Where the Crawdads Sing is SUCH a magical story! It's an incredible tale of resilience, coming-of-age, loss and love in a vivid setting described so, so gorgeously, and of a girl who despite having everything stacked against her, turns out to become something extraordinary herself. And, there's a murder mystery - I mean, what more could you want?!

It's 1952, in the marshes of North Carolina, and Kya is on her own. She's just a little girl when her mother just up and leaves the family, several children and her abusive alcoholic father. One by one the children leave, to find better lives, and circumstances, until it's just Kya and her father - who make due, and coexist for a bit, until he decides to leave as well. Kya's barely 10 years old. And now she is alone.

The town calls her the "Marsh Girl" and she's somewhat of an enigma. She lives alone in a shack in the marsh, doesn't go to school, and evades any adults who try to make contact with her, spending her day slipping in and out of the lush greenery, hiding from authorities, and fending for herself digging mussels and talking to the birds. As she grows up, Kya has become a stunning woman, who starts to attract several young men, and she finds herself connecting romantically (separately) with two local boys, Tate and Chase. And then one morning, one of them is found dead and all fingers point to her.

I loved every minute of this story. I connected with Kya although our lives couldn't be more different. I rooted for her from the very start, this poor innocent girl who made something of herself despite everything that she was up against. I adored all the colorful characters, including her brother Jodie, her friend Jumpin' and his wife, and a whole host of townspeople who all bear such unique qualities and quirks. I'll definitely be watching out for more stories from Delia Owens.

In the spring of 1952, a woman walks away from her home in the marshes of coastal North Carolina, never looking back, leaving her five children behind with their drunken father, who just has two settings: silent and loud. Soon the three oldest children slither away too, then thirteen-year-old Jodie, the youngest son, leaving six-year-old Kya to fend for herself and her PA. She has to wonder what had she done to send everyone away? Needing people only ends in hurt.

Seventeen years later, the body of the popular and handsome Chase Andrews, former high school star quarterback, is found dead at the base of a fire tower. Foul play is suspected and the story of the murder investigation is interspersed with Kya's coming of age story.

Kya grows up wild in those marshes, hiding from strangers, avoiding the truant officer and by the age of ten, she is entirely on her own. The people in the small town of Barkley Cove shun her, calling her Marsh Girl. Her savior is the old black man Jumpin', who buys mussels from her so she can afford groceries, gas and supplies from his general store while his wife brings her hand-me-down clothes.

Kya grows into a beautiful young woman and soon attracts the attention of a couple of young men. One teaches her to read and brings her books, but the other just wants to use and abuse her--both betray her and break her heart. "From somewhere very deep, she made herself a promise never to trust or love anyone again."

Kya is an unforgettable character, broken yet strong, beautiful and wild but multi-faceted and talented. I guarantee her story will break your heart. As always with books set in North Carolina, the land itself plays a major role in this story. Kya loves every inch of it and every critter in it. The story is beautifully written, sprinkled with touching poems throughout.

So what does that title mean: where the crawdads sing? "Just means far in the bush where the critters are wild, still behaving like critters."

Highly recommend this book! I've added it to my list of other favorites, many set in North Carolina, including Thomas Wolfe's Look Homeward Angel and Redemption Road by John Hart. I am pleased that author Delia Owens frequently refers to Aldo Leopold's classic A Sand County Almanac throughout the book as one that inspired Kya.

I received an arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review. Sincere thanks!

Oh how beautifully mesmerizing this book is. I’ve moved this book to the #1 spot in my list of favorite books of 2018. Thanks to my Goodreads friends Angela and Diane for brining this book to my attention :)

This 5* book is masterfully written, with outstanding character development. That alone would be a great book but there is much more. There is a love story and mystery woven through the story, and add art and poetry to that and you have this incredible book.

Well as to the plot I will give you a little information on that, although you’ve all probably read the book blurb.

At the beginning of the story we are introduced to Kya, a 6 year old little girl who has already been traumatized for life. Her mother leaves her father and the five children and never returns. Then slowly throughout some years her older siblings leave and then finally her brother whom she was very close to and her drunken father. They leave her completely alone in their falling down shack, no provisions and barely any clothing. She was only 14, she was completely alone and had no idea how to survive, but somehow she does. She has an incredible will and she loves the marsh, it’s the only home she’s known.

