Disclaimer note: The author has been linked, though never charged, to a controversy involving an unsolved murder in Zambia during her time in wildlife conservation. While it does not alter the content of this novel, some readers may wish to be aware of this before starting.

Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya Clark, a girl who grows up isolated in the marshes and eventually becomes a gifted naturalist. She is later charged with first-degree murder of Chase Andrews aka the town’s golden boy. What struck me was how much the novel echoes To Kill a Mockingbird. Both stories center on outsiders in small communities, where they are judged not for what they have done, but instead, for being different.

Themes of abandonment and prejudice were repeatedly featured throughout the novel (even though the writing felt much too poetic and took the intensity away at times), and I found myself alternating between feelings of awe and shock: at the sheer amount of resilience Kya possessed, and at the seemingly endless amount of emotional pain she had to endure throughout her life. It was rather nice to see pockets of connection between her and the few who made the choice to stay in her life, supporting however they can.

Then we have Chase Andrews. The way he treated Kya was nothing short of infuriating. Chase was manipulative, careless, and steeped in arrogance. What makes his character even more frustrating was that he had multiple chances to redeem himself. Moments where he could have chosen honesty, kindness, or even just basic decency. But each time, he chose ego, reputation, and control.

So when you combine abandonment, prejudice, and tragedy, it becomes a perfect recipe to cast blame. The court trial becomes the story’s crucible. A test of whether truth or prejudice will prevail. But we also see how quickly the community is willing to believe the worst about her, simply because she never fit into their world. As such, her fate seems to hang less on facts and more on whether society is capable of empathy and fairness.

Would I recommend Where the Crawdads Sing? Despite having enjoyed this story, I only found out about the controversy after completing it, and thus would not wholeheartedly recommend this book. It has also got me wondering if most murder mystery novels are actually just confessionals in disguise.