Reviews tagging 'Infertility'

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

141 reviews

creationwing's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The story was fine, and the descriptions of nature were quiet good. I found it could be verbose at times, and, as others have pointed out, the dialogue was wasn't the strongest. While I liked the characters like Jumpin and such, the author builds tension only to accidentally deflate it too quickly and too soon. I have mixed feelings about this book. I got emotional at times, but it was lacking something that made the transition between the two (eventually coinciding) timelines choppy. The time jump in the last few chapters felt especially abrupt.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Blood

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Infertility, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Stalking, Car accident, Sexual harassment, and War

Graphic depictions of domestic violence, including against children.

A (frankly unnecessary) scene involving racist hate crime and slurs.

First period Coercion of sex / dubious consent / wear her down Some injuries are described quite graphically, more than expected, at least Implied painful sexual experiences. Attempted sexual assault.

mijtje's review against another edition

mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Prachtig boek. Het hoofdpersonage is sympathiek en heeft diepe indruk op me gemaakt, en de natuurbeschrijvingen zijn prachtig. De metaforen zijn bijzonder en verrassend, maar ook zo duidelijk dat het goed bijdroeg bij het inleven in het boek. Het is door het boek heen duidelijk te merken dat Delia Owens zoöloog is, en dat ze weet waarover ze schrijft.

De gesprekken waren soms wel wat houterig en onnatuurlijk (iedereen praat op dezelfde manier, of ze nou 10 of 60 zijn), en soms las het meer als poëzie dan als een verhaal, maar daar hou ik juist wel van.

In essentie was dit voor mij een boek over eenzaamheid en liefde, maar ook over de schoonheid van de natuur. Erg mooi, een aanrader.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism and Sexual assault

Minor: Infertility

mishasbooks's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Abandonment

clemrain's review

emotional mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

This book is basically to kill a mockingbird? 

When setting foot in a novel that is sung to high praises, it’s rare to come out agreeing. Where the Crawdads Sing lives up to its praise. 

I always find myself back to mystery as a genre. Though I wouldn’t say I have a huge library of them digested, I have read a fair few. This novel is nothing I’ve read before and maybe that’s why it’s so brilliant.

The writing is a bit slow in the beginning. I think the author really tried to ramp up the suspense by giving us a past and a present simultaneously. Though I enjoyed the slowness of Kya’s life, it was a difficult read because it was just so sad.

I liked that this story follow Kya’s life. It felt like a story about Kya’s life and her loneliness. The way she resonated with nature and flourished in it. She’s a trooper. Trampled over and resilient for it. Like the ground she walked barefoot on. The murder trial is something that she experienced and then we followed her life after it too. Good, interesting approach to a murder mystery.

We read the shaping of Kya and it felt so satisfying to have an in on her reason to kill. The perfect crime in the nature by the girl of nature. Satisfying.

All the side characters were entertaining and added so much to the plot. None of them felt out of place, unnecessary or boring.

Great writing. I like the pacing. The intertwining of poetry. I don’t think the past and present of Kya and the murder melded super efficiently. I think the chapters could’ve transitioned  smoother. 

The court scenes were intense. I felt like a ping pong ball following each and every evidence and rebuttal. I didn’t know who to believe. The tension building kept me on edge. I couldn’t put the book down to sleep. 

I was convinced it was Tate. And I think the author knew readers would find themselves there after Tate gave Kya the hat. And to sneakily put in the police getting Tate was a good way to pull the readers leg. Though the scene of Tate’s father dying and it resulting in Tate and Kya getting back together was disappointing. It read like killing off a character to progress the story.

Amazing ending.

I really thought it was an accident by the end of it, but to discover the truth through a poem was excellent.

Edit: I was shocked to find out after finishing this book there are accusations of the author being racist. Which was shocking considering the contents of this book. What a world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Infertility, Infidelity, War, and Injury/Injury detail

itstheconnorsbookclub's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Death of parent

Minor: Infertility, Slavery, and Blood

hbotney's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

its_erin's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

You won't want for descriptive imagery in this novel, as chapters are dedicated to the detailed depictions of "the marsh girl's" world. Meandering like a river, this book slowly weaves together the past and present from different perspectives to ultimately produce a story of love, loss, and the futility of going against the forces of nature.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, Death of parent, and War

jaylee_books's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, and Classism

Minor: Infertility and Racial slurs

em_gauts's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Bullying, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, and Car accident

caitlynw0200's review

adventurous informative inspiring mysterious sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment