Gorgeous nature writing but a story which I found frankly sentimental, full of cliches, melodramatic and just oh so predictable. I found it difficult to buy into this romanticized vision of the 'wild child of nature', and long descriptions of marshland flora and fauna, while poetic, felt stranded aimlessly without a story to fill the foreground. Just not for me, sorry.

An engrossing story of a young woman living on the edge, its setting as central to the action as the main character. The writing is steeped in detail of the marsh area’s geography and wildlife - gorgeous descriptions and flashes of poetry had me enthralled. Strong characters, too, with relationships that rang true - from the tactful kindnesses of some towards a vulnerable child, through individuals’ genuine desire to help, to the arrogance and prejudice of others who assumed the worst of someone in Kya’s unusual situation, all the way to outright exploitation and harassment at times.

I had a couple of niggles with the plot but happily put these to the back of my mind and let myself wallow in the atmosphere and the suspense towards the end. I’m left with vivid memories of Kya, her home and her marsh environment thanks to an author whose deep knowledge and affection for the area shines through every page.

Where the Crawdads Sing starts strongly. The story centres on Kya, a child in the 1950s living an isolated life with her family in the marsh of North Carolina. When her mother leaves one morning and doesn’t return Kya is left with several older siblings and a father too often drunk, violent and neglectful. Theirs is a poor life, their ramshackle cabin has no electricity, no bathroom, no real running water but Kya loves the marsh, fascinated by the teeming wildlife and the muggy, changeable landscape. One by one her siblings abandon the family home, driven away by their father’s fits of anger until Kya is left alone with him, learning to keep them both on his meagre army disability pension, but eventually even he slips away and Kya is left to fend for herself, making ends meet with the help of a compassionate black couple, Jumpin’ and Mabel.

Kya’s story is movingly told, her struggle to survive and grow up and her isolation from everyone but kind Jumpin’ and Mabel. The townsfolk are suspicious of her, disdainful of all of the people who live in the marsh. Kya becomes the Marsh Girl, semi-mythical and dangerous and boys dare each other to approach her cabin after dark as a test of courage. This is all sensitively and convincingly told in limpid sparkling prose and Owens’ descriptions of the marsh are spectacular. The fug, the shifting water, the deep undergrowth, the profusion of life that captivate Kya can’t help but do the same to the reader, hypnotised by wonderful, rhythmic prose. If I could leave this review there, I would be happy because this first section is spectacular, unfortunately, the power of the prose is isn’t enough to supply the deficiencies of the plot. The problem comes with Kya’s friendship with a local boy, Tate, who fishes in the marsh and shares Kya’s fascination with the ecosystem, they trade feathers and explore the marsh and Tate teaches Kya to read. It was here that the story started to lose me. Kya frankly learns at an inconceivable pace, not only does she progress ridiculously quickly but having read a single sentence (and one which no early learner wold be able to conquer so quickly) her intellect is instantly transformed and she voices ideas that someone with no education simply would not be able to express in the way that she does. That she could be very highly intelligent I am willing to accept, such things do happen, but there is no development, just a sudden shift that is totally unrealistic as Kya, unafraid of long words, “went straight from learning Pleistocene along with sat”. having taught several illiterate teenagers to read myself I was irritated by this lack of realism.

As Kya’s and Tate’s relationship progresses into inevitable romance the writing takes of the saccharine, rather mawkish tone of too much YA “first love” stories and Kya and Tate become the sort of trite characters too often trotted out. Their story becomes predictable as Tate, older by several years, leaves for college and finds it difficult to reconcile his love with his ambition to become an ecologist.

