where the crawdads sing book review for parents

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Where the Crawdads Sing Parent Guide

The romantic subplots suck up too much time and defuse any tension the story manages to create..

Theaters: Abandoned by her parents, Kya raised herself in the marsh. The townspeople view her with suspicion, so she easily becomes the prime suspect in a murder case.

Release date July 15, 2022

Run Time: 93 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by keith hawkes.

Growing up in the isolated marshes of North Carolina, Catherine “Kya” Clark (Jojo Regina, later Daisy Edgar-Jones) watches as her violent and alcoholic father (Garret Dillahunt) drives her mother, sisters, and brother away to seek better lives. Eventually, even her father leaves, and Kya is left to fend for herself. A resourceful, determined, and bright child, Kya finds ways to make ends meet without the benefit of schooling. But no matter how clever Kya is, trouble is coming. Former star quarterback Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson) has been found dead out in the marsh, and suspicion quickly falls on Kya, known in the nearby town as “Marsh Girl” for her remote and independent lifestyle. Her only ally seems to be her attorney, Tom Milton (David Strathairn), as the rest of the town is quite content to convict her and send her off for execution. The trial will force the reclusive Kya into a spotlight, one which will bring her past, her relationships, and her reputation into question.

Easily the best part of this film is the beautiful natural marsh, shot mostly in Louisiana rather than North Carolina. I think this is one of the better ways to see them, as I suspect an in-person visit involves considerably more mosquitos, sunburns, and alligators. Since I’m not sure if I’ve had my malaria shots, I’ll settle for film. A close runner up are the performances from Daisy Edgar-Jones and David Strathairn, who both do their best to keep the film from bogging down – with very limited success.

Ordinarily, I’d say Where the Crawdads Sing is pretty mediocre fare, succeeding neither as a thriller nor a romantic drama while trying to walk a tightrope between the two. Take it or leave it, and enjoy the cool swamp shots. Personally, though, I have some concerns about supporting the author of the novel on which the movie is based. Delia Owens is connected to the filmed murder of an alleged poacher in Zambia, and is in fact still wanted for questioning in that country. The allegations don’t stop there, though, and frankly, Jeffrey Goldberg’s article about her in The Atlantic makes for a far more interesting read than anything this movie has to offer. So before you commit to giving Ms Owens a percentage of your ticket price, take a little time and do some reading. I won’t spoil it for you but let’s just say that a documented homicide is just the tip of a very, very strange iceberg.

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Keith hawkes, watch the trailer for where the crawdads sing.

Where the Crawdads Sing Rating & Content Info

Why is Where the Crawdads Sing rated PG-13? Where the Crawdads Sing is rated PG-13 by the MPAA for sexual content and some violence including a sexual assault.

Violence: A man is shown beating his wife and children while drunk. Characters are struck and shoved. A person is hit repeatedly in the head with a rock. A body is shown laying on the ground underneath a watchtower. A character is sexually assaulted. Sexual Content: There are several sex scenes, none of which feature explicit nudity. There is a scene depicting sexual assault. Profanity: There is one use of scatological profanity, and infrequent uses of mild curses and terms of deity. Alcohol / Drug Use: Characters are shown drinking, frequently to excess.

Page last updated January 13, 2024

Where the Crawdads Sing Parents' Guide

Why did Chase die? Do you think this was a good thing? What are the moral complications around his death? Why is Kya so persecuted by others? What kind of social safety nets exist to protect children from circumstances like these?

How do we separate an author from their work? In which cases is it appropriate? Does that change if the author is still benefitting from the profits of that work? How do you make that decision?

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If you like southern dramas from problematic authors, Hillbilly Elegy springs to mind. Other flicks set in the American deep south include Mississippi Burning , O Brother Where Art Thou? , Forrest Gump , A Time to Kill, In the Heat of the Night , Skeleton Key , Sling Blade, The Green Mile , Son of the South , Sword of Trust , and of course, To Kill a Mockingbird .

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Where the Crawdads Sing | 2022 | PG-13 | – 5.5.3

Where the Crawdads Sing SEX/NUDITY 5

Where the crawdads sing violence/gore 5, where the crawdads sing language 3, where the crawdads sing substance use, where the crawdads sing discussion topics, where the crawdads sing message.

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Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)

• Parents Guide

Certification

• Sex & Nudity (2)
• Violence & Gore (3)
• Profanity (2)
• Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking (4)
• Frightening & Intense Scenes (2)
• Spoilers (4)

Sex & Nudity

• Moderate 189 of 431 found this moderate Severity? None 51 Mild 127 Moderate 189 Severe 64 We were unable to submit your evaluation. Please try again later.
• There are 3 sex scenes. No nudity is explicitly shown, but there are thrusting detail. Edit
• A man smoothly removes a woman's dress on a beach. She is seen fully nude with no breast (or other) nudity, due to camera angle. Edit

Violence & Gore

• Moderate 80 of 183 found this moderate Severity? None 5 Mild 78 Moderate 80 Severe 20 We were unable to submit your evaluation. Please try again later.
• A dead body is shown; nothing particularly graphic. Edit
• Domestic violence is shown, a man beats his wife and children. Edit
• A man gets angry and slaps a woman. She punches him in the face drawing blood. He punches her to the ground and attempts to rape her. She fights him off, hitting with her fists and a stone, kicking him when he's down then threatens to kill him. Edit
• Mild 114 of 162 found this mild Severity? None 19 Mild 114 Moderate 23 Severe 6 We were unable to submit your evaluation. Please try again later.
• A few uses of 'shit', 'bastard', 'son of a bitch', 'ass', 'damn' and 'whore' Edit
• God's Name is used in vain (god-d***). Edit

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking

• Mild 105 of 139 found this mild Severity? None 10 Mild 105 Moderate 20 Severe 4 We were unable to submit your evaluation. Please try again later.
• Wine is shown to be drunk at a dinner. Edit
• One character routinely drinks beer and does so in a celebratory manner. Edit
• The father is an alcoholic, drinks and then becomes abusive. In one scene, orders a bottle of liquor from the general store. Edit
• The characters when dating consumed alcohol - bottled beers. This was frequently a part of the teenagers having their social outings. Edit

Frightening & Intense Scenes

• Moderate 105 of 167 found this moderate Severity? None 3 Mild 36 Moderate 105 Severe 23 We were unable to submit your evaluation. Please try again later.
• Attempted rape. Edit
• Domestic abuse against women and children. Aftermath is also shown with bruises. Edit

The Parents Guide items below may give away important plot points.

• A woman loses her virginity to her boyfriend who gives her little comfort afterwards. We see her pained face on a forceful entry, and she is brought almost to tears. Not a lot of skin is shown (they still have clothes on), but very emotional and possibly traumatic. Edit
• Sexual violence. We see Chase attempt and get close to raping Kya. She is flipped over on the beach after being hit and pinned to the sand. She is able to ward off Chase's advances, but it's an aggressive scene. Edit
• An older Tate reads Kya's book. In the end of the book he finds the shell necklace that Chase was wearing, implying that she killed him. Edit
• Katherines family leaves her so she has to take care of herself. Edit

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Awards & Accolades

Our Verdict

New York Times Bestseller

IndieBound Bestseller

WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING

by Delia Owens ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 14, 2018

Despite some distractions, there’s an irresistible charm to Owens’ first foray into nature-infused romantic fiction.

A wild child’s isolated, dirt-poor upbringing in a Southern coastal wilderness fails to shield her from heartbreak or an accusation of murder.

“The Marsh Girl,” “swamp trash”—Catherine “Kya” Clark is a figure of mystery and prejudice in the remote North Carolina coastal community of Barkley Cove in the 1950s and '60s. Abandoned by a mother no longer able to endure her drunken husband’s beatings and then by her four siblings, Kya grows up in the careless, sometimes-savage company of her father, who eventually disappears, too. Alone, virtually or actually, from age 6, Kya learns both to be self-sufficient and to find solace and company in her fertile natural surroundings. Owens ( Secrets of the Savanna , 2006, etc.), the accomplished co-author of several nonfiction books on wildlife, is at her best reflecting Kya’s fascination with the birds, insects, dappled light, and shifting tides of the marshes. The girl’s collections of shells and feathers, her communion with the gulls, her exploration of the wetlands are evoked in lyrical phrasing which only occasionally tips into excess. But as the child turns teenager and is befriended by local boy Tate Walker, who teaches her to read, the novel settles into a less magical, more predictable pattern. Interspersed with Kya’s coming-of-age is the 1969 murder investigation arising from the discovery of a man’s body in the marsh. The victim is Chase Andrews, “star quarterback and town hot shot,” who was once Kya’s lover. In the eyes of a pair of semicomic local police officers, Kya will eventually become the chief suspect and must stand trial. By now the novel’s weaknesses have become apparent: the monochromatic characterization (good boy Tate, bad boy Chase) and implausibilities (Kya evolves into a polymath—a published writer, artist, and poet), yet the closing twist is perhaps its most memorable oddity.

Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2018

ISBN: 978-0-7352-1909-0

Page Count: 384

Publisher: Putnam

Review Posted Online: May 14, 2018

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2018

LITERARY FICTION

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More by Mark Owens

BOOK REVIEW

by Mark Owens & Delia Owens

More About This Book

SEEN & HEARD

BOOK TO SCREEN

NEVER LET ME GO

by Kazuo Ishiguro ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 11, 2005

A masterpiece of craftsmanship that offers an unparalleled emotional experience. Send a copy to the Swedish Academy.

An ambitious scientific experiment wreaks horrendous toll in the Booker-winning British author’s disturbingly eloquent sixth novel (after When We Were Orphans , 2000).

Ishiguro’s narrator, identified only as Kath(y) H., speaks to us as a 31-year-old social worker of sorts, who’s completing her tenure as a “carer,” prior to becoming herself one of the “donors” whom she visits at various “recovery centers.” The setting is “England, late 1990s”—more than two decades after Kath was raised at a rural private school (Hailsham) whose students, all children of unspecified parentage, were sheltered, encouraged to develop their intellectual and especially artistic capabilities, and groomed to become donors. Visions of Brave New World and 1984 arise as Kath recalls in gradually and increasingly harrowing detail her friendships with fellow students Ruth and Tommy (the latter a sweet, though distractible boy prone to irrational temper tantrums), their “graduation” from Hailsham and years of comparative independence at a remote halfway house (the Cottages), the painful outcome of Ruth’s breakup with Tommy (whom Kath also loves), and the discovery the adult Kath and Tommy make when (while seeking a “deferral” from carer or donor status) they seek out Hailsham’s chastened “guardians” and receive confirmation of the limits long since placed on them. With perfect pacing and infinite subtlety, Ishiguro reveals exactly as much as we need to know about how efforts to regulate the future through genetic engineering create, control, then emotionlessly destroy very real, very human lives—without ever showing us the faces of the culpable, who have “tried to convince themselves. . . . That you were less than human, so it didn’t matter.” That this stunningly brilliant fiction echoes Caryl Churchill’s superb play A Number and Margaret Atwood’s celebrated dystopian novels in no way diminishes its originality and power.

