Status
Available
Collection
Publication
New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2018.
Description
For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. She's barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark. But Kya is not what they say. Abandoned at age ten, she has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life lessons from the land, learning from the false signals of fireflies the real way of this world. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world -- until the unthinkable happens.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Zoes_Human
DNF at page 50.
I feel so god-awful restless as I'm reading this that I can't even get through a page without staring off into space and fiddling with stuff. It's prolix yet goes nowhere slowly and in painful detail. In 50 pages, only about three things have happened, unless you want to count multiple cookings of grits. I mean honestly, I fucking love grits, but there is simply no excuse for grits to be cooked more than once in the first 50 pages of a book unless I am actually reading a grits cookbook. I'm just gonna wiki why that dude died, because I will cry if I try to read more of this.… (more)
I feel so god-awful restless as I'm reading this that I can't even get through a page without staring off into space and fiddling with stuff. It's prolix yet goes nowhere slowly and in painful detail. In 50 pages, only about three things have happened, unless you want to count multiple cookings of grits. I mean honestly, I fucking love grits, but there is simply no excuse for grits to be cooked more than once in the first 50 pages of a book unless I am actually reading a grits cookbook. I'm just gonna wiki why that dude died, because I will cry if I try to read more of this.… (more)
LibraryThing member Cariola
Wow, how can so many readers rave about this book? It was just awful. It took me every free minute of the two weeks I had it on loan to get to the end. I don't know why I stuck with it as it was painful every time I picked it up; maybe I was in the mood for masochism. So what's wrong with it? Well, for one thing, every page was screaming at me, "This is sad. So sad. SO SAD!!!" I have a strong bias against books that I feel are emotionally manipulating me. As soon as I started reading about The Marsh Girl, I was reminded of 'Beasts of the Southern Wild,' a wonderful story of a little girl living alone with her sick father in the swamps when Katrina is about to hit. Mother gone, dad drinks too much and frequently disappears, both try to avoid the bad, bad authorities, and both love the natural environment even though it causes hardships--but that's where the similarity ends. [Where the Crawdads Sing] should hope to be a tenth as good (but it isn't). It also can't decide whether it is a coming of age story or a murder mystery; the chapters jump between telling the story of Kya's life and the investigation of a murder for which she is later tried. And those trial scenes were the absolute most hackneyed that I have ever read. Old Perry Mason scripts were better. Secondary character--with the exception of Jumpin', a black man who runs a tiny gas station/convenience store that serves boaters, and his wife Mabel, are total stereotypes. 1) Jordie, the helpful older brother who quickly disappears, leaving Kya alone with 2) the drunken, abusive dad who isn't all bad when he's sober. 3) The Good Boy, Tate, who becomes Kya's only friend, and 4) The Bad Boy, Chase, the seduce-and-abandon type. 5) The cocky police chief and 6) his cocky assistant and 7) the cocky prosecutor. As to the writing: I love nature as much as the next person, but the writing in the long, long, tedious, repetitive passages describing shells and sea gulls and bird feathers and fireflies were, in my opinion, just plain bad (but not as bad as the trial chapters).
I could go on, but just--ugh.… (more)
I could go on, but just--ugh.… (more)
LibraryThing member Carol420
I thought the story was totally unbelievable. We meet a little girl…now keep in mind that she is 6 years old. She has been left alone in a shack in the middle of the North Carolina swamp. Now here is where I had many problems with it. She raises herself…She lives in that same shack all this time. She uses the same boat. … No one lifts a hand to help her or check on her or misses her In more than 20 years. Nothing ever needs repairs. What does she do for clothes? I don’t think she could wear the same clothes all this time. My two kids were lucky if they could wear the same clothes for 6 months when they were 6 years old. The whole thing just fumbled and stumbled around…maybe it was searching for a place to end its misery. I am a member of the minority here I know...as I see almost 800 people rated it 4 or 5 stars. Sorry, but I just don't see it. Oh yeah…there was a murder.… (more)
LibraryThing member queencersei
Abandoned in the North Carolina marsh, seven year old Kya Clark learns to survive on her own. While dodging the occasional truant officer, the resourceful Kya lives in her families shack, eking out a meager existence. Occasionally she is assisted by a kindly African-American couple who own a small shop right off a cove. Continually rejected by the local white community as being Marsh Trash and the Marsh Girl, Kya longs for and fears having any type of connection with others. Eventually two boys, Tate and Chase enter her life, both with devastating consequences for Kya.
