Spoiler alert** the only part that I have criticism for is how we went so quickly from the trial to her being 65 and dead in a matter of 20 pages⊠otherwise I thought the plot was strong and the book really was about kya and the marsh and I thought Delia owens did a great job of focusing on her
This review really shows me just how much books really are personal⊠I couldnât disagree with you more! My boyfriend didnât hate it, but also didnât love it. I, on the other hand, think itâs one of the best books Iâve ever read. But Iâve also had experience with abandonment, raising myself by age 7, isolating as a defense mechanism, being naive and trusting the wrong partners, etc. I donât want to assume anything about those who didnât like the book, but my personal opinion is that certain themes hit or miss readers based on their life experiences. This one really touched me and made me feel seen in ways most books donât.
You either get it, or you don't. The people that say they "hate" the story, show with their words, how they simply passed over the important themes, that many who enjoy the story understand and resonate with. They tend to be nitpicky about certain elements of the story, or hate on the author in general, and completely miss the underlying themes.
I like the themes of this book, and im glad she pushed chase lol however I just didn't like how she falls in love, falls in love again, and tate hurts her. chase deceives her, it was just really sad and disappointing to read. so i was really hoping that justice would be brought and shed be able to find a man that was as faithful as her. but i also understand tate made a mistake.
My heart is literally aching after reading this book, the storyline gripped me and I cried way more than I thought I would. I also loved the beautiful descriptions and didnât notice that this book was slow.. but I also am a cottage core, slow living gal so that might be it đ
echoing many on here - when I read it, I did not going into it thinking it was a thriller. I read it shortly after it came out I went into it blind and I love historical fiction, so this one worked for me! This book is by NO means a thriller and I'm confused why it's being marketed that way
I think itâs pushed more as âmysteryâ than âthrillerâ to be fair and I just formed my own perception that leaned more towards âthrillerâ based on what I heard about it. The bad thing about my reading is I try to not look into books too much before reading them, but then things like this happen where I get an unhappy surprise đ đ glad you enjoyed this one though!
@@ashleyslittlelibrary The characterization is the worst thing about it. They promote Kya as some hero who should be heralded for murdering her abusive boyfriend, when really, it just emphasizes that she was a compulsive liar the whole time and creepily sadistic. Honestly, when Tate finds out at the end, I expected him to be a lot more frightened to realize what she had been capable of. She could have done the same thing to him, regarding his 5-year absence.
I feel like this is definitely a book for someone who is expecting more of a coming of age historical fiction novel. I do agree, however, that end ending seemed sort of out of place and the murder plot was pretty much the least of my interests while I was reading. I much more enjoyed her stories about isolation and growing up.
I will say, after finishing the movie I think the plot is strong enough to be interesting, but not really strong enough for scrutiny. By the end, I found Kya to be a character I don't want to route for; even with someone as comically terrible as the main "antagonist" opposing her. While I don't like some of the characters, I like their depth. And the directions she explores with them is at least unique. Spoilers: In the film, a lot of these characters have real flaws. Flaws that are hard to excuse. While I don't necessarily enjoy some of these character decisions, I think it makes them feel interesting at a baseline and I think that deserves some praise. Tate leaving for 7 years without sending a letter? Comes back and wants her back. Real nice for you, bud. Kya's entire family leaves without offering a branch to her to while she is so young? Wild to me. But this is true to life. We aren't stories, we make bad decisions. But much like Kya's choice near the end, it makes me hard to route for them once they fall under a lens. This story is a coming of age one for an eclectic girl, learning to read, love, and survive. That's where the movie excelled for me. But here are my big hang ups. Firstly, even in the 60's, the severe lack of physical evidence would never bring her to trial. Kya isn't even found near the water tower that night. She is simply a town outcast marsh girl, who was previously romantic with the deceased, and made the necklace missing from his body once found in the swamp (which everyone seems to know despite her being a secret mistress). These elements are the only real link to motive of a crime and would have served far better motivation for an investigation of Kya and not a trial. I understand the author wanted to hone in on the condemnation piece, since it plays a big part of Kya's closing defense, but that theme could have been preserved with some realistic interpretation of the law while commiting to a small thriller element. Much like Kya's lawyer says, the charges levied against her are barely circumstantial. It's enough to look into her, maybe a bigoted town would want to levy charges, but seldom would their be a court that would do something like this legally. In fact, were Kya black during this time period, due process of the law