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namzuru's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Wow I’m writing this just after finishing this book and all I can think of is wow. I really enjoyed this book. At the beginning I was thinking this really isn’t my style but as I read more and more I was entranced with the life kya was living. I wanted to know what happened to her and pray things would turn for the better for her.
About kya and chase:
Very quickly into their relationship I knew this wasn’t gonna go well. not for a second did i think this relationship was gonna work. at times it did seem as if he actually cared for her and others clearly he did not. god it broke my heart for her when she would say how she wanted to meet his parents and friends and go to the town festivities with him and he completely shuts her down saying its boring, he's tired of it, she wouldn't like it. like god he can't acknowledge at all that she actually wants to go. this man had so many red flags. when he talked about building them a house and getting married and living right in the marsh i just couldn't fully believe it. OMG WHEN HE TOOK HER ON THE ROAD TRIP. HE DID IT JUST SO SHE WOULD BE FORCED INTO THE SITUATION WHERE SHE WOULD AGREE TO HAVE SEX WITH HIM. god i just really hated this man and was not surprised when she found in the paper he got engaged to another woman. but i was so sad for her, another heartbreak. and then a few years later and he almost rapes her on the beach?? its a little weird and creepy he still wears the shell necklace she made for him when they were dating. god the whole SA scene made me very uncomfy but i felt so good when she got the better of him and fucking kicked him in the balls, still sad for her, but so proud too.
About kya and tate:
Before he went off to college, i didn't like their relationship. it made me really uncomfortable that he was 18 while she was 14/15. throughout their relationship at that point he pointed out that she was just a child and that they were different. If you didn't focus on the age gap, i didn't really mind their relationship and how they interacted (except that part where he pushed her against a tree). I thought it was cute how they exchanged feathers and the sort and it slowly evolved into him teaching her how to read. it seemed like a great friendship that turned into a relationship. After he goes to college is when it gets better - i guess. First of all he is such a fucking dick for just leaving her and just not saying anything. Bro i was so mad that it happened as she was experiencing more heartbreak but i was also mad at myself for not seeing it coming. For a majority for the rest of the book i really just was not trusting him. After he comes back we see from his pov that he really regrets what he did and is sorry but i still didnt believe it. With everything with chase i was worried he was going to but in and say she should be with him and instead im glad he warned her about chase and the things he was doing. and after how they slowly became closer as friends and with him being there the whole court case. it wasnt until the court part was where i actually started to trust him that he wouldnt leave her again. When her brother visited and said that stuff about tate and how she should give him another chance, i really thought this was setting it up for it to be bad, but it didnt and im glad. in the end, they were together and even kept her dark secret
the author of this book was very much well versed in biology and you could tell. I absolutely loved how the author described the scenery and the environment and how she related her life events to the events of life in nature. Her writing about nature was my absolute favourite part of the book and is a big reason I enjoyed this book so much. It just made kya as a character so enjoyable as she would talk about the nature andi would learn about the local ecosystem.
two things i didnt quite like about this book is i could easily predict several plot point, not fully so maybe i didnt? i knew tate would come back, i knew chase was gonna be scum, just several things that just happened and were predictable but despite this i enjoyed it so much as the writing kept it cool and interesting. the other thing is the court room chapters, although necessary, really just killed my interest in this book, one of the reasons i was entranced by this book was the nature and that was completely gone. I think that was the point as it was from kyas pov and she missed the creak so much. but i just wasnt into the whole courtroom speaking with them saying evidence etc.
I absolutely love how she started a whole book career, i was so happy for her as she was finally not living paycheck to paycheck and actually had enough to renovate the shack. She was recognized by many official institutes for her accomplishments and all of this with only going to school one day in her life. She learned so much with just her pure will and curiosity
Absolutely love how jumpin and mable became her friends but also parental figures to her, they helped her out of the goodness of their hearts. when he put her book in the window of his shop it warmed my heart so much. They were so good and kind to each other and them interacting were some of my favourite parts of the book.
chapter 33 has to be my favourite chapter in this book its so heartwarming and yet heart breaking. Jodie coming back was something i didn't expect, i just thought she would see none of her family again. and when he brought out the paintings i stared tearing up, she was seeing her moms work while also seeing her family again.
ending:
wow that fucking ending. i had suspected that she killed him but by the end it and completely gotten rid of that thought as their were less and less pages and assumed we would just never know the killer and that was the point. but it wasnt until halfway throught the poem did i realize, i quickly reread the poem now knowing and omg i just didnt see it coming. tbh some part in the book i though chase did it bc of the hat but like it wasnt making sense. but just that was a perfect reveal. i loved it. and omg the way he just burnt everything anf kept her fucking secret, he dedicated his time to helping her with the case because he thought ofcourse she was innocent and they were just pinning her bc they didnt like her. but omg she really did kill him wow. i also loved that she was the poet. didnt realize till then how similar the poems were to her life. when i stopped believing her to be the killer, i thought they were gonna pin her for a murder she never committed and would have to bear the consequences for it. i jsut assumed this book would not give me a happy/satisfying ending but i was wrong, i love it.
favourite quotes:
About kya and chase:
About kya and tate:
the author of this book was very much well versed in biology and you could tell. I absolutely loved how the author described the scenery and the environment and how she related her life events to the events of life in nature. Her writing about nature was my absolute favourite part of the book and is a big reason I enjoyed this book so much. It just made kya as a character so enjoyable as she would talk about the nature andi would learn about the local ecosystem.
two things i didnt quite like about this book is i could easily predict several plot point, not fully so maybe i didnt?
Absolutely love how jumpin and mable became her friends but also parental figures to her, they helped her out of the goodness of their hearts.
chapter 33 has to be my favourite chapter in this book its so heartwarming and yet heart breaking.
ending:
favourite quotes:
“please don’t talk to me about isolation. no one has to tell me how it changes a person. I have lived it. I am isolation.”
"Female fireflies draw in strange males with dishonest signals and eat them; mantis females devour their own mates. Female insects, Kya thought, know how to deal with their lovers."
"I wasn't aware that words could hold so much. I didn't know a sentence could be so full.”
taylor swift songs that embody this book:
- carolina (obviously 🙄)
- i bet you think about me
"I wasn't aware that words could hold so much. I didn't know a sentence could be so full.”
taylor swift songs that embody this book:
- carolina (obviously 🙄)
- i bet you think about me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
alisonfaith426's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Mental illness, Sexism, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Death and Infidelity
srl0425's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
m0czy's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A beautifully descriptive journey into the marshlands of North Carolina.
The real stand out content of the novel is the way that nature and its inhabitants are described with such detail, and such reverence. Delia Owens truly captures the beauty of the environment, and creates a love letter to the southeastern coast.
The main character, Kya, is a protagonist you can root for, weep with, relate to, and cherish.
The mystery itself is one that will keep you guessing and puzzling until the very end.
I did feel that the novel had a bit of a slow start, but the exposition is useful later on in the overall storytelling and world building that occurs. Once I hit my stride, I could not put it down!!
The real stand out content of the novel is the way that nature and its inhabitants are described with such detail, and such reverence. Delia Owens truly captures the beauty of the environment, and creates a love letter to the southeastern coast.
The main character, Kya, is a protagonist you can root for, weep with, relate to, and cherish.
The mystery itself is one that will keep you guessing and puzzling until the very end.
I did feel that the novel had a bit of a slow start, but the exposition is useful later on in the overall storytelling and world building that occurs. Once I hit my stride, I could not put it down!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Minor: Hate crime, Terminal illness, Stalking, and Car accident
witchleaves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood
bellaiu's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, and Classism
avacronin's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Where the Crawdads Sing was undoubtedly a 5 star read in my personal opinion. I was encouraged to read this book by my wonderful English teacher, who stated I just had to read it before seeing the upcoming movie, and boy am I glad she gave me this book. I can't wait to see how they adapt this beautiful piece of work for the big screen.
I won't go too much into the nitty gritty details of the plot, as I just advise you to read it for yourself. This story follows Kya, the 'Marsh Girl' as she lives her life in the marginalised areas of the Marsh, and how she came to be prime suspect in the murder case of Chase Andrews.
I didn't expect myself to get so drawn into the story, through both the suspense of a murder mystery, and through the beautiful nature of the language. While I don't support Delia Owens, it would be unfair for me to completely disregard this piece of work based on my opinion of her as a person.
The Pros
- One thing I ended up loving was how unpredictable the story was. I had heard from others about how shocking the ending was, and while I thought multiple times through the story I had figured it out, I learned that I was completely mistaken. Besides from the ending, other aspects of the story happened quite shockingly, yet satisfyingly.
- This wonder of story is writing through the beautiful, captivating writing of aesthetics and descriptions. I could spend hours listing off of my favourite quotes, the ones that left the biggest marks, yet I'll limit myself to one.
“She knew the years of isolation had altered her behavior until she was different from others, but it wasn't her fault she'd been alone. Most of what she knew, she'd learned from the wild. Nature had nurtured, tutored, and protected her when no one else would.”
- Keeping with the previous point I mentioned on the language, the characters here are written in such a way that I felt true connections to many of them. And with the unfavourable characters, the author found a way to create a intentional anger and hurt inside of me in sympathy for Kya and her life.
The Cons
- The main reason that people have been turned away from reading this book is the problematic actions from Delia Owens, the author. This is seen in this book, as Owens, a white woman, uses a slur commonly used to degrade people of colour (which she has no rights to reclaim).
- The only other slight issue I found with this book was that I have to agree with others in saying that the first one or two chapters of the book came off more slow, and filled with sometimes complicated, detailed descriptions. And while I did actually enjoy these vivid descriptions, I even found myself having to read over certain passages more than once to understand what was being said.
- I also want to mention here that although I didn't find it to be a major problem, all of the character dialogue is written in a southern dialect, making some of the words an adjustment to understand, yet creates a more vivid atmosphere of the area.
Overall, I would definitely recommend to anybody who can to read this book, and to stick through the first couple chapters until you get drawn into the steady flow of the Marsh.
