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A review by brandidean
My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent
4.0
First of all, I read this on audio book (slowly) just after I’d finished Sweetbitter on audio book. Both are read by Alex McKenna and her voice is so distinctive that it was weirdly THIS was what Tess has run away from before coming to New York. (It took me so long to read that I got over that before too long, though. Although the inner monologues of Tess and Turtle have a similar cadence. Very precise and emphatic. Or maybe Alex McKenna only has one style of reading. Hard to know based only on the audio books. Regardless, I don’t think Turtle will grow up to be as vapid as Tess.)
Second of all, I apparently did a very poor job of skimming the description of this book. For some reason, I was expecting Martin to be some quirky, isolationist prepper sort whose crime was wanting to keep Turtle apart from the world, but a coming-of-age/love story got in the way. That is not the case. This is not that book.
I liked this book, but liked is a weird word to use for it, and it is a “liked” with reservations, anyway. I think it would have made for good book club discussions, but I don’t think I would have won any popularity points for picking it. And I bet it’s one I would like less after the discussion.
But without thinking too hard about it ... I liked Turtle. I liked Jacob and Brett (and thought they added some much needed levity to the book) and Anna and Cayenne. I liked Grandpa.
Obviously you don’t like Martin. But for some of it I thought he was what he should be. And then he would cross the line into unbelievable territory. Particularly at the end. I didn’t have trouble believing that he could be as cruel and possessive and ... whatever you would call what he was on his flip side ... devoted, infatuated? ... on an individual level. But he’s also presented as intelligent. It seemed like he should have a better sense of what lines you could cross and go undetected, the things that he couldn’t do or someone would notice and intervene. There was no sign that he had any limits like that, so that made it seem far fetched that it could have gone on as long as it did. And then the end ... what? He’s just so stupid with rage that he thinks he can come shoot up a house full of people and just be allowed to go back home with Turtle?
(Also, did he kill Turtle’s mother? The circumstances definitely seem shady, but Turtle doesn’t really seem to consider it and Brett’s mom doesn’t seem suspicious, which as Turtle’s mom’s best friend, you would think she ought to be. Grandpa never seems to indicate that he might have. I also think more on Turtle’s mother could have explained where some of Turtle’s good qualities were coming from. Certainly no one was modeling them for her.)
Also unbelievable is Turtle. I do like her, but she is not realistic. Honestly, the ending is ridiculous for lots of reasons. But the biggest was that I was thinking for the entire shootout at the party that she was walking around riddled with bullets like she was Bruce Willis in a Die Hard movie. It was really unforgivably bad and ruined the book a little.
Besides that, Turtle was just way too wise for a 14-year-old and particularly a 14-year-old in her circumstances. There are ways that what she was going through would make her grow up quickly, for sure, but probably not grow up in a mature, thoughtful, careful way. And for a middle schooler who can’t pass her vocabulary test, she sure did have an extensive vocabulary.
That’s the other thing. This was way overwritten. Waaay too much flowery description. Some of it was pretty, but the bulk of it just felt claustrophobic. Choking the story like extensions of the vines that were pulling Turtle’s house down.
But I do think it was good — more 3.5 than 4 stars good. Super hard to read/listen to in many places, but it kept me reading/listening anyway. Even though it stretched out over several weeks, I kept renewing the book and rooting for Turtle.
Second of all, I apparently did a very poor job of skimming the description of this book. For some reason, I was expecting Martin to be some quirky, isolationist prepper sort whose crime was wanting to keep Turtle apart from the world, but a coming-of-age/love story got in the way. That is not the case. This is not that book.
I liked this book, but liked is a weird word to use for it, and it is a “liked” with reservations, anyway. I think it would have made for good book club discussions, but I don’t think I would have won any popularity points for picking it. And I bet it’s one I would like less after the discussion.
But without thinking too hard about it ... I liked Turtle. I liked Jacob and Brett (and thought they added some much needed levity to the book) and Anna and Cayenne. I liked Grandpa.
Obviously you don’t like Martin. But for some of it I thought he was what he should be. And then he would cross the line into unbelievable territory. Particularly at the end. I didn’t have trouble believing that he could be as cruel and possessive and ... whatever you would call what he was on his flip side ... devoted, infatuated? ... on an individual level. But he’s also presented as intelligent. It seemed like he should have a better sense of what lines you could cross and go undetected, the things that he couldn’t do or someone would notice and intervene. There was no sign that he had any limits like that, so that made it seem far fetched that it could have gone on as long as it did. And then the end ... what? He’s just so stupid with rage that he thinks he can come shoot up a house full of people and just be allowed to go back home with Turtle?
(Also, did he kill Turtle’s mother? The circumstances definitely seem shady, but Turtle doesn’t really seem to consider it and Brett’s mom doesn’t seem suspicious, which as Turtle’s mom’s best friend, you would think she ought to be. Grandpa never seems to indicate that he might have. I also think more on Turtle’s mother could have explained where some of Turtle’s good qualities were coming from. Certainly no one was modeling them for her.)
Also unbelievable is Turtle. I do like her, but she is not realistic. Honestly, the ending is ridiculous for lots of reasons. But the biggest was that I was thinking for the entire shootout at the party that she was walking around riddled with bullets like she was Bruce Willis in a Die Hard movie. It was really unforgivably bad and ruined the book a little.
Besides that, Turtle was just way too wise for a 14-year-old and particularly a 14-year-old in her circumstances. There are ways that what she was going through would make her grow up quickly, for sure, but probably not grow up in a mature, thoughtful, careful way. And for a middle schooler who can’t pass her vocabulary test, she sure did have an extensive vocabulary.
That’s the other thing. This was way overwritten. Waaay too much flowery description. Some of it was pretty, but the bulk of it just felt claustrophobic. Choking the story like extensions of the vines that were pulling Turtle’s house down.
But I do think it was good — more 3.5 than 4 stars good. Super hard to read/listen to in many places, but it kept me reading/listening anyway. Even though it stretched out over several weeks, I kept renewing the book and rooting for Turtle.