Pub Date: April 11, 2005

ISBN: 1-4000-4339-5

Page Count: 304

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2005

More by Kazuo Ishiguro

by Kazuo Ishiguro ; illustrated by Bianca Bagnarelli

by Kazuo Ishiguro

ABSOLUTE POWER

by David Baldacci ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 18, 1996

The mother of all presidential cover-ups is the centerpiece gimmick in this far-fetched thriller from first-novelist Baldacci, a Washington-based attorney. In the dead of night, while burgling an exurban Virginia mansion, career criminal Luther Whitney is forced to conceal himself in a walk-in closet when Christine Sullivan, the lady of the house, arrives in the bedroom he's ransacking with none other than Alan Richmond, President of the US. Through the one-way mirror, Luther watches the drunken couple engage in a bout of rough sex that gets out of hand, ending only when two Secret Service men respond to the Chief Executive's cries of distress and gun down the letter-opener-wielding Christy. Gloria Russell, Richmond's vaultingly ambitious chief of staff, orders the scene rigged to look like a break-in and departs with the still befuddled President, leaving Christy's corpse to be discovered at another time. Luther makes tracks as well, though not before being spotted on the run by agents from the bodyguard detail. Aware that he's shortened his life expectancy, Luther retains trusted friend Jack Graham, a former public defender, but doesn't tell him the whole story. When Luther's slain before he can be arraigned for Christy's murder, Jack concludes he's the designated fall guy in a major scandal. Meanwhile, little Gloria (together with two Secret Service shooters) hopes to erase all tracks that might lead to the White House. But the late Luther seems to have outsmarted her in advance with recurrent demands for hush money. The body count rises as Gloria's attack dogs and Jack search for the evidence cunning Luther's left to incriminate not only a venal Alan Richmond but his homicidal deputies. The not-with-a-bang-but-a-whimper climax provides an unsurprising answer to the question of whether a US president can get away with murder. For all its arresting premise, an overblown and tedious tale of capital sins. (Film rights to Castle Rock; Book-of-the-Month selection)

Pub Date: Jan. 18, 1996

ISBN: 0-446-51996-0

Page Count: 480

Publisher: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1995

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by David Baldacci

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Book Review

Where the crawdads sing.

• Delia Owens
• Drama , Suspense/Thriller

Readability Age Range

• 18 years old and up
• Penguin Random House
• #1 New York Times Bestseller; Reese’s Book Club; British Book Award; Business Insider Defining Book of the Decade; #1 Bestselling Book of the Year; #1 International Bestseller; Edgar Award Nominee; Macavity Award Nominee

Year Published

For years, rumors about Kya Clark swirled around the quiet fishing village of Barkley Cove. Barefoot and wild, they called her the “Marsh Girl.” And when something unthinkable happens and a young man is found dead, it’s Kya the Marsh Girl they blame.

Plot Summary

Kya Clark, known by some locals as the “Marsh Girl,” grew up in a swamp. And that makes her, well, “swamp trash” as far as most folks in the North Carolina coastal community of Barkley Cove are concerned.

One by one, starting with her mother, Kya’s family members all ran off to escape Kya’s intolerable father. And then he ran off, too.

Though she’s been virtually alone from the time she was 6, Kya can never quite stifle her need for human connection. Of course, connecting with people is not easy for a girl living by her lonesome in a swamp. But the one thing she can embrace is the wild, natural world around her. And she tries to understand every relationship through her experience with nature, which causes her to have an unsettling effect on almost all the people she interacts with.

The main exception is Tate Walker, a local boy who befriends her as she turns from child to teenager. Kya’s wildness is beautiful to him, and he compassionately teaches her to read. The pair understand each other because of their mutual appreciation for the marsh, but Kya’s upbringing has put her on a collision course with polite society.

That collision effectively blows up when a former star quarterback and town hot shot named Chase Andrews turns up dead in the marsh. Inconclusive evidence and a romantic run-in are all the townspeople need to start pointing fingers.

And the Marsh Girl is everyone’s top suspect.

Christian Beliefs

It’s said that the town “serves its religion hard-boiled and deep fried.” Kya knows about three white churches and two black churches in the area. One of these black churches helps provide her with clothes, but a white preacher’s wife tells her daughter that Kya is dirty and to stay away.

Several scenes show that Kya feels she is not presentable enough for God, and that Christianity tends to be about religious rituals and posturing.

Other Belief Systems

The evolution of people from animals is implied, and animalistic instincts are a major part of Kya’s worldview. In fact, Kya’s  connection with the Earth and mother nature is akin to worship.

Authority Roles

The glaring lack of authority in Kaya’s life during most of her development as a child, teenager, and young adult is integral to the plot of Where the Crawdads Sing . Arguably, nature itself is her most positive authority figure.

Kya’s dad is abusive and an alcoholic. He relies on a 7-year-old girl to do his cleaning and to cook for herself when her mother, and then older siblings, leave. Throughout the story, Kya’s father is unreliable and he teaches her to deeply mistrust others.

Her mother is shown as a loving figure, but she failed Kya by leaving. Kya’s memories of her fade, and someone later explains that the woman was mentally ill.

Kya’s older brother, Jodie, teaches her a few things about how to survive in the marsh and how to deal with their violent dad, until he leaves in fear of their father.

Kya eventually considers a man named “Jumpin” to be her closest authority figure. He is a kind, protective and consistent presence who gives her basic supplies.

Profanity & Violence

The dialogue includes scattered foul language, especially while Kya’s dad is around, including several occurrences of the s-word and “b–—ch” in various forms. A few strong racial slurs are directed at African American characters. The f-word is used a few times in reference to an article on animals.

The novel addresses physical abuse. Kya’s family suffers at the hands of her dad in varying levels of detail throughout. Kya remembers being struck by a belt and a paddle. Her brother is stabbed in the face with a fire poker. Police officers discover that Chase died because he was pushed from a fire tower. A man assaults Kya, and she beats him badly in self-defense.

Kya’s dad drinks heavily. Chase’s drinking is mentioned.

Two police officers speculate that Chase may have been involved with drugs, which led to his death.

Sexual Content

The sexual content in this book is intense, adult and problematic. Kya’s sexually charged encounters with her first love are described in detail, and it includes nudity. The pair’s longing for one another is clear, and the sexually explicit content is comparable to that of an R-rated movie.

Throughout the book, Kya contemplates the mating rituals of various animals and, sometimes, the resulting violence between mates. Later, Kya has sex with another man after his repeated advances, and he treats her roughly. After their consensual relationship ends, he assaults her and attempts to rape her.

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion question for books at focusonthefamily.com/magazine/thriving-family-book-discussion-questions .

Additional Comments

Where the Crawdads Sing will draw the attention of young readers because of the public praise for the novel as well as the fact that it’s been made into a major motion picture. And this book does explore some deep themes, including the longing that all people, especially women, have for sustaining connection with others, platonically and romantically.

That said, the heavy sexual content, violence, and language here make this an ill-advised read for young people. Even adults should approach this novel with caution and be aware of its content.

You can request a review of a title you can’t find at [email protected] .

Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not necessarily their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.

Review by Marsella Evans

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Book Review: Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

By: Author Jen - MMB Book Blog

Posted on Published: 3 February 2023  - Last updated: 21 July 2024

Where The Crawdads Sing is the bestselling debut novel by Delia Owens, published in 2019.

The book came so highly recommended I was almost reluctant to read it as I was doubtful it could possibly live up to all that praise.

As both a Richard and Judy Book List choice and a pick for Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club , it seems to be universally adored. However, I was keen to find out for myself.

I was aware Delia Owens was co-author of three non-fiction books about her life as a wildlife scientist, and I was interested to see how she was able to transfer her skills in nature writing to creating historical fiction.

Disclosure : This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases

Genre: Literary Fiction Author: Delia Owens Buy: Amazon | Waterstones Published: 2019

For years, rumors 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 Marsh 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 touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life—until the unthinkable happens. Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a profound coming of age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

Where The Crawdads Sing Book Review

I really loved this story and read the entire book in less than two days.

On a superficial level, this is a coming-of-age murder mystery. However, it is so much more than that. This is Kya’s story – a poignant tale of survival, loneliness, and the longing for connection.

The story is not a fast-paced one. Delia Owens takes her time, flipping from past to present to allow the reader a true insight into Kya’s world. The novel is written mostly from Kya’s point of view but occasionally enters the perspectives of other characters. This gives us an insight into how they view the marsh and its almost legendary inhabitant.

The locals’ suspicions and prejudices combine to create a preconceived idea that Kya cannot be trusted. The more she keeps herself to herself, the more the rumours spread. What follows is so much more than a “whodunnit?” Did Kya kill Chase? She certainly had a motive. Or is she simply a misunderstood, innocent woman doing what she can to survive?

The story is a good one but for me, it’s the writing style that makes this novel such a hit. Owens’ poetic, descriptive prose transports the readers to the North Carolina coastal swamp. The marshland almost become a character in its own right. You can visualise the vivid sights and sounds of Kya’s home and admire the secret wonders that lie within it. You can clearly see Owens’ expertise in the natural world as her descriptions are so evocative and detailed.

I felt moved by Kya’s innocence and saddened when she was continuously abandoned by her family members and those who were supposed to love her. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the murder of Chase and the ending was, in my opinion, perfect.

There were moments of implausibility. Would an illiterate marsh girl be able to self-educate to the level of an academic? However, I enjoyed her character development and how it highlighted how their was always more to “the swamp girl” than met the eye.

Overall, I loved Where the Crawdads Sing. The beauty of the story and the descriptive writing made it one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.

Where the Crawdads Sing Movie

Delia Owens’ debut novel was not only a huge bestseller, but it was also made into a live-action movie produced by Reese Witherspoon, bringing the story of Kya and the North Carolina marshlands to the big screen.

What to Read Next

If you enjoyed Where The Crawdads Sing, I would recommend also reading Go as a River by Shelley Read and Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller .

This book is featured on the following lists:

7 Books That Actually Lived Up to the Hype

Complete List of Between The Covers Books (Sara Cox Book Club)

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Michelle Twin Mum

Monday 22nd of February 2021

I've seen this book recommended so man times but I'm just not sure. I suspect I'll have to get it in the end and see for myself. Mich x

[email protected]

I'm always looking for murder mystery type stories so this looks right up my street!

This sounds like my cup of tea, love a good murder mystery! Would definitely take my mind off a few things getting stuck into a book I think

Natasha Mairs - Serenity You

Why haven't I picked this one up yet!? I have heard so many good things about this book, I really need to buy it.

rhianwestbury

I really enjoyed this book, although it did take me a good portion of the book to properly get into it, probably due to the slower pace as you've said x

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Book review – “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens

This book has been a phenomenal success since its publication in 2018 and has spent most of that time on various best-seller lists. A film is now in production starring Daisy Edgar-Jones (who played Marianne, to great acclaim, in the television adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People ) and I am reliably informed by a young person that Taylor Swift has written a song for it! I approached it with some trepidation – I don’t normally go for best-sellers and I feared this might be over-hyped and overly sentimental. I could not have been more wrong and my book club decided this might be one of the best books we had ever read.

The novel covers events in the period 1952 to 1970 and the central character is Kya (short for Catherine) Clark, known to the local rural community of Barkley Cove as “the swamp girl”. The North Carolina setting of the novel is crucial because Kya becomes an integral part of it. And the setting is brilliantly and powerfully evoked by the author.

The novel is told on two timelines. It opens in 1969 with the discovery of a body in an old tower beside the swamp. The victim is Chase Andrews, a local man, the sporting pride of Barkley Cove, suave, confident and outgoing, he is married but has a reputation as something of a playboy. The local police begin their investigation. The novel then reverts to 1952 where six year-old Kya, the fifth and youngest child of a ‘swamp’ family (one which lives in a rundown house beside the swamp, where their income is precarious and their reputation as outsiders separates them from the mainstream Barkley Cove community) watches her fragile mother walking down the dirt track away from their home, leaving the family for good. Kya’s father is a feckless, violent drunk and Kya’s older siblings gradually leave the home too, unable to bear his aggressive dominance. This leaves Kya on her own with her father. At times they are able to live relatively agreeably together – he sometimes gives her money from his war pension (the family’s only income) and she is able to purchase supplies from the town – but mostly, he disappears, sometimes for days at a time, and Kya is forced to learn to fend for herself. Eventually he disappears altogether. Kya manages to evade the local authorities who try and get her to attend school; they give up eventually too. Kya grows up alone developing an intimate knowledge of the natural world of the swamp, living in harmony with it.

Kya avoids everyone in the town, she has learned to stay under the radar of both the authorities and the two gossips, to whom she is a mystery, to be treated with suspicion and disdain, but she makes three friends: Jumpin’, and his wife Mabel, the proprietor of the swamp-side general store where she must go to replenish her basic supplies, and childhood playmate Tate Walker. When the young child Kya starts to visit his store alone, Jumpin’ quickly realises that she is living alone and he and his wife support and protect her discreetly as best they can; as “coloreds” they are themselves marginalised. Tate Walker was friends with Kya from a very young age when they played together, and is well aware of her father’s violent tendencies. His mother died, a loss which binds them, and he lives alone with his father. When Kya’s father vanishes they renew their acquaintance and their relationship deepens. They eventually become “lovers” of a kind, though avoid intercourse. Tate receives the education Kya is denied and is ambitious to go to college and study natural science. He promises that he will visit Kya during the vacations, but on his first visit home he spots Kya from a distance on the beach near her hut and realises that she is almost a wild creature (that is indeed part of what he loves about her) and that she will never be able to fit into the new academic world he now inhabits. Tate leaves Kya without saying goodbye or explaining.

In her deep grief at being abandoned once again Kya falls into a relationship with Chase Andrews. He seduces her and the two begin a secret affair. Chase tells Kya that he will marry her, though he never introduces her to his family. On a visit to Barkley Cove Kya sees an announcement in the local newspaper that Chase is engaged to be married.

Kya’s progress, from small child learning to live by her wits to beautiful young woman living alone on the swamp, fending for herself, is told alongside the story of the police investigation into Chase Andrews’s murder. Inevitably, the twin stories collide when Kya is accused by Chase’s mother and charged with the murder. The account of the trial is told in gripping detail in a way that is reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird . No spoilers here, however, as it will have you on the edge of your seat!

I listened to this on audio and it was read brilliantly by Cassandra Campbell, the same actress who read Maggie Shipstead’s Great Circle so powerfully. If you’ve read the hype about this book then believe it! I cried several times throughout – there are so many big moments in it. The plotting is extremely clever. The characters are all strong, fully thought through and well-rounded. But what makes this book so brilliant, and what for me makes it great, is that it is just a cracking good story!

Highly recommended.

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11 thoughts on “Book review – “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens”

Hi – so glad you and your book club liked this book so much – I loved it and it is one of my all-time favorites!

Like Liked by 1 person

It’s amazing isn’t it? How do you feel about the film that’s due out soon? My fellow book club members and I are a little bit afraid! It’s really hard to see how such an expansive book could be dealt with in a couple of hours of screen time.

Hi Julia – I actually didn’t know that they were making a movie – I am a little out of it when it comes to new movies. I agree it might be hard to make a movie as good as the book!

My daughter actually told me – it was probably trailed on TikTok!

Ah, a domain I haven’t entered!

The book won our annual book club award which is the BRIT award (Best Read in Town). All of us are of the opinion that the book is always best but apprehensively went in a group to the movie last week. We were all delighted that although there were some changes to make the movie flow, it was well worth watching and we all shed a tear or two during the evening.

Oh that’s interesting, I’m glad you enjoyed the film. I’m planning to go and see it with my daughters next week, but we’re slightly nervous, having loved the book so much! I feel reassured after your comments. 🙂

Would be interested to know what you think of it.

I’ll let you know!

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Where the Crawdads Sing

By delia owens.

Book review, full book summary and synopsis for Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, a coming-of-age crime drama about a girl growing up alone in the marshes of North Carolina.

In Where the Crawdads Sing , Kya is known in her town as the "Marsh Girl." She grows up in a shack out in the marshes bordering a small village on the coast of North Carolina. Her mother and her four older siblings all leave to get away from their abusive father, leaving her behind to fend for herself. Eventually, her father disappears as well.

Where the Crawdads Sing is part bildungsroman and part crime drama, centered around Kya, a wild and unkempt girl. The book follows the ups and downs of her life. She lives a lonely life, but her story is a hopeful one as well. With a little help, she's able to survive and even learn to read.

Despite her status as an outcast, her natural beauty catches the eye of two men in town. However, when the body of Chase Andrews, the local hotshot, is discovered in the marshes, she quickly becomes a prime suspect. The fragile life she has struggled and fought so hard to build is at risk.

(The Full Plot Summary is also available, below)

Full Plot Summary

The Prologue opens with the discovery of the body of Chase Andrews in a swamp in 1969.

In Part I , Kya Clark grows up with her abusive father in a shack in the swampy outskirts of town in the 1950's (her mother and siblings all leave due because of Pa's abuse). Kya meets Tate, a boy from town that befriends her. When Kya is 10, Pa disappears (a couple nearby, Jumpin' and Mabel, help Kya to survive). As she grows up, Kya develops a keen knowledge of the outdoors. Kya and Tate reconnect, he teaches her to read, and it grows into a romance. When Tate leaves for college, he promises to come back, but later Tate worries that Kya (wild and unkempt) can't fit into his world. He doesn't return, and Kya gives up on him.

(Flash forward) Many years later, the body of Chase Andrews, the town hotshot and ladies' man, is found in the swamp at the bottom of the fire tower. An investigation starts up.

In Part II , Kya is now 19. Chase Andrews has been pursuing Kya aggressively, and she finally gives in to his advances. One day, Chase takes her to the fire tower, and she gives him a shell necklace as a gift. He promises to marry her, but Kya soon discovers that Chase is actually engaged to someone else. She dumps him. Meanwhile, Tate comes back and apologizes for what happened. He also wants to help Kya turn her nature diagrams into a book. Eventually, Kya's book is published in 1968.

In 1969, Kya is identified as a suspect in the Chase Andrews murder. Notably, Chase's shell necklace that he always wore was not found on his body. Eventually, Kya is arrested for Chase's death. The trial proceeds (reviewing evidence such as the missing necklace, fibers found on Chase's body, Kya's whereabouts, plus Chase had attacked Kya after being rebuffed two months before his death). But Kya is found not guilty, and she and Tate profess their love for each other.

Time passes, and Kya and Tate turn her shack into a nice cottage and remain there. Kya passes away at 64. Tate goes through her things and discovers evidence (in the form of a poem Kya wrote under a pseudonym and notably Chase's shell necklace) that Kya killed Chase. The book ends with Tate destroying the poems and tossing the necklace into the ocean.

For more detail, see the full Section-by-Section Summary .

If this summary was useful to you, please consider supporting this site by leaving a tip ( $2 , $3 , or $5 ) or joining the Patreon !

Book Review

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens opens with a picture of a map and the discovery of a dead body in the marshes of North Carolina.

I was intrigued immediately when I saw it in the bookstore, though I put off reading it for a while. Ultimately, though, my curiosity won out as it hung in the bestseller lists, and I’m very glad it did.

Where the Crawdads Sing is about resiliency and survival, but also alienation. I loved the part about Kya’s childhood; it made for a unique story line as Kya learns to navigate the world on her own. The story focuses thematically a lot on her status as an outcast and sense of abandonment, as she is forced to fend for herself. In terms of pacing, it is eventful and mostly fast-moving.

Kya’s story has elements of romance, mystery and even a courtroom thriller interlude. Nature enthusiasts will also enjoy this book, as Kya’s love of the nature around her is conveyed through detailed descriptions of the flora and fauna, a reflection of the author’s background as a former wildlife scientist.

The compelling imagery is descriptive in the right places and sparse when it serves the story better instead. The book has a strong sense of place, transporting you to a different life where you can smell the salty air and sink your feet into the muddy grounds outside the seaside village.

Meanwhile, the discovery of a dead body leads to the Chase Andrews investigation that provides the suspense in the story. Kya’s story is also interspersed with flash-forwards detailing the progress of the investigation. I found this worked well, adding an element of mystery, since it’s not clear how it will play out for Kya or what exactly happened that night. There’s compelling evidence on both sides and the pacing of the investigation is spot-on, making for pleasurable and suspenseful reading.

Some Criticisms

As she heads into her teenage years, the romantic storylines start kicking in, and the melodrama starts ramping up as well. My enthusiasm waned a little bit at this point. The book is increasingly divorced from reality (the idea that a teenage boy would teach her not only to read but about her period seemed far-fetched, and it goes on from there) and plot events get a bit contrived.

Additionally, Kya’s internal journey, her mentally processing the events of her life, felt a little surface level. She struggles with being abandoned by her mother, and the book brings in interesting parallels to nature, but beyond that, events simply happen without much reflection. It felt like there were a number of missed opportunity for it to be a more insightful book.

But, for whatever criticisms I had while reading, the story easily won me over. As it approaches the date of the crime and the investigation ramps up, I was totally engrossed.

Read it or Skip It?

I read this book quickly and found myself delighted by it by the end. The book is more melodrama than a serious literary novel, but is such an engaging story that it’s easy to accept. It’s part romance, mystery, courtroom drama and ode to nature, all of which make for an appealing tale about the town outcast.

The setting is a distinctive “slice-of-life” that’s commonplace, yet not often portrayed clearly in books or movies. It is vividly drawn in a way that infuses the story with energy, a credit to Owen’s genuine love and respect for nature.

Where the Crawdads Sing has been very popular among book clubs, and deservedly so. It’s eventful and accessible, but thoughtfully written, all of which make it a good choice for readers of varying tastes. See it on Amazon or Book Depository .

Where the Crawdads Sing, Explained!