being hand waved for people during the Civil Rights era, I would understand. The law was far more eager to condemn non-whites for less. As it is, its a small hang up, but one that bugs me. Next, Kya is clearly a sociopath forged by her harsh upbringing and the movie/book never addresses this. The Marsh is a sympathetic character to her and conversely us. It is a character in and of itself and the only one truly there for Kya. So much so, that she refuses to leave while everyone around her does. To Kya, both from her philosophy and her interests, she is much more at home among the harsh realities of nature than with the rest of the world. Despite the label of Marsh Girl being spoken as a derogatory term, Kya is very much one. Made into one by her environment. And this makes sense given the abuse, harsh conditions she grew in, and the town's hatred of her. It would make her a far more interesting cautionary tale but it wasn't explored. At all. It's in the background enough to interpret it, like her writings and opinions on nature and death, but never enough to take Kya out of the sympathetic lens. Never enough to show the tragedy of her sociopathy, only enough to justify her actions. The film doesn't treat her as someone who planned a murder, feigned innocence, lied to her lawyer, town, and friends, without a shred of remorse, and had dinner while smiley defending the concept of murder in nature after killing a man. She is just sweet, poetic, Kya. For those of you who don't see what I mean, watch "The little things". This movie is a master class in writing conflicted characters we root for when we shouldn't. It actually makes you feel conflicted for believing in them. Good stuff. Even if you are like me and think Chase is someone who deserves to die on some level, Kya's caviler disconnect should scare you. It isn't heroic. It is understandable in concept. And only because Chase is a comically evil human being who we saw commit these acts. Of course you defend premeditated murder when the guy is a adulterous, 30 second one pump chump, who brags about sexual conquests while he beats and rapes woman. Who wouldn't want this dude dead? It's absurdly easier character motivation that plays the part of us giving the emotional clearance for Kya to kill him. But it never comes up, not even to defend her actions in court. From his first 30 seconds on screen, he is excessively unpalatable. If you think this is fine, that vigilantism is justified, look at the allegations the author has levied against her. If these are true, this entire novel shows the ease at which we can justify horrible actions. We are all heroes when the spotlight make the blood looks like calming waves. Had her actions been used as a way to say something interesting, rather than just okay murder, I would have been all for it. But when they take Kya out of the situation of where she was being raped, where she had the right to defend herself and beat that dude's head in with a rock right then and there, and opted into making her a clever murderer, who feigns innocence and manipulates the situation to have people root for her, and act as if it is okay. There, they lost me. She instead kills Chase like a prane mantis. Luring him in to a place of romantic significance, and consuming his head. And their conflict is also boring. The films sub theme of Kya's desire for human connection conflicting with her personal call of the bayou could have been capitalized on much better. What if instead of Chase just being a cruel rapist, he reveals at his "daddy's tower" that his family is going to buy and snag up a bunch of land. The very same land we and Kya know can be bought up at a moments notice. Given how 1950's of a guy Chase is in the beginning, it would make total sense if he thought stealing Kya's land and domesticating her was a kind thing to do; contrasting the idea of Tate who sees the value of Kya's life in the Marsh. At least before he goes to college and turns into everyone else. It would have given them a laired element to their dynamic-both in the court and in the flashbacks. Help cast doubt on the idea of murder and frame Kya monologue about "removing predators" in a much more contemplative light. But no. Murder is cool because Chase is the worst on all levels. Anyone can write this. But we don't get an interesting delivery. We get the twist of her being Chase's murderer framed to us a this beautiful poignant act of vigilante justice when it is actually a premeditated murder. Look at her actions without the flowery lens Kya writes over them and you see a gigantic disconnect from humanity. She could deem anyone a threat at any time and be just as beautiful about it. She is someone I feel immense pity for, someone I see the beauty in and the tragedy which led her there, but she is ultimately never condemned for actions that should be condemned. Instead, she lives a peaceful life without ever bearing those consequences. All in all, I think the movie has a lot of fantastic elements: the acting, cinematography, and characterization of these people and these lands. But if you want a deep exercise of interesting ideas, you won't find them here.
This is my favorite book of all time and I just finished it for the second time. It breaks my heart to see so many hate it, but itâs okay đ hahaha
@Let Your LâĄïžGHT Forever Shine â€ïž As a work of fiction, the bible is horrible. It makes no sense, and very few of the characters are appealing. As a text book it is worse. Possibly one of the worst âhow to liveâ books ever written. However, your attempt to derail someone elseâs post for your own mastebatory gratification is noted.