I won't go too much into the nitty gritty details of the plot, as I just advise you to read it for yourself. This story follows Kya, the 'Marsh Girl' as she lives her life in the marginalised areas of the Marsh, and how she came to be prime suspect in the murder case of Chase Andrews.
I didn't expect myself to get so drawn into the story, through both the suspense of a murder mystery, and through the beautiful nature of the language. While I don't support Delia Owens, it would be unfair for me to completely disregard this piece of work based on my opinion of her as a person.
The Pros
- One thing I ended up loving was how unpredictable the story was. I had heard from others about how shocking the ending was, and while I thought multiple times through the story I had figured it out, I learned that I was completely mistaken. Besides from the ending, other aspects of the story happened quite shockingly, yet satisfyingly.
- This wonder of story is writing through the beautiful, captivating writing of aesthetics and descriptions. I could spend hours listing off of my favourite quotes, the ones that left the biggest marks, yet I'll limit myself to one.
“She knew the years of isolation had altered her behavior until she was different from others, but it wasn't her fault she'd been alone. Most of what she knew, she'd learned from the wild. Nature had nurtured, tutored, and protected her when no one else would.”
- Keeping with the previous point I mentioned on the language, the characters here are written in such a way that I felt true connections to many of them. And with the unfavourable characters, the author found a way to create a intentional anger and hurt inside of me in sympathy for Kya and her life.
The Cons
- The main reason that people have been turned away from reading this book is the problematic actions from Delia Owens, the author. This is seen in this book, as Owens, a white woman, uses a slur commonly used to degrade people of colour (which she has no rights to reclaim).
- The only other slight issue I found with this book was that I have to agree with others in saying that the first one or two chapters of the book came off more slow, and filled with sometimes complicated, detailed descriptions. And while I did actually enjoy these vivid descriptions, I even found myself having to read over certain passages more than once to understand what was being said.
- I also want to mention here that although I didn't find it to be a major problem, all of the character dialogue is written in a southern dialect, making some of the words an adjustment to understand, yet creates a more vivid atmosphere of the area.
Overall, I would definitely recommend to anybody who can to read this book, and to stick through the first couple chapters until you get drawn into the steady flow of the Marsh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Abandonment
thatswhatshanread's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow. This book is such an incredible journey led by perseverance, love, and survival. While it was slow to start, I felt entirely taken in by the story and held in its palms as if I, too, were finding my way through life amongst the marshes of 1960s South Carolina.
Owens’ writing is poetic and strong, beautiful and sad, honest and rhythmic in a way not often associated with works published in the last ten years. I felt the nuances of Harper Lee coming back to me while reading this one, as Kya’s story of resilience, prejudice, loss, and heartbreak reminded me in ways of “To Kill A Mockingbird”. In both acclaimed novels, there is a clear distinction and cowardice in regards to class and upbringing especially, but also race and education.
“Where The Crawdads Sing” is first a celebration and clarification of nature and its constants, every little piece of the earth that gives and takes, ebbs and flows. I’ve never before read such lyrical accounts of nature and its secrets.
But this is also a book about love, how it flourishes and wants and haunts and disappoints and endures. The emotion over rare feathers easily coincides with the years of affection between friends, lovers, family.
The heavy weight of murder and death hangs over all elements throughout the story, though it never takes away from the poignant, beautiful account of life.
Owens’ writing is poetic and strong, beautiful and sad, honest and rhythmic in a way not often associated with works published in the last ten years. I felt the nuances of Harper Lee coming back to me while reading this one, as Kya’s story of resilience, prejudice, loss, and heartbreak reminded me in ways of “To Kill A Mockingbird”. In both acclaimed novels, there is a clear distinction and cowardice in regards to class and upbringing especially, but also race and education.
“Where The Crawdads Sing” is first a celebration and clarification of nature and its constants, every little piece of the earth that gives and takes, ebbs and flows. I’ve never before read such lyrical accounts of nature and its secrets.
But this is also a book about love, how it flourishes and wants and haunts and disappoints and endures. The emotion over rare feathers easily coincides with the years of affection between friends, lovers, family.
The heavy weight of murder and death hangs over all elements throughout the story, though it never takes away from the poignant, beautiful account of life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Alcohol
Minor: Mental illness and War
melissabythesea's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book sits with you, hurts you, charms you. It makes you feel a lot and sometimes numb but the end is rewarding.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse and Domestic abuse
Minor: Hate crime and Rape
jademrosas's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Delia Owens is really good at describing nature, which isn’t surprising given her past works. I thought at times the writing was beautiful and poetic and the story overall was interesting. I liked the contrast between her descriptions of the marsh and the courtroom/jail. However, this book fell really short for me and I’m surprised by how much acclaim this book has received. I found Kya and Tate’s relationship to be cringe-worthy since Tate is a few years older than her and he also took on the roll of teaching and educating her. Because of this, I felt their relationship was kind of inappropriate. I also have a hard time believing that she was able to learn to read and write so quickly. Not only this. I mentioned before that Owens was able to write nature beautifully but I think her dialogue definitely needs work. I often thought that when characters were talking to each other, how stilted and unnatural it came across. Also, another major issue of mine with the book, were the racist tropes included in the book. Mabel and Jumpin’ deserved better.