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Emily May's Reviews > Where the Crawdads Sing
Where the Crawdads Sing
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» 4.53 across 160,000 ratings on Goodreads.
» 400+ holds at my library (I actually had to buy this).
» #1 on the Amazon charts.
» On virtually every Book Club's reading list.
...and I can’t finish it.
I’m sorry. I do realise with those numbers it is definitely me. I read all of Part 1 and the first chapter of Part 2, then I gave up at page 156. Nothing seemed to be happening other than Kya fishing and cooking grits. There are lots of pretty nature metaphors like:
But I just don’t enjoy descriptions of trees, swamps and bugs that much.
It's funny. Usually when a book doesn't float my boat, I can still totally understand the hype. I wouldn't have called this one, though, I must admit.
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» 400+ holds at my library (I actually had to buy this).
» #1 on the Amazon charts.
» On virtually every Book Club's reading list.
...and I can’t finish it.
I’m sorry. I do realise with those numbers it is definitely me. I read all of Part 1 and the first chapter of Part 2, then I gave up at page 156. Nothing seemed to be happening other than Kya fishing and cooking grits. There are lots of pretty nature metaphors like:
Waves slammed one another, awash in their own white saliva, breaking apart on the shore with loud booms— energy searching for a beachhead. Then they flattened into quiet tongues of foam, waiting for the next surge.
But I just don’t enjoy descriptions of trees, swamps and bugs that much.
It's funny. Usually when a book doesn't float my boat, I can still totally understand the hype. I wouldn't have called this one, though, I must admit.
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Where the Crawdads Sing.
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Reading Progress
April 23, 2019
–
Started Reading
April 23, 2019
– Shelved
April 24, 2019
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 262 (262 new)
message 1:
by
Kendra
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Apr 25, 2019 01:19AM
“Their own white saliva”...?
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Oh wow, thank you! I so appreciate this. I'm a librarian & got a copy pretty quickly. Tried to read the first chapter & just couldn't get into it. But EVERYONE keeps talking about it, so I put it on hold again to try again a second time. You have convinced me to cancel the hold, because I don't think a second time would have worked!
I was surprised by how much I loved this book. Typically agree with your reviews but this was my favorite book of 2018.
I just loved this book. I found all the descriptions of the nature so fascinating.
This book was an overhyped miss for me, too. I just couldn't find the characters or situation believable.
I had a hard time getting through it as well. Don’t get the hype
I started this not too long ago and was enjoying it. Then it started to become repetitive. I took a break on it to read a few other things, and will try to pick it back up again.
That’s how I felt about Call Me By Your Name. I was feeling really unsure of myself for not loving it. I had to dig deep for readers turned off by the gross power dynamic.
I usually agree with you and while I didn’t find it 5 star I did love it. I wish the crime happened for a different reason though but I still found it enjoyable but not OMG as was described to me.
I am so sorry to see that this one didn't work for you, Emily, because I loved it as well. If you're not into descriptions of trees, bugs and swamps though then this wasn't going to work for you as the environment and setting are as much a powerful character of this novel as Kya and it is her connection and perception of the natural world that is the driving force behind her story.Different strokes for different folks. Appreciate that this didn't work for you but wished it otherwise. Better luck on your next book!!
LOL Emily. I read this as an audio version on my stupidly long ride to work, so I didn't give up (because I had nothing else to do in traffic!). However I do agree with you in that Owens' overly descriptive language was sometimes a little much (how many words can you use for "wind over the lake?" lol). Nicely written.
Thanks for the honesty.
I almost always agree with you and trust your reviews so very much. But we disagree on this one. I loved it. 5 ⭐️ book for me.
I don't see the hype at all. Felt similar to what you wrote. I did finish it though because someone had loaned it to me and I felt obligated. The descriptions were overdone and the story was very hard to believe.
I thought it was really boring at the beginning. I could barely finish it. But the end made it worth it, it just was long and drawn out. I didn’t care for the description as well.
The book was awful! I regret wasting the time to finish it!
FINALLY someone says it.
