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Where the Crawdads Sing
Let's talk about the ending of Where the Crawdads Sing
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Jessica
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rated it 5 stars
Sep 05, 2019 10:38AM
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I LOVED this book. Definitely didn’t see the ending coming...but I think that’s why this book is so good. It was the least unassuming, if that makes sense.
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Would you change anything about the ending?
I also loved this book! After reading Kya's poems I thought it was very possible she did it, especially considering what she learned watching the life cycle of nature. I thought the ending could be very true of a childhood alone in the marsh, but I was still a little surprised! And I found Kya very lovable!
I loved the book until the very end. I did not want Kya to be the one who caused Chase’s demise. She had been through so much, championed so many things, and there was a part of me that wanted her to be happy and innocent forever. As much as Chase may have deserved it, I did not want it to be at the hands of Kya - it just ruined her character completely for me and I hated that, because I adored her. I thought it was Jumpin’ who had killed Chase for her and gotten away with it as he had died. That would have been the most satisfying outcome for me. I was so disappointed it wasn’t him and it was Kya.
There was a lot of foreshadowing earlier on when describing what female praying mantises do to there “suitors”. I was still surprised though, and it reshaped Kya’s character for me for sure. One of those things where you want to go back and reread certain parts again after knowing. Some of the most beautiful writing I’ve seen in a while!
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I was definitely surprised because I did not see it coming at all, but it didn't ruin the book or Kya's character for me. I also thought Jumping' was the one who killed Chase!
I loved this book! My son was sick when I had this book so I was able to devour it in three days! Loved the ending and that she ended up with (I forget his name). SHOCKED she was guilty and that she was the poet. Loved that it showed that a marsh girl could become an author...that your environment doesn’t always determine your success.
One of my absolute favorite books. I felt like I was right there in the Marsh with Kya and I was VERY surprised by the ending, but loved it. I kept going through all the characters I thought it might be (Tate, Jumpin, Kya’s brother) and I think the way everything played out was great. Especially the fact that she was the poet! Such a great story.
I felt a little surprised by the ending but also not really surprised at all. I thought for a little bit that it could have been Jumpin but then I didn’t really think so. I kind of thought that it had to be Kya. She had to do what she needed to in order to survive and continue the rest of her life as she knew and loved it. Chase never would have left her alone and just like she told Jumpin, no one would have believed her if she tried to report him. I was so sad when Jumpin died though, and I was also really surprised that Kya was the poet! I feel like I should go back and reread the poems now!
I was surprised by a few things. She never took the stand during the case. I really would have loved to hear what she had to say, but maybe this would have revealed too much of the ending. I was also surprised by, assuming, she had to disguise herself and adhere to such a strict schedule in order to meet and kill Chase in that short window to make it appear impossible for her to have done it. I also agree with one comment above, how it changes her character. I would have loved for it to have been Jumpin, or his wife, and for Kya to stay pure. I loved how she was the poet the whole time too. I kind of wish her husband had kept the poems so that she could also be remembered by them.
So I finished this book about 10 minutes ago and WOW that ending!! I did not think it would be Kya. I thought for a while it was Tate (especially when the police went to fetch him about his fathers death) and for a second I thought it might have been Tate's dad (as he reappeared in the court room). I think the ending was actually kind of perfect to be honest. It was so hauntingly beautiful (with the poetry and Tate throwing the necklace in the marsh). 5/5 for me!
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Totally agree with all of this. I actually didn't mourn the loss of the poems or really feel that part of the "twist" at the end quite as much as I did with her being guilty. I really did want her to stay pure, as you said.
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Wait this one made me so happy!! I love the real time reaction haha <3
I just finished this book (inspired by this post to read it)! I agree - I didn't mourn the loss of the poet, either, and definitely thought it should've been either Tate or Jumpin' who killed Chase. Two thoughts: 1) now it makes sense why she never got rid of her wood-fire stove! 2) In a way, maybe she already lived her punishment out during the first half of her life by living a life of solitude for so. many. years and being/feeling abandoned. So, the second half of her life is drastically different than her first because now she got to experience love and companionship. So maybe in a way she did have a punishment for her crime? Just before the crime was committed? I know life doesn't work that way, but also the foreshadowing about the insects and how the females kill their male lovers now comes into a sharper view.
I just finished the book and have been waiting to read the comments. My friend sent me this article about the author and it is a MUST READ! The author and her husband and step son are linked to a murder trial in Africa and a lot of her life is shown in Kya. It is VERY interesting. https://slate.com/culture/2019/07/del....
Also, I was shocked that it was Kya. I kind of had a feeling but reading things from her POV made me think she was innocent. And the trial was framed as an unjust prosecution so I truly began to believe she was innocent. I thought her being the poet was sweet and made sense why she resonated with the poems so much since she was the author.
I loved this book! It was reminiscent of To Kill a Mockingbird in a way. While I initially thought she was the one who killed Chase, based on the foreshadowing details in the various poetry, her observation of the praying mantis, and her description of other animals, but after hearing the evidence in the trial I changed my mind. I didn’t think it was possible that someone so innocent and unaware of how the world works could pull of a stunt like this. I wonder what access to legal books she had? How would see know she needed an alibi? I was flabbergasted in particular by the disguises she used on the bus. How did she get the stuff she needed to dress up?
I FINALLY got my hands on this book and just finished it this morning! During Kya’s trial, I could not suppress how angry and upset I was that as the outcast of Barkley Cove, the townspeople took the opportunity to tarnish her reputation even further and give her the death penalty. An entire town came together because Chase was a beloved ex-football star, when they had shown nothing but disgust and hostility towards Kya her entire life. No one ever looked into why Kya was screaming and swearing on the island where Chase attacked her. Instead, it was all pity for him. Needless to say, I was extremely shocked when I discovered it was Kya all along!
I absolutely hated the ending, but I loved the rest of the book. It gave me some comfort to see what some of you posted about the foreshadowing of this in the description of female insects killing their lovers. What I wanted instead: I wanted Jumpin' to have done it and revelation of it after he died. I felt like he truly loved Kya, so it was plausible that he would have done it for her. I seriously wanted a chapter where Mabel explained how it happened after Jumpin' died.
Kya doing it while orchestrating going and coming twice, with disguises, didn't add up realistically to be the truth.
I have to say, I was completely blind-sided with the ending and I didn't feel like it was in character at all with Kya, that she actually was the one who killed him. I felt like she let down everyone, especially Tate, who believed in her. It took at least two stars off of the rating of the book form me.
