I began reading this book when I was sitting around wasting time on jury duty a few weeks ago and I’m just so glad I picked it up. Life gets in the way so this story took me longer to get through than I would have liked, but the build to the end was worth it once I got time to hunker down over a weekend and just devour the second half.

The beginning was just slightly slow-moving with the life of Kya, the “Marsh Girl”, but oh-my-goodness, my heart shattered for her. I don’t consider myself as someone who is particularly fond of children, but for some reason when their lives are unfolding throughout the pages, I just find myself attached to them, and Kya and her little abandoned soul just crawled into my soul and latched right on.

Again, I know they’re fictional, but how her entire family could abandon her in a tiny, run-down shack when she’s still such a small girl just shattered me. Every instance of her curling up in a ratty mattress at night, or trying to search for food and being shunned in her little down broke me. What I did love, however, is that it never made her bitter. Of course, she was wary of people (could you blame her?), but she still saw her marsh with the sea and the birds as beautiful – her own slice of paradise.

The mundane coming-of-age got a little stale, or maybe that’s because I read this book at night before I fell asleep, but once the plot started to develop more and I found out more about Chase’s mysterious death, I couldn’t seem to turn the pages fast enough.

If you follow this blog, you know I’m a sucker for romance, so the budding friendship-turned-relationship between Kya and Tate was lovely because of how pure it was, and how much he loved, adored, and protected her right from the moment they met, but their paths go such different ways that it doesn’t fully end up wrapped in a sweet little bow.

Once things go to trial for Chase’s death, things get tense, and my heart was in my throat wondering what would happen to Kya. My heart continued to ache for her and the evidence both for and against her as to her possible involvement in the case were compelling, but the way Owens actually ended the story blew me away.
I loved knowing Kya in life after being put on display in front of the whole town who have spent their lives hating her. I also loved finding out what happened with Tate as he moved through the years. When it all ended, it was unexpected, and bittersweet. I was thrilled, sad, heartbroken, swooning, and all of the above. Once I really delved into this novel, it became utter magic.

If you have not read this book yet, I can’t suggest it enough. Until next time, bibliophiles, you can find me, “way out yonder, where the crawdads sing”.