Review: Where the Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owens

Started reading: September 22nd 2022

Finished the book: October 6th 2022

Pages: 384

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Published: August 14th 2018

Source: Bought the book

Goodreads score: 4.43

My score:

Synopsis

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village. Kya Clark is barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when the popular Chase Andrews is found dead, locals immediately suspect her.

But Kya is not what they say. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life's lessons from the land, learning the real ways of the world from the dishonest signals of fireflies. But while she has the skills to live in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world—until the unthinkable happens.

My thoughts

Thanks to Kirsten for reading this book with me. In November we will also have a movie-date where we're going to watch the movie! This book is BEAUTIFUL. I loved Kya and the way she looks at the beauty of nature. I love how resourceful and independent she is; of course she has no choice, but it was wonderful to read about.

Pros

• Title: I love when a title clicks, because of what the author writes. I love the way the title is used in this book and how it was explained. Really beautiful. It felt poetic to me and I can always appreciate a poetic note in a book.
• Nature: You can just feel that Delia Owens knows so, so much about biology and nature. I learned so much of this book. The way Delia describes the marsh, the nature, the living creatures and plants amazed me. 
• Kya: We get to read how Kya grows up and how she tackles some difficult bumps on the way. I loved her personality. She is probably one of my favorite characters this year. I love how kind, determined and positive Kya is.
• Ending: We RUSHED to finish this book. The ending was great, in my opinion. I also feel like it was spectacular! The little plot twist that Delia throws in was one that I enjoyed a lot. The ending is full of tension and beautiful moments and questions and answers. We totally binged the final 30%.

Cons

No, no, no!

Overall

Definitely a book I'd recommend to EVERY reader. What genre you love doesn't really matter, I think. It's just a really beautiful book with an amazing main character. I've checked Goodreads and almost all my friends gave this book 4 or 5 stars! Please pick this up, it's so beautiful.

Other opinions on this book

"Herat-wrenching. A fresh exploration of isolation and nature from a female perspective along with a compelling love story."

- Entertainment Weekly

"This haunting tale captivates every bit as much for its crime drama elements as for the humanity at its core."

- Mystery & Suspense Magazine

Memorable quotes from this book

"I wasn't aware that words could hold so much. I didn't know a sentence could be so full."

Thanks for reading!

I'd love to talk books; please let me know what you think about this book review.