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4.21 AVERAGE
4.21 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i feel like i shouldn’t have enjoyed this book based off of so many poor reviews, but, after having a major reading slump, any thoughtfully written book that makes me want to come back & read as if there’s no tomorrow wins my heart.
i loved how Owens slowly bridged the time gap to tell the whole story & how Kya learns to become self reliant, but not without experiencing the griefs of humanity- like loneliness and heartbreak. i appreciate that kya doesn’t magically have her problems fixed by mabel’s charity or tate’s love or her book. even jodie’s return is not perfect. slowly, kya heals from past hurt, carrying its baggage with her. i also liked the way that Kya slowly makes the shack her own, adapting it to meet her needs, but never changing its exterior- much like she subtly changes but never looses herself and her profound connection to the swamp and her early life.
my grievances:
1) kya’s romances- her relationship with tate feels natural and smooth to read, but her relationship with chase has awkward dialogue that can be awkward to read, especially in the beginning. while this does contribute to the nature of their relationship, it’s just one of the few areas i had to skim for my own sake.
2) THE ENDING!!!! I didn’t love Kya being A.H.- it makes her randomly reciting the poetry out loud all alone even more awkward- it’d be a more natural progression if the poetry bits were written as an overwhelming expression of her emotions (even if they were framed as another’s words). i was so distracted by the revelation (of an honestly minor detail) that i had to go back and reread to realize that it was her confession to murder. and oh how i really wish she hadn’t actually murdered him- i feel like it just would’ve been a more satisfying read. “trash always takes itself out” & all of that. not saying i liked chase- the whole drunken encounter and subsequent chasing had me plotting to kill chase. it just undermined the point of the towns unfair prejudice & kya’s gentle nature despite her rough lifestyle.
3) how are we pronouncing kya’s name? is it KAY-uh or KI-uh? idk it just bugged me lol
i loved how Owens slowly bridged the time gap to tell the whole story & how Kya learns to become self reliant, but not without experiencing the griefs of humanity- like loneliness and heartbreak. i appreciate that kya doesn’t magically have her problems fixed by mabel’s charity or tate’s love or her book. even jodie’s return is not perfect. slowly, kya heals from past hurt, carrying its baggage with her. i also liked the way that Kya slowly makes the shack her own, adapting it to meet her needs, but never changing its exterior- much like she subtly changes but never looses herself and her profound connection to the swamp and her early life.
my grievances:
1) kya’s romances- her relationship with tate feels natural and smooth to read, but her relationship with chase has awkward dialogue that can be awkward to read, especially in the beginning. while this does contribute to the nature of their relationship, it’s just one of the few areas i had to skim for my own sake.
2) THE ENDING!!!! I didn’t love Kya being A.H.- it makes her randomly reciting the poetry out loud all alone even more awkward- it’d be a more natural progression if the poetry bits were written as an overwhelming expression of her emotions (even if they were framed as another’s words). i was so distracted by the revelation (of an honestly minor detail) that i had to go back and reread to realize that it was her confession to murder. and oh how i really wish she hadn’t actually murdered him- i feel like it just would’ve been a more satisfying read. “trash always takes itself out” & all of that. not saying i liked chase- the whole drunken encounter and subsequent chasing had me plotting to kill chase. it just undermined the point of the towns unfair prejudice & kya’s gentle nature despite her rough lifestyle.
3) how are we pronouncing kya’s name? is it KAY-uh or KI-uh? idk it just bugged me lol
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Beautifully sad.
The twists and turns of this book along with the impeccable story telling, reminded me of Defending Jacob by William Landay. However, this book went beyond that by also including commentary on prejudice, discrimination, love, preservation, poverty, child hunger, sexual/ domestic abuse, and loneliness.
So, understandably it’s hard to put into words what this book meant to me- but what sticks out most is the continuous perseverance and trueness to oneself displayed by the main character, Kya. She accomplishes amazing things despite the hardships she faces repeatedly. She becomes someone remarkable and is quite the enigma and legend.
I highly recommended reading this one!!
(so good I audibly screamed out loud when I heard the verdict of the trial)
So, understandably it’s hard to put into words what this book meant to me- but what sticks out most is the continuous perseverance and trueness to oneself displayed by the main character, Kya. She accomplishes amazing things despite the hardships she faces repeatedly. She becomes someone remarkable and is quite the enigma and legend.
I highly recommended reading this one!!
(so good I audibly screamed out loud when I heard the verdict of the trial)
I decided to give this book another chance. I don't remember being too impressed the first time. I mostly read it because it was popular and there was a copy lying around. I still feel like it was predictable, so I wouldn't quite label it a mystery. But I suppose the main point might be to highlight the beauty of the marsh with the mystery and romance being the frame. So I did like it more the second time, though I still don't understand the hype.
(April 2025)
(April 2025)
DNF, continuing to clear my shelves. I bought this book before I learned I can’t do books where it’s all “reckons” and “aint’s”. I do want to watch the movie though.
First 100 pages way too painful and slow. But the rest of this book was really engaging and the ending made it well worth the read!