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My Absolute Darling

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My Absolute Darling

By: Gabriel Tallent
Narrated by: Alex McKenna
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About this listen

A TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR • A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR • A METRO BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘The year’s must read novel’ The Times

‘One of the most important books you’ll pick up this decade’ Harper’s Bazaar

‘An outstanding book that could be this year’s A Little LifeGuardian

‘You think you’re invincible. You think you won’t ever miss. We need to put the fear on you. You need to surrender yourself to death before you ever begin, and accept your life as a state of grace, and then and only then will you be good enough.’

At 14, Turtle Alveston knows the use of every gun on her wall;
That chaos is coming and only the strong will survive it;
That her daddy loves her more than anything else in this world.
And he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her with him.

She doesn’t know why she feels so different from the other girls at school;
Why the line between love and pain can be so hard to see;
Why making a friend may be the bravest and most terrifying thing she has ever done
And what her daddy will do when he finds out …

Sometimes strength is not the same as courage.
Sometimes leaving is not the only way to escape.
Sometimes surviving isn't enough.

‘This book has challenged me like no other. It’s a masterpiece. A work of art on a page. I guarantee this book will take your breath away’ Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep

‘Brutal yet beautiful, My Absolute Darling has floored me. Dear Turtle, a heroine amidst the horror. Exceptional, unflinching storytelling’ Ali Land‏, author of Good Me Bad Me

‘An incandescent novel with an extraordinary, unforgettable heroine, both deeply contemplative and utterly thrillingObserver – Thriller of the month

‘There are echoes of Ma’s bravery in Emma Donoghue’s Room, or the resilience of Cormac McCarthy’s protagonists as they struggle to stay alive. Tallent’s world is shocking in the truest sense of the word’ Irish Times

An utterly fantastic read. Every page is brimming with energy. And Turtle Alveston is as enthralling a character as I’ve encountered in a good long while’ Kevin Powers, author of The Yellow Birds

©2017 Gabriel Tallent (P)2017 Random House Audio
Coming of Age Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Small Town & Rural Thriller & Suspense Exciting Heartfelt

What listeners say about My Absolute Darling

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Can’t Decide but very thought provoking

This story is full on... Takes a while to get going but the second half is gripping. Loved the themes and bravery of Turtle.

There is a little bit of Turtle in all of us....

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Great story; pity about the narrator's vocal fry

I was engaged and enthralled with Turtle's story but why would you choose a narrator with such intense vocal fry? It's so annoying and distracting.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Amazing!

I cannot recommend this book highly enough...5 stars...or more if they were available. I was gripped from beginning to end..even though the topic was extremely confronting and uncomfortable.

At the onset, I was afraid that I would not like the narrator...but if I could, I would anyone to continue as the narrator's performance is paramount to the story..just excellent!

Such a wonderful experience...thank you to all concerned.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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gripping

one of those life changing stories that haunt your thought forever more. Chilling and spellbinding. The rich language also welcome return to literature.

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Uniquely crafted and creepy

This book fluctuated between entralling and tedious. Many times the story while amazingly descriptive bordered on being verbose and I became impatient for the story to move on. The overall theme was uncomfortable to say the least. I did have difficulty distinguishing between voices on occasions. In the end, I did wonder if there would be a sequel ??? This unique author could do it, if anyone could.

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1 person found this helpful

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Raw

What a perspective!
Gabriel's writing is so descriptive, it's impossible not to be thrust into turtles shoes.

Such an accurate description of the mentality of an abused being.

For me, chapters 28/29 seemed a little fantastical, but.. Really fucking thrilling.

All in all, my absolute darling is a brilliant read.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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Brutal story

It was brutal, I went to the end as it was my bookclub. Much of it made me feel uncomfortable and sick.

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