Interspersed with Kya’s sections are chapters set several years later in which the body of a local man, Chase, has been found in the marsh. There is an unsual lack of evidence surrounding the crime and inevitably attention turns to the people living in the marsh, who know well how to cover their tracks: in particular the now-grown Marsh Girl. The investigation progresses at a snail’s pace and the short chapters seem to be more about reminding the reader that it is happening than showing any progression of plot or character, particularly as Kya’s own storyline begins to catch up with these later events and we learn of her relationship with the dead man. Here again comes a series of events all too easy to predict and the characters fall into well-worn patterns that overshadow Owens’ talent for description. Kya’s advanced knowledge of nature, gleaned from Tate’s old textbooks continue to rub up uncomfortably (and unconvincingly) against her naivety and rustic-ness. Her ability to build a life for herself based on her skill and her intelligence should be uplifting and empowering but I just didn’t believe it, everything comes too easily in an environment and at a time that would make it virtually impossible. The melodrama all becomes a bit too much and, as I often find, the long sections of court dialogue were tedious rather than compelling.

Owens’ background in non-fiction nature writing is obvious from her spectacular passages of descriptive prose. Considerably less plot, less action, fewer events (most of which can be predicted quite easily) would have allowed her to focus on this remarkable strength. It would also have allowed her characters – which are initially well-drawn – to escape the clichés into which dramatic plot points drag them. Less would have been very much more.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a beautifully written book, and I want to read it a million times. It is a story of survival, hope, love, loss, loneliness, prejudice and resilience.

The story is told in two different timelines - the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1950s, we see Kya growing up in the marsh, and being abandoned by her family. She lives alone, shunned by most of the townspeople who should have helped her. In the 1960s, we see two kids discover the dead body of a young man known as Chase Andrews. What happened to Chase? Is Kya and Chase's death connected?

The setting is incredible, and the writing is vivid, poetic, and atmospheric. I loved Kya's character, her relationship with the marsh. I rooted for her till the end and what an end it was!

I would HIGHLY recommend this book, and Delia Owens has just become my auto-buy author. I even voted for it in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2018 after reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this spectacular book!

This book is set in the marshlands of the North Carolina coast of America. Two main threads to the story. One part starts in the early 1950s, the other in the late 1960s. The book is about the life of Kya Clark, known locally as the Marsh Girl. The early 1950s part of the story follows her growing up in the marsh and isolated from most other people in the area. The 1960s part relates to the discovery of a body of a well known local man who is found dead on the edge of the marshland. Can these stories really be connected?

The setting here, both in terms of place and time, are vivid. The writing draws pictures effortlessly. The sense of atmosphere is almost tangible. The local look down on the marsh dwellers and the marsh is often seen as an inconvenience to be resolved. Kya grows up loving the place and becoming an expert on it. As her real family dwindles the gulls and marsh creatures become family. The marsh itself becomes her playground and school as well as a source of income.

I found this book incredibly easy to become immersed in. Kya is one of those characters who will stay with you for a long time, Other characters are well rounded and interesting in the main. It is descriptively very strong however I never felt that this slowed down the narrative. I became a watcher of Kya's life and felt the highs and the lows.

As this book had been published in the USA before it was published in the UK I was able to read reviews of it before I had the opportunity of reading it. It came over as a remarkable story. I am somewhat distrustful of books that everyone raves about and I considered not taking it. However the outline of the story appealed and I'm very glad I read it. Without question it is one of the best books I've read this year. It will stay with me for a long time I'm sure. This is a very rich story of the environment, people and their lives and deaths with a great central character. What is there to not like - 4.5/5

Every now and again, you read a book that simply blows you away. So, this book was "Where the Crawdads Sing". It was not only superbly written, moving and intense, but also delivered a great great ending too. I cannot recommend it enough. This is the story of Kya, aka Marsh Girl, a child abandoned by her family, ostracised by people who should have helped her, growing up in the marshes in North Carolina, on the outskirts of Barkley Cove in 50s. Kya learns to trust no one until she grows up and yearns to belong. At the same time, we follow the story of the mysterious death of the popular young man from Barkley Cove - is Kya involved in his death? What has happened to Chase? "Where the Crawdads Sing" is a story of heartbreak, loss, loneliness, but also hope, endurance and love. It's poetic language, beautiful descriptions of nature and Kya's isolation are emotional and atmospheric. Although the sadness permeates from pages, there is also beauty, acceptance and quiet endurance. For Kya, nature becomes her mother, the marsh becomes her home and family and despite the sadness, there are also moments of beauty and peace in it. The friendships that Kya develops, the deep understanding of the world around her, it all infuses the book and leaves the reader speechless. This book highly deserves all the praise.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review

