Book review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Well hello to you my reader chums! These past few months I've been reading a lot more and I love the fact that I've able to have the time to rekindle one of my favourite things. A book I've recently finished is Where the Crawdads Sing, a beautiful fiction recommended by many, which I absolutely adored.

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Here are my overall thoughts on the book...

Book review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Plotline

The book follows the story of the 'Marsh Girl.' Set in Barkley Cove, a quiet town in North Carolina, rumors have circulated for years about the 'Marsh Girl'. In 1969, when the town's star player, Chase Andrews is found dead, all the locals suspect Kya Clark, the 'Marsh Girl.' However, what many of the local folk don't know about Kya is she's a sweet and intelligent girl, who for years had survived a life alone in the marsh, finding friends in nature. The young Kya comes to an age where she yearns to be loved and after two young men from the town are intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya is opened up to a new world and the unthinkable happens.

Characters and relationships

Characters and relationships are incredibly important in this novel as the plot is really focused on the fact of Kya being abandoned and living on her own in the marsh, in isolation for most of her young life.

Her family plays an important role at the beginning of the novel but their effects of what they did leaving her, run throughout the plot. She has an unfortunate relationship with her family, living in an abusive household, cut off from the outside world, and eventually, they left her at such a delicate age. Kya befriends the locals Jumpin and Mabel who help her through every stage of her life, and their relationship warms my heart as they become her new family.

The two big characters are Kya's love interests as from how they pan out, she learns a lot about herself and what love really is, and what heartbreak feels like. They help shape Kya and it shows her growth as a person, in a beautiful way. Jodie, her brother plays a huge part in shaping the story and their bond is something that isn't affected, even as time goes on and their lives drift apart.

Relationships really are key in this novel as there is a huge focus on Kya being alone and learning to live a life of her and her swamp, that the bond with different people teaches her things in more ways than one.

Overall thoughts on the book

Overall, this book warmed my heart in a lot of different ways. It has the combination of a romance theme, a murder mystery, and a coming-of-age narrative. It's beautifully written and the descriptions of what goes on make the reader fall in love with nature in a way that Kya sees it.

I loved how the book goes back and forth to the past and present and fits the plotline in nicely with what's going on to give the reader a deeper understanding of the characters, and their backstory.

My favourite thing about the book is Kya and how the author writes it, as an outsider looking in. But with so much depth, description, and love as every word seem to have poured out from her soul. It made me realise what's important in life and has an underlying message about the simplicity of life itself. It certainly took my breath away and I would recommend it to everyone.

The ending

The book in itself has a few different themes running through it which go together hand in hand, and the ending kind of raps that all up in a painfully, beautiful way. I don't know how to describe it other than to say it was wholesome and fulfilling.

I hope you enjoyed this book review. What are you currently reading?

Thank you for reading <3

3 comments

  1. I don't think I've seen anyone talk about this book, so thank you for introducing me to it! It sounds like such an amazing read, I definitely need to pick it up xx

    Hannah | https://luxuryblush.co.uk/

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    1. Aww I'm glad I was able to introduce you to it! Thank you for your lovely comment, and I hope you enjoy the book xx

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  2. I read this book and absolutely loved it! I felt like I was right out there in the marsh with Kya. The author did an excellent job of pulling me in. The book was beautifully written.

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