Am I the only person who did not love Where the Crawdads Sing?

[Iloveyoucaterpillar]

Saw on another thread that this seems to be a book that people rave about and I was all ready to feel the same, yet just didn't end up liking it particularly without really knowing why.

I certainly did a massive internal eye roll when it turned out that Kaya - left to support herself since the age of about 6 I think - was blossoming into an unconcious willowy beauty, as though it would be impossible to care for her character without tumbling raven locks etc.

And the idea of Tate popping along every now and then and somehow miraculously teaching her to read seemed far fetched. Perhaps I'm just jealous as my oldest DC is 3.5 and has got home his first reading books, it's made me realise the whole learning to read process will take years and at the moment the end result feels highly unlikely.

Then there is the miraculous and very convenient book deal .

I wanted to like it so much more!

I totally agree with you - I thought it was predictable and unbelievable with a very thin plot, but good film potential! Couldn’t understand why everyone was raving about it.

I hated it too and for all the same reasons. Her being a secret poet really tipped me over the edge 😂

I didn’t like it either. Seemed rather cliched to me.

Very badly written. I couldn’t believe some of the sentences made it past the editor.

Another thing that came to mind was if I had to raise myself from the age of 6 I’m sure my teeth would be rotten, my hair matted and my armpits would probably have dreadlocks. Definitely no willowy beauty.

I couldn't get over how bad I thought it was: two friends who are far more discerning than I raved about it.

I read it after American Dirt and it didn't hold a candle to that book I thought.

I’m with you OP but I seem to be in the minority: all my friends, family and book group loved it.

I thought some of the writing was atrocious, the story totally unbelievable and the bits about botany/nature which were clearly the author’s first love shoe horned in all over the place

It was dreadful. The conversation between Kaya and her brother midway was the point at which I wanted to throw it against the wall (/delete it), but I pushed on to finish it. Needn’t have bothered.

Yes, the poetry! Every time she was reminded of an "Amanda Hamilton" poem I just sighed. The murder mystery element also felt contrived.

I quite enjoyed it

And yes, absolutely felt the book was a vehicle for the nature writing.

I’m with you OP.
Glorified chick lit unconvincing.

A book group friend read it and absolutely loathed it, so you're not the only one OP. I trust her judgement and haven't felt inclined to read it.

The nature writing is the best bit and sometimes it's pleasant to be swept along by a mad page turner so I enjoyed it at the time but it's not a book I'd ever recommend. See also: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Unbelievable.

Yep me too. All of that. I love the friend who recommended it to bits though so I’ve kept my mouth firmly shut

Same here. Some beautiful descriptions of the setting but otherwise nothing to recommend it. The murder mystery plotline added nothing to it, the poetry ditto. Worst book I've read this year.

I couldn't get into the Crawdads at all. Dull, dull, dull.

Eleanor Oliphant started off OK - but then fell into the tired cliche of (effectively) giving EO a makeover, at which point I lost interest. My tolerance for 'unattractive woman has makeover and becomes attractive' plots was exhausted in the mid-90s when it formed the plot of just about every chick-lit novel on the shelves.

It was awful! You summed up why beautifully. I can't understand why so many people liked it.

Nonsense from start to finish. It really bugged me that she was always wearing something white..er grey and dingy don’t you mean..she washes her clothes in the creek for godsake!!

Well, I enjoyed it (and recommended it!), but can see in retrospect what you all mean. I read it on holiday. Maybe that helped? I am impressed by how many of you read the whole thing anyway. I give up books too easily.

I enjoyed the beauty of the surrounding and the struggles of her raising herself. I didn’t believe that she would turn into a stunning beauty but youth is often beautiful in itself.

However the murder plot was harebrained and just so poorly executed.

The beauty in the wilderness was lovely. I just wish the interactions would have been more accurately portrayed.

Reese Witherspoon is making it into a movie so I can imagine it will become more saccharine induced for the spectrum of film

The poems were weird and jarring but I did love the nature descriptions.

I absolutely hated it but tried to persevere.. finally ditched it when I came across “Sunday Justice”. Oh come on!

The whole thing is, as PP have pointed out, a thinly veiled bit of chick lit, sadly bursting with cliches despite its potentially brilliant setting.

I didn’t rate the poorly executed plot.
Hated the dialogue.

Of course she was the best looking girl in town
Of course she learnt to read in about four minutes
And then landed a book deal
Of course she didn’t have any developmental issues from being neglected - for some reason this was the most irritating angle of the story. She was abandoned but somehow came out of it innocent and articulate and able to form bonds with other humans....!

The author spent too long thinking about writing about purdy lil birds and not enough time thinking about THE BOOK.

The poetry was woeful.

Hated it.

More than most of you on here, because the nature noted me too!

Bored, not notrd