Having heard so much about this book from my fellow book buddies in the US- I knew I needed to read this book.
I started reading this book as part of a book reading group. However sadly I had to leave the group because I was so far ahead.
It is a story that is a true page turner.
It is about a girl called Kya a 6 year old girl is left on her own. People that she is/was close to have left her.
Chase Andrews turns up dead.
I dont want to reveal anymore but there is plenty to get your teeth into.
Murder, mystery, abandoment. So much it just leaves you wanting me. 🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉/5
Highly recommended

I wanted to take the time to reflect on this book before I did a review because this really was a special book worth all of the hype ❤️ I originally rated it 4 stars but, I’ve struggled to get this book out of my head so up to five it goes!

We meet Kya, known in her local town as the Marsh Girl, living and fending for herself at her home in marshland after being abandoned by her family. Lonely and isolated in her local town, she strikes up two very different relationships that play out very differently.

It is a vivid, coming of age story that is hauntingly beautiful. I must admit, it took me around the 20% mark to click with the book but after I did, I didn’t want to put it down. You couldn’t help but feel the loneliness Kya endured as the Marsh Girl and root for her every move. You wanted her to prosper, to shine, to show all those small town minded people that she was human and should be treated with respect.

What really brought this book to life besides the loveable Kya and other characters was how atmospheric it was. The scenery and surroundings in the book where so vibrant and sent your imagination running wild, picturing all the different elements and feeling like you could transport yourself there. It was absolutely stunning to read.

It is easy to see why this is a finalist for the Good Reads annual award for Best Historical Fiction. I’ve cast my vote and I’m hoping it wins. If you’re looking for a well written, colourful book filled with loveable characters then this book is for you. It will make you feel all different emotions from pity, anger, frustration and love. I can’t wait to read any of Owens future work.

A huge thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC!

Breathtaking, mesmerising, haunting, beautiful, heartbreaking and unforgettable: just a few words that first come to mind when I think of this sensational book.

The story begins in 1969 when two young boys discover the body of local football hero Chase Andrews lying in the Marsh. There is immediate suspicion that the death is not accidental and talk of who could have wanted to kill him. We then go back to 1952 where six-year-old Kya is sat on the front porch watching in disbelief as her “Ma” walks away in her best shoes carrying a suitcase. The book then continues in dual timelines: we follow the hunt to find who killed Chase as the police try to ascertain what is rumour and gossip and what is fact, and also watch as Kya grows up on the Marsh and learns to not only survive, but flourish.

Reading about how Kya lives was difficult and heartbreaking. She is seen as “Marsh Trash” by those who live in Barkley Cove, and avoided and vilified by adults and children alike. After her Ma leaves, her siblings soon follow and she is left alone with her Pa, a violent drunk who is often absent. When he eventually abandons her too she has to find a way to make an income and finds a friend in Jumpin,who owns Gas and Bait which sells gas and groceries, and his wife Mabel. Her one day at school was a disaster so she gets her education from the world around her and studies the Marsh, sea and sand. For many years she’s unable to read but then Tate, who was a friend of her older brother, offers to teach her. They inevitably fall in love and he awakens a side to Kya she didn’t have before, one where she needs someone and enjoys another person’s company. When he leaves her heartbroken she feels unable to trust anyone and completely withdraws into herself and her Marsh again, determined never to rely on anyone but herself from now on.

