In Turtle, Tallent has created a memorable and original character. (At one point, Jacob introduces Turtle to his sister as 'the chain-saw-wielding, shotgun-toting, Zen Buddhist, once-and-future queen of post-apocalyptic America.' And Tallent somehow manages to work in some light moments, thanks to Jacob and Brett, the wisecracking high schoolers who quickly take a liking to the girl. It has the pacing of a thriller, particularly in the novel's final scenes, when Turtle realizes she has a major decision to make but very little time to do it. But it's also nearly impossible to put down.

My Absolute Darling is, very obviously, difficult to read, particularly the scenes that detail Martin's abuse. There's no shortage of things to admire in 'My Absolute Darling' - it's a devastating and powerful debut. Martin, whose wife drowned under mysterious circumstances years ago, has trained Turtle to be ready to live off the grid - at 14, she's already an expert markswoman who's most at home in the outdoors. She lives near Mendocino, Calif., with her father, a charismatic sociopath and survivalist who's convinced that the world is due for a large-scale ecological disaster. Turtle's real name is Julia, but only her teacher and principal call her that. Gabriel Tallent's My Absolute Darling is a shocking and unsettling novel about child abuse - it can be difficult to read, but it's an excellent debut from the Utah-based author. It's our first indication that something's wrong in the Alveston house, and it only gets much, much worse from there. 'Are you trying to be a little b-, kibble?' He holds a playing card in his hand, daring her to shoot it.

Frustrated by his daughter's progress, Martin tosses her notebook across the room, and places a semiautomatic pistol in front of her. Just a few pages into My Absolute Darling, Martin Alveston quizzes his 14-year-old daughter, Turtle, on her vocabulary it's a subject the young girl is having considerable trouble with at her middle school. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title My Absolute Darling Author Gabriel Tallent

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