Reviews with content warning for Animal death - Where the Crawdads Sing

Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens

27 reviews

meganpbennett's review against another edition

The sections of Kya living by herself in the swamps wasn't appealing to me, while the murder mystery was, and there wasn't enough murder mystery to keep me reading to find out more.

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clemrain's review

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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.

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saskiahill's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

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kirozin's review

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emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

A great story that had high and low points in quality or interest to keep going. I enjoyed the informative biological elements of the story as well as the slow build of character ties in the beginning and overcoming struggle. I feel as though this slow build was for nothing as the later chapters that wrapped up the reunited character ties felt a bit rushed and unfulfilling. I would have liked a more flushed out story of their marriage and love life and not just a happily ever after summary. The trial chapters definitely keeps you reading and anxious, similar to watching uncut gems. Overall, I can see the hype!

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flowerowl's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

In the beginning I found it hard to get back to, but as soon as the

Spoiler

the guy was found dead

and the past and the nearer past started to intertwine it was very capturing. Normally I don't like it when story lines jump, but in this case it was very well done, even the beginning part that I found less capturing was well set up to then be able to fully invested for the rest of the book, making you think "ooh maybe he done it!". I was afraid that we whold get a unsatisfying ending, and i some ways a maybenwas ,but it was perfectly in line with how She was!

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redefiningrachel's review

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adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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micaelamariem's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.0

For the past couple of years, it seemed like everyone was raving about this book. Last year, I picked it up because it was on sale and I had heard of it, but not knowing what it was about I put it to the side to collect dust. But now the movie is out and people are talking about it again, and I thought it was about time I give it a try.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (published by Corsair) is a book that’s hard to describe. It’s about the life of Kya Clark, the “Marsh Girl” as everyone in the town calls her. It’s about her struggles with abandonment, lonliness, prejudice, and living in the wild. It’s about love and loss and biology. And it’s also sort of a murder mystery.

This was, without a doubt, a good book. I don’t know if it would be accurate to say I “enjoyed” it as it is a sad book that had me tearing up every other chapter, but I like the book. I thought the writing style was beautiful and poetic in a way that connected Kya’s life to the wild marshlife, and to me it seemed like there were nods to Walden or to Rachel Carson here and there. I also enjoyed the nods to poetry. Plus, there were themes of overcoming prejudices, especially in the court scenes, that reminded me of To Kill a Mockingbird, in some ways. I also really loved Jumpin, and how he became a psuedo-father to Kya. He was easily the best character.

Some criticisms of the book claim that it was genre-confused, and I can see where they were coming from. It is marketed as a mystery, but I think it’s less that and moreso literary and historical fiction. Perhaps that’s why I liked, though, as someone who typically hates mysteries! I also would have liked maybe more hope in the book, though there are threads, and it’s not a completley sad ending. It’s definitley not a book for people who are looking for something lighthearted, that’s for sure.

I do think it is an important book, however. The historical setting can help readers understand past prejudices while also confronting their own. The nature of Kya and her biological interests can cause readers to look at nature with a new appreciation. We can also reflect on characters and what is right and wrong, as well as reflect on the differences between loneliness and solitude.

Overall, I’m rating this book four stars.

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namzuru's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

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

4.25

Wow I’m writing this just after finishing this book and all I can think of is wow. I really enjoyed this book. At the beginning I was thinking this really isn’t my style but as I read more and more I was entranced with the life kya was living. I wanted to know what happened to her and pray things would turn for the better for her.

About kya and chase:

Spoiler

Very quickly into their relationship I knew this wasn’t gonna go well. not for a second did i think this relationship was gonna work. at times it did seem as if he actually cared for her and others clearly he did not. god it broke my heart for her when she would say how she wanted to meet his parents and friends and go to the town festivities with him and he completely shuts her down saying its boring, he's tired of it, she wouldn't like it. like god he can't acknowledge at all that she actually wants to go. this man had so many red flags. when he talked about building them a house and getting married and living right in the marsh i just couldn't fully believe it. OMG WHEN HE TOOK HER ON THE ROAD TRIP. HE DID IT JUST SO SHE WOULD BE FORCED INTO THE SITUATION WHERE SHE WOULD AGREE TO HAVE SEX WITH HIM. god i just really hated this man and was not surprised when she found in the paper he got engaged to another woman. but i was so sad for her, another heartbreak. and then a few years later and he almost rapes her on the beach?? its a little weird and creepy he still wears the shell necklace she made for him when they were dating. god the whole SA scene made me very uncomfy but i felt so good when she got the better of him and fucking kicked him in the balls, still sad for her, but so proud too.