She learns to fish, cook and clean just by remembering how it used to be. Barkley Cover, where she goes for groceries and gas has a store that is run by an extremely kind and generous couple who have lived on the marsh their entire life. She exchanges oysters and then smoked fish for gas for her motor and a few groceries.

Kya has two real love relationships in the book. Tate she has known all of her life but now that she is older she views him differently, she begins to feel real love. He teaches her how to read which opens up the world to her. He is in her life for quite a few years and she seems happy, her life is good. She loves the marsh and all that inhabit it. She collects many things and categorizes them. From the books Tate brings her she learns biology, math, how things grow and change and she is fascinated by the marsh. The author describes the marshland so well I felt myself transported there, felt the humid air, the squashing feel when I walked and encountering all of the creatures described in this book.

It’s incredible to think that this could happen but I really think there are those people who live in the marsh. Quoting from the book “this infamous marsh became a net, scooping up a mishmash of mutinous sailors, castaways, debtors, and fugitives dodging wars, taxes or laws that they didn’t take to. The ones malaria didn’t kill or the swamp didn’t swallow bred into a woodsmen tribe of several races and multiple cultures. .. . . . .two hundred years later, they were joined by runaway slaves, who escaped into the marsh and were called maroons, and freed slaves, penniless and beleaguered, who dispersed into the water-land because of scant options.

After being disappointed in her relationship with Tate she finally decides that perhaps she could be more trusting. She shares things with Chase, a boy from town who tells her he loves her, talks about a future. But everyone always leaves Kya.

Then one especially happy day for Kya, she had met with the publishers of her books, two at this time, but gets an awful message from Jumpin’, Chase is dead. The sheriff is looking for Kya and there are rumors in town that perhaps Chase’s death was not an accident.

Oh my gosh this review is too long and there is so much more to say. I don’t want to spoil any portion of this gorgeous read. There is beautiful poetry and paintings that I felt I could see. Read this book, you will be wonderfully surprised, entranced and feel great about a book again. Read Kya’s story, she will stay with you a very long time.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley and Edelweiss.


Will post to other sites upon publication.

Kya Clark is known as the “Marsh Girl” as she grew up the marshes of Barkley Cove, North Carolina. She was abandoned by her mother, then her four siblings and lived with her abusive, alcoholic father until he disappeared on her. She isn’t able to fit in at school so she doesn’t go. Kya is introduced and taught to read by a shrimper’s son, Tate Walker. Tate leaves Kya to go to college. Meanwhile Kya meets the local star football star and woman seducer Chase. She has a tumultuous relationship with Chase. When Chase is found dead, the police end up with Kya as their main suspect for Chase’s murder. Did Kya do it?

I enjoyed the mystery and small town drama. It seemed so real to me as I read it, especially parts of Kya’s experiences with nature. It is also a coming-of-age story. The author wrote an exquisite novel. I couldn’t help but admire Kya. Why? Well you have to read it, to find out!

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Full of the wonders of nature with a background of loneliness, a heartfelt story of a young girl growing into womanhood. Kya finds the love of true friends and family. A beautiful story, one to be read slowly to savor the lovely descriptive writing style.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This one was a little more sentimental and happy ending-ish and I had hoped for. I don’t really consider it a spoiler cause I’m assuming most other people know better. It’s not bad. But it’s definitely in that category, and I was hoping for something a little darker. Disappointingly uplifting

A decently entertaining yarn. I like how deftly Owens tackles weighty subjects like abandonment and prejudice through Kya's unique story. The tale takes its time to unfold, and while the murder mystery details emerging in the later timeline immediately commanded my attention, I eventually found myself more drawn to the quieter aspects, especially the close relationships that Kya develops with a few others. I didn't care for how the book briefly transforms into a legal drama during the last portion, even going to the lengths of providing inner thoughts of both lawyers, and the ending feels a bit rushed. However, overall this was an enjoyable mosey of a read.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced eGalley of "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens.

This book is a solid ***4.5 Stars***. I was somewhat disappointed by the way it ended, but was captivated by the beautiful prose and the lush backdrop offered by Owens. If you're a fan of Jesmyn Ward, then you'll definitely appreciate the way Owens brings you into the surroundings of the Marsh Lands of Barkley Cove.

