Luna Bookish's Reviews > Where the Crawdads Sing

So, am I am writing this I just finished this book and I have to say I absolutely love it. This is actually my first 5 star read of 2020, which is super exciting. I am also going to take this time to apologies about the gush fest this post has now turned into.

First thing I really liked was the choice of time period. While it does have a wide range and is told by jumping back and forth, I think the time period was a great choice for a few reasons. The first being alluding to civil rights and Jim Crow laws. There were a few time in this book that I just teared up or flat out cried at. The second aspect being the hard topic of abuse. I feel like the author did a good job of handling such a hard topic. It didn't shy away from it, it was a hard honest look at it. I really liked that the author didn't just comment on one social issue, but a few.

On top of the commentary on the U.S. and relationships during this range of time, I really liked how much of nature was a center role of this novel. I love nature, I love just going on long walks in the woods and watching the animals so I connected just a bit with the main character. I can see why the marsh was so important to her. The book really made the marsh tangible, the writing was poetic and the world really came to life. I could easily picture the shacks and the surrounding area with little little delay. This was also true of the characters.

The characters created by Delia Owens were just wow. The complexity and the detail that went into many of the characters showed. It has been a long time since I have read a book where I have cared so deeply for so many of the characters. I want to name so many of my favorites, but I fear I might spoil something so I am going to resist.

While, I did love this book and give it 5 stars, like I said earlier there are tough topics within this book. This includes abuse (physical and sexual), of a few kinds attempted and fulfilled. As said by the description Kya is abandoned in the marsh and is by herself for so long, but this is not the only thing that is done to Kya. While she is a strong character and very bright, she goes through a lot, things one human being, let alone a child should go through.

Overall I felt that this was a beautiful and surprising read. I really recommend it anyone who would not have a trouble with the topics within this book. It is beautifully written and you just fall into the story and have a hard time climbing out. I am so happy that my aunt recommended me this book, I am going to be asking her for more in the future. I will also be reading more from this author.