Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by shesbecomingbookish
The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church
4.0
Quick and Dirty
-Southern historical fiction
-slow burn story
-perfect for lovers of Where the Crawdads Sing
-chosen family
Musings
I'm one of the rare folks who didn't love Crawdads. It was fine, but not spectacular in my opinion. So I was on the fence about this book when I read the synopsis and saw it compared to Crawdads. Lucky for me, I found this book much more enjoyable. The main character, Leah, was much more relatable as a character, and her story arc was more believable than Crawdads. The Last Carolina Girl is a heartbreaker of a story, with plenty of pain and grief to soften even the hardest of hearts. The loss this character experiences is palpable; you truly feel her pain throughout the entire story. I was riveted by the dynamics in this book and often found myself feeling strongly about what was happening to Leah at the hands of her foster family. As coming-of-age novels go, there are none better than those that incorporate chosen family. The love that Leah finds in her chosen family put a smile on my face, especially knowing how much she was made to sacrifice at the hands of the monsters in her life. The author's ability to transport the reader to the world of Leah both before and after the loss of her father is remarkable; I was completely sucked into this novel from word go. Overall, I think any lover of Southern fiction, particularly historical fiction, will find this story moving and a worthwhile read.
-Southern historical fiction
-slow burn story
-perfect for lovers of Where the Crawdads Sing
-chosen family
Musings
I'm one of the rare folks who didn't love Crawdads. It was fine, but not spectacular in my opinion. So I was on the fence about this book when I read the synopsis and saw it compared to Crawdads. Lucky for me, I found this book much more enjoyable. The main character, Leah, was much more relatable as a character, and her story arc was more believable than Crawdads. The Last Carolina Girl is a heartbreaker of a story, with plenty of pain and grief to soften even the hardest of hearts. The loss this character experiences is palpable; you truly feel her pain throughout the entire story. I was riveted by the dynamics in this book and often found myself feeling strongly about what was happening to Leah at the hands of her foster family. As coming-of-age novels go, there are none better than those that incorporate chosen family. The love that Leah finds in her chosen family put a smile on my face, especially knowing how much she was made to sacrifice at the hands of the monsters in her life. The author's ability to transport the reader to the world of Leah both before and after the loss of her father is remarkable; I was completely sucked into this novel from word go. Overall, I think any lover of Southern fiction, particularly historical fiction, will find this story moving and a worthwhile read.