paris_olivia's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Murder, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Mental illness, and Sexual content
summerellsworth98's review against another edition
- 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.thinkingcatss'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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Car accident, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Rape, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Racism
abido23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Murder, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Death, Grief, Sexual assault, and Physical abuse
Minor: Child death, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, and Car accident
meganpbennett's review against another edition
Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Animal death, Cursing, Blood, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
clemrain's review against another edition
- 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
saskiahill's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Classism, Grief, Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, and Murder
Minor: Cancer, Animal death, Mental illness, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, and Excrement
kirozin'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Minor: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Rape, Racism, Abandonment, and Alcoholism
flowerowl'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? It's complicated
4.25
Spoiler
the guy was found deadGraphic: Abandonment, Murder, Rape, Alcoholism, Confinement, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Bullying, Violence, Death, and Racism
Minor: Racial slurs, Infertility, and Animal death