Review Labs: Where the Crawdads Sing *No Spoilers*

 Reading Review (No Spoilers) 

Stats:

• Author: Delia Owens
• Literary Fiction (Love Story and Murder Mystery set in the 1950s-late 1960s
• Published August 14, 2018
• Page Count: 368 (my copy had recipes and such in the back, you'll know why once you read it) 
• Movie Release Date: July 15, 2022 

Disclaimer: I have only read the book. I have not watched the movie, so this review is purely on the writing style and nature of the written word. I strive to have no spoilers in this review and if you are compelled to comment below please be thoughtful. 

I had seen the trailers and the pictures of Kya everywhere, even in Sam's Club of all places. Although the image above is not one of my favorites, I adore the cover with where the is the darkness of the marshes that blends into her face. I believe the cover I mentioned before portrays the tone of the story. Although you may not know her name at the beginning of the book, you will surely know it by the end. 

The story begins with a murder of a local ex-football star, Chase Andrews. I'm not impressed by this beginning but if you can push forward passed the first chapter you won't regret it. The resilience and breathtaking sense of Kya stands out far more than the description of her beauty. Owens does an amazing job building her main character's personality through the struggles she faces. 

But what makes her struggles special and stand out from anyone else's? What is so intriguing? I found this to be the marshes. I had never once thought of the marsh lands in North Carolina and who lived in them. Land almost forgotten but brought forward in this story through description can only attest to the knowledge and experience of the author. 

For me the murder mystery took a back seat and only became more intriguing at the end of the story. There was not a disconnect in the story line, but the description of Kya's life was far more superior than the story of the detectives trying to find Chase Andrew's killer. 

Innocence, love, and sex (not explicit) plays a part in Owen's story as well. I appreciate the thought behind each move Kya made and those she interacted with. From Jumpin' to the people in town each movement the main character had gave purpose to progressing the plot. As a writer, I strive for plot movement such as this. As a reader, I am in love with her talented story telling. 

In closing, "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens is an engaging read that will leave you speechless from beginning to end. I highly recommend reading this book and devouring it without haste. 

Overall Rating: 9.5/10 

 Google Images (for image) and Google (for Stats)