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65 comments

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well crafted review

Fantastic review! I’ve been wondering about this one and I think I’ll check it out :)

Thank you! Glad to hear it, and I hope you like it if you end up getting a chance to read it! :)

This sounds like a book I might enjoy, tossing another one on the TBR!

That’s awesome to hear, thanks for letting me know and thanks for reading!

What a beautifully written, helpfully compartmentalised review! Feeling very inspired. Sounds like an engaging read too x

Thank you so much and thanks for reading!

Wonderful, thorough review. You don’t see a lot of coming-of-age murder mysteries. I’m putting this on my TBR list. Thanks for the post.

Hey Rosi! Yes, I liked that it felt like a unique book and story, both in terms of the setting and the plot. Definitely not cookie cutter. Hope you love it if you get a chance to read it — it goes by quickly! Nice to hear from you as always, and cheers! :)

Jennifer, you are one of the best writers I have seen. I read your reviews because I love the way you talk about books. Your honesty is much appreciated and gives me insight into titles I may otherwise never pick up.

Hey Jen, that’s such a kind thing for you to say. I really appreciate your feedback and that you take the time to read my reviews! My goal in writing this blog has always been to help books find the right readers, so thank you for saying that. I genuinely value your encouragement, thanks again! :)

Nicely done review.

Hi Martie! Thank you very much and nice to hear from you again! :)

Melodrama irritates me, but the synopsis sounds so good that I need to read it. This book is high on my priority list. I’m happy it’s good. Great review!

Honestly, it bothered me a little at first, but I think there’s a lot of wonderful but unrealistic stories out there. If it didn’t all add up to something solid and interesting it would have bothered me more, but I think it came together in a way that made me feel like it was worth overlooking. Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did if you get a chance to read it! :)

You’ve motivated me to put this book on my TBR!

Thank you for reading and visiting! Hope you enjoy it if you get a chance to read it!

I’ve been interested in this one but a bit wary since I really didn’t like the other Reese’s Book Club pick I’ve read. Glad you enjoyed it. Your review definitely makes it likely I’ll give it a go after all.

Hey, that’s great to hear — yeah I mean I guess she picks out one new-ish book a month which is actually kind of a lot so I suppose they can’t all be winners. I think this one is definitely one of her better recs though, hope you like it!

Beautiful review of a beautiful book! I enjoyed this, too. It took some patience with all that description, but in the end, it worked to create that sense of place you described.

Thank you for reading! I usually don’t have a ton of patience for unnecessary description (I’m always a little wary of books that are described by reviewers as “lyrical” since sometimes that translates into lots of lengthy descriptive passages) but I thought Owens did a good job of balancing out creating atmosphere and moving the plot forward — thanks for dropping by! :)

Sounds like an interesting book – even with the negative parts.

I really enjoyed it, thanks for reading! :)

wow, you give thorough reviews…

haha what can I say, I love talking about books! :)

too bad, my genre doesn’t fit… have a wonderful weekend

Good to know that this is more melodrama than a serious literary novel. I do like the sound of this slice of life book. Great review!

Thank you and thanks for reading! :)

Thanks for the balanced review! Will consider picking this up.

Glad to hear that, and thanks for reading!

I thought the book was wonderful. I loved all of it. It had a perfect ending.

glad to hear it — yeah I was really impressed by the ending as well! thanks for dropping by!

I will definitely have to pick this one up. You make it sound compelling. Thanks for the post.

Very interesting review. I’ve been split on a lot of her book club picks but I have noticed that almost all of them she has the movie rights for which makes me a little cynical about her choices in some cases :)

yeah, I can understand that. On one hand, I’m glad that the adaptations are giving authors a way to make some big dollars. On the other hand, it is kind of annoying when I read books that seem to be written in a way that feels like the’re prepackaged for hollywood though. So I have mixed feelings.

Fabulous review

Please read my first post

I subscribed to your blog just now because you had such a thorough review of this book. I am about halfway through the book at this point, and while I have enjoyed it, I have found, as you, there were missed opportunities for more development in some areas, and some events which seemed unreasonable. Overall, I am enjoying the book. Great job! I look forward to reading more of your reviews!

Hi Sandra, thank you so much for the thoughtful comment! Much appreciated. Thanks for reading! Even with those criticisms, I’m glad I read it. I hope you enjoy the rest of it as well!

I’ve read 33 novels so far in 2019 and this is my favorite. Loved it!

NIcely written review.

Terrific. Will help at my book club. Ty.

Thanks for the review. I am yet to read this one!

Thanks so much. I appreciate you time to share.

The focus on nature was refreshing in contrast to the sadness of Kya literally raising herself. Changing back and forth with the time frame was a bit distracting as was the poetry inserted here and there ( not especially good poetry) but as you near the end that is explained. I was more impressed with how Kya, in school just a day, could educate herself enough to write books about the plants and critters living in the marsh and become a well respected author. Then the trial about who killed the jerk Chase Andrews with a surprising end when she is found not guilty. Kya goes on to live a happy life with her original friend and first love Tate, but in the end he discovers she really did kill Chase. There were some positive things in her life but such a disfunctional family and so much hatred from most of the townspeople offset the real beauty of the marsh .

Consider listening to it. The reader’s soft. N. Carolina accent lends an authenticity to the flora and fauna descriptions.

This is the most balanced review I’ve read yet of this book. It sounds like it goes a bit off the rails but is overall worth the read. Thanks for the post!

Not great literature at all. Just a story. Delia needs to read more of the best HEMINGWAY, STEINBECK, CATHER and the other great authors to learn symbolism, conflict and the art of not telling but showing.

My feelings about the character Kya are that she really could be cast as a Native American. She has the instincts and abilities of a Native American woman. Reese Witherspoon and Delia Owens, maybe you can consider this as a facet of the character.

I am looking for some good solid books for my avid pre teen reader. Do think the scope of details would be ok for someone that young?

Hmmm, I think it’s a little iffy. There’s definitely talk about sex, sexual desires and at one point one of the characters gets kind of aggressive about it.

Great start but then descended into a melodrama with an eye on the prize of a television or film adaptation. It was so obvious and disappointing. Unconvincing after the very promising first chapters onwards. The premise was unlikely and my interest waned when the story turned into a murder mystery. It was obvious that Kya killed Chase. Who else would bother?

Thank you for an excellent review. Loved the book but also felt it dragged at points. The Ode to Nature and the child that nature nourished when people failed was spell-binding.

I think it was proven that there was no time for Kya to kill Chase

Did Kaya have her own children with Tate or were they just a flashback of her childhood

I hope the movie stands up. I remember waiting with great anticipation for “the Prince of tides” movie to come out and feared it would digress from the book. I was delighted to be wrong.

I loved this book but have struggled to understand the absence of Chase’s wife in the courtroom. Why isn’t she there to support justice for her husband, staring down Kya and acting bereaved?And why did she allow her husband to wear a necklace every day of his life, fashioned for him by another woman? Why wasn’t she a suspect in her husband’s murder, given that jealousy and vengeance could have been her motive? She had as much reason as Kya to hate Chase and to remove the all-significant necklace. Anyone else agree?

I believe author wants reader to know who killed chase from early on. The phrase where the crawdads sings , essentially speaks to how nature will always try to ensure continuation of species. She was raised by nature.the references to female fire flies and praying mantis who kill males to continue survival of future generations. The mother fox who is injured who leaves her kits to die,so she can come day have future litters. Biggest disappointment in story line was that ” Tate” was not aware kya killed chase. She only received red hat after he attempted to rape her. It could only have been Tate or kya.

I found the book to be a quick read, and suspenseful until the last page. The characters were realistic and each one was well developed.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful review!!! this helps me to determine whether or not to read the book :) the movie was fantastic!

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“Where the Crawdads Sing” Review

Where the Crawdads Sing

I may be a little late to the game with this review since Where the Crawdads Sing has been garnering attention for over 4 years now. I actually read it when it came out but wasn’t doing adult book reviews at that point. With the new movie bringing it to the top of best-seller lists again, I re-read and revisited my thoughts on this much-lauded book. As I re-read it (and stayed up too late) I remembered why it’s a bestseller. And then I remembered why I ended up hating it.

SPOILER ALERT: This review is going to utterly spoil the big reveal about the murder mystery. Sorry folks; I’m going to recommend against reading it anyway.

Busy Mom Quick Synopsis

6 year old Kya watches her mother, siblings, and father abandon her one after another. With minimal community support, she scratches out a precarious survival alone in the marsh. As she comes of age, she desperately seeks love and acceptance in the wrong places. A mysterious and isolated woman living alone in the swamp, the townspeople regard her with suspicion. When the town’s golden boy is murdered, fingers quickly begin to point Kya’s way. Does she have a single friend to defend her?

Why it’s a best-seller

First of all, it’s a beautifully written story about nature. That’s not a compliment I hand out lightly. Delia Owens must have a deep love of the flora and fauna of the North Carolina marshes. Her genuine delight in natural beauty and belief in the healing power of nature make this book memorable. As a fellow nature lover, I enjoyed her descriptions of the wonder of God’s creation.

Secondly, it’s a heart-warming story. An abandoned young girl from an abusive family beats the odds to educate herself and build a successful career as a writer and illustrator. It’s the stuff of Hallmark movies and human interest articles. Honestly, it’s so far-fetched it strains credibility.

Third, it’s a fast-moving storyline with a murder mystery intertwined. It keeps you turning the pages after your bedtime.

Why I don’t recommend Where the Crawdads Sing

First and foremost, skip this book because of the gratuitous sex scenes. There are multiple fade-out to fully described scenes, some with an underage teen Kya, along with a rape scene. Can you skip over them fairly easily? Yes, you see where the scene is going and can skip a few pages. Did they need to be in this book? Nope. They add nothing to the story and feel voyeuristic. And they definitely make this book a hard no for teens.

On a more philosophical level, I disliked the theme about people being fundamentally highly evolved animals. Kay interprets human interactions in animal terms, perhaps not completely unnaturally given her isolated life. But the author does not lead the reader to the conclusion that Kya is wrong here. Kya’s morality is a Darwinistic survival of the fittest code of ethics. And this leads to the ending, which I hated.

Throughout the book, the big conflict is whether Kya is guilty of the blatant murder of her former boyfriend Chase. As the reader, you’re assuming soft-spoken and nature-loving Kya is innocent. You’re condemning the townspeople for prejudice and judgment against an eccentric outlier. When her lawyer brings forward enough doubt to convince a jury to acquit her, you’re cheering.

But then… the last pages of the book, you realize she did it . She cold-bloodedly plotted the murder of the ex-boyfriend who lied to and later attacked her. Was he a horrible human being? Yes. Does this make me feel any better about the “heroine” murdering him with full intent and not in self-defense? No.

What bothered me most about this jarring conclusion was the feeling that throughout the entire book, the author is trying to set up the reader to condone the murder. It’s like Delia Owens is trying to have the reader walk away going, “Well, maybe murder is okay, sometimes.”

Not a conclusion that sits well with me!

For books I do recommend for adults, check out my For Catholic Parents page!

6 thoughts on “ “where the crawdads sing” review ”.

