Kya is known in her town as the "Marsh Girl" in Where the Crawdads Sing. She is raised in a shanty in the marshes near a little community on the North Carolina coast. Her mother and four elder siblings have all left to escape their abusive father, leaving her to fend for herself. Her father eventually vanishes as well.
Where Do Crawdads Live? Kya, a wild and unkempt girl, is the protagonist of Sing, which is mix bildungsroman and part crime drama. The book chronicles her life's ups and downs. Hers is a lonely existence, but it is also a hopeful one. She can survive and even learn to read with a little guidance.
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Her inherent beauty attracts the attention of two men in town, despite her status as an outcast. When the body of local hotshot Chase Andrews is discovered in the marshes, however, she becomes a main suspect. Her fragile existence, which she has worked so hard to construct, is in jeopardy.
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My review for this book:
Where Do Crawdads Live? Sing is about survival and resiliency, but also isolation. I particularly enjoyed the section of Kya's childhood; it provided a fresh plot line as Kya learned to navigate the world on her own. As she is forced to fend for herself, the novel focuses heavily on her status as an outcast and sense of abandonment. In terms of pacing, it's fast-paced and action-packed.
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Kya's story includes romance, mystery, and even a courtroom thriller segment. Nature lovers will like this book as well, as Kya's love of the natural world is expressed through thorough descriptions of the flora and fauna, reflecting the author's background as a former wildlife biologist.
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The vivid picture is descriptive where it's needed and spare when it's more appropriate for the plot. The book has a great sense of location, sending you to another world where you can smell the water and sink your toes into the muddy fields outside the beach village.
Meanwhile, the discovery of a body prompts the Chase Andrews inquiry, which adds to the story's intrigue. Kya's account is interlaced with flashbacks that chronicle the investigation's progress. This worked well for me, as it added a layer of intrigue because it's unclear how things will turn out for Kya or what transpired that night. Both sides have strong evidence, and the inquiry is moving at a good pace.
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