Where the Crawdads Sing

This is a good book, particularly good for book clubs. Lots to discuss, from plot twists to societal issues and class issues. Very well written with extensive descriptions that paint a clear picture without losing your interest.

This book did jump around which I'm not a huge fan of. I did feel like you got to know Kya really well watching her growing up in the book. I'm pleased that she was able to reconnect with her brother after being abandoned by everyone. Also pleased that we find out who killed Chase in the end.

I have to admit - it took me a while to get into this one, but I'm sooooo glad I stuck with it because it was so beautiful and heartbreaking and lovely. Wonderfully written first novel from this non-fiction author. So good!!

This book almost killed me.

4.5 Like the cranky elder this makes me sound like, I'm not always into super-hyped books, but this one really lived up to its reputation. Owens had me by the second paragraph with “decomposition is cellular work.” Oh okay, this is what we're in for?! It's clear she's a scientist because the lovingly-written details of nature are worth the read alone. But she's also a great story teller, and I appreciated how the shifts in time continued to narrow and flesh out Kya's history and her family's story. I thought the ending was perhaps a bit Nicholas Sparks-ish (I'm purely basing this on common knowledge of his work and the one time I watched the Notebook, so what do I really know here) and I was befuddled by the trips to Asheville, when it's much more likely that they'd be taking trips to Wilmington to get supplies - that one aspect seemed like a writer who didn't really know the area. Other than those totally minor quibbles, a really enjoyable read.

Enjoyable but a bit contrived.

It was okay but I'm not sure what the fuss is about. The plot wasn't particularly original, the writing was good but not great (too much POV head-hopping) and the ending was predictable. I guess you never know what is going to strike people as a must-read bestseller.

And the cat, Sunday Justice, almost stole the book.

Spoiler Alert: It's impossible to tell anything about this story without a few potential SPOILERS.

Kya has been abandoned by everyone who ever loved her - her mother, her sisters and brothers, her father, the other people in a nearby town - everyone. That's just fine with her. She has been on her own since she was six, cooking, finding and selling mussels to get money for essentials, scrounging through her family's old clothing for covering. She's the town joke, spending only one day in school, living in the swamp, a larger-than-life character, the Marsh Girl.

Then she grows up and meets two men who will change her life. Can she dare to love, she who has always felt herself to be unlovable?

I am torn. I loved this book. I found this book deeply flawed. The setting is mesmerizing. The characters of Kya, her father, Jumpin', Tate...I was fascinated with the depiction of all these people. But some of the things the characters did seemed false, set up for the sake of the storyline, and that disappointed me. In an unlikely manner, Kya herself grew into a cultured young woman, and that jarred me deeply. The ending, though, was spot-on.

So, loved-it-hated-it.

This book was a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the writing but thought that the story lacked the depth that I was expecting after seeing all of the glowing reviews. It reminded me of a made for tv movie; enjoyable enough, but not the stellar novel I was expecting.

The best things about this book were the nature references and the ending.

I fell in love with Kya. She was abandoned age 10 and was known all over town as the “Marsh Girl”. Two local boys took interest in her. Tate,who is her first love and teacher her to read. Then there is Chase, the local high school quarterback. Kya's story of who she is able to survive alone and thrive in the marsh is heartwarming until tragedy strikes. I keep thinking about the characters in the book after I have finished it. Definitely recommend!!

The book was well written and I liked the writing style. However, I found it extremely hard to believe many of the situations in the book would have played out anything like the author wrote them. I also didn't really know what the book was about when I began reading, but it was essentially a young love story. It had a couple of brief sexual encounters that I didn't really appreciate. And the character was under the age of consent at one of them (although nothing happened).
I was excited to read this book due to it's wild popularity, but ended up not really caring for it. It did seem a bit like YA fiction, and I generally prefer to avoid that genre.

I loved the writing, pace, and wonderful character development of this novel. I was so prepared to be disappointed at the end (based on how things were shaping up), but loose strings were tied up and Kia was someone to be respected and admired all along.

I listened to the audio version of the book and really enjoyed the reader's performance.

What a beautifully moving story. I wasn't quite sure where we were headed, and even the last few pages held a few surprises, but this is a deeply felt journey. Couldn't put it down!

Had to reread it! Love this book!

The book opens when two kids find Chase Andrews, former star quarterback and newly engaged local golden boy, in the swamp by the old fire tower, dead.

The story rewinds back 17 years and we're introduced to six year old Kya Clark on the day her mother walks down their sandy lane wearing fake alligator skin heels, carrying a suitcase - never to reappear again. Kya, the youngest of five, sees the family slowly slip away from their abusive and drunk father until it's just the two of them left in the marsh shack. And then one day it's just Kya.

The story flips back and forth in time. Kya, the March Girl, Wolf Child, Miss Missing Link manages on her own, learning to read and take care of herself. But that murder is there, like an itch, nagging in the background as the townspeople of Barkley Cove become sure that Kya is the murderer.

So we've got a mystery and a small handful of possible suspects but what hooked my from the beginning is how Delia Owens renders this strip of land. She's got a wildlife scientist's eye for place, rendering the flora and fauna so vibrantly. (Doesn't hurt that Delia Owens is in fact a wildlife scientist and has won the John Burroughs Award for Nature Writing already.) From Kya's shack to Jumpin's Bait and Gas the marsh comes alive. The herons the colour of grey mist reflecting on blue water, Kya reciting poetry to preening gulls as the marsh's moist breath hung the oaks and pines with fog.

Excellent! Loved the story and the setting. I picked this one up because of the high ratings and rave reviews - and was not super excited: expecting a ‘Nell' (movie) redo - but it's so very much not ‘Nell'. Kya is her own unique character and the lovingly described marshland setting she lives in is also an important character in the book. The book is part coming of age, part romance, part murder mystery - and does all three quite well. Highly recommended.

