Meet the book that may have ruined all other books for me. If I gave books stars, this one would have them all!

This book ticked all the boxes for me: its beautiful, lyrical prose transported me to a time and place; featured a strong female protagonist; had an epic love story; taught me something, and found a place in my heart.

During a Q&A at @politicsprose, Delia Owens says she came up with the idea for a novel that would explore how much isolation and loneliness would affect a young girl who was forced to grow up on her own and to weave in a murder mystery that went farther than being a who-dun-it. But at its core, she says, it is an exploration into the raw core of human nature.

While I loved so many things about the book, what impressed me most about Delia’s writing was her ability to incorporate nature and the behaviors of its creatures without dragging down the pace of the story. Instead, these brief observations Kya encountered in the wild gave her and the reader an understanding of the inherent behavior of all beings.

Weaving together the natural world and Kya’s journey through life was all-encompassing. It was a world I found hard to leave. I read this book in four days, and during times I had to go back to reality I found my mind drifting in and out until I could return. Even the next day after finishing it, I continued to mourn the fact that the story was over, going back over moments I had bookmarked, wanting to return.

I think finding out filming for the book is underway and seeing the faces of those who will play the characters added to my reading experience. Having seen Normal People and @daisyedgarjones’s performance, I don’t think they could have cast a better Kya. I can’t wait for this film. I have full faith Reese will do the book justice.