Review: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (L)

Synopsis: 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. (from the online description)

Review: Pros: Lyrical writing style – almost poetic at times. Ability to dig into the emotions of the main character, creating a complete person. Excellent nature writing (not surprising consider the author is an award-winning non-fiction nature writer). Intriguing story that kept me guessing until the end.

Cons: The courtroom scene (the whole investigation) was completely inaccurate and manipulated to fit the narrative. Side-characters felt flat, like cardboard cutout stereotypes, in particular the POC in the story.

Note: I do not normally read chick-lit, general fiction, or modern who-dun-its. Basically, this is not the sort of book I would pick to read – but I did because my Book Club requested it. The reasons I don’t normally read it stand – inaccuracies to fit the narrative and flat side-characters. I say this because it was unlikely I would have enjoyed this book and I do not wish to deter other from reading it simply because I didn’t enjoy it. 

Bookmarks: 3.5 of 4

Awards: None (Yet)

ISBN: 978-0-7352-1909-0
Year Published: 2018
Date Finished: 3-28-2019
Pages: 370