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Where the Crawdads Sing

By: Delia Owens
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
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Publisher's Summary

#1 New York Times Bestseller

A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick

For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Celeste Ng, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that 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.

©2018 Delia Owens (P)2018 Hachette Audio UK

Critic Reviews

"I can't even express how much I love this book! I didn't want this story to end!" (Reese Witherspoon)

"Painfully beautiful." (The New York Times Book Review)

What listeners say about Where the Crawdads Sing

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Wonderful core story, but ultimately disappointing

I feel like I'll be in the minority here, but I didn't like this book overall. I only persisted because my Book Club is reading it.

Whilst the narration is good in many ways, giving the lyrical language the appropriate languid southern delivery, it made it a very long, very slow listen which became tedious about halfway through. Kya's voice didn't alter enough either as she became an adult, and the still breathless girlish voice made it hard to picture her grown up. Chase and Tate have identical voices too, which limited the sense of them as distinct characters.

The thread about the police investigation is a waste of time. It adds nothing to the story, or the suspense and is poorly, stupidly written. I would have opened with the discovery of Chase's body and not mentioned anything about that again until the trial. From the trial onwards, I couldn't wait for this story to be over. I guess it's possible a trial would have unfolded like this in the south at that time, but it comes across as highly implausible to me.

The story does too much, goes too far. Each story is just stretched that much further beyond what it should have been to make it hard to accept. I think with some editing and some pulling back of a number of the ideas, it could have been much more enjoyable. The core story of Kya's survival on her own and her appreciation and understanding of the natural world of the marshlands was deeply evocative and captivating - everything beyond that seems into Hollywoodesque storylines and ridiculous outcomes. A real shame, it could have been wonderful.

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78 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Moving story

I loved this moving story. Being a nature lover and finding it therapeutic to sit and breathe in "nature" by riverbanks and estuaries this book transported you to the marshlands, sitting and observing the insects, birds and animals through all the well written intricate descriptive details of the author. The writng made you feel like you were sitting alongside the main character. The book touched my soul, even though it was wrapped around a sad story line with themes of family violence, abandonment, loneliness, human cruelty, love and survival. Overall this was a slow and steady pleasurable listen during my daily commute.

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17 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing! Beautiful! Enthralling!

The most beautiful book I’ve ever listened to! Now, my favourite & I’ll listen to it again to appreciate once more the magic that this talented Author has sublimely delivered.

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15 people found this helpful

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A must listen

Not at all what I expected.
Fantastic by all accounts, not predictable and 50% crime 50% fab romance/general story.

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14 people found this helpful

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Where the crawdads sing

Just a wonderful story - beautiful written, surprising and beautifully narrated .... It is an absolute must read. I cannot wait to read more books from this author.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Captivating till the very end!

Delia Owens paints a beautiful picture about the marshes of North Carolina and takes the reader on an incredible journey with the main character(Kya). I like how the two different narratives slowly intertwine and give a fitting end to the Marsh Girl's story. The narration by Cassandra Campbell is a cherry on top with her delightful voice and her range of accents.

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7 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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So Pleased I Read This Book

LOVED IT!!! such a touching story. Written and read beautifully. I too highly recommend this book.

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7 people found this helpful

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    1 out of 5 stars
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Axe to grind

A thinly veiled attempt by an author voicing her personal agenda - mysandry. Bar one comment in the book about how girls can also be hurtful, the rest is a swipe at how terrible men are.
Of the 50 plus chapters 20 could have been culled, they consisted of complete fluff. Classic novels make every word count. This is writing I would expect from student bulking up their text with filler. Poor.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Very intriguing Story

This story is so different, I just can't imagine such a life. The characters were interesting. I loved the special relationship between Jump in and Kya.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Captivating

There is so much of the writing of this book that takes you to a special place. It is a social commentary about what we choose not to see and so relevant and true.

A book about resilience, adaptation and potential.

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5 people found this helpful

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