I wanted to like this book and it was a well laid out, quick read. But by the time I got to the 'twist' ending the story collapsed for me under the weight of one implausible scenario after another. Where the Crawdads Sing isn't bad, but the suspension of disbelief required throughout the novel is frankly exhausting.… (more)
I wanted to like this book and it was a well laid out, quick read. But by the time I got to the 'twist' ending the story collapsed for me under the weight of one implausible scenario after another. Where the Crawdads Sing isn't bad, but the suspension of disbelief required throughout the novel is frankly exhausting.… (more)
LibraryThing member jwrudn
A wonderful book. A murder, a trial but a lot more: a lonely marsh girl, love, abandonment, betrayal all bound together by descriptions of nature with a naturalist's eye.
LibraryThing member jfe16
Abandoned and alone, a young girl manages, by virtue of grit, luck, and sheer persistence, to survive as she grows up alone in the marshes of North Carolina. Shunned and suffering the condescension of most of the local townspeople, she finds few friends. But when a popular young man is found murdered in the marsh, Kya becomes the prime suspect. What, if anything, does Kya know about what happened that night? Is the Marsh Girl destined to spend the rest of her life locked away for murder? And just what is the truth?
The story told here, that of a ten-year-old child . . . abandoned by her family, fending for herself as she grows into adulthood . . . pulls readers into the telling of the tale from the very first page. Readers will find themselves drawn to her, sharing her pain and applauding her accomplishments. It is, by turns, heart-wrenching, affirming, and poignant.
It is also quite problematic.
Despite the supposed harshness of her life, everything falls into place and comes far too easily for the young girl.
Even in the 1950s, there was a system in place to care for orphaned and abandoned children; it is highly inconceivable that, despite her familiarity with the area, a child could elude all adults and spend years abandoned in the marsh.
And after spending only one day in school, she has taught herself enough to become an award-winning biologist and noted author?
Readers should always willingly suspend disbelief, but there’s a LOT to accept here in the telling of this tale.
With its predictable characters and situations, the story offers few surprises for the reader and the over-abundance of poetry fails to mesh well with the narrative. The unexpected, disappointing final revelation is out of character and abrogates everything readers have, until that time, learned about Kya; it serves only to vitiate the hard-won integrity of the young woman.
However, the beautiful, flowing descriptions of the marsh habitat, of its flora and fauna, are a treasure and are the overarching highlight of this book. It is here that the writing shines and it is for these alone that readers will find the book difficult to set aside.… (more)
The story told here, that of a ten-year-old child . . . abandoned by her family, fending for herself as she grows into adulthood . . . pulls readers into the telling of the tale from the very first page. Readers will find themselves drawn to her, sharing her pain and applauding her accomplishments. It is, by turns, heart-wrenching, affirming, and poignant.
It is also quite problematic.
Despite the supposed harshness of her life, everything falls into place and comes far too easily for the young girl.
Even in the 1950s, there was a system in place to care for orphaned and abandoned children; it is highly inconceivable that, despite her familiarity with the area, a child could elude all adults and spend years abandoned in the marsh.
And after spending only one day in school, she has taught herself enough to become an award-winning biologist and noted author?
Readers should always willingly suspend disbelief, but there’s a LOT to accept here in the telling of this tale.
With its predictable characters and situations, the story offers few surprises for the reader and the over-abundance of poetry fails to mesh well with the narrative. The unexpected, disappointing final revelation is out of character and abrogates everything readers have, until that time, learned about Kya; it serves only to vitiate the hard-won integrity of the young woman.
However, the beautiful, flowing descriptions of the marsh habitat, of its flora and fauna, are a treasure and are the overarching highlight of this book. It is here that the writing shines and it is for these alone that readers will find the book difficult to set aside.… (more)
LibraryThing member DKnight0918
Oh my goodness, I can see why Reece Witherspoon picked this book for September’s book of the month. I listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed it. The book kept me guessing up until the very end.