Yes! I had the same reaction and have struggled with this book for so long. It is so popular and so many members of my book club loved it and could not understand my frustration with the ending. Thank you for this review and putting into words why this popular book just did not sit well with me!!

I never understood the hype. Tried reading it and it just felt off. I abandoned it fairly quickly. Thank you for all you do!!

Ahh… same way I felt about Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier by that one always seems to get a pass🤷‍♀️

I think an interesting addendum to your conclusion is that Delia Owens, the author, is currently embroiled in an increasingly credible case that allegedes she aided or committed a murder while living in Africa. Might be why the ending of the book is asking the reader to condone Kya’s actions?

Thank you for this review! You’re assessment of Where the Crawdads Sing is exactly why I had to stop reading Jodie Picoult’s books. Another excellent fiction writer but always with a hard left sympathy and grey areas of morality. I used to be a big fan and almost went to a book signing, but the deeper I went into my faith the more I couldn’t swallow her narratives and ended up tossing them all.

Thank you for this review. I encountered the first sensual scene and began to feel convicted about further reading. Based on your review and others’ comments, I will put this aside. The writer is talented. It’s a shame the content doesn’t match her innate respect for nature and her poetic descriptions.

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Where the crawdads sing.

• Parents say (26)
• Kids say (36)

Based on 36 kid reviews

Good, but SHOCKED at the violence

This title has:

• Too much sex

Report this review

Do not scroll need to know.

• Educational value
• Great messages
• Great role models

kept me entertained

Consider teens maturity, great for mature children or anyone over the age of 12, great movie, amazing movie.

• Too much violence

Do not recommend!!

The Literary Edit

Where the Crawdads Sing Review (Author Delia Owens)

Before starting this Where the Crawdads Sing review and in all my years of book blogging, I’ve learnt that, on the whole, books are divisive. Much like many things in life – such as, for example, whether north or south of the Thames is the better part of London, or which city – Melbourne or Sydney – is the more liveable one (I’m a south London and Sydney-sider for anyone who’s remotely interested) opinions are, more often than not, split. There will be those that adore a book, those that don’t, and those that fall somewhere in between. This was until I read – and posted about my reading – Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing, on both my Facebook and Instagram account, to entirely unanimous praise of Owens debut.

And no sooner had I started to read Where the Crawdads Sing than I began to see why it was so consistently adored by all who had already read it.

Where the Crawdads Sing Review

A story of resilience, survival and hope, Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens tells the story of Kya – known locally in the North Carolina town in which she resides as the Marsh Girl – who is abandoned at a young age by her parents, siblings and finally the school system; and left to fend for herself.

As Kya grows and learns more about life through her interactions with the creatures of the Marsh, two young men enter her life. One is her brother’s older friend, Tate, who teaches her to read and shows her acceptance and happiness. But when he, too, leaves the Marsh behind for a learned life at university, she learned not to trust nor depend on anyone but herself, and resigns herself to a life spent along on the marsh, until Chase Andrews comes along.

And so when Chase is later found dead, rumours are rife as to Kya’s possible involvement in his murder. Over the years there’s been much hearsay as to the nature of Kya and Chase’s relationship, and with no other suspects so-to-speak, the finger is swiftly pointed at Kya.

Rich with poetic prose, lyrical depictions of the marshlands and atmosphere, Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautiful and compelling read steeped in nature. A fusion of murder, mystery, coming-of-age and love-story, Where the Crawdads Sing is a poignant and powerful tale that will stay with its readers long after its gripping finale and I couldn’t wait to review Where the Crawdads Sing.

Where the Crawdads Sing Summary

For years, rumors 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 Marsh 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 touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell,  Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

About Delia Owens

Delia Owens is the co-author of three internationally bestselling nonfiction books about her life as a wildlife scientist in Africa— Cry of the Kalahari, The Eye of the Elephant , and  Secrets of the Savanna . She has won the John Burroughs Award for Nature Writing and has been published in  Nature, The African Journal of Ecology , and  International Wildlife , among many others. She currently lives in Idaho, where she continues her support for the people and wildlife of Zambia. Where the Crawdads Sing is her first novel. Check out her website for a detailed biography .

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5 comments on “Where the Crawdads Sing Review (Author Delia Owens)”

I somehow missed this book. Adding this to my summer reading list. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Lucy!

Thanks for stopping by Crystal! I hope you love it as much as I did xo

I finished reading this book only few days ago, and I can say it’s one of the most “unputdownable” books I’ve ever read! And when I think that I hadn’t heard about it before I received it as a gift from a dear friend 🙂

Hi Georgiana, I’m so glad you enjoyed it too – it really is a wonderful book! xo

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Tv/streaming, collections, chaz's journal, great movies, contributors, where the crawdads sing.

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The cicadas buzz and the moss drips and the sunset casts a golden shimmer on the water every single evening. But while “Where the Crawdads Sing” is rich in atmosphere, it’s sorely lacking in actual substance or suspense.

Maybe it was an impossible task, taking the best-selling source material and turning it into a cinematic experience that would please both devotees and newbies alike. Delia Owens ’ novel became a phenomenon in part as a Reese Witherspoon book club selection; Witherspoon is a producer on “Where the Crawdads Sing,” and Taylor Swift wrote and performs the theme song, adding to the expectation surrounding the film’s arrival.

But the result of its pulpy premise is a movie that’s surprisingly inert. Director Olivia Newman , working from a script by Lucy Alibar , jumps back and forth without much momentum between a young woman’s murder trial and the recollections of her rough-and-tumble childhood in 1950s and ‘60s North Carolina. (Alibar also wrote “ Beasts of the Southern Wild ,” which “Where the Crawdads Sing” resembles somewhat as a story of a resourceful little girl’s survival within a squalid, swampy setting.)  

It is so loaded with plot that it ends up feeling superficial, rendering major revelations as rushed afterthoughts. For a film about a brave woman who’s grown up in the wild, living by her own rules, “Where the Crawdads Sing” is unusually tepid and restrained. And aside from Daisy Edgar-Jones ’ multi-layered performance as its central figure, the characters never evolve beyond a basic trait or two.

We begin in October 1969 in the marshes of fictional Barkley Cove, North Carolina, where a couple of boys stumble upon a dead body lying in the muck. It turns out to be Chase Andrews, a popular big fish in this insular small pond. And Edgar-Jones’ Kya, with whom he’d once had an unlikely romantic entanglement, becomes the prime suspect. She’s an easy target, having long been ostracized and vilified as The Marsh Girl—or when townsfolk are feeling particularly derisive toward her, That Marsh Girl. Flashbacks reveal the abuse she and her family suffered at the hands of her volatile, alcoholic father ( Garret Dillahunt , harrowing in just a few scenes), and the subsequent abandonment she endured as everyone left her, one by one, to fend for herself—starting with her mother. These vivid, early sections are the most emotionally powerful, with Jojo Regina giving an impressive, demanding performance in her first major film role as eight-year-old Kya.

As she grows into her teens and early 20s and Edgar-Jones takes over, two very different young men shape her formative years. There’s the too-good-to-be-true Tate (Taylor John Smith ), a childhood friend who teaches her to read and write and becomes her first love. (“There was something about that boy that eased the tautness in my chest,” Kya narrates, one of many clunky examples of transferring Owens’ words from page to screen.) And later, there’s the arrogant and bullying Chase ( Harris Dickinson ), who’s obviously bad news from the start, something the reclusive Kya is unable to recognize.

But what she lacks in emotional maturity, she makes up for in curiosity about the natural world around her, and she becomes a gifted artist and autodidact. Edgar-Jones embodies Kya’s raw impulses while also subtly registering her apprehension and mistrust. Pretty much everyone lets her down and underestimates her, except for the kindly Black couple who run the local convenience store and serve as makeshift parents (Sterling Macer Jr. and Michael Hyatt , bringing much-needed warmth, even though there’s not much to their characters). David Strathairn gets the least to work with in one of the film’s most crucial roles as Kya’s attorney: a sympathetic, Atticus Finch type who comes out of retirement to represent her.

This becomes especially obvious in the film’s courtroom scenes, which are universally perfunctory and offer only the blandest cliches and expected dramatic beats. Every time “Where the Crawdads Sing” cuts back to Kya’s murder trial—which happens seemingly out of nowhere, with no discernible rhythm or reason—the pacing drags and you’ll wish you were back in the sun-dappled marshes, investigating its many creatures. ( Polly Morgan provides the pleasing cinematography.)

What actually ends up happening here, though, is such a terrible twist—and it all plays out in such dizzyingly speedy fashion—that it’s unintentionally laughable. You get the sensation that everyone involved felt the need to cram it all in, yet still maintain a manageable running time. If you’ve read the book, you know what happened to Chase Andrews; if you haven’t, I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it here. But I will say I had a variety of far more intriguing conclusions swirling around in my head in the car ride home, and you probably will, too. 

Now playing in theaters.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)

Rated PG-13 for sexual content and some violence including a sexual assault.

125 minutes

Daisy Edgar-Jones as Catherine 'Kya' Clark

Taylor John Smith as Tate Walker

Harris Dickinson as Chase Andrews

Michael Hyatt as Mabel

Sterling MacEr Jr. as Jumpin'

David Strathairn as Tom Milton

Garret Dillahunt as Pa

Eric Ladin as Eric Chastain

Ahna O'Reilly as Ma

Jojo Regina as Young Kya

• Olivia Newman

Writer (based upon the novel by)

• Delia Owens
• Lucy Alibar

Cinematographer

• Polly Morgan
• Alan Edward Bell
• Mychael Danna

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Reviews of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Summary | Excerpt | Reading Guide | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio

Where the Crawdads Sing

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• First Published:
• Aug 14, 2018

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Book Summary

Winner of the 2018 BookBrowse Debut Author Award How long can you protect your heart?

For years, rumors 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 Marsh 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 touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens. Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

The morning burned so August-hot, the marsh's moist breath hung the oaks and pines with fog. The palmetto patches stood unusually quiet except for the low, slow flap of the heron's wings lifting from the lagoon. And then, Kya, only six at the time, heard the screen door slap. Standing on the stool, she stopped scrubbing grits from the pot and lowered it into the basin of worn-out suds. No sounds now but her own breathing. Who had left the shack? Not Ma. She never let the door slam. But when Kya ran to the porch, she saw her mother in a long brown skirt, kick pleats nipping at her ankles, as she walked down the sandy lane in high heels. The stubby-nosed shoes were fake alligator skin. Her only going-out pair. Kya wanted to holler out but knew not to rouse Pa, so opened the door and stood on the brick-'n'-board steps. From there she saw the blue train case Ma carried. Usually, with the confidence of a pup, Kya knew her mother would return with meat wrapped in greasy brown paper ...

