Where the Crawdads Sing 2018

Trigger Warning: Domestic violence, sexual assault, child abandonment.

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

One of my lovely work friends had let me borrow this book when she was talking about a mystery novel. Where Crawdads Sing has been on many best sellers lists since its release and its own motion picture movie. I was intrigued to read this book and see what it could be about. Personally, I enjoy reading books that also have a movie with them. To see what the author envisioned, what the characters looked like, the setting of the book, and what vital scenes of the book made it into the movie.

When I started the book, I thought to myself “I am only going to read a couple chapters then go to sleep.” (I am not sure about you, but I must read in complete silence). This book was so hard to put down!

To begin, the story starts in the year 1969, in Barkley Cove, North Carolina. With the finding of a body at the bottom of a lookout tower, a man named Chase Andrews a well-known resident in the area. The reason being unknown of why his body is at the bottom of the tower and the story behind it. The story then begins to unfold.

The timeline shifts to 1952 where we meet six-year-old Kya. The fifth and youngest child of a large family that lives in a rundown house beside the marsh swamp. Kya’s father is abusive, and their family is known for being outsiders of the community. Starting with her mother who cannot bear to live in the house anymore, leaves without a trace. Over the years, each family member begins their journey of leaving the house to live away from their drunk father. This leaves Kya on her own with her father, who gives her some money and leaves for days at a time. One day, her father disappears altogether.

Kya grows up on her own, fending for her own life and develops knowledge of the marsh wetlands and manages to make money through selling mussels. She manages to avoid going to school and learns how to make a living and keep to herself. Kya’s rumoured as the “marsh girl” of the town, being made fun of by the locals.

Kya meets a love interest Tate Walker, who gives her an education that she never received. Teaching her how to read and write. He promises when he attends college that he will come home to visit her, when Tate does come home to visit, he notices that Kya would never fit in his academic world he is now a part of. He then leaves without saying goodbye or explaining why.

While being heartbroken, Kya finds herself in another relationship with Chase Andrews. He has a secret affair with her and tells her that he will marry her someday. When Kya visits the local town, she finds an announcement in the newspaper that Chase is engaged to be married to someone else. Chase tries to justify his choices, but Kya wants nothing to do with him. Telling him to leave her alone and not to bother her.

Bringing the story back to the police investigation of Chase at the bottom of the lookout tower, there could be many possibilities of how he died. But Kya is accused from Chase’s mother and charged with the murder. The trial of the justification of Kya being accused will have you sitting at the edge of your seat. Wanting to know as well if she was involved with Chase’s death.

Not to spoil the ending of the book, but as the reader I was very shocked and surprised. Resulting in a four-star rating. I would recommend reading this book for readers that enjoy mystery genre novels.

Upon imagining the setting of the book, the movie helped with showing the gorgeous scenery of North Carolina march, and Barkley Cove. Here are some images provided by Southern Living and Vogue.