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My Absolute Darling: The Sunday Times bestseller
My Absolute Darling: The Sunday Times bestseller | Gabriel Tallent
A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR A METRO BOOK OF THE YEAR The years must read novel The Times One of the most important books youll pick up this decade Harpers Bazaar An outstanding book that could be this years A Little Life Guardian
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
review
violabrain
Pickpick

This book was intense and deals with some incredibly difficult themes, but I absolutely could not put it down. Brilliantly written and richly imagined. It‘s definitely not for everyone and it feels weird to say I loved it because of the subject matter, but it was an outstanding read.

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BeckyWithTheGoodBooks
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Mehso-so

Tallent‘s novel about a young girl grappling with physical and sexual abuse from her father is dark, brutal, and bleak, but also lacks a deeper context and believability in the protagonist. I wanted to understand Turtle on a deeper level and the third person narration created a lot of distance and discomfort with her character. Turtle had the makings of a literary heroine, but Tallent‘s strange choices detracted from that potential. 3⭐️

Tamra I gave it a so-so as well. The over the top element was, as you say, a distraction and felt too manipulative. (edited) 1y
BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @Tamra It just didn‘t sit right with me - and not just because of all the terrible stuff happening 1y
21 likes2 comments
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BeckyWithTheGoodBooks
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I‘m on a solo trip to Astoria, OR! First stop is beer and a book at Astoria Brewing Company. 🍺 📚

BarbaraBB Enjoy the book, the trip and the beer! The book is tough but I loved it 2y
24 likes2 comments
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TheLudicReader
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Devastating and difficult to read, but also magnificent writing and a heartbreakingly beautiful main character.
#alphabetgame
#LetterM
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

BarbaraBB This book!! 🖤 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks On my list!! 2y
TheLudicReader @BarbaraBB right? @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks it‘s a tough one, but I still think of Turtle. 2y
31 likes3 comments
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Cathyloves2read
Pickpick

This book was disturbing with a capital D! But it was so so good! I had to read it quickly to see what happened to the girl, Turtle. The things she went through were unthinkable. This young author has a way with words. Warning - if you do the audio version, this is not one you want to play out loud due to language and content. I recommend this book for those who think they can handle it. Huge trigger warning.

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sprainedbrain
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Pickpick

This book is dark, violent, graphic, and disturbing. It‘s well-written, though some of the dialogue made me want to scream. I definitely do not recommend anyone read this book without researching what you‘re getting in to, as it‘s more deserving of trigger warnings than any book I‘ve read in years. Still, I couldn‘t stop listening, I‘m glad I read it and was left with a hopeful feeling after all of the disgusting misery.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

sprainedbrain Also, my #DoubleSpin for March… 3y
lynneamch Agree. Well put. 3y
Gissy I have this one in my old tbr for so long time. I need to read it😱 3y
64 likes3 comments
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readingjedi
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Bailedbailed

*deep breath* I'm at a loss ... how a writer thought this is great subject matter, gotta write about this, this is a great way to present it, how a publisher read it & thought this is great, people want to read this stuff & are gonna love this presentation, how literary folk thought wow, this really is something, so deep, so meaningful, so powerful...???

JUST NO.

This guy should be on a register. Disturbing, unnecessary, no redeeming features.

EmberIvyRose Yeah, I've heard so many negative things about this one...I'm steering clear. 3y
82 likes1 comment
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readingjedi
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So I persevered with this for a few more pages .... and, well, just no. Just no.

Scathing review to follow. Am feeling too queasy to tackle it right away.

63 likes2 stack adds
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readingjedi
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I've only just got started on this one and I already feel deeply icky and nothing has even happened yet. Just how uncomfortable does it get? Not sure I'm in the right place for certain things right now. Or ever really.