LibraryThing member SBoren
I purchased this book from Amazon to read with Hello Sunshine Bookclub. All opinions are my own. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I would have never chosen this book to read for myself but I am so glad to be part of a Bookclub that did! This was a beautifully written book that will put you right in the marsh from the moment you pick it up. Kya was a girl left alone to defy all the odds of nature as a child and did so with minimal people and help and absolutely no adult supervision. While learning the laws of nature Kya struggles with loneliness but as she grows she learns more and more that much like nature the marsh has laws of it's own. Just as nature lives by its own rules so does the marsh. And sometimes just as in nature, the Marsh deals it's own justice to those who need it most. Kya soon finds herself in front of a jury facing a murder charge. But the marsh has no dealings with the law and tangled inside will hold many secrets the rest of the world refuses to see. Especially way out yonder where the crawdads sing. Review also posted on Instagram @borenbooks, Library Thing, Go Read, Goodreads/StacieBoren, Amazon, Twitter @jason_stacie and my blog at readsbystacie.com… (more)
LibraryThing member maryreinert
The youngest in a family of poverty-stricken and dysfunctional individuals, Kya is abandoned by her mother when she is six leaving her with her drunken and cruel father in the marshes of coastal North Carolina. She attends school only one day in her life but learns to live on her own surviving by selling mussels. A young man, Tate, shares her interest in the wildlife and plants of the area, and a young romance blossoms.
From there the story becomes just too unbelievable. Tate teaches Kya to read and soon she is reading college textbooks on biology. Tate leaves for college and eventually earns a doctorate while Kya is amassing a huge collection of plants, bird feathers, etc. Meanwhile, the popular football player, Chase, takes an interest and an affair develops, but not surprisingly he never appears in public with Kya. Later he is married but still want to maintain the affair.
Chase is eventually murdered by falling from a fire tower. Kya is charged with the murder, Tate reappears in her life, she is becomes a respected author and illustrator of wildlife books. There is a trial..... and so on and so on.
Loved the setting and the writing was very readable and smooth. However, it is too much of a stretch for my cynical mind to bring this orphaned and illiterate child to the person she becomes. Basically, a sort of romance version of "Beasts of the Southern Wild."… (more)
From there the story becomes just too unbelievable. Tate teaches Kya to read and soon she is reading college textbooks on biology. Tate leaves for college and eventually earns a doctorate while Kya is amassing a huge collection of plants, bird feathers, etc. Meanwhile, the popular football player, Chase, takes an interest and an affair develops, but not surprisingly he never appears in public with Kya. Later he is married but still want to maintain the affair.
Chase is eventually murdered by falling from a fire tower. Kya is charged with the murder, Tate reappears in her life, she is becomes a respected author and illustrator of wildlife books. There is a trial..... and so on and so on.
Loved the setting and the writing was very readable and smooth. However, it is too much of a stretch for my cynical mind to bring this orphaned and illiterate child to the person she becomes. Basically, a sort of romance version of "Beasts of the Southern Wild."… (more)
LibraryThing member IonaS
This is an enchanting but sad story.
It is the story of Kya, the Marsh Girl, abandoned by her mother at an early age.
Ma leaves in order to escape an abusive husband. Kya and her much elder siblings are left behind. Subsequently, the siblings leave too, including Jodie, her favourite brother.
Pa is an unsympathetic character, who neglects Kya completely. She is often starving until she learns how to get hold of and sell some products.
Kya can t read or count. She only lasts one day at school, it being too hurtful to go there and be treated like “swamp trash”.
For me, one of the saddest things is that since Kya doesn t attend school, she doesn t learn to read. But then she makes a wonderful friend, Tate, who comes to her shack and teaches her how to.
By that time Pa has deserted her too, or else he is dead, she doesn t know.
Tate is a good friend until he too abandons her. She is all alone. But the kindly black man, Jumpin and his wife Mabel help Kya out and give her clothing.
Kya collects shells and feathers and becomes an expert on the Marsh.
Tate brings her presents of feathers. He is becoming an expert too.
Occasionally, we jump forward in time and learn about the case of Chase Andrews, whose body is found in mysterious circumstances at the foot of a Tower and police are investigating what happened. Kya knows Chase too.
This is a beautifully written book about a lonely, sensitive, gifted girl. I highly recommend that you read it.… (more)
It is the story of Kya, the Marsh Girl, abandoned by her mother at an early age.
Ma leaves in order to escape an abusive husband. Kya and her much elder siblings are left behind. Subsequently, the siblings leave too, including Jodie, her favourite brother.
