Based on this premise - one part mystery, one part legal drama, one part coming of age story, and one part love story - I didn't think coming of age was realistic...the author focused on too much for my taste on entertaining.

Wonderful book. Enjoyed reading it through and through. It wonderfully described scenery and nature, the relationship between people and nature. Having said this, the plot at times was a bit unrealistic. I wish it was more said about the murder too.

The book is chock full of cliches, and the reader is asked numerous times to suspend reality as the story unfolds.

Also, for those familiar with the area, it makes zero sense when the author tries to weave in Asheville numerous times in the story line. She writes that characters shop there while in our modern interstate society that would be well over a six hour drive. In the 40s and 50s, it would be quite a bit more. Just didn’t make sense…except the author likes Asheville and wanted to incorporate it no matter what.

The author’s overuse of similes was tiring and pulled me away from her writing. When figurative language is doing all the work, writing suffers.

Sorry to say, I also was disappointed in this book to some extent. Not at all what I thought it would be. YES! Kya DOES blame her family & others in the town for her plight, a little too much. How could a mother abandon her young child--too unbelievable. But yes, I was surprised by the ending but wondered how she could have pulled that off.

I started reading this book with high expectations, based on the many glowing reviews. As I read, I grew more and more disappointed. Too much like chick lit. Too predictable. Characters lack complexity, lack depth, and seemed insipid to me. Perhaps I am being overly harsh, as I had recently finished several Elizabeth Berg novels (including Truluv), as well as Olive, Again, and some Anne Tyler and Annie Proulx. All these writers and novels, including Crawdads, feature unique female protagonists, but Aya, the marsh girl of Crawdads, is nowhere near the nourishing literary meal and depth of character of Olive and her ilk. By comparison, Crawdads seems like chick lit.

You might find this a good read if you can suspend reality as you read it. Then you will be astounded as the child learns to read in one session, leading her to become a brilliant and celebrated writer-illustrator.