Very quickly after Chase is found, suspicion from the townspeople falls on the Marsh Girl, who was rumoured to have had some kind of relationship with him at one point. Her elusive behaviour each time the police try to talk to her doesn’t help convince people of her innocence. It seems even in the absence of evidence most people have decided they know what happened and convicted her of the crime in their jury of small-town opinion.

By the time I was half way through the book I was consumed and couldn’t stop reading. It was a completely different book to what I expected it to be, although I don't really know what I expected. I knew I had a book I loved on my hands and that the trepidation that comes with reading a much talked about, hyped book was unnecessary.

The author has a remarkable ability to make you feel and understand from Kya’s perspective in this book. You feel her crippling loneliness at a life lived truly alone, her overwhelming fear of anything or anyone outside the Marsh, admiration that she surviving such a life and all she accomplished despite the odds, and anger at the way she was treated, judged, used and failed by almost everyone she meets.

Delia Owens is a phenomenal writer, and Where The Crawdads Sing is a spectacular debut.. It is a long book and I admit there were times that reading it felt like a slog, but that was because of the southern dialect and heavy subject matter and not because of boredom. I loved this story and it didn’t take long for me to find it hard to put down. It is an eloquently written, powerful, emotive, and extraordinary novel. It is a masterpiece that you won’t be able to forget and will stay with you long after you read it.

I just adored this book. It is so beautifully written and so amazingly descriptive and evocative that I feel like I know the marshes and surrounds of 1960's Carolina/Georgia as if I have been there myself.

The haunting story of Kya, who as a 6 year old is abandoned by her mother, followed by each of her siblings, all escaping an abusive spouse and father. Kya learns to fend for herself, known throughout Berkeley Cove as The Marsh Girl, extremely poor, dirty and uneducated, she is subjected to various prejudices, ignorance and snobbery by the townspeople. Kya, used to being alone but still lonely and isolated, forms connections with few people. Without giving away too much of the storyline, local jock Chase Andrews turns up dead, having fallen from a tower some 60 feet high and every prejudiced finger in town points to Kya as the assailant.

This book is my new favourite of 2018. It is an incredibly moving story that held my attention over the 36 hours that I read it. I didn't want to put the book down. I felt an emotional connection to Kya, her loneliness, her isolation, her desperation yet fear of human contact, rejection and yet she emerges a strong and proud woman. I loved the poetry interspersed throughout the book and it made me appreciate poetry in a new way. I would not hesitate to recommend this book. Read it, you won't regret it.

I can honestly say hand on heart this is by far the best novel I have read all year. (and I have read almost 70 books) I first saw this advertised on Reece Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine Book Club, it was her September pick and as soon as I heard her talking about this book with such passion I knew it was one I had to read.


"I can't even express how much I love this book! I didn't want this story to end!" Reese Witherspoon



I couldn't agree more, I got 70% through the book and as much as I wanted to know the ending I also didn't want the book to end. Why is this book so good? Well not only is Delia Owens a beautiful writer but the murder mystery / romance storyline is very gripping.

The story centres around a young girl named Kya "The Marsh Girl" since she was 7 years old her family continue to abandon her, all her siblings and also her own mother. Why do they go? because Kya's father is a difficult man, an alcoholic gambler who has a very bad temper. Kya is left in the marsh with just her angry Pa, who is little comfort or support for a young girl.

As time goes by Kya grows older, and it's time for her to get an education, she doesn't like her one day at school as she is yet again rejected, so never goes back and takes solace in the marsh, her motherland, her home. She learns a lot about nature, animals, birds, shells and makes friends with the wildlife. She becomes extremely independent for a young girl which is amazing but you can really feel how deep her loneliness, isolation and rejection is and I found that sad. I just wanted to tell her everything would be okay for her. She gets on with her simple life but deep down you can sense she just wants to be accepted and loved.

Running alongside the storyline of Kya growing up is a flash forward to the future, where the body of Chase Andrews a popular young man of the town has been found dead in the marsh. There is speculation of murder and a town who has been rejecting Kya all her life are quick to come to conclusions that it may of been her...

