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leah_grace07's review against another edition
5.0
Definitely the most deserving book I’ve given 5 stars to. In less than 400 pages Delia Owens captures the most beautiful story of a girl left to raise and fend for herself. Of all the love stories, romances, coming of ages I’ve read, this beats them all.
kazoozo's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
belsweeks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
jamiebrew's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
allielit's review against another edition
3.0
Loved the vivid imagery and characters. The reveal was a bit hasty.
mathman329's review against another edition
5.0
I still have reviews to write for a few of the books I read previous to "Where the Crawdads Sing", but I knew I was going to have to write this review immediately as soon as I started this book. Everyone I knew who read it had recommended it to me, saying I would love it. Once I started reading this, I couldn't put it down. Had it not been for a prior engagement on one of the days, I would've finished this in only 2 or 3 days, not the 5 it actually took me. In fact I did love this book, though not just for the reasons I believe everyone recommended it to me.
I'm sure that part of the reason everyone recommended this to me was because of my love of birding, and this novel is steeped in the biology of the marshlands, especially the bird life. This was enjoyable for me, no doubt. What drew me in was that as the novel progressed and Kya, the main character, notes her encounters with different types of bird life, I could imagine being out in nature on my own, not sure of what bird should appear next. The varied creatures were only part of the excitement for me, but absolutely one of the things I loved about this novel.
I loved the "whodunnit" nature of the story as well. I won't give anything away, as this novel has to be read to fully appreciate it's worth, but I found myself tensing up as the novel eased it's way towards the climax. Any book that can truly make me feel the emotion or stress of it's characters is well worth the investment, in my opinion. Only after finishing the final page did I finally feel like I could take a breath and finally rest. For this reason, I loved this novel.
Ultimately, though, it was the similar feeling I got from reading this that I also got when I read "To Kill a Mockingbird" that truly made me love this book. Obviously, the stories themselves are far different, but for whatever reason, the tone of the novel reminded me so much of "Mockingbird" that it felt familiar to me. Maybe it was the setting of the old US South, or the way I could imagine Scout in Kya's position if Atticus had abandoned her, or the unknown question of what would finally happen at the end. Even though I can't quite put my finger on it, it just felt like I was reading the perfect "Mockingbird" companion, and for that reason most of all, I love this novel.
If you're looking for something to read and want a bonafide, sure to be classic, I'm brazen enough to say this novel is it. But don't take my word for it, I'm only one person. Read any other spoiler-free reviews and you'll see that this isn't hyperbole. This novel was phenomenal, by far the best book I've read in a long time, and absolutely 5 out of 5 Heron feathers.
I'm sure that part of the reason everyone recommended this to me was because of my love of birding, and this novel is steeped in the biology of the marshlands, especially the bird life. This was enjoyable for me, no doubt. What drew me in was that as the novel progressed and Kya, the main character, notes her encounters with different types of bird life, I could imagine being out in nature on my own, not sure of what bird should appear next. The varied creatures were only part of the excitement for me, but absolutely one of the things I loved about this novel.
I loved the "whodunnit" nature of the story as well. I won't give anything away, as this novel has to be read to fully appreciate it's worth, but I found myself tensing up as the novel eased it's way towards the climax. Any book that can truly make me feel the emotion or stress of it's characters is well worth the investment, in my opinion. Only after finishing the final page did I finally feel like I could take a breath and finally rest. For this reason, I loved this novel.
Ultimately, though, it was the similar feeling I got from reading this that I also got when I read "To Kill a Mockingbird" that truly made me love this book. Obviously, the stories themselves are far different, but for whatever reason, the tone of the novel reminded me so much of "Mockingbird" that it felt familiar to me. Maybe it was the setting of the old US South, or the way I could imagine Scout in Kya's position if Atticus had abandoned her, or the unknown question of what would finally happen at the end. Even though I can't quite put my finger on it, it just felt like I was reading the perfect "Mockingbird" companion, and for that reason most of all, I love this novel.
If you're looking for something to read and want a bonafide, sure to be classic, I'm brazen enough to say this novel is it. But don't take my word for it, I'm only one person. Read any other spoiler-free reviews and you'll see that this isn't hyperbole. This novel was phenomenal, by far the best book I've read in a long time, and absolutely 5 out of 5 Heron feathers.
cowgirlsdontcry's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely lived up to the hype. I can't believe how unbelievably descriptive this author was able to describe the marsh and the world Kya lives in. To paint a picture so vividly with words that you are transported there instantly. Great read.
sarahschreijen's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0