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 Life' Guardian 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 & accept your life as a state of grace & then & only then will you be good enough' At 14 Turtle Alveston knows the use of every gun on her wall; That chaos is coming & 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 & pain can be so hard to see; Why making a friend may be the bravest & 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 & 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 & utterly thrilling' Observer
- Thriller of the month There are echoes of Ma's bravery in Emma Donoghue's Room or the resilience of Cormac Mc Carthy'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 & Turtle Alveston is as enthralling a character as I've encountered in a good long while' Kevin Powers author of The Yellow Birds