“Where the Crawdads Sing” is a coming-of-age murder mystery novel written by Delia Owens. The book takes place over 25 years and follows Kya Clark who lives in a swamp in North Carolina. The reader sees Kya betrayed in her childhood by her family and people in the small town that consider her an outsider. A careful observer, Kya focuses on learning about the swamp she inhabits. Kya hones her knowledge of the plants and animals that live in the swamp. As she grows older, she writes books about the swamp, while also being accused of murder. 

I really enjoyed reading the book. It touches on many themes, such as family trauma/issues, sexual assault, survival, prejudice, and many more and does a good job incorporating all of these themes while still telling a story. While Kya’s situation is much more extreme than what most people have been through, there are some aspects of the book that most people can relate to on some level. 

Along with the themes and the appeal of the natural setting, I also really liked the story line. I appreciated how the story line went back and forth between Kya’s childhood and her adult life, and it was easy to follow along. I also loved the imagery. Owens writes a lot about nature, and does a good job of incorporating nature into Kya’s life throughout the entire book.  

Overall, I think this would be a good read for just about anybody. It has a little bit of romance and murder and nature, something for everyone to enjoy!