Scottsdale Public Library's Reviews > Where the Crawdads Sing

"She was worth more than fried chicken." A fitting quote for a book set on the coast of North Carolina.

A slow meandering story with beautiful character development, characters you grow to care about, a great mystery, and poetic writing. This is not an action packed story, but it will have you willingly turning the pages to solve the puzzle of Kya. –Megan G.


Delia Owens is an award-winning nonfiction writer and co-author of 3 internationally bestselling nonfiction books, Cry of the Kalahari, The Eye of the Elephant, and Secrets of the Savanna. Her first novel, Where the Crawdads Sing, is simply beautiful.

Kya, the main character, is believable in an untenable situation and someone you can’t help rooting for. This is a story about bullying, prejudice, heartbreak, loneliness, and the power of kindness. It’s about family baggage, living in harmony with the natural world and, ultimately, about resilience. This book has romance and mystery and so many twists and turns. I don’t want to give away ANY details that would spoil the surprises. Lush descriptions of the marshland of coastal North Carolina ground it all perfectly. The beauty and truth of Where the Crawdads Sing are guaranteed to remain with you long after you’ve finished it. -Kathleen G.