mellysay's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Violence, and Racism
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Eating disorder, Grief, Rape, Slavery, Infertility, and Sexism
serenaac's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Racism, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Sexism, Bullying, Sexual assault, and Violence
mbergman's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Addiction, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Classism, and Death
Minor: Death of parent
summerellsworth98's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Animal death, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexism
wing_san's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Grief, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Cursing, Hate crime, Violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Blood, Toxic relationship, Body horror, and Animal death
Minor: Addiction, Medical content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, War, Mental illness, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Drug use, Infertility, Sexual harassment, and Self harm
Graphic depictions of domestic violence, including against children.Spoiler
A (frankly unnecessary) scene involving racist hate crime and slurs.modrinkscoffee's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Bullying
Moderate: Death of parent and Racism
boulter1089's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Abandonment, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Murder, Addiction, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Racism
clemrain's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
When setting foot in a novel that is sung to high praises, it’s rare to come out agreeing. Where the Crawdads Sing lives up to its praise.
I always find myself back to mystery as a genre. Though I wouldn’t say I have a huge library of them digested, I have read a fair few. This novel is nothing I’ve read before and maybe that’s why it’s so brilliant.
The writing is a bit slow in the beginning. I think the author really tried to ramp up the suspense by giving us a past and a present simultaneously. Though I enjoyed the slowness of Kya’s life, it was a difficult read because it was just so sad.
I liked that this story follow Kya’s life. It felt like a story about Kya’s life and her loneliness. The way she resonated with nature and flourished in it. She’s a trooper. Trampled over and resilient for it. Like the ground she walked barefoot on. The murder trial is something that she experienced and then we followed her life after it too. Good, interesting approach to a murder mystery.
Spoiler
We read the shaping of Kya and it felt so satisfying to have an in on her reason to kill. The perfect crime in the nature by the girl of nature. Satisfying.All the side characters were entertaining and added so much to the plot. None of them felt out of place, unnecessary or boring.
Great writing. I like the pacing. The intertwining of poetry. I don’t think the past and present of Kya and the murder melded super efficiently. I think the chapters could’ve transitioned smoother.
The court scenes were intense. I felt like a ping pong ball following each and every evidence and rebuttal. I didn’t know who to believe. The tension building kept me on edge. I couldn’t put the book down to sleep.
Spoiler
I was convinced it was Tate. And I think the author knew readers would find themselves there after Tate gave Kya the hat. And to sneakily put in the police getting Tate was a good way to pull the readers leg. Though the scene of Tate’s father dying and it resulting in Tate and Kya getting back together was disappointing. It read like killing off a character to progress the story.Amazing ending.
Spoiler
I really thought it was an accident by the end of it, but to discover the truth through a poem was excellent.Edit: I was shocked to find out after finishing this book there are accusations of the author being racist. Which was shocking considering the contents of this book. What a world.
Graphic: Animal death, Abandonment, Child abuse, Grief, Hate crime, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Grief, Alcoholism, Classism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Death, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, War, Infidelity, Infertility, and Bullying
magda_ocaranza's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Spoiler
i wanted a happy ending and it was but at the same time it felt like she deserved more like so much pain shoul be balanced with glorious amounts of happinessGraphic: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Murder, Violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Rape
Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Classism, Grief, and Addiction
em_gauts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cursing, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Classism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Misogyny, Murder, Violence, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Car accident, Infertility, Bullying, Death, and Infidelity