This a look into the chilling life of a 14-year old girl, Julia (Turtle) Alveston. Following the death of her mother, she lives alone with an emotionally volatile, violent, abusive father in a ramshackle house. Until his death, her grandfather lived in a nearby trailer, and was her only safe refuge. Her mentally unstable father is a survivalist, teaching Turtle how to use firearms and knives to protect herself from the inevitable evil forces that will descend on them.
Sadly, middle school is yet another place where Turtle doesn't feel safe. There is cruelty and bullying, and academics are difficult given her home life. When Turtle meets two teenaged boys during an overnight escape in the woods near her home, she slowly experiences feelings that are normal for her age despite her father's sociopathic hold on her. Her father's unexpected absence allows her to explore a world previously unknown with serious consequences for everyone.
A discordant note in this otherwise wonderfully written novel are the erudite conversations between the boys. In my experience, young teenaged boys are not interested in, or capable of, conversations of that depth. I also had to suspend disbelief that even an untrained eye would detect signs of abuse and then not report it to Child Protective Services.
Gabriel Tallent has evidenced an amazing gift for revealing the internal thoughts and conflicting emotions of this captivating character, Turtle. This is an author to watch.
Sadly, middle school is yet another place where Turtle doesn't feel safe. There is cruelty and bullying, and academics are difficult given her home life. When Turtle meets two teenaged boys during an overnight escape in the woods near her home, she slowly experiences feelings that are normal for her age despite her father's sociopathic hold on her. Her father's unexpected absence allows her to explore a world previously unknown with serious consequences for everyone.
A discordant note in this otherwise wonderfully written novel are the erudite conversations between the boys. In my experience, young teenaged boys are not interested in, or capable of, conversations of that depth. I also had to suspend disbelief that even an untrained eye would detect signs of abuse and then not report it to Child Protective Services.
Gabriel Tallent has evidenced an amazing gift for revealing the internal thoughts and conflicting emotions of this captivating character, Turtle. This is an author to watch.
A brutal disturbing book I really tried to finish. However I made it halfway through and took my bookmark away and closed it for good. The incest, graphic rape and constant swearing were just too uncomfortable and distasteful. This story is not my cuppa tea.
This story is raw and violent, but the protagonist is fascinating and her strength and resolve were admirable. At first I was tempted to stop reading it, but so much happened so quickly and kept happening that it was hard to put down.
I happened upon a few reviews of this book, many saying it is a modern masterpiece and a must-read. Among those praising the book is Stephen King who compares it to such classics as To Kill a Mockingbird, Catch-22, and The Night of the Hunter. Well, based on all the hype, I decided to see for myself. This was definitely a dark and disturbing read about a 14-year old girl, Turtle, who is growing up in the shadow of her father's abuse -- both physical and sexual. The father is a renegade survivalist living in the wilds of the Mendocino coast, who seems to live for his daughter but who heaps all kinds of demands on her, many of which are very hard to read about. Turtle has a love/hate relationship with him but can she survive in this dark and foreboding world? Along the way, she meets Jacob, a high-school boy who makes friends with her and who Turtle sees possibly as a means of escape. The novel is very well written with beautiful descriptions of the Mendocino area and the narrative pulls the reader along to its shattering conclusion. Overall, I would recommend this if you have the stomach for a very emotional, shocking, and heartrending story. Is it a masterpiece? I guess time will tell...