Throughout the novel Kya is rejected and misunderstood. I can't begin to imagine how she felt growing up alone in a marsh with no one there. But her resilience and drive to make things work is commendable, she creates her own family with some helpful towns people, a romance and of course her gulls. Kya is a beautiful character and I loved everything about her lost soul.

Delia Owens has crafted a book that just oozes beauty, I have never felt so engrossed with a storyline before and the detail of description of the marsh and its creatures was so amazing I felt like I was there in the marshes watching Kya's life unfold through the trees close by.

This is Owen's first fictional novel and I can't wait for her to write more. In the mean time I will be re-reading Where The Crawdads Sing and recommending this book to everyone! A massive 5*s from me and my favourite read of the year by far!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for this advanced copy of this book to read and review honestly. 


*side note, if the publishers agree I can post this on my blog brunchingbookworms.co.uk at a specified date*

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens is a story of loss, loneliness, survival, love and the natural world.
I loved this book and after I finished reading it I wanted to start from the beginning again.
Kya's family were poor and live in marshlands in North Carolina. One day her mother walks out and shortly afterwards all her brothers and sisters leave too. Kya is the youngest child and at six years old it left with her father, who has a terrible temper and is always drunk. Kya has to fend for herself and is often frightened and hungry. She is fascinated by nature and spends her time observing the birds and creatures that live on the marsh.
Years later a local man is found dead and the locals who call Kya The Marsh Girl suspect that she has something to do with this. They have always treated her badly and are looking for someone to blame.
I really liked the character of Kya and the description of the marsh and wildlife was fascinating. My favourite book of 2018.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Book UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

5 stars for this beautifully written and emotionally compelling story ❤

"Within all the words of biology, she searched for an explanation of why a mother would leave her offspring."

My heart went out to Kya from the very early pages, the moment when her mum walks out on her when she is just 6 years old.

Living in a marshy wilderness alone, Kya is feeling lonely and abandoned, as people in the town turn their backs on her, making her feel unwelcome. Kya only has nature to nurture and protect her when no one else would and the wild creatures of the marsh as her friends.

The chapters of Kya's story starting in 1952 are intertwined with murder investigation chapters set in 1969 until the two timelines collide. For one reason or another, Kya becomes the prime suspect in the murder case as she has history with the 'dead' local golden boy and a couple of witnesses can place her near the crime scene. But how can the Marsh Girl get a fair trial with the jury full of prejudiced villagers who rejected and ignored her for years?

The vivid depiction of the marsh surroundings, the heartbreaking story of Kya's survival, the suspense of the murder trial and especially Delia Owen's beautiful prose completely sucked me in and made the reading of the novel such a memorable experience. I cannot recommend this book enough.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book UK for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be published on Goodreads just before the publication date in January and on Amazon UK just after the publication date.

This debut fiction novel centers around Kya, a girl left on her own, abandoned by everyone she connects with, to survive on her own to become known as the Marsh Girl. The story’s timeline transports us in and out of the death of a local, the trial, Kya’s childhood and survival of the unimaginable hardships.

It’s the kind of book you can’t wait to finish so you know the ending. But yet are saddened to close the last chapter and no longer be a part of the story. It literally sucks you in....into the peace of Kya’s marsh, to her heart wrenching betrayal by many and eventually how her life plays out in the pages you won’t be able to stop turning....

Five stars is not enough. I cannot wait to read anything Delia Owens publishes in the future.

I was keen to read this because it was a pick on the Hello Sunshine book club reads and I was not disappointed. Set in Carolina on the marsh, the writing is so evocative and immediately transports you to the setting. Although there is a bit of a murder mystery in the book, its more about life on the marsh for Kya. Abandoned by her parents she raises herself with no education and no money. The writing is so rich and wonderful, I loved every second of it. Where The Crawdads Sing is almost certainly my favourite book of the year!