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Review: Where the Crawdads Sing

Review: Where the Crawdads SingTitle: Where the Crawdads Sing
Author: Delia Owens
Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Mystery, Romance
Pages: 379
Source: Library
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 2.5 Flames

Add to Goodreads

There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.
Goodreads Synopsis

For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet fishing village. Kya Clark is barefoot and wild, unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when the popular Chase Andrews is found dead, locals immediately suspect her. But Kya is not what they say. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life's lessons from the land.

My Thoughts

I’ve been wanting to read read WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING ever since I saw the trailer for the movie release in 2022. I started reading it back then, but I got sidetracked by some health issues and stopped reading altogether for a little bit. About a week ago, I checked for available audiobooks I could listen to while I was waiting for a hold from my library and started reading it once more.

While I’m a little miffed at the ending, I’m still glad I read WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. I really loved Kya and I was fully invested in her life. I loved that she not only survived, but thrived despite the hardships she faced. I thought her story was beautifully told and very emotional.

I loved the dual timeline in WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING and thought it was the perfect vehicle for the story, especially the mystery aspect of it. I liked getting snippets of Kya’s life in the past while I watched the events unfold in the present. It actually reminded me a bit of Christopher Nolan’s MEMENTO.

His dad told him many times that the definition of a real man is one who cries without shame, reads poetry in his heart, feels opera in his soul, and does what’s necessary to defend a woman.

I really loved the characters in WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, especially those that showed kindness to Kya instead of shying away from her because they thought she was trash. I adored Jumpin’ and Mabel. They did all that was within their power to help Kya survive, feel loved, and succeed despite facing the racism of the south during the 40s, 50s, and 60s. I also loved Tate. I love that he saw Kya as more than just the “Marsh Girl.” He wasn’t perfect, but he took responsibility for his faults and did what he could to help her.

I truly loved WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING until the last few pages. I feel like the last few pages undid what the author was trying to say and/or show about who Kya grew to be after the trial. View Spoiler »

Have you read WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for racial slurs, sexual assault, bullying, child abandonment, spousal abuse, and child abuse.

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Top Ten Tuesday #46

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
Debuts I’ve Loved

Today’s Top Ten Tuesday prompt is “Debut Novels I Enjoyed.” I’ve read quite a few debuts and thought it would be fun to see which books I’d choose. I’ve decided to focus on new adult or adult novels I’ve read. Here are my top ten choices:

  1. Dune by Frank Herbert
  2. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
  3. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
  4. Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn
  5. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
  6. Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
  7. This Spells Love by Kate Robb
  8. The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary
  9. Every Summer After by Carley Fortune
  10. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

What about you? Which debuts have you enjoyed? Do we have any in common?

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Review: Fourth Wing

Review: Fourth WingTitle: Fourth Wing
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Series: The Empyrean #1
Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 528
Source: Borrowed
For: Personal Interest
Rating:
Sexual Content: 3.5 Flames

Add to Goodreads

There's content in this book that may be triggering to some readers. I've tried to include the possible triggers in this book at end of my review.
Goodreads Synopsis

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders... Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general--also known as her tough-as-talons mother--has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

My Thoughts

I’ve been wanting to read FOURTH WING for a little over a year. I put it on hold at my library, sadly to be informed that my turn wouldn’t come for several months. I waited patiently and then when my turn was only two weeks away, my friend told me I could borrow her physical copies of both FOURTH WING and IRON FLAME. Needless to say, I jumped at the offer.

I’m so glad I finally read FOURTH WING. It was everything I wanted in a romantasy and more. There’s so much hype surrounding this and I get it. When I was reading it, I didn’t want to put it down and I couldn’t stop thinking about it in between reads. I stayed up until 2am on Wednesday night finishing it because I was that invested in the characters and the story.

I adored the characters, especially Violet and Xaden. I could feel the sexual tension between them from the very beginning and I loved it. FOURTH WING is a slow-burn romance that leaves you wanting for more. The secondary characters were amazing too. Rhiannon, Ridoc, and Liam were my favorite.

Hope is a fickle, dangerous thing. It steals your focus and aims it toward the possibilities instead of keeping it where it belongs–on the probabilities.

