Where the Crawdads Sing

Name: Where the Crawdads Sing
SKU: 51594
Availability: InStock

4.7 | 626,584 ratings

Price: 12.99

Last update: 05-21-2024

About this item

NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE—The #1 New York Times bestselling worldwide sensation with more than 18 million copies sold, hailed by The New York Times Book Review as “a painfully beautiful first novel that is at once a murder mystery, a coming-of-age narrative and a celebration of nature.”

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 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.

From the Publisher

Top reviews from the United States

Robin

Complex, beautiful, and heart-breaking

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2024

I had mentally written my review about two-thirds of the way through, but since finishing the book, my thoughts are all over the place.

The first section (‘The Marsh’) of the book is very slowly paced. Owens writes poetically, yet clearly, vividly painting the world of the marsh as Kya sees it. This section is not motivated by much plot, which makes it a bit difficult to stick with it, but simultaneously, it draws the reader into the slow pace of Kya’s limited world. It’s a lot of exposition, which can be hard to get through, but it’s all necessary to lay the foundation for the latter part of the book.

The pace of the story picks up in the ‘Swamp’ section, just like the pace of Kya’s life. I won’t say much about it, as I don’t want to give spoilers, but it becomes a lot harder to put down by this point.

The only part of this book that I hated was the dual timeline/year-jumping. To be fair, I usually hate this literary device and this book is no different. I caught myself going back and forth to check the year at the beginning of the chapter often. There are times when it’s successful, but it generally feels unnecessary and burdensome.

All and all this is a beautiful book, that delves into themes of love, coming-of-age, community, prejudice, nature, and what makes us human.

CrazyAboutBooks

A ten star plus book

Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2019

I loved this extraordinary book. Ms. Owens draws pictures with words that rivals paintbrush on canvas. In fact, the book is one long canvas of beautifully written words, page after page. One can feel Kya's isolation and pain, smell the marsh grasses and palmettos all while sneaking peeks at Big Red. I grew up with the adage "different strokes for different folks" so not everyone will enjoy WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. Unfortunately, it is a tragedy that reading the classics (in addition to more entertaining "beach reads") is no longer a requirement or is not as strong as it once was. Reading many voices and genres contributes to an appreciation that staring at text messages won't necessarily satisfy.

To be clear this is fiction and fiction always, always requires some suspending of belief. In this book, there are no car chases or major escape scenes or near misses for the detective or blown up cars so if action-packed is what one enjoys, then this book doubtless would not suit those readers. On the other hand consider this small literary passage from WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING:

"She stared at dust motes, dancing silently in one direction as though following some dreamy leader. When they hit the shadows, they vanished. Without the sun they are nothing."

I've seen dust motes many a time so I marvel that an author can give such personality to them! Of course, most of the beautiful words revolve around the marsh and its inhabitants, Kya, her family, her loneliness and her feelings and the townspeople not dust motes. However, that snippet is classic to how well written this book is all throughout. Of note Asheville is not as close to the coast as some other North Carolina cities but Asheville is surrounded by mountains, an attraction held out to Kya (a full day trip she is told), plus her paternal grandparents reportedly lived there (not a spoiler).

The mystery is handled perfectly. But that mystery is only one element of the book. It is so much more than that. Kya is not the first young child (real or imagined) who had to (has to) survive against many odds: in Kya's instance, the erratic Monday money for food while still a child just to name one. Other discussion points such as whether or not it's fire flies or lightning bugs is so beside the point IMO since it depends on where one grew up. We called them lightning bugs but out of town relatives called them fire flies. They are the same insect and very entertaining to watch. Kya tells us much about these insects that I did not know and this information fit into the story. (BTW, there is a great show in the Smokies put on by lightning bugs (fire flies) during their mating season. People actually take chairs and go watch!) Aside from quibbles about southernisms (LOL) some have, the book holds one's attention from beginning to end. The ending was perfect. It suited the book I believe. This book has earned its 5-star rating and I hope Ms. Owens writes another book soon.

Finally, the descriptions of the marsh itself and its many inhabitants, including Kya, is worth the price of the book yet the reader gets all these bonuses: a mystery, human survival, human relations contrasted with extraordinary naturalist behavior and descriptions and an aching heart for all the Kya's of the world. Highly recommended for those who like a great story interwoven amongst beautiful, haunting words. I won't remember that blown up car in a beach read beyond next week even though the book was fun to read but WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING will live with me (and other readers) for a very long time. An extraordinary book!

Karlie

amazing book

Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024

I loved this book. I love Kya and how deep yet secretive she is. I love how strong and beautiful she is while not seeking attention. This book was amazing and I can’t wait to watch the movie.

Read-Love-Review Blog

Coming of Age Murder Mystery Fiction

Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2024

This story is in two parts in one book. I appreciate the map at the beginning of the book. The story begins by putting you in a well-described swamp and then reveals a tragedy.

In the next chapter, we jump back in time to the story's beginning. The story's main character is very young, and her family is on the fringes of society in this marsh wasteland. Her plight and heritage are well described.

Like Chase, the nearby town boy, we get other characters in Kya's daily life. Her interconnections are far and few between, but we have a few dependent characters like Jumpin, Mable, and Tate. We jump back and forth in the timeline. Is this story a murder mystery fiction?

As Kya's life and years continue, we learn important information about her struggles and surroundings.

As we start the second part of this story, Kya is a grown woman, just about adult age. Her coming-of-age is filled with adventure, friendships, and living off the land.

The murder mystery and romance in this book's second part are intriguing. The evidence is being made to point to Kya, but is it really? The book certainly pulls on your sympathetic emotions. Even grown up and now in her 20s, her story of abandonment and survival is riveting.

The courtroom presiding part is excruciating to read, revealing the reader's heavy basis toward Kya. However, the results are fascinating. This book ends quite unexpectedly, and Kya and Tate finally get their happy lives, but even at the end, it takes a turn for the unexpected. You can hypothesize all you want on the who did it mystery, but it never outright tells you exactly. Unfortunately, the end theory isn't hard evidence. It never reveals precisely what happened in the storyline.

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