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3.47 AVERAGE
3.47 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I couldn't stop reading it, but sometimes I wanted to. The pace slows down to paint a detailed picture of the natural Mendocino, beautiful and brutal, then it is lightning fast to the point I was backing up several paragraphs, "what just happened?"
What Tallent gets right is brutal - the intense self-hatred that Turtle's father embedded in her yer after year. She has it. She is not self-deprecating, she detests herself, not only herself but all that is female, or rather all that her father told her was detestable in the female. To listen to her interior monologue is every bit as painful as the description of her father's abuse and incest.
I do agree with some other reviewers about the boys that Turtle exalts to hero status, Jacob and Brett. They feel like the least real ninth graders I've ever read, like the boys every book nerd girl would make up in her mind, boys that would die for you one minute and be brilliantly silly the next.
I would really go all the way to three and a half stars, just because the book is uncomfortable, thought-provoking and well written. I very much enjoy that combination.
What Tallent gets right is brutal - the intense self-hatred that Turtle's father embedded in her yer after year. She has it. She is not self-deprecating, she detests herself, not only herself but all that is female, or rather all that her father told her was detestable in the female. To listen to her interior monologue is every bit as painful as the description of her father's abuse and incest.
I do agree with some other reviewers about the boys that Turtle exalts to hero status, Jacob and Brett. They feel like the least real ninth graders I've ever read, like the boys every book nerd girl would make up in her mind, boys that would die for you one minute and be brilliantly silly the next.
I would really go all the way to three and a half stars, just because the book is uncomfortable, thought-provoking and well written. I very much enjoy that combination.
It’s hard to explain how you feel about this book when you’re finished with it. With vulgar scenes of sexual abuse, isolation and extreme neglect, this book is a haunting portrayal of a tragic childhood. The daughter and main character is a brilliant and reflective 14 yo who, throughout the whole book teeters between plotting her escape from her father and protecting him from the outside world. I thought this was a really deep and engrossing depiction of the complexities of an abusive relationship between a parent and a child. The story has a consistent buildup with bits of action that will keep you engaged. The satisfying ending of this book and the hopeful future for the main character allows you to go back into the world without being crushed from the book’s devastation.
challenging
dark
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
sad
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Rape
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest, Rape, Sexual assault
I received a copy of this via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
Gabriel Tallent has taken an awful, brutal story and turned it into to something wonderful. The subject matter makes this a tough read, but the writing draws you in and means you can't put the book down.
Turtle is a fascinating, complex character and because the story is told from her POV, we really get inside her head.
The child abuse is tough to read at times, but if you can deal with I recommend you read this book.
Gabriel Tallent has taken an awful, brutal story and turned it into to something wonderful. The subject matter makes this a tough read, but the writing draws you in and means you can't put the book down.
Turtle is a fascinating, complex character and because the story is told from her POV, we really get inside her head.
The child abuse is tough to read at times, but if you can deal with I recommend you read this book.
Wow. This book will stay with you for a long time. It's not for the faint of heart, it's brutal, raw, and intense. You will be with Turtle the whole way.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes