Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
 
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Where the Crawdads Sing A Number One New York Times Bestseller 'Painfully beautiful' New York Times 'Unforgettable . . . as engrossing as it is moving' Daily Mail 'For sheer escapism pick up Where The Crawdads Sing. . . there is writing that takes your breath away' The Times 'All is not as it seems in this heartbreaking coming-of-age bestseller' The i newspaper |
From the back of the book:
For years, rumours of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Mash Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kay opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens.
My Review: (5 / 5 stars)
This was a beautifully written book with descriptions that made not only the wildlife come alive, but also the grasses, trees and marshland. Delia Owens does an impeccable job of pulling you into the story and you can not help but feel for the loneliness of the main character Kya. Her determination to stand alone while at the same time, trying to quell her longing for connection is heart-wrenching.
(spoilers)
For me, the story was definitely a tear-jerker. I shed a few tears when Tate left Kya for university and many more when Tate's father and Jumpin' passed away - two characters that had so much heart. I also enjoyed the two discoveries at the end with Kya being the local author of the poems seen through out the book and her being the killer of Chase. We got to know the characters so well, it was funny to think of Tate disparaging Kya's poetry while she kept quiet.
The bigger surprise, of course, was Kya being the murder of Chase...and even now, I'm still not sure whether I liked this twist or not. I understood why she felt justified in following the laws of nature to protect herself, but a part of me wishes she were innocent. Would love to know what you think below.