Where The Crawdads Sing tells the story of a young girl named Kya, abandoned by her
family in the Marsh. At such a young age she lived in seclusion in Barkley Cove, having to learn
to provide for herself. Many people referred to her as a marsh girl which was very socially
isolating. She tried to enroll in school but she was made fun of and had to run away from the
people who wanted to put her in a home. Kya is wild, instinctive, and intelligent. Her cleverness
is not to be discounted, although many did. Although she is successful in living off the land and
being astray from humanity, she longs for a companion and to be loved. She eventually gets the
attention of two young men. The first one is her older brothers (who no longer lives with her)
friend Tate. He shows her kindness and never treats her less than she's worthy of. Tate teaches
Kya to read and write, but the biggest lesson he teaches her is what it's liked to be loved, valued,
and cared for. The other man, Chase, shows care for her and gives her hope but ultimately seems
like he might be secretly ashamed of her because he refuses to introduce her to his family. We are
left wondering which one will heal her and make her feel safe. Which one won’t leave her like
her family did? This is a beautifully written coming of age story which demonstrates the impact
our childhood can have on us. Where The Crawdads Sing is a thought provoking,moving, and
immersive novel. The components of love add to and emphasize Kyas character development.
Later in the novel there is also a murder mystery in which for some reason they are pointing
fingers at Kya, the untamed, wild, uncivilized marsh girl. This book has a little bit of enjoyment
for every type of reader. Murder mystery, love story, coming of age, independence and internal
reflection, there are just so many layers to this story. I really enjoyed the imagery and how
descriptive it was. This book really transports the reader to the marsh and makes you feel as if
you were there. The explanation for the beautifully written naturalistic detail is that the author is
a naturalist, specifically a zoologist, and has first hand experience with the things she writes
about. This book will have you continuously thinking as you get deeper into the plot. Learning
about Kya was very enjoyable as she is a unique character. A couple of critiques I have about
this book is that the premise of this little girl being left in the woods as a child without being
picked up by social services is a little unrealistic. But I feel as you read this book, you kind of
forget about that. The mystery was very entrancing and was a fun thing to ponder the possible
motives Kya could have as a suspect. I would describe this story as shocking and beautiful.
Overall I recommend this book as a must read for anyone.

Check out Where the Crawdads Sing from NBPL!