Book Club: Where the Crawdads Sing

One of my new year’s resolutions was to start reading more. I realize that it’s pretty late in the year to start working on this, but better late than never, right? As I was buying my textbooks and other required materials for classes, I decided to browse books I could read for fun since I’m going to have quite a bit of time on my hands. One that caught my eye was Where the Crawdads Sing. I had heard nothing but great things about the novel and the reviews are outstanding as well, so I caved and bought it. 

*Warning: Spoilers Ahead

Once I started reading this book, I realized why everyone gave it such good reviews. The author, Delia Owens, creates a clear image of the characters and location for the reader. The imagery in the book makes it all the more interesting. She also creates characters with depth that makes the reader deeply feel something for each character. 

Kya Clark, also known as the Marsh Girl, is a girl who lives alone in the marshes of North Carolina. She’s only been to school one day in her life and refused to go back because the other kids made fun of her. She’s known for being elusive and evades authorities for most of the book. Which seems suspicious when a local man’s body is found in the marsh. The body is of Chase, who just so happens to have relations with Kya and is a local football star. 

Kya has very few allies which includes Tate. Tate was friends with Kya’s brother and had known her almost her whole life. They become close when Tate offers to teach Kya. This ends when Tate goes to college and doesn’t return for years afterwards, but always keeps an eye on her from a distance. 

The story is really interesting and talks about difficult topics. Kya has lived a hard life from the very beginning. She endured abuse and at a very young age, her entire family abandoned her. She learns to live on her own, how to survive and how to make money. She becomes a strong and independent woman. With the help of Tate, she also becomes one of the best biologists to study the marsh and a published author. 

Everyone had been suspicious of her and this only grows when Chase is found murdered. The public suspects it’s her and the limited evidence eventually leads to her arrest. The trial is long and taxing on Kya. She isolates herself and refuses to talk to many of her allies during this time. The trial leads to minimal answers, but the prosecuting attorney creates a very solid timeline. The jury returns a not guilty verdict which surprises the general public and creates a bit of discourse. 

The ending of the book is a solid conclusion and is a total plot twist. I won’t spoil it all, but let’s just say things aren’t as they seem. 

This book has renewed my love of reading. It got me hooked from the very beginning and I finished it fast. The twists and turns in the book keep you guessing as to what’s going to happen next. It was really interesting to see what Kya would do to survive and figure out how to navigate a world that didn’t really care about her. She became a strong woman because she had to. She constantly had to protect herself from people who might want to hurt her, and, at times, help her. 

Delia Owens offers a really good look into the mindset of Kya and why she did the things she did. The relationships between the characters are ones that you truly begin to care about. You feel as though you want to protect Kya. 

I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. The content at times can be difficult to read, but creates depth to Kya and the other people in her life. This book is really good for a rainy day. It’s the perfect mix of mystery, murder and romance. When you start it, you are not going to want to stop reading it. It’s addictive, beware.   

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