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

• The North Carolina marsh where Kya lives has long been a sanctuary for outsiders. How does this setting shape the novel? How does growing up in this isolation affect Kya? In what ways does her status as an “outsider” change how others see her?
• Why does Kya choose not to go back to school? Do you think she makes the wrong decision? How does Kya’s lack of formal education shape her vision of the world? Would her character be different if she had gone to school?
• After Jodie and Pa leave Kya alone, she becomes close to Jumpin’ and Mabel. Why are these two adults drawn to Kya? What do they teach her about the world? Do you agree with Jumpin’s decision to protect Kya from social services (p. 110) and to encourage...
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Although the novel focuses on the years between 1965 and 1970, it encompasses the whole span of Kya’s life. At times I found it hard to believe that the plucky urchin living off of grits and evading truant officers is the same character as the willowy nature writer wondering who will love her and never leave. Also, the chronology becomes slightly difficult to follow as it approaches 1969...The use of animal behavior metaphors works very well, though. Kya understands her fellow humans by analogy, asking why a mother animal might leave her cubs or why males compete for female attention. The title refers to places where wild creatures do what comes naturally, and throughout the book we are invited to ponder how instinct and altruism interact and what impact human actions can have in the grand scheme of things... In Kya, Owens has created a truly outstanding character. The extremity of her loneliness makes her a sympathetic figure in spite of her oddities. If you like the idea of a literary novel flavored with elements of mystery and romance, and of a poetic writing style tempered with folksy Southern dialect, Crawdads is a real treat... continued

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(Reviewed by Rebecca Foster ).

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Where the Crawdads Sing is about Kya Clark, known to townspeople as the Marsh Girl, growing up in the marsh of North Carolina in the 1960’s. When her family abandons her at age six, Kya must learn to survive on her own with only nature (and a handful of friends) to guide her. During her young adulthood, a tragedy occurs in the nearest town, and the prejudices of the day come to light when she is accused of murder.

This book is Delia Owens’ debut novel. The author has written numerous books of nonfiction, but this is her first attempt at fiction…a very successful attempt. Where the Crawdads Sing has been a New York Times Best-Seller for 58 weeks and (as of March 2020) is still going strong. What makes this book so appealing? Is it really worthy of all the hype?

Content Guide

Violence/Scary Images: Some boys discover a corpse, and the investigating police describe it, but the description is not explicit. A person commits murder. The main character’s father is abusive. Boys throws rocks at an African American man. Kya fights off an attempted rapist.

Language: Frequent use of language throughout, including a**, h***, d***, s*** (and variations). Less frequent use of f***, f*****s, and n*****.

Drug/Alcohol References: Kya’s father is an alcoholic and abusive to his family when drunk. The town deputy mentions drug dealing as a possible motive for murder. A young man gets drunk and tries to rape Kya.

Sexual Content: Kya gets her menstrual cycle and must learn about it through friends. She and her love interest engage in detailed sexual exploration, which nearly leads to intercourse. Premarital intercourse occurs and is described simply as “lovemaking.” A young man tries to rape Kya, and the author vividly describes the scene. Some of the townspeople bet on who will be the first to “take the cherry” of the wild girl. Kya takes note of the various mating habits of marsh animals.

Other Negative Content: One of the main characters makes a morally questionable choice, and it is neither praised nor condemned. The town is prejudiced against Kya and her family because of their status as marsh dwellers. African Americans are segregated to “Colored Town,” called inappropriate names, and sometimes physically harassed. Women, children, and African Americans are not allowed to enter the bar in town; and African Americans cannot go into the shops, even in the rain.

Spiritual Content: An African American church donates clothing and food to Kya when no one else in town will.

Positive Content: The townspeople discover their underlying hatred of the Marsh Girl and attempt to change. A couple takes care of Kya, even though they face hardships because of their race. Kya starts to believe love exists, even after a lifetime of abandonment.

From the first line of the prologue, Owens throws the reader into the setting:

Marsh is not swamp. Marsh is a space of light, where grass grows in water, and water flows into the sky. … Then within the marsh, here and there, true swamp crawls into low-lying bogs, hidden in clammy forests. Swamp water is still and  dark, having swallowed the light in its muddy throat (3).

The image of marsh versus swamp is present throughout Where the Crawdads Sing , linking Owens’ background in science to her literary genius. Kya lives in the marsh. She is comfortable and confident in her little shack with her gull family. She can survive with minimal human interaction, and knows the name of every shell and bird feather she collects. The swamp, though, is another beast entirely.

The swamp is where they find the body of someone who pretends to love Kya Clark, but only wants the Marsh Girl. He tries to rape her in the swamp, and she is forced to run for her life. The swamp is where the people of the town gather, hoping to see her executed. It is the marsh, not the swamp, which Kya loves.

This love is evident to readers through the tender way Kya interacts with her surroundings: Painting her collection, whispering in the grasses, and feeding the gulls daily. She understands the marsh like no other, and this brings the author’s own vast knowledge of nature to light. Owens brilliantly weaves Kya’s story with a story about North Carolina wildlife. Poetry and metaphor scattered throughout the book force readers to learn more about the area without realizing they are doing so.

When someone reads this story, they step into that marsh and commit to a journey through the prejudices of the US South in the 1960’s. They will watch Kya struggle against bullies of all ages and realize even though she has proved her worth, the bullies still refuse to leave her alone. It forces readers to look at US history, and themselves, and question decisions they may take for granted.

At first glance,  Where the Crawdads Sing is just another coming-of-age story with hints of a murder mystery. In reality, it is a study in intimacy. Kya never understands love. She watches her loving mother, abusive father, and five siblings walk down the dirt path out of her life forever. One couple helps her the best they can: Taking donations from their church to keep her clothed, advising her about female anatomy when she comes of age, and employing her for jobs they do not need. However, their help is limited. As African Americans, they are relegated to the “Colored Town” outside the town limits and face similar prejudices to Kya.

The most positive relationship comes in the form of Tate Walker, a childhood friend. As Kya and Tate grow closer through the years, she starts to reflect on love, or the absence of it, in the animal kingdom:

Kya watched other [fireflies]. The females got what they wanted – first a mate, then a meal – just by changing their signals. Kya knew judgment had no place here. Evil was not in play, just life pulsing on, even at the expense of some of the players (142-143).

When Tate makes a bad decision, Kya is even more convinced love is only a reproductive instinct: Mate and move on. It will take the love of a town, not just one man, to repair her fractured heart.

The murder mystery in Where the Crawdads Sing is not the true plot, which is a refreshing difference from most genre mysteries. In fact, if a reader tried to pinpoint the plot by its events alone, they would fall short. This story is sometimes painfully slow. There is little to no action. Time jumps are signaled only by a year printed at the beginning of each chapter, which can be confusing since the entire story (Kya’s past and present) is set in the reader’s past. However, this story is not about murder or the passage of time; it is about the Marsh Girl.

While the story may creep along, the characters’ lives are rich and developed, full of love and mistakes. Some of the main characters make bad decisions when faced with nearly impossible odds, and readers will find themselves wondering what they would do in such a situation. It may be Delia Owens’ debut novel, but it reads like a masterpiece. This coming-of-age story is perfect for anyone who wants to fully immerse themselves in the life of another, for better or worse.

+ Complex, believable characters + Complete immersion into setting + Nonfiction inserts fit perfectly in story + Knowledgeable author

- Slow moving plot - Sometimes wondering if there is a plot - Time jumps can be confusing

The Bottom Line

Where the Crawdads Sing is a haunting, beautiful tale about a North Carolina Marsh Girl who learns to move past prejudice and discovers the nature of love and relationships. While it may be the most slow moving murder mystery ever, the characters are fully developed and readers will fall in love with their complexity.

Courtney Floyd

I may be too old, weaned on classics, but I expected a mystery thriller, not a wooden romance novel. The back-and-forth time structure was forced, with no real purpose, and the inconsistencies in an autodidactic savant, who yet acted nearly developmentally disabled, then transformed without explanation or process, stretched my patience. No reveal, of how she mastered the complexities without tripping up, left us to accept it as fact. Worse, the morality play left gaps that could have been dealt with as an act of true self defense, rather than coolly calculated revenge, where we have to weigh one certainly cruel crime against a capital one. Stereotypes are even cringe-worthy, in the dated dialects of the white trash and the noble, but poor Blacks. In my 70 years, I’ve lost several acquaintances to murder, and also experienced truly bizarre coincidences, which had they aligned in time and place with those crimes, might have fingered me as a suspect, in the finest Perry Mason/Hitchcock manner. Life can be stranger than fiction, but it is the author’s task to weave a convincing tale that feels natural, without convenient gaps in time or exposition. If the third person narrative enters the thoughts of a character, it should obligate the full disclosure, of all going on in there, not just snippets edited to conceal the largest secret of the whole book. I read this while sick, and at least won’t have to see the film.

I agree the book was not something I would recommend to everyone, as it was a very slow burn with a morally gray protagonist. I personally am interested to see how they adapt such a book into a thriller. Your comment, while a thoughtful analysis of the material, does imply that people who are developmentally disabled (you used a more offensive term we felt was appropriate to change) are either slow or stupid. Please remember that Geeks Under Grace is a place for everyone–regardless of race, gender, and ability–to engage with pop culture. That said, please keep your comments respectful.

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From a Marsh to a Mountain, Crime Fiction Heads Outdoors

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By Marilyn Stasio

• Aug. 17, 2018

The wildlife scientist Delia Owens has found her voice in WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING (Putnam, $26), a painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature. The author, with her husband, Mark, of three books about southern Africa, Owens here surveys the desolate marshlands of the North Carolina coast through the eyes of an abandoned child. And in her isolation that child makes us open our own eyes to the secret wonders — and dangers — of her private world.

The narrative begins in 1969, when two boys riding their bikes come upon the body of Chase Andrews half submerged in a swamp. The rest of the story tells us how he got there and why we might wish he had never been found. In alternating chapters, Owens circles back 17 years to when Chase was just a boy tormenting Kya Clark, whose adored mother walked down the lane one day and never returned. “Kya laid her hand upon the breathing, wet earth, and the marsh became her mother.” Left in the care of her drunken father, 6-year-old Kya quickly learns how to placate this violent man, a lesson taught by the minnows in a nearby stream: “Just keep out of the way, don’t let him see you, dart from sunspots to shadows.”

Kya’s real life begins at age 10. Deserted by her father and taunted in school as a “swamp rat,” she retreats from civilization, turning elsewhere for sustenance and survival. “Drifting back to the predictable cycles of tadpoles and the ballet of fireflies, Kya burrowed deeper into the wordless wilderness. Nature seemed the only stone that would not slip midstream.” What follows is a gorgeous study of a life lived among herons and gulls and the occasional human who treats her decently. (The love of her life is a boy named Tate, who brings her books and teaches her to read.)

Over the years, “the marsh girl,” as she comes to be known, develops into a bona fide naturalist, translating her observations into drawings and paintings and recording those observations in carefully detailed journals. “Female fireflies draw in strange males with dishonest signals and eat them. Female insects, Kya thought, know how to deal with their lovers.”

In the end, Owens goes a bit too far as she attempts to make amends for Kya’s lonely childhood and solitary life. But it must be said that Kya has earned it.

