by Chloe Rensink
“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens is a coming-of-age novel that introduces the reader to themes of independence vs. human connection as one girl navigates the world alone, except for one kind soul.
The story starts off with the rough childhood of Kya as one-by-one her family leaves their home in the marsh, starting with her mother. Eventually, Kya is left alone with her abusive father. She grows to keep quiet and work hard, digging for mussels to sell at the shop down the road.
She tried going to school once, but was quickly made fun of by the wealthier students, as Kya had ratted hair and dirt and grime coating her fingers and toes.
And at this point, Kya is officially known as “the marsh girl” to anyone living in the town outside of the swamp.
Fast forward to her pre-teen years and Kya meets a boy named Tate, who shares her fascination with feathers and nature. He teaches her to read and write, and eventually to publish the unique drawings of her treasures.
This is her first form of real connection with humanity, and there is purity of another human becoming fascinated with her.
This book has a very heart-tugging plot to it, but quickly takes a dark turn. The book opens with the murder of the beloved Chase Andrews – the murder of a boy we later learn took advantage of Kya’s loneliness after Tate decides he isn’t good for Kya and leaves for college. The reader than spends the entire novel trying to decide if Kya was the murderer, and half the book is dedicated to the murder trial.
Did Kya murder Chase or are they simply prejudice against the poor, weird, uneducated ‘Marsh Girl’; a girl no one would help.
And will Tate ever come back? Is there a happily-ever-after for their true love story?
Owens does a captivating job of reeling the reader into the situation of the story and introducing characters that show true kindness, love and patience – but also selfishness and hate, fear, and pain.
Of several books I have read, and out of all of the books I have had to read for classes, this one is by far one my most favorite.
I love themes of survival and crime. Owens puts the reader right into the character’s shoes which makes this book so pleasurable. I could really feel every emotion of Kya as I read along, and I laughed when she did and cried when she was put in unfair positions.
If you are looking for a book worth your time, this one will definitely satisfy.
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