Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
Quick Synopsis: Set in the North Carolina marsh, Where the Crawdads Sing is the story of a girl named Kya who is left alone after her family, one by one, leaves her alone on in their shack on the marsh. With the help of her friends Tate, Jumpin’, and Mabel, Kya is able to make a decent life for herself alone on the marsh. She learns how to read, how to survive on her, own, and how to be a woman. When Chase Andrews comes along and disrupts Kya’s confidence and strength, Kya also learns how to stand up for herself.
Why I Like It: It’s about a woman living alone in her beach shack, and that sounds pretty appealing to me! But also, it’s smart. The book itself is full of tidbits about the marsh and coastal living that I never paid much attention to or knew. It also has a very complex plot that kept me reading for hours. I don’t often stay up late reading books—usually they will put me to sleep, but with Crawdads I caught myself still reading at 2 in the morning, unable to detach myself from the story. Kya is lonely, but she also feels a sense of security in the marsh. Perhaps because the fictional Kya has no parents, the reader almost wants to protect her from the outside world, even though we know there is more for her than the marsh. Readers want to watch her grow and learn, but we don’t want to see her get hurt. Along with all of these emotions, the novel’s elements of mystery and romance simply entrap you, or at least they did me.
Why You Might Like It: If you like beachy reads, or love stories, or strong female protagonists, or murder mysteries, or complex story lines, or sprinklings of science in your fiction, surprise endings, this book is perfect for you. It has romance, yes, but don’t twist that into calling it a “feminine” book. To my surprise, there were many men who lit up when talking about this book, too. Once you read it, you’ll be surprised at the number of people who want to discuss it with you. Just say “Have you read Crawdads?,” and your conversation will be taken in an entirely new direction.