Addison_Reads This book is very uncomfortable and disturbing. If you are already feeling like you can't handle it, you might want to stop because it becomes even more uncomfortable as the story develops. 3y
Tamra It‘s uncomfortable! 3y
TrishB I bailed on it. 3y
See All 7 Comments
merelybookish I hated this book. I could write an essay! 3y
HeatherBlue Same! I bailed on it because it made me feel so gross. 3y
BarbaraBB I loved it but it‘s hard and depressing 3y
Jenken1998 Hated this book! 3y
69 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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quirkyreader
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Pickpick

This book was disturbing. Here is the link to my gr review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3646716680?book_show_action=false&from_rev...

18 likes2 stack adds
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Eggs
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Addison_Reads
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#3Books @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

These all made me creeped out, uncomfortable, and definitely unsettled.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I agree with Roanoke girls, but I had to know what happened 4y
OriginalCyn620 📚😬📚 4y
merelybookish Gawd I hated the tagged book. 🤮 4y
38 likes3 comments
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librarygoddess619
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Bailedbailed

This just felt too icky to read. The writing is really good but I just couldn't hang in there. I made it 30% through before I had to bail. Trigger warning for abuse, incest and, from what I hear, violence.

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Saari84
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Pickpick

Kein leichtes Buch.
Turtle wächst isoliert bei ihrem Vater auf. Schnell wird klar, dass dies keine normale Vater-Tochter Beziehung ist....
Gewalt, sexueller Missbrauch, Waffen... Doch als Turtle sich verliebt, wird es erst wirklich gefährlich für sie.
Das Buch fand ich wirklich gut, auch wenn es oft nicht leicht war. Abzüge gibt es für das Ende, was für mich nicht ganz stimmig war. Dennoch spreche ich eine Leseempfehlung aus!

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InkintheMargins
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I'm about 50 pages into this one and afraid it just might be too dark for me. The abuse and incest has me feeling just...um...yuck. Has anyone else read this? Thoughts?

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abookishbutterfly
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Do you have any books that you keep putting off because you‘re worried about how you‘ll feel while reading them? I think there are a lot of books out there that are incredibly intriguing but equally unsettling and, knowing that ahead of time, it‘s hard to find the proper motivation to dive in! I‘ve been warned many times about My Absolute Darling‘s

Continued ⬇️

abookishbutterfly content. Playing Dead, which is a non-fiction memoir, plays upon one of my greatest fears. Still, I am very eager to see what these books have to offer. I‘m determined to be brave in June & read at least one of these. 4y
TheLudicReader My Absolute Darling is NOT an easy read, but I think it was my favourite book in 2019. I just couldn‘t stop thinking about the main character...and the writing is gorgeous. Definitely difficult subject matter, but if you are not easily triggered, it‘s worth the effort. 4y
58 likes2 comments
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TracyReadsBooks
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Pickpick

The most terrifying evil is the one that is all to real, that walks alongside us, that shelters in homes with us, that wears a familiar face. This is a truth that Turtle Alveston—one of the most remarkable, vividly rendered characters I‘ve read in a long time—knows all to well. So too do readers by the time they‘re finished with this intense, gut-wrenching & compelling story. Turtle is a remarkable character & reason enough to read this book.

28 likes1 stack add
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TracyReadsBooks
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Afternoon treat.

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TracyReadsBooks
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Starting tonight...

JoScho I love that little bunny 🖤 4y
23 likes1 comment
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Samara_Kipnis
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I just have SO many questions about this author‘s psyche. Also, Cayenne feels like Turtle‘s inner child here, at least in how she relates to her.

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Samara_Kipnis

Honestly, I put this book down for awhile. Picking it back up again, I‘m having a hard time understanding how I read it for so long. I really want to know the end of the story, but it is just so ridiculously disturbing, I‘m not sure if I‘ll get there.

TrishB I didn‘t get there and bailed on this one. 5y
Samara_Kipnis @TrishB That sounds like a healthy choice! 5y
4 likes2 comments
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LatrelWhite
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🎧listening to this during the day.