Pa is an unsympathetic character, who neglects Kya completely. She is often starving until she learns how to get hold of and sell some products.
Kya can t read or count. She only lasts one day at school, it being too hurtful to go there and be treated like “swamp trash”.
For me, one of the saddest things is that since Kya doesn t attend school, she doesn t learn to read. But then she makes a wonderful friend, Tate, who comes to her shack and teaches her how to.
By that time Pa has deserted her too, or else he is dead, she doesn t know.
Tate is a good friend until he too abandons her. She is all alone. But the kindly black man, Jumpin and his wife Mabel help Kya out and give her clothing.
Kya collects shells and feathers and becomes an expert on the Marsh.
Tate brings her presents of feathers. He is becoming an expert too.
Occasionally, we jump forward in time and learn about the case of Chase Andrews, whose body is found in mysterious circumstances at the foot of a Tower and police are investigating what happened. Kya knows Chase too.
This is a beautifully written book about a lonely, sensitive, gifted girl. I highly recommend that you read it.… (more)
LibraryThing member Romonko
For me, this book was totally unexpected. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked it up, but it wasn't something magical, mysterious, ethereal and other-worldly like this book is. The first thing I noticed was the language. Ms. Owens' writing is absolutely breathtaking. The book is about a little girl who has been left alone by her family at the age of seven. Her family consisted of her and four siblings and her mother and father. Her mother was a fairy princess in Kya's eyes. She brightened up her family's lives in the lonely hardscrabble cabin they lived in which is located in the North Carolina low-country. But first her older siblings leave, and then her mother leaves, leaving Kya with her drunken and abusive father and her next older brother, Jody. Then Jody leaves after a final beating from his father. Then it's Kya and her father and eventually he leaves too. Kya is all alone in the cabin with only the marsh, and her beloved birds for company. And the marsh is a character in this book. Kya thinks of the marsh as her mother, and this somehow gives her strength to carry on all on her own. The world does intrude on Kya's solitude occasionally, but her experiences with the outside world are not happy ones, and that just makes her withdraw more. She is called the Marsh Girl by everyone around. Kya learns to read and study her beloved marsh and all the life within it. It becomes her family.
"Maybe it was mean country, but not an inch was lean. Layers of life--squiggly sand crabs, mud-waddling crayfish, waterfowl, fish, shrimp, oysters, fatted deer, and plump geese--were piled on the land or in the water. " -Delia Owens
This is a coming-of-age story like none you have ever read. It's a haunting and sad story of a little girl who grows up all on her own in her beloved marsh. It's a story about a little girl who grows into a strong, capable woman. A woman who makes her own choices and lives life the way that she wants to until tragedy occurs in her marsh. Then the outside world comes crashing into Kya's idyllic and remote home. Kya's story is told in such lushly descriptive language that it felt almost decadent reading her enthralling story. Highly recommended.… (more)
"Maybe it was mean country, but not an inch was lean. Layers of life--squiggly sand crabs, mud-waddling crayfish, waterfowl, fish, shrimp, oysters, fatted deer, and plump geese--were piled on the land or in the water. " -Delia Owens
This is a coming-of-age story like none you have ever read. It's a haunting and sad story of a little girl who grows up all on her own in her beloved marsh. It's a story about a little girl who grows into a strong, capable woman. A woman who makes her own choices and lives life the way that she wants to until tragedy occurs in her marsh. Then the outside world comes crashing into Kya's idyllic and remote home. Kya's story is told in such lushly descriptive language that it felt almost decadent reading her enthralling story. Highly recommended.… (more)
LibraryThing member lvmygrdn
Loved this book. I will miss Kya, Jumpin' and Mabel.
LibraryThing member mchwest
I read this book shortly after I got it and didn't just put it on my TBR shelf mainly because I saw it on Reese Witherspoon's bookclub September read. It was one of the best books I've read this year, and reminded me some of Kristen Hannah's The Great Alone.
