(87)My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent

Friday, October 20, 2017


Fourteen-year-old Turtle Alveston's whole world revolves around her father, Martin.   They live in the woods of Northern California and Martin only lets her go to school so they won't be bothered by officials, as far as Martin is concerned Turtle's education is provided by him. And him alone.  He has taught her how to hunt, how to shoot, how to dress game, and how to survive in the wilderness. That is not all he has taught her - what else he has taught her are "skills" no fourteen-year-old should know.  When summer comes Martin tries to save them both and takes off and leaves Turtle alone to fend for herself.  Turtle does just fine on her own, she even meets a couple of friends, Jacob and Brett.  Jacob leaves Turtle longing for a "normal" life with a "normal" family.   After months of being gone, Martin returns and he is not alone.  He has a little girl with him.  At first, Turtle isn't sure what to think of Cayenne but then she soon realizes that things are going to come to an explosive end and they may not make it out alive.


My Absolute Darling has to be one of the most brutal novels that I have ever read.  Martin Alveston has to be one of the most tortured, evil characters that I have ever seen in print.  His control over Turtle was total and complete.  His misogynistic beliefs were so ingrained into Turtle that she couldn't even see how their relationship was so screwed up. She couldn't understand that her self-hatred was a direct result of his systematic abuse.  Make no mistake, My Absolute Darling deals with very dark themes like sexual and physical abuse. In explicit and graphic detail, the author takes us into the pit of Turtle's despair.  It is horrifically brutal to read, so much so that there were sections of this book that I could only read a few pages - a few paragraphs at a time before I had to set it aside to find cute cat videos or something.  I questioned myself for sticking with it, but then I realized that while horrific, there are Turtles all over this world who never get their stories told.  I wanted to finish this book for them. I can't imagine what it was like for the author to be in the head of Martin Alveston. His writing was so unique, his way with words was so beautiful.  Even though the subject matter was incredibly ugly, his writing was exceptional.  While the end was the kind of heroic end that all books deserve, yet seldom receive,  it was a very much heartbreaking conclusion.  Nobody gets over that kind of systematic abuse in one short chapter.  But above all else, Turtle is a survivor.  - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS


Bottom Line - Despite the brutal subject matter of  My Absolute Darling, I gave it a "Best of 2017" label.  I give books the "Best of" label that evoke an intense emotional response in me, and My Absolute Darling did just that on nearly every page.  I cannot warn you enough about the graphic nature of this book, but Turtle's story is one that should not be missed.

Details:
  • My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
  • I could not find the author on social media
  • Pages: 432
  • Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
  • Publication Date: 8/29/2017
  • Buy it Here!





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