About kya and tate:

Spoiler

Before he went off to college, i didn't like their relationship. it made me really uncomfortable that he was 18 while she was 14/15. throughout their relationship at that point he pointed out that she was just a child and that they were different. If you didn't focus on the age gap, i didn't really mind their relationship and how they interacted (except that part where he pushed her against a tree). I thought it was cute how they exchanged feathers and the sort and it slowly evolved into him teaching her how to read. it seemed like a great friendship that turned into a relationship. After he goes to college is when it gets better - i guess. First of all he is such a fucking dick for just leaving her and just not saying anything. Bro i was so mad that it happened as she was experiencing more heartbreak but i was also mad at myself for not seeing it coming. For a majority for the rest of the book i really just was not trusting him. After he comes back we see from his pov that he really regrets what he did and is sorry but i still didnt believe it. With everything with chase i was worried he was going to but in and say she should be with him and instead im glad he warned her about chase and the things he was doing. and after how they slowly became closer as friends and with him being there the whole court case. it wasnt until the court part was where i actually started to trust him that he wouldnt leave her again. When her brother visited and said that stuff about tate and how she should give him another chance, i really thought this was setting it up for it to be bad, but it didnt and im glad. in the end, they were together and even kept her dark secret

the author of this book was very much well versed in biology and you could tell. I absolutely loved how the author described the scenery and the environment and how she related her life events to the events of life in nature. Her writing about nature was my absolute favourite part of the book and is a big reason I enjoyed this book so much. It just made kya as a character so enjoyable as she would talk about the nature andi would learn about the local ecosystem.

two things i didnt quite like about this book is i could easily predict several plot point, not fully so maybe i didnt?

Spoiler

i knew tate would come back, i knew chase was gonna be scum,

just several things that just happened and were predictable but despite this i enjoyed it so much as the writing kept it cool and interesting. the other thing is the court room chapters, although necessary, really just killed my interest in this book, one of the reasons i was entranced by this book was the nature and that was completely gone. I think that was the point as it was from kyas pov and she missed the creak so much. but i just wasnt into the whole courtroom speaking with them saying evidence etc.

Spoiler

I absolutely love how she started a whole book career, i was so happy for her as she was finally not living paycheck to paycheck and actually had enough to renovate the shack. She was recognized by many official institutes for her accomplishments and all of this with only going to school one day in her life. She learned so much with just her pure will and curiosity

Absolutely love how jumpin and mable became her friends but also parental figures to her, they helped her out of the goodness of their hearts.

Spoiler

when he put her book in the window of his shop it warmed my heart so much.

They were so good and kind to each other and them interacting were some of my favourite parts of the book.

chapter 33 has to be my favourite chapter in this book its so heartwarming and yet heart breaking.

Spoiler

Jodie coming back was something i didn't expect, i just thought she would see none of her family again. and when he brought out the paintings i stared tearing up, she was seeing her moms work while also seeing her family again.

ending:

Spoiler

wow that fucking ending. i had suspected that she killed him but by the end it and completely gotten rid of that thought as their were less and less pages and assumed we would just never know the killer and that was the point. but it wasnt until halfway throught the poem did i realize, i quickly reread the poem now knowing and omg i just didnt see it coming. tbh some part in the book i though chase did it bc of the hat but like it wasnt making sense. but just that was a perfect reveal. i loved it. and omg the way he just burnt everything anf kept her fucking secret, he dedicated his time to helping her with the case because he thought ofcourse she was innocent and they were just pinning her bc they didnt like her. but omg she really did kill him wow. i also loved that she was the poet. didnt realize till then how similar the poems were to her life. when i stopped believing her to be the killer, i thought they were gonna pin her for a murder she never committed and would have to bear the consequences for it. i jsut assumed this book would not give me a happy/satisfying ending but i was wrong, i love it.

favourite quotes:

“please don’t talk to me about isolation. no one has to tell me how it changes a person. I have lived it. I am isolation.”

"Female fireflies draw in strange males with dishonest signals and eat them; mantis females devour their own mates. Female insects, Kya thought, know how to deal with their lovers."
"I wasn't aware that words could hold so much. I didn't know a sentence could be so full.”

taylor swift songs that embody this book:
- carolina (obviously 🙄)
- i bet you think about me

Content Warnings

bambii_on_ice's review

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challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

Content Warnings

m0czy's review

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emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

A beautifully descriptive journey into the marshlands of North Carolina.

The real stand out content of the novel is the way that nature and its inhabitants are described with such detail, and such reverence. Delia Owens truly captures the beauty of the environment, and creates a love letter to the southeastern coast.

The main character, Kya, is a protagonist you can root for, weep with, relate to, and cherish.

The mystery itself is one that will keep you guessing and puzzling until the very end.

I did feel that the novel had a bit of a slow start, but the exposition is useful later on in the overall storytelling and world building that occurs. Once I hit my stride, I could not put it down!!

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