Now what I really enjoyed about this book was the life that this Marsh Girl lived is unlike anything I could imagine, it didn't make me want to try it, but I so loved the written details of the marsh and even the intricate details of the different feathers she would find. I guess sometimes we want to read about life we would never lead and places we don't want to live. The mystery set in the plot kept me guessing to the end, and typical of me, I never saw where the ending took us. Great read, I will highly recommend it to all.… (more)
Now what I really enjoyed about this book was the life that this Marsh Girl lived is unlike anything I could imagine, it didn't make me want to try it, but I so loved the written details of the marsh and even the intricate details of the different feathers she would find. I guess sometimes we want to read about life we would never lead and places we don't want to live. The mystery set in the plot kept me guessing to the end, and typical of me, I never saw where the ending took us. Great read, I will highly recommend it to all.… (more)
LibraryThing member DrFuriosa
I think I was supposed to find this beautiful, and there are many beautiful things embedded within this story, most notably the relationship between Kya and nature. The love and respect for the natural world is what rescued this story from the ash heap for me.
Now, let's get real. I did not like this book. The "mystery" was not convincing, and the ending was MAWKISH. Like, almost as deliberately bad as The Help, which I could not convince myself to finish. I might have muttered with disgust at the "big reveal." I also think going back and forth in time, while effective, was not entirely consistent, and there were some gaps the author could have thought through a bit more.
Also, I need to get real: Kya is a Mary Sue, and the trope of two dudes vying for this pretty and remarkable girl is shopworn. Like, SHOW me, don't TELL me that your protagonist is a special creature. As Pam from True Blood snaps, "I'm so over Sookie and her precious fairy vagina and her unbelievably stupid name!" (the one good moment from a bizarre season 4) I'm ready for this trope to die.
Let's also talk about something that is not especially great, especially since Delia Owens is being touted as a "new Southern writer." Now, the South is home to a lot of Black folx, and we all know it's because PEOPLE ENSLAVED THEM, both within the institution of slavery, and then with the institutions of sharecropping, Jim Crow laws, poverty, YOU NAME IT. Read Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing if you need a crash course. This book is set in North Carolina, otherwise known as THE SOUTH. So why, may I ask you, are the ONLY Black people in this book flat characters who serve as nothing more than magical stand-in parents to protect the innocent white girl? Like, that's LITERALLY the only purpose they serve. In the year of our Lord 2019, I should not need to explain why this is problematic AF. It feels as if Owens read Gone with the Wind and To Kill a Mockingbird and thought, "Wow, this is such a beautiful portrayal of the South."
Read Jesmyn Ward instead.… (more)
Now, let's get real. I did not like this book. The "mystery" was not convincing, and the ending was MAWKISH. Like, almost as deliberately bad as The Help, which I could not convince myself to finish. I might have muttered with disgust at the "big reveal." I also think going back and forth in time, while effective, was not entirely consistent, and there were some gaps the author could have thought through a bit more.
Also, I need to get real: Kya is a Mary Sue, and the trope of two dudes vying for this pretty and remarkable girl is shopworn. Like, SHOW me, don't TELL me that your protagonist is a special creature. As Pam from True Blood snaps, "I'm so over Sookie and her precious fairy vagina and her unbelievably stupid name!" (the one good moment from a bizarre season 4) I'm ready for this trope to die.
Let's also talk about something that is not especially great, especially since Delia Owens is being touted as a "new Southern writer." Now, the South is home to a lot of Black folx, and we all know it's because PEOPLE ENSLAVED THEM, both within the institution of slavery, and then with the institutions of sharecropping, Jim Crow laws, poverty, YOU NAME IT. Read Yaa Gyasi's Homegoing if you need a crash course. This book is set in North Carolina, otherwise known as THE SOUTH. So why, may I ask you, are the ONLY Black people in this book flat characters who serve as nothing more than magical stand-in parents to protect the innocent white girl? Like, that's LITERALLY the only purpose they serve. In the year of our Lord 2019, I should not need to explain why this is problematic AF. It feels as if Owens read Gone with the Wind and To Kill a Mockingbird and thought, "Wow, this is such a beautiful portrayal of the South."
Read Jesmyn Ward instead.… (more)
LibraryThing member MandiLeighJohnson
I would have read the book for the authenticity alone! Owens captures the marshes of North Carolina perfectly. The dialect and characters are spot on. You fall in love with the characters right. You want to scoop up the main character and bring her home with you, and at the same time, you want to leave her right where she is so you can see how she melts into her environment.… (more)
LibraryThing member whitreidtan
It seems like everyone in the world has already read this one so I am incredibly late to the party. However, every party needs a pooper; that's why they invited me. Yes, unlike the rest of the world, I did not love this. I can almost see why people reacted the way they did but I was generally unmoved.