I agree with you. I finished it only because my mom recommended it, but definitely not high on my list. So many love it, just not my jam for some reason. I am now starting the Cruel Prince based on your recommendation! 😊
I have plenty of books that were loved by the masses that I hated and DNF. But I absolutely loved this one. I’m sorry you couldn’t get through it!
YES. THANK YOU. I thought I must have been crazy. I truly could not understand why people enjoyed this.
Just finished it and loved it. I'm sorry you couldn't do it this time. I find that sometimes I don't have much patience or mindset for a book.Move on to something else and give it another try some other time.
For this one, I listened to the audio and read the book at the same time. It was calm, soothing and enjoyable.
Ugh. Wish I had read this before I slogged through the book for book club. We’re usually pretty similar! I couldn’t get into it. Have you heard the rule of subtracting your age from 100? Subtract your age from 100 - if you don’t like a book by that page, then ✌️.
Sad that you bought it! I’m sure it will resell fast lol. I have friends that loved it and friends that hated it, so I’m still unsure whether it’s worth my time!
angee I struggled through the first half of this book. There are some things I liked (hence my rating of 2 stars) but in the end it wasn't enough to redeem it
I slogged through the swamp to finish this book.
I could not get into this book at all! I shelved it.
It’s true that the first two parts are written rather long-winded but the ending is grasping ur heart!!! I am so sorry u lost the thread in the middle :( but everyone feel very different towards words so next time maybe:)
But you missed the amazing ending 😭
I had to buy it, too and I'm so happy I did - think I'll re-read this more than once. So heart-breakingly beautiful!
THANK YOU! It was such a struggle to finish this book. The end was satisfying but not really worth all the work of getting through the rest.
wow I really hate that quote, I hate the image of waves-as-saliva! maybe I DON'T want to read this book.
I struggled a lot at the beginning, but then really started to love it when Kya and Chase met (I can't remember at which part that occurred) - then loved the ending. I'm sorry it didn't float your boat, though!!
I struggled quite a bit with this book as well and it took a while for it to pick up, BUT the ending was sooooo worth the struggle and I rarely say that. I thought many times about not finishing it but I ended up really enjoying it.
400 holds?!?!?! You're library must be huge! The one I work for had, at best, 20 holds! Confession: I started this book too and enjoyed the first 50 pages, but it fell flat for me after that. I'm hoping that one day I'll come back to it, and maybe have a different experience. For now, I'll leave it on my TBR.
I made it to the end but same reaction as you—don’t understand the hype.
I originally got really excited about this book from the CBS News Sunday Morning interview with Owens. It was a really good interview. I noticed a lot of interest in this book after that. I admit I immediately went to put it on my "To Read" list but after reading the description and excerpt I knew I wouldn't get through it.
Try the audiobook. It’s a great listen.
I did really enjoy the audiobook and the ending was not what I expected. All in all I think if you could power through you might really enjoy the way things played out. I fell in love with the characters and that kept my interest with it.
For my whole library system, we have over 900 holds on this one. I'm pretty sure it won't be a book for me, though.
You did yourself a favor by deciding not to finish. This was a book club read for me, so I read it all. But I found the characters and plot totally unbelievable and ridiculous. And somehow the ending just made me angry.
Overall, I thought the book was engrossing--even if I had to suspend my disbelief many times. The ending seemed emotionally flat to me.
" I just don’t enjoy descriptions of trees, swamps and bugs that much." BIG MOOD
I agree, this book was not worth all the hype. The only thing that kept me reading it was the mystery aspect of it. The characters and descriptions of nature utterly bored me.
I think the only way that I was able to get through this book was because I did the audio book version. I think hearing it made it more lyrical and more bearable. I would have struggled reading all of the descriptors/useless information. I only rated it as high as I did because I appreciate the lyricism of it, but agree that the story itself fell flat.
This review made me feel better about my boredom while reading. Enough with the tree descriptions!
I have heard so many great things about this book, but for some reason it didn’t appeal to me either. I almost purchased it, but glad I didn’t after reading your review! Sounds exactly like the book I feared it might be.
100% agree with you! Tried so hard to get into this one...but just couldn't!
yeah - I keep reading about it and hearing high praise. Yet something kept me from it. That quote about the waves put the final kibosh on it.