A college student named Stephen O’Connor has a vision, described in elegiac and frightful detail by William Kent Krueger in DESOLATION MOUNTAIN (Atria, $26). In this dreamlike revelation, a boy shoots an arrow into the air and brings down a mighty eagle. The next day, a private plane crashes on the Iron Lake Reservation, slamming into a mountain the Indians call “Devil’s Eye” and killing Senator Olympia McCarthy. Cork O’Connor, Stephen’s father and the standup hero in this thriving series set in northern Minnesota, insinuates himself into an inquiry that draws investigators from several government agencies, along with some beefy guys wearing camo and carrying serious weapons.

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Reading Ladies

Where the crawdads sing [book review].

September 28, 2018

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Genre/Categories: Women’s Fiction, Southern Fiction, Coming of Age, Family Life, Survival

Living in the marsh outside a quiet, small town on the coast of North Carolina, Kya Clark, later known as the “Marsh Girl,” is abandoned by her entire family and learns to survive in the marsh on her own from the age of ten. One by one her older siblings abandon the family, her mother leaves when Kya is about seven, and finally, her father, a difficult, unreliable, and drunk man, leaves when she’s ten. Kya attends school for one day after a truant officer catches her. On that day, she is teased by the students, knows she’s hopelessly behind academically, and never returns. Preferring the isolation and safety of the marsh, she learns what she can through observing nature. Although she can survive on her own, she begins to long for companionship as she reaches her teen years. Two boys from town attract her attention. One of them turns up dead, and she is suspected of murder. The other becomes a life long supporter and friend. A coming of age story with a fair share of tragedy, mystery, and grit, this is an unforgettable read you’ll want to devour and recommend.

Amazon Rating: 4.8 Stars

My Thoughts:

While I loved Where the Crawdads Sing , this story might not be for everyone and comes with trigger warnings for some child neglect and abandonment.

What I loved most: structure and style. Where the Crawdads Sing is atmospheric and engaging from the first page to the last. In addition, it’s an easy reading narrative that flows well and is pleasingly balanced between character-driven and plot-driven. The author creates an amazing sense of place and a memorable and unforgettable character. As a bonus, the author’s background as a wildlife scientist enables her to include many fascinating scientific facts and details about the marsh.

This story came to me at the right time as I was in the mood for an intriguing, well written, page-turner, and Where the Crawdads Sing did not disappoint! It will most likely appear on my best of 2018 list.

Along with an emphasis on science and the marsh habitat, the author creates vivid and colorful local characters that enhance the story and includes a surprising plot twist at the end (which I have mixed feelings about).

Kya Clark is certainly a most compelling character . Resourceful, brave, cunning, a gritty survivor, and clever, Kya creates a life for herself despite the most difficult and disheartening circumstances. There is a person in town that she learns to trust and who becomes as important to her as a father. He watches out for her the best that he can which is difficult because he’s African-American and is dealing with issues of hate and segregation in his own life. He understands Kya and respects her freedom and her need to live her life on her terms even though she’s so young. Despite Kya’s ability to create a life for herself as a wildlife artist and illustrator and is eventually able to trust herself to love, there is a plot twist at the end that will force you to reevaluate Kya and the decisions she’s made.

Themes in Where the Crawdads Sing include belonging, abandonment, survival, trust, coming of age, family, and caring for others. There’s a great deal to reflect on or to discuss (if this is a book club pick) as the story unfolds.

The Ending: I have mixed feelings about the morally ambiguous ending. If you consider the author’s premise that Kya learned life’s lessons from marsh creatures, I guess the ending falls into perspective. However, I wonder if this is enough of a justification for Kya’s actions. Definitely a great topic for book club!

Recommended for readers who are looking for an engaging and unique story with a strong female protagonist. It would make an excellent book club selection because of the various discussion possibilities.

Triggers/Content Considerations: child neglect and abandonment.

My Rating 4.5 (rounded up to 5 Stars

Where the Crawdads Sing Information Here

Meet the Author, Delia Owens

She has won the John Burroughs Award for Nature Writing and has been published in  Nature ,  The African Journal of Ecology , and many others.

She currently lives in Idaho.  Where the Crawdads Sing  is her first novel.

Have you read Where the Crawdads Sing or is it on your TBR? Who is the most memorable character in your recent reads?

Happy Reading Book Worms!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.” ~Rainer Maria Rilke

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“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.” ~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.” ~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

My Fall TBR

I’ll be updating my Fall TBR list as I complete each read, so check this link often!

Looking Ahead:

This week I’m reading an ARC of The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain (pub date: 10/2). It’s different from my usual genres: heavy on science fiction (time travel), a bit of hisfic (as the characters travel between 1970 and 2018), and some suspense. I would characterize this as an escapist read! Full review coming soon.

I’m also ready to begin The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris  because my library hold came in. (taking a deep breath for this heavy read)

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28 comments.

[…] Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (debut author) (pub date: 8/14) I’ve read almost all glowing reviews of this one! It’s my most anticipated fall read which I’ll be reading and reviewing soon because my library hold just became available! ***Update: 5 Stars. Unforgettable character. (Full Review Here) […]

Such a wonderful post, Carol! I found Kya completely memorable, too! I loved your Crawdads review! It’s definitely worthy of five stars! I’m rushing off to work, and I’m going to think on another memorable character.

Thank you for stopping in and commenting! I love all the unforgettable characters we meet through reading!

[…] Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens Fiction/Family Life 5 Stars. Full Review Here. […]

Hi Carol– this is not a book I would pick up just based on it’s cover description– But your hearty recommendation makes it intriguing. I have it on my library list! thanks.

I think it’s worth trying….the story is unique and it’s well written and engaging…..but it may not be for everyone! I’ll be eager to hear what you think if you read it!

I just finished this book, and it was very intriguing–that plot twist at the very end has been on my mind too much ever since! Loved all the marsh wildlife and biology information. And right, not for everyone.

Thanks for commenting Ruth!

[…] Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens […]

[…] Using my five senses, can I envision a place? The time period? The atmosphere? The season? When I close my eyes and stop to think about the story, can I place myself in the story? What do I see, hear, touch, feel, taste, smell? What details do I notice? If I’m having difficulty in answering these questions, this might mean a low rating for this element of the story. How important is the setting to the story? Is the setting an important aspect of the story or could the story have taken place in any location or in any time period? Sometimes the setting can be as important in a story as a character. An example of this is Where the Crawdads Sing. […]

[…] that are too high and it ends up a disappointing read. The last book I read with a lot of buzz was Where the Crawdads Sing and it lived up to the buzz. What’s the last book you chose based on the buzz? Did you enjoy […]

[…] the most views day after day, week after week, and month after month is the review I wrote of Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This title is also the most used search term that leads readers to my blog. When my bookish […]

[…] Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 5 Stars […]

[…] viewed post: Where the Crawdads Sing (day after day, week after week, and month after month, this is the most searched for and viewed […]

[…] Where the Crawdads Sing (Fiction) by Delia Owens and The Scent Keeper (Fiction) by Erica Bauermeister (especially for readers who are interested in unique coming of age stories) […]

[…] Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (contemporary fiction, against the odds, *trigger: child abandonment) My review. […]

[…] popular post: Where the Crawdads Sing Review (week after week and month after month since the pub date, Crawdads has been my number one search […]

[…] My Summary: Living in the marsh outside a quiet, small town on the coast of North Carolina, Kya Clark, later known as the “Marsh Girl,” is abandoned by her entire family and learns to survive in the marsh on her own from the age of ten. One by one her older siblings abandon the family, her mother leaves when Kya is about seven, and finally her father, a difficult, unreliable, and drunk man, leaves when she’s ten. Kya attends school for one day after a truant officer catches her. On that day, she is teased by the students, knows she’s hopelessly behind academically, and never returns. Preferring the isolation and safety of the marsh, she learns what she can through observing nature. Although she can survive on her own, she begins to long for companionship as she reaches her teen years. Two boys from town attract her attention. One of them turns up dead, and she is suspected of murder. The other becomes a life long supporter and friend. A coming of age story with a fair share of tragedy, mystery, and grit, this is an unforgettable read you’ll want to devour and recommend. My Review. […]

[…] Most viewed post: Where the Crawdads Sing  […]

[…] Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (contemporary fiction, against the odds, *trigger: child abandonment) My review of Crawdads here. […]

[…] most viewed posts. In 2017 (blogged for 6 months): 2017 Really Recommendable Reads (views); in 2018 Where the Crawdads Sing (495 views); in 2019 Where the Crawdads Sing (7,777 views)….I’m […]

[…] a few of these great reads, and today I’m eager to share my review of the page-turning Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens….a story of […]

This sounds like it would be perfect for me, but there’s something that just makes me not want to bother… can’t put my finger on it, I’m afraid. (Too much hype, maybe?)

I’m sure it’s the hype! Maybe in a few years!

[…] and resilient, Yona is a complicated character and survivalist. At times, she reminds me of Kya in Where the Crawdads Sing. As she overcomes her shyness around people, Yona becomes a strong and wise leader and saves many […]

[…] swamp setting in Where the Crawdads Sing comes to mind when I think of atmospheric settings. Also, unforgettably atmospheric is the dust […]

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Where the Crawdads Sing Book Review

Last updated: July 9, 2019 by Emma Robinson

Astonishment has gripped lots of readers, as they were paralyzed by the killing beaty when they discovered the new bestseller, truly recognized by the New York Times . This is all about Delia Owens’s first and very successful novel Where the Crawdads Sing . Just half a year after it was published, it has already become the most frequently discussed book. Want to find out what has created such insane popularity – just stay with BooKKooks, and you’ll get the most justified and detailed synopsis ever.

Prerequisites

A regular reader might ask himself what this title means, what is this about? However, knowing nothing about an author’s biography stands between a reader and the certainty. Thus, only Delia can understand its value, due to very warm and intimate memories from her childhood.

As a little girl, she was taught about nature by her mom. In fact, her mom always encouraged Delia to go to the forest saying, “Go way out yonder where the crawdads sing.” However, her true dedication was to the writer’s three besties.

And, thank God, the writer was really talented – this was revealed in her childhood and was encouraged by her numerous wins in grammar and writing competitions. A significant role was her love of nature, especially North Carolina’s landscape, along with her background participation in writing scientific books.

All those factors allowed us to enjoy this amazingly unique description of nature, which comes in a bundle of breathtaking and intriguing plot of investigation. The scenario absorbs and makes the reader continue reading with a wide-open mouth non-stop until the last word in the book.

Plot of the Book

As it was stated before, the acts take place in North Carolina. The author has scrupulously described the difference between the meaning of two types of flooding (swamp and marsh) in the beginning of the book. However, this introduction is not given without purpose. And only the last word on the first page links you to the story itself. From now on, the story reveals the main characters in their childhood: Kya (Marsh Girl), Chase Andrews (victim), and Tate, who were best friends.

She spent her whole life missing school, and in fact, her real school was surviving and interfering with nature. Seeing other coevals walking around marsh, she got acquainted with her to-be-besties: first Tate, and then Chase. Both of the boys were valuable and her life-savers.