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens tells the story of Kya Clark, a young girl growing up alone in the marshes of North Carolina. Abandoned by her family at a young age, Kya learns to survive on her own, relying on her wits and the natural world around her. The story follows Kya's journey as she navigates the complexities of relationships, love, and loss, all while grappling with the secrets and traumas of her past.What I loved most about this novel was the way Owens brought the marshes to life. Her descriptions of the landscape were so vivid that I felt like I was right there with Kya, wading through the marshes and feeling the mud between my toes (yuck!). Owens' writing truly transported me to another world, and I found myself completely immersed in Kya's story.But what truly made this novel stand out for me was the way Owens explored themes of isolation and belonging. Kya's loneliness and struggle to connect with others was palpable throughout the novel, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. The way Owens delved into the intricacies of human relationships and the ways in which our pasts shape us was both poignant and thought-provoking.I also appreciated the way Owens seamlessly wove together the different threads of the story: From Kya's coming-of-age journey to the mystery surrounding a local murder, every aspect of the novel felt like it belonged and added to the larger narrative. The twists and turns of the plot kept me glued to my Kindle's screen, eager to see how everything would unfold.Overall, “Where the Crawdads Sing” is a stunning novel that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for a thought-provoking and immersive read. Especially the almost-poetic descriptions of nature around Kya's home were breathtakingly beautiful. Owens' writing is masterful, and the characters and world she has created stayed with me for a long time.Five out of five stars.Blog Facebook Twitter Mastodon Instagram Pinterest Medium Matrix TumblrCeterum censeo Putin esse delendam

Wow! I loved this book! Great story that kept me interested until the very end!

I had high expectations of this book, few of which were met. So much of Crawdads felt heavy-handed to me. Three separate times the title was included in the text, and each mention felt weirdly obtrusive. I understand, she's way out in a marsh, where the crawdads sing. I get it.

The plot was too convenient, and the pacing felt off. Not much happened in the first half, then it seemed to be building to something big. But then the end just spit out back-to-back anticlimactic reveals of either obvious or peripheral plot points.

I struggled with Kya as a character. I think there was definite potential, but she was more flat than not. Obviously it made sense that Kya's upbringing produced trust issues and isolation, but at times it felt like fear of abandonment was her defining personality trait.

Also, why did other characters keep corroborating this idea that she could just never leave the marsh? Everyone operated under this strange conviction that insurmountable barriers prevented Kya from living any differently than how she always had. As though she was simply incompatible with society. This deepened the power differentials that warped Kya's relationships with both Tate and Chase.

We're shown that Kya needs saved from herself by paternalistic figures (almost all male, the only departure a bit of a mammy figure in Mabel). She lacks not only formal education, but also struggles with trust and intimacy due to the loss of her family. Who better than a few smitten men to educate an impoverished, entirely socially isolated teenager about love and sex and relationships? What could go wrong?

Both Tate and Chase fixate on Kya as an exotic, elusive figure. They're struck by beauty and strength that Kya doesn't seem to realize, and are especially struck by this lack of awareness.
They love how she's “not like the other girls.” As if Kya is too down to earth to care about things like makeup. For most of her adolescence, makeup is a luxury Kya quite literally cannot afford to care about. Maybe this draw is more about belittling women and that which is associated with femininity than Kya's distinct interests and personality.
Both men find solace in Kya's company outside of their “real lives,” even though they are her only company. No need to isolate her socially to better control her and their relationship, because Kya is already alone!

Who is Kya to Tate and Chase outside of the context of the marsh? As discussed above, both struggle to see Kya (and themselves with Kya) outside of said context. Both Tate and Chase are reluctant to integrate Kya into their “real lives.”
Kya is an outlet. She's an avenue to participate in a different way of doing life and seeing the world. She's a damaged damsel who needs to be taught how to read and how to kiss.

Obviously readers are supposed to root and/or fall for Tate, but best as I can figure his best quality is that he isn't as bad as Chase. And he certainly isn't as bad as Chase. But there were a lot of similar power differentials and dynamics at play. The message seemed to be that these imbalances were made good or bad based solely on the character of the man holding power over Kya. Never does Owens address that the imbalances themselves complicate things.

I'll stop there, but suffice it to say that I found this to be poorly written and poorly edited. Every notable development was justified by assumptions I either did not understand or found stale and problematic. I'm glad others like it so well, but this one was not for me.

This book has absorbing characters, an intresting story
And emotions so raw that will make you cry
spoiler alert*
The way it was revealed that Kya was the killer was mindblowing
I mean I don't think I was the only one who was so irritated by the random poems by A. H. popping up everywhere so when it was revealed that Kya was A.H.
I was blown away.

Wonderful

For anyone who loves the marshes and water and tides and grasses, this book is a hymn to that beauty. Wrapped within is a haunting story.

Wow! I'm surprised by how much I liked this book. This is an amazingly beautiful story.

A beautifully written book. I really enjoyed the energy of the book at the beginning, when the narrative flips back and forth between a young girl living largely on her own in the swamp and a police investigation of the death of the local town's high school football hero. As the novel goes on, the focus shifts more predominately to Kya, the swamp girl's, story, and the pacing of the novel suffered as a result.

A beautifully written book. I really enjoyed the energy of the book at the beginning, when the narrative flips back and forth between a young girl living largely on her own in the swamp and a police investigation of the death of the local town's high school football hero. As the novel goes on, the focus shifts more predominately to Kya, the swamp girl's, story, and the pacing of the novel suffered as a result.