In 1952 on the coast of North Carolina, Kya is just six when her mother walks away from their family's rough cabin in the marsh, leaving behind Kya, her older brother Jodie, and their alcoholic, abusive father. Several older siblings are already long gone. That same year, Jodie leaves. And finally, when Kya is ten, her father disappears too, leaving this child to survive in the marsh alone. Kya becomes known as The Marsh Girl in town, laughed at, neglected, and avoided by almost everyone. She manages to figure out how to survive with a little help from Jumpin' and Mabel where she goes to buy her meager supplies and gas. They collect clothing and food for her from the colored church while the white part of town ignores her and scorns her. Kya watches the nature surrounding her, observant and quiet, learning the marsh and its ecosystem like the back of her hand. As she grows, she also watches the people around her, becoming friends with a golden haired boy named Tate, a friend of her older brother's, who will teach her to read and encourage her in her collecting. She also observes the small group of privileged young people around her age, led by the town's best quarterback ever, Chase Andrews. It is Chase who, in the second timeline of the story will be found dead at the base of an abandoned fire tower, setting off a murder investigation aimed straight at the beautiful, odd Marsh Girl, Kya.
The story ranges from the 50s to the 70s and is a murder mystery, a romance, and a naturalist's diary all rolled into one. The latter is the most successful part of the novel, with Owens' lovely descriptions of the natural world shining through. Unfortunately the murder mystery and the romance were significantly less well written, filled with cliches and stilted writing. There were quite a few completely unrealistic plot points, including Kya's unlikely education and phenomenal success later in life, the uncharacteristic and out of the blue event that contributes to a motive for charging Kya with Chase's murder, and in fact the complicated case for how this simple, reclusive woman who had only left her home once in her life would have plotted and committed it (that this hypothesis basically turns out to be true is even less believable) . The characterizations in the novel were thin and underdeveloped and some, like those of the sheriff and his deputy were complete caricatures. Kya started off as a believable character but when Owens tried to add more depth and nuance to her backstory, sharing Kya's parents' more genteel backgrounds and history, she and her situation became less believable. Dialogue between characters was eye-rolling and the fact that dialect was used sometimes and not others, and not character dependent, was incredibly distracting. The beginning of the novel, as Kya is abandoned again and again, facing prejudice and disdain, and has to find a way to scratch out a meager living, is quite slow making the second part of the novel feel like it is in a huge rush to get to the end. I know I am in the minority, but I just couldn't overcome the problems with the novel to really appreciate this the way so many others clearly do.… (more)
In 1952 on the coast of North Carolina, Kya is just six when her mother walks away from their family's rough cabin in the marsh, leaving behind Kya, her older brother Jodie, and their alcoholic, abusive father. Several older siblings are already long gone. That same year, Jodie leaves. And finally, when Kya is ten, her father disappears too, leaving this child to survive in the marsh alone. Kya becomes known as The Marsh Girl in town, laughed at, neglected, and avoided by almost everyone. She manages to figure out how to survive with a little help from Jumpin' and Mabel where she goes to buy her meager supplies and gas. They collect clothing and food for her from the colored church while the white part of town ignores her and scorns her. Kya watches the nature surrounding her, observant and quiet, learning the marsh and its ecosystem like the back of her hand. As she grows, she also watches the people around her, becoming friends with a golden haired boy named Tate, a friend of her older brother's, who will teach her to read and encourage her in her collecting. She also observes the small group of privileged young people around her age, led by the town's best quarterback ever, Chase Andrews. It is Chase who, in the second timeline of the story will be found dead at the base of an abandoned fire tower, setting off a murder investigation aimed straight at the beautiful, odd Marsh Girl, Kya.
The story ranges from the 50s to the 70s and is a murder mystery, a romance, and a naturalist's diary all rolled into one. The latter is the most successful part of the novel, with Owens' lovely descriptions of the natural world shining through. Unfortunately the murder mystery and the romance were significantly less well written, filled with cliches and stilted writing. There were quite a few completely unrealistic plot points, including Kya's unlikely education and phenomenal success later in life, the uncharacteristic and out of the blue event that contributes to a motive for charging Kya with Chase's murder, and in fact the complicated case for how this simple, reclusive woman who had only left her home once in her life would have plotted and committed it
LibraryThing member dara85
This book was so atmospheric. The writing was excellent. I hope Owens writes more fiction.
