I was an avid reader between the ages of seven and 16, yet as teenage angst moved in and social media took over, my motivation, attention span, and joy of reading moved out. This shift was to my mother’s demise, as she took the most pride in my bookworm habits and each summer would beg me to return to my roots. I so badly wanted to be able to start reading again, but each time I tried, the entrancing glow of my phone would distract me for hours on end. This made it so I never got around to getting more than three chapters into any book. After years of resisting and fighting the guilt of giving up my once-favorite activity, I finally finished a book this summer.
My family vacation to Ecuador was a long-anticipated one, as we had not been back in five years due to the pandemic. In between visiting family and friends, I found myself in my room without wifi, and at last, decided to muster up the courage to read. My mom had been raving about Delia Owen’s Where the Crawdads Sing for months, so I chose that book to begin my journey.
I am hyper-aware of the effect that social media, especially TikTok, has on my attention span, and hate how difficult it is to focus on anything for more than seconds at a time. But I was determined. I threw my phone across the room, settled into my bed, and began to read.
Kya Clark, coined “Marsh Girl” by the prestige residents of the surrounding town of North Carolina, lives a humble, self-sufficient life, fishing and trading where she can, with few people on her side. The narrative begins by depicting her family life, as each member of her household leaves, forcing Kya to fend for herself against her abusive father who eventually packs up as well. The story follows Kya’s journey through making allies in unexpected places, and fending for herself in the face of school teachers, harassing peers, and love interests. I was fascinated by the details of Kya’s day-to-day life, the meals she made, and her experiences with two different boys. Regrettably blamed for the murder of one, the story takes a dark turn as readers root for the beloved and pure main character. Waves of plot twists paired with an emotional ending made me want the book to last forever — a perfect choice for trying to get back into reading.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and picking up my long-lost habit was easier than expected, as the exciting feeling of looking forward to my reading time came back. I found the story captivating, emotional, and extremely thought-provoking. Kya’s atypical and lonely home life combined with the ups and downs of her love stories makes for an amazing read.
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