Where the Crawdads Sing
2018 · Delia Owens · 370 pages · Literary Fiction
Delia Owens' debut novel combines a coming-of-age story with a murder mystery set in the marshlands of coastal North Carolina, and the nature writing is the best thing about it. Owens brings a naturalist's eye to the landscape, making the marsh feel as much a character as anyone in the book. The mystery keeps pages turning, and the ending delivers a twist that kicked up strong reactions in both directions. The romances are thin, some plot elements require significant suspension of disbelief, and the pacing drags in the middle, but the atmospheric setting and Kya's resilience carry the book through its weaker stretches.