Where the Crawdads Sing book review

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
on August 14, 2018
Pages: 384
Goodreads

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.
Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

I have no idea what I was expecting but this wasn’t it. This book blew me away with how beautiful the writing was and how invested we got in The Marsh Girl’s life and her relationships. Where the Crawdads Sing for me was a realistic look at the world. I love watching the way she had to survive after she ended up alone, my heart broke for her and I started to root for her to survive to become more than she was. I just thought the whole way this book was written was so well done and so realistic especially with a young girl being in the swamp. I adore this book and I can’t speak highly enough about it.

The main character in Where The Crawdad’s is Kya or Catherine who is known throughout the town as The Marsh Girl and has to deal with the stigma that comes along with that. I love learning about her life and the narration really fitted her as a character, you were drawn into not only her life but her relationships and hopes and dreams. It was a really surreal experience but I think it shaped my enjoyment of this book, although this is penned as a murder mystery it really is just a look at Kya’s life and I really got on board with that.

The best bit of Where the Crawdads Sing was definitely the writing style, I loved the way we got snippets of how Kya was living and then a flash and sometimes it was only a page and a half of the future and the ongoing murder investigation. I loved this, I think the actual subject of Kya was a little heavy going at times and these breaks in the story was like taking a breath, it was much needed and I really appreciated it. It also gives the story a little more direction because I feel without it there definitely could have been a lot of rambling and lack of endpoint. With the murder investigation, it felt like we were heading toward something and a resolution of some kind.

I can’t actually think of any worst bits for Where the Crawdads Sing, purely because I don’t think there was anything about this book that I really didn’t like. The only thing I can think of would be that the ending felt a little rushed compared to the rest of the book and I would have loved to learn what had happened to everyone we learn about.

This is a definite recommend, Where the Crawdads Sing blew me away. I loved the characters and the stories and the way everything ends up playing out. It was beautifully written book with just enough intrigue to keep me involved and ready to read more. I would love to read more by Delia Owens because I just feel she’s going to get better and better as time moves on!

Another great read. I am really loving the way my month is turning out, what are some of your favourites? Let me know!