LibraryThing member juju2cat
If I could only keep three books to read for the rest of my life, this would be one of the chosen. It's deeply beautiful. Thank you to Delia Owens for this amazing book.
LibraryThing member Bauernfeind
Woven into the path of Louisana history, this is a beautiful tale of the life of this young woman and what she endures. Heartache, abandonment, treachery, and the accusation of murder all play out in this Louisana swamp that I could never have believed was as beautiful as seen through the eyes of this young girl. Beautifully told, and heartwarming story.… (more)
LibraryThing member banjo123
I know this is a book that has lots of fans, but I am not one of them. This was Owens first novel, she definitely had a story she wanted to tell, and it's great that it resonated with a lot of people.
However, I thought the writing was lackluster, the dialect inconsistent and the plot and characters were kind of shaky.
I did like the ending, or rather, I liked the idea of the end, but wished it had been executed better.… (more)
However, I thought the writing was lackluster, the dialect inconsistent and the plot and characters were kind of shaky.
I did like the ending, or rather, I liked the idea of the end, but wished it had been executed better.… (more)
LibraryThing member larryerick
I am fully aware of how popular this book has been. And it saddens me that is so. Certainly, the book starts off with an interesting premise. Imagine Harper Lee had written another To Kill a Mockingbird, but, instead, Atticus was an alcoholic fisherman and Scout's brother ran off to save himself. This, in turn, might have ended up with the main character being another Nell in the Jody Foster movie, but, in this case, nope, a boy teaches her to how to read and she ends up a world-class biologist. Definitely believable. I was still willing to go along with the author's plan of action, when I started coming across brief outlandish text -- which my wife, who has also read this book, admits not even noticing -- as well as an obvious effort to avoid mentioning certain societal dynamics that would have certainly been playing a part in the scenario the author had put together. Other manipulations creep in. Then the book gets to a particular legal involvement where the whole thing turns to crap with key characters doing things nobody in those actual positions would have done, but the author presents it all with a straight face. I finally felt compelled to read more about the author herself and found plenty to convince me that this book was ultimately the author's attempt to pat herself on the back for what she had been rightfully criticized for in her real life. My wife kept saying back to me when I found problem after problem, "But it's fiction..." If fiction doesn't relate well to reality in some way, even if it's in a what-if sort of way, then what's the point?… (more)
LibraryThing member lauralkeet
At the age of 9, Kya finds herself living alone in the coastal North Carolina marshlands, having been abandoned by her mother, father, and brother. She fends for herself, living off the land and making a small amount of money by selling mussels to a shopkeeper at the marina. She avoids contact with the townspeople and anyone who comes looking for her, except for Tate, a boy a few years older. Tate teaches Kya to read and together they explore the marshland’s flora and fauna. He becomes her first love but eventually leaves for college.
In a parallel narrative set several years later, officials are investigating the suspicious death of Chase Andrews, the town’s favorite son and former high school quarterback. As the narratives converge the reader learns more about Chase as seen through Kya’s eyes. All is certainly not what it seems.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a hugely popular debut novel, in its 45th week at or near the top of the New York Times bestseller list at the time of this review. And while I enjoyed this book, it didn’t live up to the hype. I’d been warned of the need to suspend disbelief, especially regarding Kya’s ability to survive on her own and not end up in foster care. I was actually okay with that part. But not only did Kya learn to read, she somehow managed to become a well-known biologist despite a complete lack of formal education. And some aspects of the writing didn’t work for me. The author was inconsistent in her use of dialect: while most of the town’s white population (including Kya) spoke perfect schoolbook English, Chase’s speech was inexplicably littered with southern vernacular. There was a side plot involving poems which I found a distraction. And the book ended with a sweeping dénouement that should have been accompanied by dramatic orchestral music.
Despite my issues with this book, if you can accept if for what it is, it makes for a pleasant summer read.… (more)
In a parallel narrative set several years later, officials are investigating the suspicious death of Chase Andrews, the town’s favorite son and former high school quarterback. As the narratives converge the reader learns more about Chase as seen through Kya’s eyes. All is certainly not what it seems.
