Book Review: Where the Crawdads Sing
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Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
It finally happened.
You may not believe it. I mean seriously, I read a lot of books, and you may be thinking that this can’t be first time. Where the Crawdads Sing cannot be first perfect score since I started this book review blog.
Well, by God, not only is this the first perfect score, but if I had a way to rate it higher, I would. And, it’s not even horror, paranormal, or science fiction! I’ll explain why and when I’m finished, I think you’ll understand.
I rate it 25 out of a possible 25. (see My Book Reviews for rating explanation)
The premise: A young girl is abandoned by her family in the marshlands of North Carolina during the 1950s. She survives on her own into adulthood and is labeled the “Marsh Girl”. She receives help from a few good folks, but most people sneer and judge her as white trash and even seek to make her life miserable. Despite the adversity she experiences, love endures even under the most extreme circumstances. But so does hate. When a prominent community member is found dead in the marsh, the Marsh Girl becomes the prime suspect.
I commend Delia Owens for telling such a beautiful story. My hats off to her!
Now, let’s get into it!
I debated on posting a review of Where the Crawdads Sing for two reasons:
One - this book doesn’t need my help. It’s selling like crazy.
Two - it’s not horror, paranormal, or science fiction and I’ve purposefully avoided reviewing books outside of those genres because I’m afraid of disappointing my core audience.
But folks, I had to make an exception for Where the Crawdads Sing. You need to read this story. Not because it was on the New York Times Bestseller list, not because Delia Owens needs more money, or because it’s the “writerly” thing to do. You need to read it because you’re seriously missing a wonderful story if you don’t.
I’ll tell you right now that my favorite books are ones with characters I fall in love with. That’s not uncommon. Many people say the same thing; Oh, I loved the characters. Stephen King is great at creating life-like characters; it’s one of his writing strengths that most of us envy. But for me, it’s deeper than just well-written characters. For me, what separates a great story from a remarkable story is a female character that I fall in love with. That may sound pathetic and weird, so let me explain (remember, it’s only make-believe). Honestly, there is an element of truth to what I’m saying. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Alicia from The Passage. Alice from Cell. Beverly from It. The list goes on and on. Don’t get me wrong, there’s many great female characters, but every once in a while, there is that rare one that I fall in love with.
Kya Clark from Where the Crawdads Sing is that kind of female character. I fell in love with her. And when you fall in love with a character, the experience of reading becomes magical.
Here are my thoughts and ratings on Where the Crawdads Sing.
Craft (5) – Synonyms for Delia Owens’s writing craft: Impeccable. Brilliant. Magic. She even gets away with swapping character POVs mid-text. Who can do that?
Pace (5) – At first, I didn’t know what I thought of the switching between the past and present. I’ve seen authors do this before and I’m not always wild about it. But as the story progressed, the context shift between Kya’s backstory and the murder investigation became natural and necessary. Perfectly executed.
Characters (5) – Delia Owens did such a spectacular job bringing Kya to life that she became real to me. By the time I was halfway through the book, I’d forgotten all about Delia Owens. I was reading Kya’s story. If someone had asked me who wrote the book, I’d probably have to glance at the cover. There are so many good writers that I love to read. But above almost all of us are those writers whose names are dwarfed by the life and presence of the characters they create. That, my friends, is where the magic happens.
Story (5) – As I’ve mentioned, Where the Crawdads Sing is not my typical review type of book. I write paranormal / horror, so I try to bring my readers those types of stories. I took a chance on this one. You have my word, this story is not romance (even I cannot get to that level), but it is drama and mystery. Above all else, my core audience is composed of readers. This one is for all of you.
Ending (5) – I’m not going to spend a lot of time here because I could easily (and inadvertently) spoil the ending. So, I’ll just say this: it ends well… you won’t be disappointed, but you may be heart-broken.
If you’re looking for an amazing story where characters come to life, don’t miss Where the Crawdads Sing. Delia Owens has demonstrated with her debut novel that she is the real deal. I put her in the same talent pool as the King’s, Hemingway’s, and Dickens’s of the world. Such a rare treat! Bravo, Ms. Owens! And Thank you!
My recommendation is to get this one!
Feel free to leave your thoughts. As always, I’d love to hear them. And I hope you enjoy Where the Crawdads Sing!
