I. Am. Not. OK. Don’t even try to talk to me. I finished this book in literally two days, and I haven’t been able to think straight since. I am emotionally wrecked! Someone, please call the ambulance, because this is the book that finally broke me.
I know I say this about every book, but this one is really my favorite book. I absolutely loved the storyline and the plot. But, more than that, I fell in love with the girl we follow, the young teenager we learn about, and the woman we inevitably never understand. The protagonist, Kya Clark (pronounce it Key-uh, but it might also be KI-uh), is one of the most beautifully written and created book characters I have ever come across. I don’t think I can reveal a complete summary of the book because YOU NEED TO READ IT, but I definitely want to give credit to this amazing character I love.
Kya lives in North Caroline in the 1960s and 70s. But, she doesn’t live like most of the people in the area; she lives in the marsh. All alone in the wild wetlands along the coast, this young girl has a tough life. From the very beginning, she is resilient and brave, never backing down from each curveball or full-on sledgehammer thrown her way. Throughout her story, she is confronted by hostility, superstition, and cruel gossip from the town close to where she lives. Kya’s called the Marsh Girl by everyone, and her reputation as a wild, illiterate animal keeps her closed off from the town.
Where the Crawdads Sing follows Kya’s brutal and beautiful story alongside a mysterious murder that takes place in the present, i.e. 1969-70. As the story progresses, we learn that not only did Kya know the future-murder victim/town golden boy, Chase Andrews, but they also had a long history.
The murder mystery stays pretty much invisible for the whole book, but the end plot twist was so satisfying. I can’t reveal what it is, but let’s just say that Kya and her secrets will never be shared with the outside world. Estranged and on The Outside her whole life, Kya Clark’s life remains mysterious to the town that has so ostracized her.
I loved Kya’s character so much, and this story touched something inside me I haven’t even met yet. It’s definitely a re-read for me, so I hope you’re interested enough to GO BUY IT NOW!
P.S. If our girl, Dr. T Swizzle likes it enough to write a bangin’ song about it, why are you still even on this page reading? GO. BUY. IT! (Check out Carolina or burn in hell—don’t look at me; I don’t make the rules)
Genre: contemporary/literary fiction
Age: 13+
Rating: 10/10 (#already sold my soul to the author)