LatrelWhite Very abusive. Reading too many of these lately. Need to read something happier.✨ 5y
13 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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shaynarae
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Pickpick

This book is just as dark and difficult as everyone says. The brutality and violence felt gratuitous, some of the language and behaviors very awkward and off the mark, but I was gripped by the story anyway. Trigger warnings for abuse, incest, rape, all kinds of bodily harm.

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BrownGirlReading
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Pickpick

I was very reticent about reading this book for my book club but in the end I found it brilliant. The premise is a very sad subject -father abusing his daughter. But this book is so much more. Tallent shows us how victims wind up staying with their abusers. Exquisite writing, beautifully written nature scenes, believable well-developed characters, perfect pacing and it‘s a debut novel. I highly recommend it!

11 likes1 stack add
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Samara_Kipnis

This writing...!
“She loves taking care of things” (34). Such a simple observation of his protagonist.
“The floor complains beneath him” (34). The floorboards even hate Martin. I love it.

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Samara_Kipnis
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“...and Turtle wondered if there are things that she is blind to that other people can see, and what those things might be” (14).

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Samara_Kipnis
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A little nervous that it‘s 417 pages, but we‘ll see...

BarbaraBB I loved this one and it reads fast but it is a disturbing book! 5y
Samara_Kipnis @BarbaraBB I just started it, and it‘s already disturbing! Was not expecting that. Captivating, too. 5y
3 likes2 comments
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Samara_Kipnis
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Going on a blind date...with a book! Thanks #barnesandnoble

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Bono394
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Pickpick

Wow! This was definitely a dark book but well worth the read. I couldn't stop reading and found myself constantly thinking about Turtle and her life.

BarbaraBB I loved this one too. 5y
6 likes1 comment
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Sky_High
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Mehso-so

I would prefer not to read this book, but still I did.

Overwhelmed with the negative feelings towards the story and it‘s delivery. Deeply killing narrative of the young girl with all the bad things happened to her. She doesn‘t know about other world outside the unnecessary roughness and abuse.

Father and daughter line was really mentally killing. My point of “never again”.

I felt disappointed after reading this.

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amyf0x
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Mehso-so

Teenager Turtle lives in solitude with her abusive, obsessive father, training nonstop for the end of the world—until she meets a boy named Jacob who changes the way she sees it.

Read January 2-4
Rating 2.5/5 ⭐️
Book 1/60

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TheLudicReader
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MsLeah8417
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1. Current read tagged in post
2. Last 5🌟 read, There There by Tommy Orange
3. Books read in October =18
4. We Cast A Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

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Lottie_peppers
Pickpick

Normal is the circumstance of your surroundings as a child. This book puts a new and horrifying twist to the coming of age genre. Difficult to read; yet impossible to put down.

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kristankremer
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Pickpick

I read this one nonstop for 2 days. It is dark but so good. Very descriptive, so much so that it felt like I was watching a movie. Sometimes that description is horrible because of the scene content, but overall it's hauntingly beautiful. I loved the character development and also the fact that I had no idea how it was going to end. The cover blurb doesn't really prepare you for what you're getting into.

9 likes1 stack add
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kristankremer
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Starting this today. I saw it on a list of "Books to read if you liked Where the Crawdads Sing". When I found it for 50 cents at the library book sale the very next morning, I took it as a sign that this title and I were meant to share some time together.

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rambiepaige
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Starting this one today! 💚

BarbaraBB It‘a such a good read. And sad. And shocking! 5y
rambiepaige @BarbaraBB I am going to need an uplifting book soon then! I just finished Baby Teeth, it was heartbreaking 😭 5y
BarbaraBB This one is definitely not uplifting! 5y
rambiepaige @barbarabb I got 20 pages in, not even to the end of the first chapter, and I had to bail. 😭 5y
BarbaraBB I can imagine, I‘ve heard that a lot. It‘s too hard! 5y
18 likes1 stack add5 comments
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TheSpineView
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Eggs Great choice 👏🏻. Have you read this one? If so do you recommend? 5y
TheSpineView @Eggs No, I have not yet read. It has been on the TBR list forever and I never seem to get around to it. Sigh.... 5y
73 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Ange44
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My new #tenatatime #TBR. Number 24. I‘m looking forward to these.

