Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
I heard so much about this book, plus now there is a movie out about it, so I needed to check out for myself what all the hype was about—and for me, it absolutely lived up to the hype!
It was an attention-grabbing, slow burning mystery about an abandoned young girl-turned woman growing up by herself in the swamp intermingled with a future murder.
This poor young girl lived in deplorable conditions with an abusive father within a swamp. One by one, she was abandoned by everyone she loved. She had to fend for herself and learn how to not just survive, but protect herself from the unforgiving community that shunned her as a “Marsh girl.”
It induced all kinds of emotions, from compassion and sadness for the girl, to anger and disbelief. I love how her intelligence was underestimated, and yet, she always found a way to survive, outsmart, and ultimately, reach dreams she never knew she had.
It was a heartwarming tale of a woman coming into her own.
And yet, with the looming murder mystery over our heads, you can’t help but wonder why, how, and whodunit and you read on. Even with the back and forth format between present and history, you couldn’t predict how it would all end. It was so full of intricate intrigue that I found myself thinking I knew the ending, but then second-guessing because there could have been so many possibilities. And as the book came to its conclusion, the cleverness behind the details and the unraveling truth were superbly done.
I loved every moment of this book. There wasn’t a minute I wasn’t captivated by the writing or the plot. Highly recommended for anyone—not just the mystery genre lovers. A must read that lived up to the hype. I can’t wait to see the movie now!
To learn more about the author and her book: https://www.deliaowens.com/