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A review by theespressoedition
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Writing a review for this book scares me.
There is so much hype surrounding this story and I can see why.
However... there was also so much about it that I didn't enjoy.
Okay, I've gotten that off my chest so we can move on now.
I feel that it's necessary to tell you that I don't enjoy historical fiction very much. However, there have been a few historical fiction books that completely changed my mind on that (like Daisy Jones & The Six or Lovely War). I hoped this would produce the same feeling for me, but that didn't happen. Instead, I walked away feeling very heavy.
I can see why so many people like this book. It seems to do a really wonderful job being historically accurate, it has a badass female lead, and there's emotional depth. But those are just elements. When you back up and see the whole picture, it just feels like a depressing recount of a girl who went through too much, too young, and then just continued to go through too much throughout the rest of her life. Even the entire court case made me feel depressed.
When I finish a book, I want to either feel great or feel like I've learned something. I definitely didn't feel great after this one (just... heavy) and I didn't exactly feel like I learned much either, even though it seemed like the type of book that should've taught me something.
I guess I just didn't pick up what everyone else did from it.
There is so much hype surrounding this story and I can see why.
However... there was also so much about it that I didn't enjoy.
Okay, I've gotten that off my chest so we can move on now.
I feel that it's necessary to tell you that I don't enjoy historical fiction very much. However, there have been a few historical fiction books that completely changed my mind on that (like Daisy Jones & The Six or Lovely War). I hoped this would produce the same feeling for me, but that didn't happen. Instead, I walked away feeling very heavy.
I can see why so many people like this book. It seems to do a really wonderful job being historically accurate, it has a badass female lead, and there's emotional depth. But those are just elements. When you back up and see the whole picture, it just feels like a depressing recount of a girl who went through too much, too young, and then just continued to go through too much throughout the rest of her life. Even the entire court case made me feel depressed.
When I finish a book, I want to either feel great or feel like I've learned something. I definitely didn't feel great after this one (just... heavy) and I didn't exactly feel like I learned much either, even though it seemed like the type of book that should've taught me something.
I guess I just didn't pick up what everyone else did from it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault