so called "nurture" of Turtle is always evident.
This book is definitely not an easy read, but it is a worthwhile one, and one I am glad I finished, though I am sure it will stay with me for a long long time.

This is an important book . It is brave , focused and has a central character who is lovable and will engage your emotions in all ways.
There is a palpable sense of place and emotional honesty, it will reminder readers of lots of other books but it is an unique and original work . Fr a debut novel this is a real achievement .

Gabriel Tallent has taken an awful, brutal story and turned it into to something wonderful. The subject matter makes this a tough read, but the writing draws you in and means you can't put the book down.

Turtle is a fascinating, complex character and because the story is told from her POV, we really get inside her head.

The child abuse is tough to read at times, but if you can deal with I recommend you read this book.

This one's scary. A gritty novel, with themes surrounding incest, violence and social and moral norms. A lot of pressing questions about society and what we let slip through cracks. Violently gripping, kept me thinking long after I turned the last page. One to recommend if you're into gritty thrillers.

This book is so effecting on so many levels. It tells the story of Turtle, a 14 year old who lives with her survivalist father in California. The first thing to note is the prose. it is beautiful and horrifying in the same sentence. The author has an ability to pull the rug from under you at any given moment and I found myself reading with a sense of dread, knowing that at some point, the next lurch would happen but not knowing when. The characters are incredibly well thought out, particularly Turtle and her father, Martin. There are moments between them that speak to love and then there are moments of gut wrenching terror that highlight what a truly abusive relationship can make of a person. The narrative is fairly sedate to begin with, enabling the reader to really get to grips with the characters and find some level of sympathy for the situation. The climactic portion of the book is absolutely unputdownable! This is a really accomplished, thought provoking and ultimately thrilling book and I can understand why so many people are talking about it. Read it.

I love reading because books take you other places. They let you explore the world, transport you to other moments in time and into the minds of different people. There are books that bring you joy, take you on a moonlight stroll through the pleasant valleys of life. But there are also books that drag you down to the darker regions of life, the depravity and despair of some people's lives. And those books are just as powerful and necessary. My Absolute Darling is one of those latter books and it is an unforgettable read. Thanks to 4th Estate and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Some books are terrifying and My Absolute Darling is one of those books. It is deeply chilling and psychologically tense. It also seems to have no true heroes but only villains of different shades of evil. It's not a very optimistic book, you won't walk away from it with a bounce in your step. And yet it is a wonderful book, incredibly visceral and emotional. Tallent captures the beauty and wildness of nature, the harshness of human contact, the unflinching cruelty of love. Despite its highly emotional topics, Tallent avoids cliches and overly dramatic prose. Rather, he digs deep into Turtle's psyche, bringing her internal life to the forefront in a way that feels genuine and real. He describes this so well that when he breaks outside of Turtle's world it almost feels jarring and yet strangely exhilarating. It's hard to describe just how much Tallent sucks you into his story and his world, but it is an experience I would recommend to everyone.

At the heart of My Absolute Darling is Turtle, who lives alone with her father in what seems the middle of no where. Her only true emotional and social contact outside her father is her grandfather, himself a conflicting and conflicted character. Her father trains her how to hunt, how to survive, how to anticipate the end of the world. Yet all his training and discipline, his obsessive love for her, has Turtle constantly on the edge of overwhelmed. As she starts to see more of the world around her, how other people live, she begins to question and to wonder, something that will ultimately lead to the end of everything she knows. My Absolute Darling is a chilling character study of both Turtle and her father, a journey into the depths of human darkness, but also an ode to human resilience. There are parts to this book which are truly shocking and graphic, both violent and sexual, and hence I would recommend perhaps avoiding this book if these are triggers for you until you feel ready to face them head on.

Tallent amazingly captures Turtle's mind. On the one hand she is slavishly devoted to her father, who is all she has. On the other hand she is developing her own mind, her own self, and starting to questioning the world he has created for her. There is something lyrical to the novel, how Tallent describes Turtle's ease around nature, her instinct in crisis. Tallent also avoids may of the pitfalls I thought might lie ahead. There is no happy ending with a cherry on top, no grand love affair that carries Turtle away from her misery, no guardian angel that steps in just in time. The novel focuses in solely on Turtle, her journey, her internal life, and she becomes everything the reader needs. My Absolute Darling is a novel of survival, but not in the 'I conquered it and now everything is good'-sense. Rather, it shows survival as the continuous struggle it is, the conscious decision day in day out to wake up and face the world again, to face your demons head on. In that sense, My Absolute Darling is also a very inspiring read.

God this novel is amazing! I devoured My Absolute Darling and simply couldn't put it down. Tallent has you on the edge of your seat the whole time and leaves you shaken by the end. It's the kind of novel that will give you something new every time you reread it. I'd recommend this to everyone willing to go on this journey with Turtle, but keep the trigger warnings in mind.

It's difficult to know what to say about this book that hasn't been said. It is beautifully written and brings the reader right into the centre of this often disturbing story. There are moments of excruciating tension and without doubt there are times where I found myself squirming in discomfort. His characterisations of Turtle and Martin and their relationship evokes a shocking visceral response. People should be aware that there are very dark elements to this story; particularly readers who have suffered abuse. All the characters are dynamic and very much alive. We can see them and feel them and we really get to know them and their relationship within themselves and with others. It's a very special book.

Turtle is a 14 year old girl whose life is based on survival. Brought up by an abusive (sexual, physical, mental), controlling, jealous, socopathic father who is also a survivalist, Turtle's knows no other way of life. Her father calls her his absolute darling, his love for her is psychotic, and yet this is all she knows of love until she stumbles upon Jacob and his friend Brett. They show her what friendship, love and life should be like, they show her an alternative. However, by opening her eyes to what her life could be, they also risk increasing Martin's abusive behaviour.

This is a novel which deals with horrific abuse, it is a novel which has at its' core an unforgettable heroine, one who makes the reader want to enter her world to save her from Martin. Set against this violence and abuse we also have beautiful descriptions of nature and the world in which Turtle lives. A literary thriller/drama which overwhelms and leaves you drained.

There’s been an awful lot written about Tallent’s debut novel and it certainly seems to have polarised people. When I read an unfavourable review, especially the ones that thoughtfully and intelligently state the case against it, I find myself unable to refute the arguments. And when I read a positive review I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with it. For truth to tell I was totally compelled by it and read it almost at a sitting, horrifying though I found much of it. The story of 14-year old Turtle Alveston who lives with her survivalist and abusive father is not for the faint-hearted. Sober reflection forces me to admit that much of it is far-fetched. The writing is often overblown. And yet I was gripped by it, almost against my will, and have finally come down on the side of those who think it is, if not quite a masterpiece, then certainly heading that way.

I read the blurb and thought “Do I really want to read this?”
I faced the challenge and this book is not for the faint hearted, gut wrenching at some stage or made my blood boil. I sticked to it, because very early in the book I build up my relationship to Turtle which continued throughout the whole book. I’m glad that I picked up the book and the hype is justified.
I dare you, be brave and read it, even though this one will push you out of your comfort zone. It is worth it and you will fall in love with Turtle.

Gosh, this book is not for the faint-hearted. It is shocking, gripping, repellent, admirable in turns and doesn't hold back in any way. Turtle is a great character who (literally) survives despite being used and abused by her psychotic father and somehow getting into the most awful situations of danger. She is the real survivalist, her father is warped and completely self-obsessed. It is an incredibly dark book that is painful to read in parts, there are graphic scenes of incest and violence and an explosive ending which was too violent for me to really take in properly. However, there is hope at the end, some great characters, excellent writing and its worth all the trauma.