I loved the world in which FOURTH WING takes place. Rebecca Yarros built a beautiful world based on folktales, lore, war, power, and political drama, which is my recipe for a fantastic story. I loved the Gaelic feel to FOURTH WING thanks to the names of some of the characters, most of the dragons, and lot of the places. I also loved that riders are bonded to their dragon so we can hear their voices and get to know their personalities.

Finally, I adored the mythology of FOURTH WING. It was fascinating. The magical system with signets was fun to read about and experience.

Anyway, FOURTH WING has earned a spot as one of my favorite books. I’m glad my friend let me borrow IRON FLAME too because I need to read it now.

Have you read FOURTH WING? If so, what did you think?

Trigger Warning

There is a trigger warning for loss of a parent, loss of a child, loss of a sibling, bullying, and animal deaths.

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Sunday News #61

Sunday Post and Sunday Salon are blog news memes hosted at Caffeinated Reviewer and Reader Buzz, respectively. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, and showcase books and other things.
What Happened this Week

Wednesday was book club. It was our annual “memoir-of-choice” month and it was a lot of fun. We talked about a lot of really interesting memoirs. You can read about it by clicking the link below.

I also went over to my BFF’s on Wednesday before book club. We crafted with both of her daughters and while watching a movie. She’s working on her pattern for a platypus amigurumi and I’m still crocheting plants and flowers for all my planters.

Yesterday, Corey and I drove a couple of hours north to spend the day with his parents. His dad recently had major surgery so we wanted to see how he’s doing / feeling. He’s still sore but he’s improving a little each day.

What I Blogged

Here’s what I posted on the blog this week:

What I Read and I’m Reading

I finished reading FOURTH WING on Wednesday. It was brilliant. I’ll be posting my review tomorrow.

I also finished with the WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING audiobook just last night. I have mixed feelings. I’ll be posting my review on Wednesday.

I started reading THE UNWEDDING by Ally Condie on Thursday and THE WIDOWMAKER by Hannah Morrissey last night.

How was your week? Anything exciting happen?

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July 2024 Book Club

My IRL book club met this past Wednesday. July has been our “memoir-of-choice” month for the last three years. It’s one of my favorite book club months every year.

There was a little overlap this year as a couple of people read Tom Felton’s BEYOND THE WAND memoir. Otherwise, thanks to a few people reading more than one memoir, we had a lot of good ones to talk about.

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We had a discussion about how most memoirs are sad or depressing because the author usually has had to go through some terrible ordeal (e.g. abuse, addiction, poverty, mental illness). I pointed out that Neil Patrick Harris seemed to have a really great life from what I read in CHOOSE YOUR OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY. He talked about the inner turmoil of coming to grips with his sexuality and some of his experimentation to help him realize he’s gay. He had a good childhood, his time in Hollywood has been great, and his family life with his husband and kids is eventful but “normal.” I kind of wonder if that’s why he wrote more of an autobiography than a memoir.

Most, if not all, listened to the audiobook of each memoir. A few of the memoirs were rated 4 stars and only two were rated 5 stars, the rest 3 stars. The two 5-star memoirs were BEYOND THE WAND and WE WERE DREAMERS by Simu Liu.

Here’s what Stacy had to say about BEYOND THE WAND:

I really enjoyed this. I listened to it and appreciate that open honest nature.

Here’s what Kami had to say about WE WERE DREAMERS:

Simu’s story is sorrowful yet inspiring. I love that he sees the good and bad in his life as learning experiences. The whole book is very touching. I love how vulnerable and real he was throughout.

I loved the way he spoke about Asian representation and what that means to people of our generation. He made it so personal. It was hard to hold back tears.

If we continue this tradition next year, I’d like to read TASTE: MY LIFE THROUGH FOOD by Stanley Tucci. I wanted to read it this year, but I didn’t plan ahead in time for my hold to be ready from the library.

Next month’s book is THE UNWEDDING by Ally Condie. I’m really looking forward to reading it as it was picked as the June book Reese’s Book Club.

Have you read any of the memoirs we read this month? If so, what did you think of them?

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