Soubhiville I really like this idea! What a great way to try to read more of your own books! 5y
BarbaraBB The tagged book is great! 5y
17 likes2 comments
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abookishbutterfly
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My husband picked this up from The Dog Eared Book for me today. I have to admit that I am very tempted to ditch my June TBR stack so I can read this instead!

Soubhiville I liked it, but be prepared for it to be brutal! 5y
abookishbutterfly @Soubhiville I read a few reviews that said the same! I‘m both nervous and excited! 5y
BarbaraBB I really enjoyed it! 5y
j.rye Beautiful photo! 5y
rethier1 The writing is great, but it is indeed very dark. 5y
85 likes1 stack add5 comments
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TheLibrarian
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59 likes2 stack adds
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Dellach
Mio assoluto amore | Gabriel Tallent
Pickpick

Adorato. Un po‘ macabro a tratti ma molto coinvolgente.

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MMFinck
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Panpan

Regrettably, no matter how good the writing was, this book was a punishment for me. Way too much description. Turtle‘s rationalizations meandered so much I repeatedly lost interest. Loathed the relentless misogyny. Didn‘t believe Jacob would put up w her abuse. Molesting Cayenne eliminated depth of father-daughter relationship which was ENTIRE premise & made him a plain ole pedophile. I wish I‘d bailed. Glad for its success, but big miss for me.

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MMFinck

Still plowing thru. The writing is phenomenal. I am not using “but” to qualify that because it is indisputably phenomenal. My issue is with how I feel as I read. When I am not sickened and or terrified, I am bored. I don‘t care this much about the details of (so many) guns and settings. The constant misogyny is not easy to deal with even as I understand it and respect the authenticity of it. Anyone else??

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MMFinck
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I just don‘t know... This is a very hard read. It‘s sickening. Terrifying. Stressful. I hope neither the abuse nor its description get any worse. It‘s bad enough already.

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Lisas.Library
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Bailedbailed

After a month of trying I am officially DNFing this book.
DNF
Such an odd book....and I‘m talking about more than just the inappropriate relationship. I‘m putting it down as I have no desire to keep going. I even skipped ahead and still don‘t care enough to keep going.

Coleen_Nieto That helps me a lot. I was on the fence about buying it because everything I read said it was great but I just didn't feel like it was my kind of book 6y
huntersmom1977 Yea I agree! It‘s not a book for the faint hearted. Kinda wish I opted out of reading it. 6y
Lisas.Library @Coleen_Nieto @huntersmom1977 ~ It has hard to read content but that really wasn‘t my issue. I guess I didn‘t like the writing. It was hard for me to get invested...I just didn‘t care. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 6y
92 likes3 comments
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KarenJMcLean
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Pickpick

This was a phenomenal and almost unbearable book. I can understand why it‘s so polarizing. There is a lot of cringe-worthy and downright terrifying material in here. It‘s not for the faint of heart. But it‘s worth it.

I loved the character of Turtle. Not the cussing, hateful, misogynistic young girl who knows and trusts nothing but what her father has been “teaching” her for years — but who she discovers inside herself.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

MMFinck I‘m 3/4 way thru, and it is a chore to keep going. It is bc of reviews like yours that I haven‘t DNRd. The faith I won‘t regret it. Thanks. (edited) 6y
KarenJMcLean @MMFinck I understand. 6y
22 likes2 comments
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Purrfectpages
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wordzie 6y
LorieL 😍😍😍 6y
73 likes1 stack add2 comments
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KarenJMcLean
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Started reading this last night, after reading about it on @TheLudicReader ‘s blog. The contrast between the beautiful descriptive writing and the gritty material is fascinating.

TheLudicReader This book will stay with you long after you've turned the final page. 6y
KarenJMcLean @TheLudicReader — Part of me is a little afraid of that! 6y
15 likes1 stack add2 comments