It's clear Owens has a feel for the natural, and her appreciation for it shines through on every page.

That's something I appreciated because it not only helped draw me into the story, but into the world around Kya.

Kya is first and abandoned, then left to fend for herself, in the swamps of Barkley Cove. She can neither read, nor write, and (at first) only knows just enough to survive the challenged of living on remote terrain.

Over time, her ability to turn boundless curiosity into something resembling a way of life, she matures and manages to build a life for herself--alone. However, it also loneliness that eventually leads her into the orbit of not one, but two, of the town's most eligible men. Both of whom are captivated by her beauty and untamed nature.

Years later, when the handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the town immediately pins its eyes on the mysterious young woman referred to only as the "Marsh Girl"--forcing Kya to defend herself in a world that's never once been accepting of her "wild ways".

The story is told via alternating timelines. In one, you gain a sense of who Kya is, how she came to be alone in the Marsh, and the love she has for the nature that surrounds her. While the other finds you in the middle of a murder where Kya, inexplicably, is a suspect.

Once this one got going, I could not put it down. I was drawn in by the strength and perseverance of Kya. She was forced into a life she didn't want, but made the most of it, and didn't ask for favors. And while she does get a bit of help along the way, you can't help but be invested in her ability to succeed and survive against all odds.

It's a great story, with a little bit of a twist. And while it meanders a bit here and there, it's nothing that feels like wasted space as a reader. If anything, you're so anxious to see how it will end, that your impatience comes from not being able to read quickly enough!

A beautifully written mystery that I won't be surprised to find on a slew of "Best of" lists this year.

Set mostly in the 1950’s and 1960’s, this book is historical fiction about a girl growing up in poverty in the marshes near the coast of North Carolina. As a child, Kya is abandoned by her mother and older siblings, leaving her in the hands of an abusive alcoholic father. She is eventually left to her own devices to survive in a primitive shack in the wetlands. She is befriended by a black couple who own a store, and a young man who teaches her to read. She collects specimens and develops a keen interest in the animals and plants of the natural world. A second storyline revolves around the mysterious death of local young man with ties to “The Marsh Girl.”

This book brings the marsh to life through lush descriptions of the flora, fauna, sights, sounds and smells. Richly detailed, it is obvious the author loves nature. It is told in dual timelines, one revolving around Kya’s life story and the other around the investigations into the mysterious death. These timelines eventually coincide, and the interconnections are revealed.

I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book, which focused on Kya’s early life, her struggles, and coming of age. She is a memorable and sympathetic character who struggles with competing fears. She lives in isolation and longs for companionship. She fears getting too close to people due to her abandonment issues. I was less enthusiastic about the second half, where the storyline morphed into a crime procedural. I am not an expert in this area, but it didn’t quite gel for me.

Content warnings include descriptions of abuse, profanity, sex, racism, and harm to animals. I think this book will appeal to a variety of interests: Recommended to fans of storylines involving nature, coming of age, mysteries, crime procedurals, human behavior, or character studies.

Thank you Putnam and NetGalley for my review copy.

“Let’s face it, a lot of times love doesn’t work out. Yet even when it fails, it connects you to others and, in the end, that is all you have, the connections.”
Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing
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Y’all know I shamelessly stalked Putnam for a copy because North Carolina...and honestly when @anniebjones05 spoke about it...I thought, I need this book in my life. To say it exceeded my expectations is grossly inadequate.
I am in awe. I grew up in Coastal NC. I literally learned more from this book than I did living 18 years in the area. It is the most heartbreakingly, atmospheric novel I have ever read. Delia, painted images on those pages. The writing was soulful. Add in a dark mystery and this book is perfection.
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Kya, Marsh Girl, is left to fend for herself at a very early age. The story flashes back between her earliest memories and 1969 current day. All the while we watch her navigate through childhood into adulthood.
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As an adult, this novel absolutely broke my heart. I am appalled that this child was left to fend for herself. On the other side of the coin, I’m absolutely amazed by Kya. She is strong, determined and intelligent. You know I don’t like to give a lot of backstory...read the synopsis for what the book is about 😉.
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I honestly can say this is the smartest novel I have {possibly} ever read. Delia’s knowledge of nature brings the setting to life. I felt every single thing. I learned. I cried. I loved right along with Kya. Owen’s is a master storyteller. At the end of the day I can never do this book justice with my review. All I can say to you is, buy this book. Buy it for yourself. For your mama. For your friends. In my opinion it will be applicable to any reader. I can’t narrow it in to one genre or another. Although, I will say it is primarily Southern Fiction, it has mystery, nature, romance and courtroom drama. It literally blows through genres 💗.

Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the eARC of this book.
Set in the coastal marshes of North Carolina, Where the Crawdads Sing follows Kya Clark, throughout her life as she first struggles then thrives after being abandoned by her family.
Being a biologist myself, my favorite passages were reflections, both poetic and factual, about the flora and fauna of the swamp. The first time Kya looks into a microscope was particularly poignant for me.
Even if you are not particularly interested in the biota of the marsh (though you may be by the end), this book covers the full range of human emotions. If you enjoy atmospheric and character driven stories, you should definitely give this book a try!

Thank you so much to Putnam for my copy of this amazing book. What can I say about this book to do it justice? This book broke my heart piece by piece and then slowly put it back together. It is a beautiful story and the synopsis does not adequately describe the beauty that is within the pages.   The story is about Kya, the Marsh Girl" and her life.  I don't want to give anything away but, if you loved the Great Alone by Kristin Hannah, you will love this book.  They have the same emotional impact on your soul.  5 stars.

*I received an advance copy of this title from Putnam Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

"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 split amongst two timelines: one centers on Kya in 1952 at the age of seven until the end of her life, the other is set in 1969 and early 1970 and follows the death of a prominent local man, the investigation, and the subsequent murder trial.

Typically, dual narratives frustrate me. I always prefer one over the other and find myself rushing through some chapters just to get back to the story I care about, but that was not the case with Delia Owens' fiction debut. I was fully invested in both stories, anxious to see how and when they would intersect. And honestly, I'm still impressed by this fact. When one story is a murder mystery, I can almost guarantee that will be the story line I care about most, but I loved watching Kya grow up, seeing how she navigated her small, lonely world and found the fullness in it.

The nature language in this book is incredible. I lived in the south for three years, minutes away from the ocean, and never once in my life did I enjoy it. I hated the heat, the humidity, the ginormous sea birds and apocalyptic bugs. But seeing the marsh of Nouth Carolina through Kya's eyes was a beautiful, moving experience. The marsh was a vital, vivid character in the book.

“Sometimes she heard night‑sounds she didn’t know or jumped from lightning too close, but whenever she stumbled, it was the land who caught her. Until at last, at some unclaimed moment, the heart‑pain seeped away like water into sand. Still there, but deep. Kya laid her hand upon the breathing, wet earth, and the marsh became her mother.”
Where the Crawdads Sing is a moving character study and a beautiful coming of age story that is easily one of my favorite reads of the year, and likely one of my favorites of all time. I can't recommend Kya's story enough. It was about human connection, love and heartbreak, redemption, and beyond anything else, hope.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The North Carolina marsh is a wild, yet beautiful place. Herons and egrets, crabs and crawdads, mussels and fish all make this unbidden landscape their home. And so does the reclusive family of little Kya Clark ... or rather, did. Kya, only six years old, has just watched her mother walk away from their marsh shack in her faux gator heels without so much as a wave goodbye. Kya knows this means that her mother is not coming back. Kya has been left to care for herself, and care for herself she does.

Kya learns the marsh like the back of her hand. Studying the local vegetation and ecosystems, she becomes an expert on the area that she calls home and others call uninhabitable. As much as Kya loves and understands the marsh, the local people don’t love and understand her. The townsfolk start calling Kya the “Marsh Girl,” and she develops a reputation for being strangely different and dangerously elusive. When a ghastly crime is committed in the marsh, the townspeople are quick to point their fingers at Kya. Is the Marsh Girl guilty of the accused crimes, or is she just a victim of local hate and prejudice? That story unfolds in Delia Owens’ Where the Crawdads Sing.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a lush, descriptive tale of a young girl’s will to survive in a land lonely, serene, and wild. Owens paints a beautiful portrait of the North Carolina marshland and the people who live there, weaving in details here and there about the variety of ecosystems and plant and animal life that thrive in the marsh. This book is nothing if not lovely in its descriptions of the wetlands and the people who choose to call it home.

