My Absolute Darling: A Life-Threatening Love

I started My Absolute Darling with hesitation - reviews mentioned graphic violence, Stephen King called one of the main characters a terrifying monster, and the jacket summary set the scene of a troubled and abusive home. It's never easy to read the details of a violent relationship, especially one between a parent and a child. When the love turns from nurturing to abusive, from gentle to rough and from safe to life-threatening, it's reasonable to want to put the book down. With My Absolute Darling, it's important that you don't.

Turtle Alveston grows up in fear of her father and with the upmost respect for his foreboding demeanor. She knows that she is constantly in danger of upsetting him and putting herself in danger, and she lies awake at night dreading the sound of his loud footsteps outside of her door. She keeps her Sig Sauer shotgun close by at all times, whether it's in the woods or by her makeshift bed. Her father hasn't given her much, but he has given her all she needs to become an expert shot with her firearm - a gift that she will ultimately return to him.

Turtle seems to accept her relationship with her father until she meets people that look beyond her tough exterior and see the effect Martin Alveston has on his daughter. Her eighth grade teacher sees the symptoms of abuse in the classroom during her vocabulary quizzes. Jacob, her first crush, senses the danger she is in from their first encounter in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. Caroline, her late mother's best friend, is suspicious of the mistreatment when she sees the decline of Turtle's home since Mrs. Alveston's passing. The concern that these individuals show to Turtle sparks in her a desire for a normal life, a life with meaningful and healthy relationships. However, it's nine-year-old Cayenne that pushes Turtle to decide enough is enough with the monster she calls Daddy.

This book was raw, honest and beautifully written. Turtle's constant internal debate to try and reconcile her home life with her father was heartbreaking to read, but important - important because while reading can be entertaining and easy, it can also be hugely impactful and educational. Turtle is a modern-day hero, as well as those who notice the signs and help her in her most difficult moments. Tallent does a beautiful job showing the impact one interaction can have on someone in need or in danger, and tells a story that will be stuck with me for a long time. My Absolute Darling was a well-written, eye-opening look into a broken home and a strong, fourteen-year-old girl's very real fight to survive her father's life-threatening love.