Steadily, the plot turns into something unexpectedly horrible: Chase Andrews was found dead in the marsh. The sheriff, investigating the teenager’s death and searching for clues, concluded that the murder was done by the fragile and tender Kya, who only wanted to be loved and cherished.

The upshot is gorgeous, catching the reader’s breath until the clear explanation of Chase’s death. You’ll enjoy revealing the secret of the mysterious murder!

World Perception

For sure, after the book release in October, the author was in anticipation of review and summary from readers. However, her expectation was fully paid off: everyone who has read this book was astonished by this unique story, and they adored the “marsh girl” and the final scenes.

In addition, all the biggest American publishers gave their the highest scores and feedback: Bustle, New York Times, Aspen Daily News. This hit was even noticed by celebrities, for instance Reese Witherspoon claimed that she had wanted this book to never end.

Thus, public perception of Where The Crawdads Sing was pretty successful, yet it fills the air.

The book was released on August 18, 2018. More than 250,000 copies were sold. Thus, it was nominated for the Southern Book Award, and the final announcement of a winner will be in February of 2019.

However, the popularity of this manuscript was promoted by celebrity Reese Witherspoon, giving her own valuable review.

Book Design

This book comes in a hard cover, with a colorful illustration of a rowing person in a boat against the sunrise. he text is arranged in portrait orientation. The page count is 384 with some illustrations inside, as well. The dimensions are 6.2 x 1 x 9.3 inches, and it weighs 1.3 pounds.

Critical Analysis

Although critical analysis implies constant fault-finding, when reading this book, all mistakes and hated cliches disappear at once. Even the most strict person can be charmed by such an innocently mesmerizing thriller.

However, there is an eternally familiar pattern of a good boy vs a bad boy, and there is some inconsistency of Kya’s transformation in the future. Despite there existing tiny problems, they don’t distract the reader and it keeps their attention until the end.

Definitely, this novel is worth reading and might be a new addition to the list of books which you should read before you go. Want to find out more such examples? Stay with BooKKooks !

• Delia Owens – https://www.deliaowens.com/
• From a Marsh to a Mountain, Crime Fiction Heads Outdoors – https://www.nytimes.com/
• What’s in a Page: Delia Owens on Her Haunting Southern Novel Where the Crawdads Sing – https://ew.com/

About Emma Robinson

Hi there, my name’s Emma - I’m a professional journalist and I adore reading books. Actually, they are my source of appeasement and daily energy. My personal achievement is my contribution to my friends’ willingness to develop through books. Thus, I have a huge list of the best books to be read and reviewed. Stay up-to-date with me and BooKKooks! You may also want to visit my page on Facebook - I would be glad to see new followers there, so I can share my recent reviews.

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Blake Lively Romance Drama ‘It Ends With Us’ First Day Presales Outpace ‘Where The Crawdads Sing’

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

EXCLUSIVE: Tickets for Wayfarer Studios and Columbia Pictures’ I t Ends With Us went on sale last Wednesday with presales outstripping that of Sony’s summer 2022 sleeper romance title Where the Crawdads Sing by nearly 4x in its first day. It Ends With Us opens on Aug. 9.

The news follows in the wake of the movie’s first trailer dropping earlier this year to a massive 128.1M views in its first 24-hours, the biggest female event trailer launch post Covid.

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Part of the drive here is the fact that It Ends With Us is the highest-selling novel of author Colleen Hoover .

Back in the summer of 2022, Sony worked wonders in turning Where the Crawdads Sing into a destination for female moviegoers. The pic opened to $17.2M and did a great 5.2 multiple for a final domestic gross of $90.2M. The 3000 Pictures production cleared a net profit of $74M-plus.

The Blake Lively starring and produced, Justin Baldoni directed and starring It Ends With Us , follows Lily, who is overcoming a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life. She has a chance meeting with a neurosurgeon which sparks a connection, but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents’ relationship.

It Ends With Us became a “BookTok” cultural phenomenon with over 2 billion views on Hoover’s TikTok hashtag. Hooever is currently the best-selling novelist in the US with over 25 million books sold (at end of 2023). She wrote five of the top ten bestselling print books of any genre in 2022. It Ends With Us was published in 43 foreign languages and was the top selling print book of 2022. It was also on the New York Times Best Sellers List for over 135 weeks by the end of 2023. It’s also the first feature take of a Hoover novel. The author is an EP on the pic.

RELATED: Everything We Know About ‘It Ends With Us’ So Far

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What is 'Hillbilly Elegy'? Everything to know about VP candidate JD Vance's book

Former President Donald Trump selected Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance on Monday to be his 2024 vice-presidential running mate.

Vance, who grew up in Jackson, Kentucky, and Middletown, Ohio, skyrocketed to fame as the author of “Hillbilly Elegy.” The book later turned into a movie of the same name that was released in 2020.

Here's what to know about "Hillbilly Elegy."

Is JD Vance's 'Hillbilly Elegy' based on a true story? What is it about?

Yes. Vance described a childhood consumed by poverty and abuse in "Hillbilly Elegy," his  best-selling 2016 memoir . Vance's mother struggled with drug addiction, so he spent many of his formative years with his grandmother – known to him as Mamaw. The book, which has 4.3/5 stars out of over 96,000 ratings on Amazon, also touches on his journey to a Yale Law School degree that opened doors for him in Silicon Valley.

"Hillbilly Elegy" later turned into a  Netflix feature film of the same name.

What to know about 'Hillbilly Elegy,' the movie

The movie inspired by Vance's book released to Netflix in 2020. Directed by Ron Howard, it stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close. Vance's character is played by Gabriel Basso. Owen Asztalos also plays the younger version of him.

The IMDB description says, "An urgent phone call pulls a Yale Law student back to his Ohio hometown , where he reflects on three generations of family history and his own future."

The film, which is rated R, received a 6.7/10 on IMDB and 25% on Rotten Tomatoes .

Where was 'Hillbilly Elegy' filmed?

According to Decider , "Hillbilly Elegy" was partially filmed in Vance's hometown of Middletown, Ohio, as well as Atlanta and Clayton, Georgia.

Who is JD Vance's mother?

Vance's parents are Donald Bowman and Bev Vance. The two divorced when he was a toddler, according to Politico . In the movie, Bev Vance's character is played by Amy Adams.

Where can I watch 'Hillbilly Elegy'

The film is available to stream on Netflix.

Where is Middletown, Ohio?

Middletown is located in Ohio's Butler and Warren counties, the southwest portion of the state. It's part of the Greater Cincinnati area.

Who is JD Vance? Vice presidential candidate has multiple ties to Columbus

'Hillbilly Elegy' trailer

• Anniston/Gadsden

‘Hillbilly Elegy’ streaming: How to watch the movie based on JD Vance’s book

• Updated: Jul. 15, 2024, 3:42 p.m.
• | Published: Jul. 15, 2024, 3:12 p.m.

• Ben Flanagan | [email protected]

Former President Donald Trump has a running mate in the 2024 election : Ohio U.S. Sen. JD Vance.

The 39-year-old has earned recent fame after a successful bid for congress as well as his public loyalty for Trump. But Vance first landed on people’s radars with his memoir, the bestseller “Hillbilly Elegy,” which was published in 2016 as Trump was first running for president.

You can find the book in your local libraries and bookstores (or online), but you may recall there was a 2020 film adaptation with some big Hollywood names attached. And if you want to get inside the mind of the possible future vice president, you can stream it right now.

What is ‘Hillbilly Elegy’?

Based on JD Vance’s bestseller, it follows a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student (based on Vance) on the verge of landing his dream job. A family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget, as he navigates the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother Bev (Amy Adams), who’s struggling with addiction. He’s also fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), who raised him, as he learns to embrace his family’s indelible imprint on his own personal journey.

Directed by Oscar-winner Ron Howard (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Apollo 13″) the film chronicles the highs and lows of a family’s three colorful generations through their unique struggle.

Who’s in the movie?

Actor Gabriel Basso plays JD Vance. Basso previously appeared in the films “Alabama Moon,” “Super 8,” and “The Kings of Summer.”

But the movie mostly focuses on the strong female leads. It stars Oscar nominees Amy Adams (as Beverly “Bev” Vance, JD’s mother) and Glenn Close (as Bonnie “Mamaw” Vance, JD’s grandmother).

Adams has six Academy award nominations for performances in “Junebug,” “Doubt,” “The Fighter,” “The Master,” “American Hustle” and “Vice.” Close has eight nominations for her work in “The World According to Garp,” “The Big Chill,” “The Natural,” “Fatal Attraction,” “Dangerous Liaisons,” “Albert Nobbs,” “The Wife” and “Hillbilly Elegy.”

Sunny Mabrey (born in Gadsden, Alabama) stars as young Bonnie “Mamaw” Vance.

How can I stream ‘Hillbilly Elegy’?

The movie is currently streaming on Netflix .

Did critics like it?

No, not really. The movie has a 25% percent positive critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes . The consensus says, “With the form of an awards-season hopeful but the soul of a bland melodrama, ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ strands some very fine actors in the not-so-deep South.” The Audience Score is higher, though, with more than 2,500 ratings giving it an average of 82%. But critics mostly took “Hillbilly Elegy” to the woodshed , trashing the modern exploration of the American Dream about three generations of an Appalachian family that still eked out the Oscar nom for Close.

Vanity Fair referred to it as “a Hollywood grotesque.” Vox opened with the headline, “Everything about Netflix’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ is awful.” “‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Is Laughably Horrendous in Every Way,” said Collider .

So why the adverse reaction? AL.com’s Lawrence Specker wrote , “The book became a sensation and that sensation in turn generated a deep, slow-burning backlash worthy of a Hatfield-McCoy feud. Yes, the metaphor is an obvious and cheap stereotypical shot — but there was no way Howard’s project wasn’t going to be greeted with fusillades of rhetorical buckshot from one side or the other.”

It made Hollywood history, sort of...

Close joined a very short list of actors to earn both an Oscar nomination and a Razzie nomination for the same performance. In fact, Close marks only the third person to accomplish the feat, following Amy Irving in 1983′s “Yentl” and James Coco in 1981′s “Only When I Laugh.”

Oscar-winners are no stranger to the Razzies, formally known as the Golden Raspberry Awards. Sandra Bullock, Nicolas Cage, Halle Berry, Robert De Niro, Faye Dunaway, Julia Roberts, Al Pacino and others have earned the distinction as Razzie nominees and/or winners, some even accepting their “award” in person . John Travolta even won Worst Actor for his work in two movies he filmed in Alabama .

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JD Vance asks how Biden can ‘justify remaining President’ after bowing out Jul. 21, 2024, 1:30 p.m.

Close did not win either prize. Youn Yuh-jung (”Minari”) won the Oscar that year, while Maddie Ziegler (“Music”) brought home the coveted Razzie.

FILE - Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, right, points toward Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on March 16, 2024, in Vandalia, Ohio. Vance sharply criticized Trump during the 2016 election cycle, before changing course and embracing the former president. Vance is now one of Trump's fiercest allies and defenders and among those short-listed to be Trump's vice presidential pick. AP Photo/Jeff Dean, File) AP

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