Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

56 reviews

pixelited's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• 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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Hate crime, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Car accident

unequivocallyerica's review

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Hate crime, Sexual violence, and Sexual content

yruss972's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Really beautiful book- have to give it 5 stars despite the gratuitous graphic sex depictions

Will trigger people for so many reasons - see content warnings

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Mental illness, Child abuse, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Rape, Murder, Infidelity, Death of parent, Classism, and Bullying

Minor: Self harm and Hate crime

wing_san's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

The story was fine, and the descriptions of nature were quiet good. I found it could be verbose at times, and, as others have pointed out, the dialogue was wasn't the strongest. While I liked the characters like Jumpin and such, the author builds tension only to accidentally deflate it too quickly and too soon. I have mixed feelings about this book. I got emotional at times, but it was lacking something that made the transition between the two (eventually coinciding) timelines choppy. The time jump in the last few chapters felt especially abrupt.

---

Content Warnings

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.

First period Coercion of sex / dubious consent / wear her down Some injuries are described quite graphically, more than expected, at least Implied painful sexual experiences. Attempted sexual assault.

literallysam's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I absolutely LOVED it. The imagery in this book is so mesmerizing. I can't begin to describe the beauty in Delia' words, the scenery she implants straight into your head - it's so enchanting.
She made me fall in love with an environment I’ve never set foot in. Her passion for nature and her expertise as a nature writer, is evident. I could clearly see everything in my mind and I absolutely loved all facts related to insects and animals. The Author's knowledge of nature really came out and it was so informative.

Kya on the other hand is so relatable. I’ve never come across any other literary work that so literally and perfectly describes human loneliness through nature and sound... this book will make you feel it with her. Her story is so well written that you can't help but hurt for her, root for her, cheer her on and wish to protect her from the prejudices she endures. Her observations and journey within the marsh are so intriguing to read.

However there was some places in the book that felt a bit slow. Plus the surprise ending seemed way too abrupt- as though the author got tired of writing and just wanted to get the book over with.

Nonetheless, the book is well deserving of all the hype it has gathered. Read it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Classism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, and Sexual content

briskknight's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I thought I would dislike this book when I first starting reading. I did not like the imagery and it made me uncomfortable. I don't like marsh, mud, humidity, etc. I do like boats and the water, but not that area of the water. I am so glad that I kept reading. To say that the setting grew on me is an understatement, I yearn for it now. This novel is absolutely incredible! Fantastic. I saw the ending coming but was so engrossed that I forgot the prediction, so it still hit me hard. I enjoy the mix of introspection and slice of life and murder investigation/trial. There is something that I think would have tied things together better, which makes this just shy of 5 stars. That being said, this book is much closer to 5 stars than 4. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Racial slurs, Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Infidelity and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Death of parent and Murder

loona0's review

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence

clemrain's review

emotional mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

• 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

This book is basically to kill a mockingbird? 

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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

bashsbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Cursing, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Classism, Child abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Bullying, Hate crime, Death of parent, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Racism

keliza23's review

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexism, Misogyny, Classism, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Slavery, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Grief, and Death of parent