Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing

by Delia Owens

I have to confess that while I found the book mildly entertaining, maybe even diverting, I did not find it the riveting read some other people did. It did not grip me with the fervor other books have over the past couple years.

The most interesting aspects to me were how the main character, Kya, survived in the swamp, her ingenuity as a child, and the descriptions of the swamp land itself.

It was a coming-of-age story, but again, I just wasn’t riveted.

There was a murder mystery to the story but it was very mild. I wasn’t all that curious to know who had done it. It had to be one of a half dozen people, but I just didn’t care enough to find out who it was. Still, I read on.

I did listen to this on audio which slows things down a bit. Maybe if I’d been reading it in hard copy, I would feel a little differently.

Kya is a young girl living in the swamps of North Carolina. Everyone seems to leave eventually, from her mother at first, then her siblings one by one, and finally her father. But Kya doesn’t leave. She survives, by her wits, and with a bit of help from a local man who runs a small boat refueling station and store. She grows, thrives, and meets a couple young men. They both promise her things they don’t deliver on, but she keeps going.

There are beautiful descriptions and turns of phrase, to be sure. The setting was the most wonderful part of this book. The plotting left a good bit to be desired. The characterization was, for me, a little two dimensional.

I would give it three stars. If you’re looking for a quiet book with lovely descriptions, something comfortable and diverting, this is a nice book for that.