where the crawdads sing book review

where the crawdads sing book review

The Importance of “Where the Crawdads Sing”: A Book Review

1. Introduction

“The Importance of Where the Crawdads Sing: A Book Review,” as stated from the title, reviews a book called “Where the Crawdads Sing.” Within this essay, the book is reviewed, first positively, and then negatively, then giving a summarization of the overall book. One could think of this essay as a guided tour of a mansion. You see the pretty things and the surface, but at the end, you discover the mansion is condemned and past the point of repair. This is similar to how the book is reviewed, as you see the pretty adjectives and fantastic visual storytelling, but beginning to pick apart the logistics and facts, the book begins to unravel. But instead of just leaving the tattered remains of what the book has become, the book review then stitches back together the good things around the beaten and torn core of the book, giving a sense of full closure of the review. Strangely enough, the first tour inside the mansion begins quite nicely as the reviewer begins to unravel the setting of the book, which takes place a few hundred years ago. Although it may be not too relevant to how life is lived today, the first few chapters of the book are said to really “set the stage” for the rest of the story and introduce a wide array of colorful characters.

2. Plot Summary

At age 7, Julia and Tate’s story joins in, that is what connects the two time periods in the novel. Pa and Ma are employing Tate’s father to help Kya and her family. Kya does not trust Tate trying to give his father fishing secrets, a very important skill to know, but she decides to show him the ways of fishing in the marsh. One day, Pa does not wake up, and Kya only knows to see if Pa is deceased. He is paler than usual, so she calls the townspeople to help. But since the townspeople could not get to the doctor in time in the bad weather, Pa already died. The next thing Kya knows, Ma and the possible other siblings get convinced that Pa’s death was a suicide due to the secret that he was not taking a blanket fire from some of his other friends to WWII pile. But Kya has a different thought, the Kya thought.

The plot of “Where the Crawdads Sing” is a suspense novel that revolves around two time periods. It is about a sixty-four-year-old Kya Clark, known as the marsh girl. The story begins in 1952 and ends in 1970. The first and foremost plot is in 1952 when Kya’s mom leaves due to her father’s blaming and spousal abuse. All the siblings already left because they could hardly handle their father’s violence. Soon after, one by one, her siblings leave Kya and Pa until Kya is alone with Pa. In a short time later, Pa leaves as well, which leaves Kya all by herself. She waits and waits for Pa to come back, assuming he was just going out for a while. Sooner than later, even when she is still too young to know anything, there are men in white suits who come and try to take her away so she would not have to live in the marsh by herself.

3. Themes Explored

Kya’s impact on the natural world – Throughout the novel, Kya desires to be as loyal to her comfortable solitude and surrounding environment as possible. She is an avid observer of the natural world, specifically the behavior of the marsh animals, insects, and birds. Kya utilizes observations of bird behavior, specifically Tate’s comparison of her to a female marsh hawk, in attempts to navigate through painful and favorable social situations. Resulting from her in-depth knowledge of the marsh, Kya becomes a successful author of books illustrating marsh insects and wildlife. This career choice strengthens her bond with the marsh and can be seen as one of the only positive results of Tate’s abandonment. Kya ultimately desires to become a part of the marsh and live harmoniously with nature. Realizing the marsh is becoming increasingly rare and more in danger of being destroyed, she donates her marsh insect collection to an environmental charity to help preserve the marsh. Her donation arguably shows her finally being at peace with relinquishing things that once meant the world to her. Kya longs for Tate throughout the novel, and her desire to be with him is a key factor in many of the things she does. In the end, as Kya waits for Tate on the old fire tower, she realizes that he is gone and it is then that she truly becomes part of the marsh. The novel ends with Jumpin’ and Mabel finding Kya’s boat with a note saying that she has departed the life and belongings she once knew. The couple digs no deeper to find her, and the reader is left to assume that Kya lived out the rest of her days deep in the marsh, isolated from human contact but content with living in harmony with nature. The environment in Where the Crawdads Sing is much more than just a setting; it is a character that influences the actions, desires, and the ultimate fate of the story’s protagonist.

4. Writing Style and Characterization

The writing style of “Where the Crawdads Sing” is descriptive, detailed, and articulate, utilizing varied vocabulary and sentence structure. Owens’ great attention to detail often governs the tempo of the novel, with long, rhythmic passages devoted to the marshland that reads like historical fiction. These sections slow the pace of the novel, and to a large extent the plot—yet the development is essential to the narrative in other ways. The importance of environmental surroundings to a person’s development is a prevailing theme, and Kya’s association with the marshland is a pivotal aspect of her character—so much so that it essentially becomes a character itself. The prose constructs a complex and evocative mental picture of the area and its occupants; rich in natural metaphors, its heavy use of personification in describing humanizing features of the marsh (e.g., ‘The Marsh knew your secrets. As you walked upon it, knowing you were accepted, it gathered to change you… It would shake off your human torments and let them drift away,’ p.185. This is a passage that could be lifted out of the book and offered as a prime example of its style.) serve to make its meaning sparse to the reader, but undeniably powerful. The narrative is split between two timelines—the story of Kya’s youth and as an adult in the early 1960s, who becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation. This plot is interwoven with the story of how she became isolated and builds suspense and a sense of urgency as the novel progresses, leaving the reader questioning what series of events could lead to the development of her character from the ‘Ma’am’ in 1952 to ‘that Marsh girl’ in 1969.

5. Conclusion

The author has a particular message to convey and does so successfully. She manipulates the readers’ feelings intelligently and by making the initial and final events of Kya and Chase’s relationship parallel, it makes the resolution of Kya killing Chase via societal influence far more poignant. This novel is successful in entertaining the readers, whilst forcing them to question human nature and responsibility through a myriad of emotions.

The central message is to forge our own paths and not be swayed by societal judgment. Kya’s guidance came from the nature around her and taking the life of Chase away from her taints the pureness of her own nature. This is the turning point of the novel, for the chase scene had created hope that Kya could rise above the confines of social class, the same hope that Tate tried to create for Kya when imparting knowledge of a way out.

In brief, “Where the Crawdads Sing” is a novel that suggests we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps. Although set in the 1950s and 60s, the book’s themes are still pertinent today. It’s a coming-of-age book, a murder mystery, and a love story. This implies that the book has a wide target audience as it incorporates various genres. The deeper messages entwined in the storyline give reason for the book to provoke thought and engage readers at a more profound level.