Review of “Where the Crawdads Sing”

I highly recommend the book “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Dalia Owens.  I read this book because the book was on the New York Times Bestseller list practically all of last year.   Several times last year, I tried to reserve this book at my local library, the list to reserve this book was long.  I finally broke down and purchased the book earlier this year.

I liked the main character in this story, Kya (full name Catherine Danielle Clark) a young girl that initially lives with all her family in the marshlands of North Carolina.  She is a strong, independent character.  She faces a lot of adversity throughout the book.  The marshlands and the living things that call the marshlands home turn out to be a form of comfort to her, help her get through her life, and be a form of family to her.    

The story also included a mystery which concluded in a courtroom.  The courtroom story really showcased the treatment over the years Kya received by the community, both good and bad treatment.   I liked this part of the story, as it showed the adversity Kya overcame to become the person she was. 

While I liked Kya and the story, I truly loved the North Carolina marshlands and the experience of both the land and the people.  I felt I was on a mini-vacation to a new place.  I have been to Charlotte, NC, but not the marshalands area.  The author Delia Owens writes more like she is an artist than an author.  She painted in my mind every facet of the marshalands from the sky, the water, to the creatures living there both animal and human.  One quote of many “Sitting in the bow, Kya watched low fingers of fog reaching for their boat.”  . 

I recommend the book “Where the Crawdads Sing”, it was worthy of the time spent on the New York Times Bestseller List last year.   The main character in this book was good and the story line had a nice mystery and resolution.  My favorite part of the book had to be the author taking us on a visit to the marshalands of North Carolina. 

Me:  I am Diane M. Spolar and I live in Willowbrook, Illinois (a suburb outside of Chicago) with my husband, son and cat.  I am a CPA by day and a reader by night and on the weekends.  I am a lifelong lover of books.