November 12, 2019sarahylockwood

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

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Rate: 4.5/5

Medium: Audiobook

Overview (No Spoilers):

Where to begin even discussing this eloquent story that tugged so mercilessly on the heartstrings? My new sister in law recommended Where the Crawdads Sing over the past spring, and after waiting patiently, moving up the ranks of my library hold for weeks the title finally showed up in my inbox. Alas, as rarely happens, I was hooked, three fourths done with this read, the library hold timed out, resetting me back to the end of the holds list. Now months later the title finally became available again, allowing my prolonged sense of suspense as to the ending to be sated. Even with all that unexpected time to attempt to begin formulating my thoughts on this provoking read, I’ve struggled  to capture the vast range of emotions stirred by Owens beautiful, elegant, yet haunting story. I always avoid vetting a book through the synopsis, instead allowing novels to taking me on the winding journey intended by the author without any preconceived impressions garnered from a summary. Where the Crawdads Sing is a perfect example as to why this aforementioned opinion is crucial to your experience when reading, as Owens kept you guessing throughout as to where she was going to direct this winding tale. Owens’ detailed prose was not only beautifully articulated but also literarily graceful with regard to the effortless volleying she wove together between the past and present day. Additionally, the ending revealed stunning revelations, which will leave the reader pondering and revisiting previous exchanges long after the last page has been turned. Overall, if you have yet to add Where the Crawdads Sing to your likely lengthy to be read list I highly recommend this emotion provoking novel.

Additional Insight (Spoilers Abound):

  • Kya’s story throughout was so heartbreaking from being abandoned by her family, one by one, to Tate leaving her the first time.
  • What happened to the rest of her siblings? What happened to her Pa?
  • I love that Kya’s drawings became a book. Honestly, it should be no surprise that I connected with the heavy thread that science played throughout this read.
  • Jumpin’ and Mabel were some of my favorite characters in Where the Crawdads Sing, especially when they supported her during the trial.
  • It was interesting we didn’t find out Kya’s guilt or innocence until the very end. Even though we knew the time table of the red stocking cap in Kya’s life, we were kept guessing over and over again, just like the jury.
  • It made my heart so happy that Jodie returned to Kya. Although, it was terrible sad for both of them that it look their mother’s death to bring him home.
  • It was quite frustrating for the reader when Chase Andrews turned his attention to Kya. Honestly, I would have enjoyed expanding on their final encounter through Kya’s eyes, specifically her worries and her emotions with what must have been an adrenaline fueled whirlwind. How did she decide on the costumes? What did she think when the bus was late?

 

25 comments

  1. I remember going through exactly that with the library holds. It took so long (months I think). But luckily, I managed to finish it before I reached the due date. Very enjoyable book. I specifically liked how the author had two stories running in parallel, one from the past about Kya’s childhood and one with the investigation

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  3. In a way I really like that library due dates encourage me to actually read the books I borrow, but those auto returns on ebooks can get downright stressful! Especially since my holds inevitably come through two (or more) at a time.

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  6. Great review! I only recently heard of this but instantly reserved it at my library and it came in this week! I’m so excited to start, even more so since reading this since it sounds so unique and emotive.

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