Where the Crawdads Sing is a hugely popular debut novel, in its 45th week at or near the top of the New York Times bestseller list at the time of this review. And while I enjoyed this book, it didn’t live up to the hype. I’d been warned of the need to suspend disbelief, especially regarding Kya’s ability to survive on her own and not end up in foster care. I was actually okay with that part. But not only did Kya learn to read, she somehow managed to become a well-known biologist despite a complete lack of formal education. And some aspects of the writing didn’t work for me. The author was inconsistent in her use of dialect: while most of the town’s white population (including Kya) spoke perfect schoolbook English, Chase’s speech was inexplicably littered with southern vernacular. There was a side plot involving poems which I found a distraction. And the book ended with a sweeping dénouement that should have been accompanied by dramatic orchestral music.
Despite my issues with this book, if you can accept if for what it is, it makes for a pleasant summer read.… (more)
LibraryThing member cmt100
This is a stay-up-late-till-you-finish-it book. Abandoned at age 6 in a wild, magnificent marsh by an abusive father, a shell-shocked mother, and desperate siblings, the "Marsh Girl" struggles to survive the natural world, hostile and indifferent townspeople, and soul-killing loneliness. Having managed to reach adulthood, she is accused of murdering a man who's a town favorite.
Author Delia Owens is a respected naturalist and non-fiction author, and her lush descriptions of the North Carolina marsh are wonderful. This, her first, novel, is well-constructed, moving, exciting, and surprising. Highly recommended.… (more)
Author Delia Owens is a respected naturalist and non-fiction author, and her lush descriptions of the North Carolina marsh are wonderful. This, her first, novel, is well-constructed, moving, exciting, and surprising. Highly recommended.… (more)
LibraryThing member TooBusyReading
About 25 pages before the end of this book, I stopped reading for awhile. Not because I was bored but because I so badly wanted it to end well, and I was afraid it would break my little fiction-loving heart. Did my heart break? I'm not telling.
This is a beautiful book. Marshes and swamps have always seemed frightening to me, but they came alive with possibilities because of The Marsh Girl, one of the kinder epithets throw at this strange wild creature who had to raise herself. Who learned the secrets of nature. Who never fit in. The writing is beautiful and not overblown. Descriptive, not flowery. There was romance in this book, and I'm not usually a fan of romances, but this story was so much more than that. Lovely and memorable.… (more)
This is a beautiful book. Marshes and swamps have always seemed frightening to me, but they came alive with possibilities because of The Marsh Girl, one of the kinder epithets throw at this strange wild creature who had to raise herself. Who learned the secrets of nature. Who never fit in. The writing is beautiful and not overblown. Descriptive, not flowery. There was romance in this book, and I'm not usually a fan of romances, but this story was so much more than that. Lovely and memorable.… (more)
LibraryThing member slsmith101
I loved the nature references and learning about the coastal wetlands in North Carolina. The descriptive passages made me feel like I was there. I had previously read "Secrets of the Savanna" which the author, Delia Owens, wrote with her husband. "Where the Crawdads Sing" reminded me that it's not just Africa that has incredible natural diversity. Unfortunately these areas are becoming smaller every day.
I enjoyed reading about how Kya grew up and learned to survive on her own and how the author was able to portray Kya's feelings of longing and loneliness. Even though parts of the storyline seemed a little farfetched, I was able to buy into it because the writing was so beautifully done. I started falling out of love with the book during the last third when it started focusing more on the murder mystery and the trial. I normally like courtroom drama, but the drama was missing in this one. I thought the romantic aspect of the story was lame; and while I like poetic language, I could have done without the poems. That said, this is still definitely a worthwhile read for someone who loves nature and appreciates beautiful descriptive writing. I look forward to Delia's next novel.… (more)
I enjoyed reading about how Kya grew up and learned to survive on her own and how the author was able to portray Kya's feelings of longing and loneliness. Even though parts of the storyline seemed a little farfetched, I was able to buy into it because the writing was so beautifully done. I started falling out of love with the book during the last third when it started focusing more on the murder mystery and the trial. I normally like courtroom drama, but the drama was missing in this one. I thought the romantic aspect of the story was lame; and while I like poetic language, I could have done without the poems. That said, this is still definitely a worthwhile read for someone who loves nature and appreciates beautiful descriptive writing. I look forward to Delia's next novel.… (more)