Kya Clark was abandoned by her family at age ten and has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home since then. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world – until the unthinkable happens.
Where the Crawdads Sing has been one of the most phenomenally successful books in recent years and has been on the bestseller list since its publication in 2018. Have you read it? Tell us what you think about it by submitting a comment below (COMMENTS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS).
How realistic did you find Kya’s solitary life in the marsh? Could she have survived on her own?
Nature and poetry are important elements of the story. What are there significance to Kya and Tate? Do you think the poetry adds to the narrative?
Were you surprised by Tate’s discovery at the end of the novel or did you see it coming? Did it change how you viewed Kya’s story?
I thought this book was very good. It really drew me in and I was surprised by the ending! Her prose was lovely, the descriptions of the environment seemed real, and you could imagine the character’s life and understand the decisions she made.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and shared it with a friend who also liked it. We both had trouble putting it down once we started. Well written, suspenseful and a real surprise ending. Just when I thought I had it figured out it took another turn. Only criticism is the highly unlikelihood that a ten year old girl could have survived alone -especially through the winter with such limited food. Maybe a really resourceful 13 year old could have managed.
Will look for more books by this author.
The book reminded me of those times in life where you realize you have a pretty good life and that having a loving family is the most wonderous thing imaginable. The characters were well thought and had good shape and depth. It held my attention and had a good rhythm. It makes me want to visit and listen to the crawdads, but I will have to make due with the frogs and crickets of Wisconsin.
I did enjoy reading this book as it was an interesting, well-written story. However, I feel it is one of those popular books that did not quite live up to its hype. There were just too many elements that were unrealistic for me: an uneducated 10 year old child surviving alone in a backwoods swamp, the fact that her family would all just up and leave her to fend for herself and nobody (the townspeople, social services, etc.) really cared or tried to help her much, that she could become such a successful self-taught biologist/naturalist and author. I could go on but I won’t.
The poetry was boring and I skipped over most of it, so for me it added nothing to the story. I wasn’t too surprised by the ending as I had my suspicions throughout the trial.
I would recommend it to others, though, if you’re just looking for an entertaining escapist read.
I really enjoyed this book. I think what I enjoyed most was the detailed description and imagery of nature. I’d recommend this book.