Owens’ novel starts off showing readers how a young Kya taught herself the ways of the marsh and found a way to remain fiercely independent and to survive on a land that few would dare to live. These parts of the novel are fascinating, whether it be about Kya digging mussels and smoking fish in exchange for gas for her boat and a little bit of food money, or Kya making friends with the bird of the marsh and building up an extensive collection of beautiful, yet rare feathers that she has found. There is so much to learn about the song and dance of the wetlands within the covers of this book.

On the other hand, the crime portrayed in the novel feels out of place for a book that is so rich and ebullient, even under dire circumstances, up until that point. Readers are given present day snippets pertaining to the crime interchanged with chapters from Kya’s past. The crime really isn’t dealt with until 3/4s of the way through the book, and when touched upon, feels trite and rushed. An otherwise evocative and thought-provoking novel turns courtroom drama within a matter of mere pages. Just as Kya is pulled from the marsh to answer to the crime, readers are pulled from one genre of novel into another. Nonetheless in all, the crime at the heart of the novel does not take up too much space in an otherwise aesthetically-pleasing tale of perseverance and survival.

Beautifully written and masterfully woven, Delia Owen’s debut novel is a “one more chapter then up all night” book. The descriptions of the places are so stirring they quickly become their own character. Add in a mystery and complex characters and you get one of the most fantastically crafted books I’ve ever ever read.

Kya (The Marsh Girl) learns at a very young age what it means to love and to lose. While her existence is well known to everyone in town, she remains an outcast and lives in solitude. When a beloved former quarterback of the high school football team is found dead, speculation quickly leans in her direction. The story jumps back and forth between the early 1950s (her childhood) and the late 1960s (the crime). It’s ultimately a story of love and loss, of community and self-reliance, of conflict and forgiveness.

I had heard this novel was good, so I requested and received an ARC from NetGalley. I was not expecting it to be one of the best books I've read in a long time! I can't recommend this one enough.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a romance. A murder mystery. A coming-of-age tale. A paean to the low country marshes of North Carolina. It drew me in from the very first page, captured my senses with its lyrical, spot-on descriptions of the boggy swamp and marshland (I swear, I could even smell the salt in the air as I read), created a deep connection with the book's main character, a girl abandoned in the swamps by her family, by those she loved, and by her town, and held my rapt attention until the book's end, which left me in tears -- always the sign of a great book. I would compare Delia Owens to Pat Conroy; if you liked his books, you will definitely love Where the Crawdads Sing.

I can't wait to share this one with my friends when it comes out in August. It's a perfect beach read.

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens is an intriguing, unique and captivating coming of age story. Delia Owens poetically and vividly describes the Marsh life and landscape in North Carolina. The Genres for this story are Fiction, Mystery, and Young Adult.

The author describes her characters as complicated and complex. Kya Clark was abandoned by her family and was known by the people in town as “The Marsh Girl”. Somehow Kya was able to bring herself up living near the marsh. Kya was so familiar with the birds, the terrain, and the sea that she was able to provide food for herself. She would trade fish for gas for her boat. Kya is not used to people, really has no friends and has a fear of going into town. The marsh and its inhabitants are Kya’s family.

Kya has very little interaction with most people, but does get her gas and exchange what she can get with one of the store owners. One young man does teach her to read. Most of the people in the town don’t realize how sensitive, observant and intelligent Kya is.

Kya comes from an abusive family, but wants to be loved. Two men do find her fascinating. One of them has fallen from a tower. Was he pushed? Was there foul play? What happened? Is there a chance that Kya will be able to live a “normal” life.?

I appreciate that the author discusses the effects of abuse on familial life. It is also interesting that the author mentions the cycle of living things and taking care of our environment. I would recommend this book for readers that enjoy a different and unusual mystery. I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Man, this broke my heart in a lot of ways. It felt lonely even in the reading. Free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Beautifully written, A story of survival, of abandonment and betrayal, with one of the strongest characters I’ve seen in a long time. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year and one I will happily recommend to everyone.

This might end up being one of my favorite books of the year! There were so many twists and turns throughout the book. I felt moved, I felt empowered. I connected to Kya, and I urged her to fight through each of her struggles. I finished this book in stunned silence, because really -- I did not see all this coming. This is one I'll be buying a paper copy of in August, and seriously, read it. Open your heart to the Marsh Girl and read this amazing tale.