I can see if you were under the impression this novel was a mystery/thriller you would be let down. This is a fiction novel with many themes. If you read it because of an actress and a pop artist well then you would absolutely be let down. This story is about loneliness, abandonment, nature, and survival. The author has spent many years observing the environment and wild animals where she then decided to write a story about the connection between wild nature and human instincts. It is a fiction novel. She does go into deep descriptions of the coastal environment because this plays a huge role in the plot. This young girl is abandoned by her mother at the beginning left with her abusive absent father. All of her siblings have left as well due to this harsh home life. The marsh then becomes her mother when she realizes her family will not come back. Kya is left alone and survives with what she has been taught. Then she meets a boy who teaches her to read due to that she fled school years before because she was made fun of and discriminated against. She then understands the power of words and can now understand the environment around her better. The boy then abandons her because he feels she is too wild to adapt to his new college life. Alone again her instincts draw her to the strong boy of the group she observes hanging out together. (Natural instincts) she longs and wonders what it would be like to be a part of this group now deeply feeling the loneliness she has in her life. Now older she craves human contact. I could continue but this book is so much more than a mystery/thriller and touches on human instincts and the connection that has to the natural world. How one can survive alone How loneliness and the need for human touch can affect a person. Itâs was brilliant and touching. Her observation of the fireflies survival instincts definitely played a part of her own survival. She was a strong intelligent lead character that I learned from. PS you didnât know who the murderer was. I would bet. Maybe Iâm wrong. This is my opinion.
MOVIE SPOILER: Kya is arrested in the first scene of the movie and spends the whole book in jail. She is telling her story to a kind lawyer. I just finished the book three days ago and was shocked by this framing. BUT, I think it definitely made it into a "thriller" and more exciting than the quiet book that is was. I liked it being quiet. One thing about the casting....The actor who plays Tate is PERFECTLY cast. The romantic kissing scenes with him are lovely!!
This was one instance where I loved the movie way more than the book. Reading it was okay but I forgot about it soon afterward. I agree that much of it wasnât believable. However, the movie centers more around the murder case and makes the story more cohesive. Daisy is wonderful as well as Taylor John Smith (the guy who plays Tate). Loved seeing the marshes on the big screen too, it really brought the book to life.
This book is beautifully poetic. Itâs definitely not a thriller, itâs also not a historical drama. Iâd describe it more as a memoir. To be perfectly frank I think your review/hate and dislike of this book shows your youth. The trial is actually very believable because if you studied trials of the time in which it took place youâd see people were charged for crimes with very little evidence, and many put to death by the death sentence and later found to be innocent . ALSO children in the past were way more capable of surviving on their own/or in overcoming dire circumstances, growing up faster in maturity compared to majority of todays American spoiled children who donât even know how do simple things like make themselves breakfast or do the laundry. The poetry of biology and the way in which animals and insects mate, and find mates is fitting given her relationships with men, and the struggle to survive and protect herself. The book is about isolation, abandonment, and ultimately survival. In the end it was either going to be her or him. He wasnât going to let her go until he had final control of her, that was clear after he raped herâŠ.her relationship with Chase mimics her motherâs relationship with her abusive father. Its interesting for sure to hear a young personâs perspective on this book. I think that as you age and grow in wisdom and in life experienceâŠrevisit the book in 15 years, you may have a change of heart. đ„°
I didnât go into it thinking it was a thriller. I feel like there is only 2 chapters where I was even interested in the trial. What I loved so much about it was the romance between her and Tate. Also, the connection between her and nature was described really beautifully. But you are totally right, itâs a historical fiction/romance novel. The trailer honestly makes me alittle nervous about the movie. It looks very action packed and fast paced. Iâm worried it will miss key points from the book like the true isolation she felt and the time she spent in nature.đżđđ
This was highly recommended by my aunts over Christmas. Then I heard that they haven't read a book since the 90's. I'm so thankful to hear your perspective.
I had no idea about the marketing for this book. I only just heard of it this past May when I saw the trailer for it before a movie I went to see with a friend, I thought it looked intriguing, and she told me it was a book. I picked it up from the library knowing nothing of the genre, and found it an enjoyable read. I couldn't put it down but I still dont know exactly why. I have to say though that the "plot twist" didnt seem like one at all for me. I thought it was obvious it had to be her, or an accident she came upon, due to the missing necklace. Who the hell else would want to take it? I was not surprised at all to find out she did it (though I agree there was definitely not enough evidence to convict her). After she passed I had a feeling Tate would discover something. Obvious plotline was obvious. But still somehow enjoyable for me lol.
I tried to read this for a whole year, so many tries and just couldnât get into it!! Then I decided to get the audiobook from my library and it was so much better and Iâm soo glad I did
I just picked the book up today at Costco. A lady encouraged me to read it. So far I kind of find it boring. But I hope as I get deeper into the book I'll like it like so many others do?!
