Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

151 reviews

beatriceku's review

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

3.25

this book was quite an enjoyable read. the writing was engaging and descriptive, and was never a tedious read. i loved the depth given to kya's childhood, and also the slightly unexpected trajectory of her growth given her context. we love an underdog against all odds storyline. i was also in love with tate the whole time. therefore. why the big docking of stars in the rating? it all has to do with the end. 

it is so upsetting to me that justice was not actually served. if we seek to live in a world where our prerogative is justice, it just infuriates me that this was not served to kya. additionally, it just infuriates me how the lack of justice served is not painted in a negative light. we're just supposed to ACCEPT that she killed chase but only had to serve two months in jail for it? ridiculous.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

karo_lin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and War

imaginefishes's review

emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I have to say I didn’t care that much for the murder plot but I loved reading about Kya’s growing up, although the ending time skip felt a little too rushed.

Didn’t really see the plot twist coming considering it had already been previously established that Kya was innocent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Racism, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

auburn_phoenix_15's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Terminal illness, Car accident, and Death of parent

elindseyr190's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-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? Yes

5.0

This book was so good, an emotional rollercoaster. I honestly can’t think of anything to say, I stayed up until 2:30 in the morning reading this and I get up at 6:30.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

micaelamariem's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.0

 

For the past couple of years, it seemed like everyone was raving about this book. Last year, I picked it up because it was on sale and I had heard of it, but not knowing what it was about I put it to the side to collect dust. But now the movie is out and people are talking about it again, and I thought it was about time I give it a try.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (published by Corsair) is a book that’s hard to describe. It’s about the life of Kya Clark, the “Marsh Girl” as everyone in the town calls her. It’s about her struggles with abandonment, lonliness, prejudice, and living in the wild. It’s about love and loss and biology. And it’s also sort of a murder mystery.

This was, without a doubt, a good book. I don’t know if it would be accurate to say I “enjoyed” it as it is a sad book that had me tearing up every other chapter, but I like the book. I thought the writing style was beautiful and poetic in a way that connected Kya’s life to the wild marshlife, and to me it seemed like there were nods to Walden or to Rachel Carson here and there. I also enjoyed the nods to poetry. Plus, there were themes of overcoming prejudices, especially in the court scenes, that reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird, in some ways. I also really loved Jumpin, and how he became a psuedo-father to Kya. He was easily the best character.

Some criticisms of the book claim that it was genre-confused, and I can see where they were coming from. It is marketed as a mystery, but I think it’s less that and moreso literary and historical fiction. Perhaps that’s why I liked, though, as someone who typically hates mysteries! I also would have liked maybe more hope in the book, though there are threads, and it’s not a completley sad ending. It’s definitley not a book for people who are looking for something lighthearted, that’s for sure.

I do think it is an important book, however. The historical setting can help readers understand past prejudices while also confronting their own. The nature of Kya and her biological interests can cause readers to look at nature with a new appreciation. We can also reflect on characters and what is right and wrong, as well as reflect on the differences between loneliness and solitude.

Overall, I’m rating this book four stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

singalana's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

annaluisalees's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Rape, and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

deebee223's review

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Cursing

ljustin's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

The Marsh Girl, Kya. Abandoned when she was a child, as an adult she finds herself the main suspect of a murder investigation. The victim? Her ex-lover chase Andrews, who betrayed her and left her heart broken. 

I wanted to read this book before seeing the film, and was really hoping it lived up to the hype. It definitely did, with bells on! 

Kya is a great character. Her grit and determination are admirable, and you will her to succeed and find love throughout the book. The side characters Jumpin' and Mabel are wonderfully lovely. 

I loved how everything in the book looped back into the Marsh. The events all focused round it, and Kya continued to relate to it and the wildlife that inhabited it throughout her story. Owens manages to make the Marsh sound like a pretty great place to live! 

There were a lot of themes through the story; love, bias, isolation, nature, and they all intertwine perfectly to make one excellent story. 

Definitely 5 stars for this. I would recommend to anyone, no matter what they enjoy. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism