The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

This is the discussion thread for the Spring 2020 Group Reads Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. Please post your comments here. This thread is not restricted to those choosing this book for task 20.10, feel free to join in the discussion. Warning- spoilers ahead!

The requirement for task 20.10: You must participate in the book's discussion thread below with at least one post about the contents of the book or your reaction to the book after you have read the book.

CYNBAXTER - Where the Crawdads Sing

I just tore thru this book - my gosh, what a beautiful story! Remarkable debut and I'm in a bit of downfall now. So many images are flooding my head. Kya's life - both tragic and beautiful. I welled up over the simplicity and peace, felt frantic during the invasions into this, the heart ache of her abandonment.
One of the questions we ask ourselves when writing a review is how sympathetic were we to the main character. Quite honestly, I felt so protective, I would have stepped in myself to bring her justice. But she never needed it.
Having a book hangover so early into SRC is not a good thing, lol. Maybe I should read some poetry next in the spirit of A.H.

Cynthia wrote: "CYNBAXTER - Where the Crawdads Sing

I just tore thru this book - my gosh, what a beautiful story! Remarkable debut and I'm in a bit of downfall now. So many images are flooding my ..."

I agree, I felt for her in a big way, but she was so much stronger than that.

I will be honest, I have been avoiding reading this book for quite a while. My taste does not tend to run to "celebrity endorsed books", as I have had a few disappointments over the years. However, one of my co-workers had just finished it and really liked it; her taste is a bit more eclectic like mine, so I figured it must be at least "good". And the bonus was that I got a 20 point task done as my first task of this season!

I did like the book- it was a 4 star read for me. I love books set on the Carolina coastline, and have a historical feel. I couldn't imagine a young child having to care for herself like Kya did. The mystery aspect of the murder really had me questioning each character as we went thru the story. Unfortunately, I wasn't totally surprised by the ending, and I guess I was looking for a bigger twist to the ending. Won't say anything else to avoid a spoiler, but that is my biggest criticism, if you can call it that.

Overall, I enjoyed it and glad that I finally broke down and read it.

I was totally immersed in by the character of Kya, as I always am by stories of children who have to survive on their own. I was so engaged by her story and her ability to learn and adapt , that the murder of Chase was at first just an intrusion in the story I was loving. However I did get sucked in to trying to figure out who it was as the story progressed.

I had just recently vacationed in South and North Carolina so it was nice to read a story in this setting.

I have looked at this book so many times and backed away because of the celebrity endorsements; however, I am excited about getting a copy soon. Thanks for your wonderful, uplifting reviews that made me anxious to jump in.

A beautiful story about the becoming of a woman who is forced to spend her life in isolation, due to a harsh family upbringing and a judging community.
Despite her solitude, the main character succeeds in learning to survive. Turning her loneliness into strength and outwitting the odds, she eventually finds the long-desired acceptance that people deny her within the natural habitat she lives in.

Seasoned with emotions from a range of relationships (family, couple, friendship), the book is a testimony of the victory of inner strength, despite all oppositions.
The ending poses a moral dilemma.

A story about rejection, abandonment, survival and affection. A landscape of man, nature, community.
Above all, a masterpiece of the art to survive.

Just finished the story. I found it to be beautiful, quiet, and sad. The ending was rather predictable, at the same time I was rather hoping for more of a "happily ever after" scenario for Kya. I, too, was hoping for more of a twist with the ending, or to have just left it alone.

I grew up on the North Carolina coast (not that long after this story was set) so this story really resonated with me. I loved the descriptions of the marsh and the supporting characters, so many of whom were like the people I interacted with when I was a kid. I sympathized with Kya but I never felt sorry for her and that only made me like her that much more. I hope Owens continues to write fiction. I'd certainly read more from her!

I really enjoyed the book - as Kristina said, I never felt sorry for her, although her life was pretty tough. I liked the way she figured out a way to support herself, even as a little kid, and I loved the way that Jumpin and Mabel tried to take care of her without stepping on her pride.

It did strike me as a little odd that they would go to Asheville to go shopping, since there are several cities as big or bigger that are much closer to the coast. I suppose it was because they wouldn't need to stay overnight if they just went to Fayetteville or Raleigh!

I had such high hopes for this book since I've seen it top every kind of chart for 2019, so when it came up as a group reads option, I finally committed.

I feel I am in the vast minority of people who did not care much for this book. The writing was sometimes strong, sometimes not. The characters were sometimes interesting, sometimes not. The plot was sometimes gripping, sometimes not.

Overall, the book was sometimes unputdownable, sometimes not.

The author's writing about nature is the best part of this book. You can see how passionate she is about her work. There were times when I felt I could give this book 4 stars, but for the most part, I was sitting at a 3, so I'll give it a 3.5.

I listened to this book on Audible. Being from NC I love books set in our state, especially historical fiction and mysteries so this hit both for me. I loved the descriptions and all the nature references, they made the audible book come to life in pictures for me. Kya was a strong resourceful girl who you couldn't help but feel for and pull for. There were a few moments of suspended belief, but you find that in all fiction. Overall I did enjoy this book.

I just finished this book. Many of my coworkers had read it earlier this year for our book club, and have talked about it often since then. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Kya was a fiercely strong character, and I enjoyed seeing her fight through the hardships that only make a person stronger in the end.

While I agree with many others that the ending was slightly predictable, that didn't bother me. I was glad that Kya got her happy ending, I was definitely rooting for her.

There has been a lot of hype about this book and I’ve been wanting to read it for a long time. When I saw it was one of the group reads selections for this season, I figured now was the perfect time.

I finished this book in 2 days. Although I felt that the book really didn’t take off until halfway through, I was pulling for the main character from the very first moment we are introduced to her and was quite happy with the way it ended. I’m a sucker for the underdog and I like things that are tied up with a pretty little bow at the end. Though in this case, I would have honestly, been just as happy had the book ended with no resolution to the main mystery. I’m also very happy that she was able to get SOME closure regarding her mother and the rest of her family.

Things I liked a bit less- the long descriptions of the waves, grass, birds, etc. And I also didn’t find the plot of the book to be very believable (though sometimes when reading a good book, you have to suspend reality just a little)

Overall I rated the book 4 stars, and I would definitely read other books by Delia Owens.

I'm so glad I finally gave this book a chance!

Kya's story is one of pure survival. Abandoned as a small child (which as a mother was very difficult to read and comprehend) and shunned by the community, through great will, determination and the supportive love and care of her few friends, Kya not only survives but blossoms into a strong, resilient woman.

The author's wonderfully descriptive writing of the marsh and surrounding area just added so much atmosphere and enjoyment while reading.

This was a 4 star read for me and look forward to reading more from Delia Owens.

I picked up this book from the library this morning and just finished reading it tonight- I couldn’t put it down! The character of Kya was so relatable, and I found myself rooting for her. I thought the writing was beautiful and evoked Pat Conroy’s majestic prose, bringing the natural backdrop to life, almost as if it was its own separate character. So glad this challenge gave me an opportunity to finally check this one off my TBR list!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book on audio! Meghanly, thanks for pointing out the similarities to Pat Conroy's writing. The outside world and connections to the natural world are highlights of the book. Kya was so resilient and was engaging as a character. Like others have mentioned, I had some resistance toward reading this, but I'm quite glad I did. Good writing and a good plot got it to 4 stars for me!

I also had some resistance toward reading this, as seems to be the common denominator among the reviewers here. I use to avoid any and all 'hype' books.

I was surprised and relieved to find an original story set in a very mystical decor which to me resonated perfectly with Kya's personality.

It was encouraging to see a character who, despite questionable decisions made early on, was able to press on and develop strength out of it instead of succumbing to despair and depression.