Honestly I feel like Iâm in the middle here. I loved this book up until the last chapter. The ending felt unsatisfying and rushed and very out of character. It changed my perspective on the entire book and main character! It honestly ruined the book for me. Halfway through I was like I will definitely re-read this book. But by the last chapter it totally changed how I felt about the entire thing and I never want to pick it up again with the last chapter in mind. Very interesting about the real life murder theory. I will definitely look into that. Because honestly those are the vibes I got from this book at the end. My heart just felt heavy when it was finished.
I wasnât sure how the author would wrap up the story when I flipped to the last chapter⊠and it completely threw me off. I couldnât have guessed that last chapter for a million dollars, and not in a good way. It just fell so flat after a decent story
I haven't read the book, starting the audio book just to get some answers after watching the movie. I wonder if I fell asleep during the movie and missed the scene on how she accomplished it with being out of town when it happened and having to ride the bus. How she lured him out there and how she accomplished killing him and cleaning the crime scene in the time frame she had to do it in to catch the bus for the next morning meeting? Did I miss a full scene and does the book explain it?
Same! - spoilers ahead- I somewhat enjoyed the book for the first 90%. It wasnât blowing my mind but I thought the writing was good and I genuinely liked Kya as a character. I donât think it was completely unrealistic that as a child Kya raised herself. She wasnât thriving, she was simply surviving. I didnât care much for the murder mystery and thought that the pacing was so odd of dropping those scenes throughout the story. I think the book would have been better off if it had been chronological and they started with the murder mystery after you got to know chase and Kyaâs dynamic. What makes this one of the worst books Iâve read is Kya literally murdered someone in cold blood. This was so wrong for so many reasons. I understood early on that Kya was likely involved in chases murder in some way. I was thinking that maybe it was an act of self defense after he tried to assault her again, or maybe Tate went to confront Chase and things got out of hand. The last thing I expected was Kya, the same Kya who respected all life forms down to bugs and trees, to premeditate a murder. That was extremely out of character for me. On top of that, she lied to all of her friends and family her whole life after that. She wouldnât even give her lawyer that literally came out of retirement to defend her because he felt bad for her the respect of being honest about what she had done. And then at the end when Tate finds out after she died and he is seemingly ok with it? After Kya rejected him for years over not coming in the Fourth of July although he apologized to her more times than I can count. I think the author wanted us to feel ok about kyaâs decision to murder chase with the implications that were made that Kya was ultimately âwildâ and was more socialized with animal tendencies given her childhood. Yet, Iâm also supposed to believe that Kya is an extremely empathetic person and intelligent enough to become an author that works with a publishing company and makes money from her books. The whole thing just made my blood boil at the end.
You hated it? Shocker! You were rating way before even picking up the book. Sorry but you really judged the book by its "cover" (rumors). It feels like you didn't like it just because a lot of people did.
I honestly only read this book due to upcoming movie adaptation⊠the book itself was just meh for me. Storyline was interesting but Iâm not a ââmarshâ person ⊠I had to lean on the audio book to help me push through the text ..
I'm currently reading this book and I really enjoy it! It actually got me out of a reading slump, it's the first time for months (maybe years?) where I can just sit down and read for a few hours without distraction. I haven't really seen any marketing for it, it was recommended by a friend, so I didn't go into it expecting anything specific. I also find the area of the US it is set in very interesting, so that probably helped. Also, I'm reading the German translation, no idea if that makes a difference.
I really enjoyed this one, but I read it when it first came out back when it wasn't really said to be a suspense/thriller. I think once it got picked up by Reese that the genre got all miscommunicated.
I know Iâm really late to the comments here, but I was happy to hear someone else who had problems with this book! I didnât totally hate it, but people act like itâs just the best book ever printed, and I donât see it!
i loved this one and have read it twice but i understand that itâs not for everyone! i love historical fiction and have no idea why people started calling it a thriller even though thereâs a mystery involved. the focus is really on kyaâs coming of age, her relationship (or lack thereof) with other people, and her relationship with nature. yes some of the things are unbelievable but for me, i enjoyed the story enough to look past it. i respect your opinion though and donât hate you for hating it đ
Picked this up @ Costco on a random trip and knew nothing about it nor the author. I absolutely loved it! This book is so layered and touched my heart in so many ways. The beautiful story telling transported me to Kya's world and that is what I want to feel when I read. I read it over 2 months in bits when I took my puppy to the park or during our afternoons on the beach. However, this week I found myself turning off the TV and just wanting to read it. After she started dating Chase it was hard to put the book down. Finished it tonight and I cried during the last 50 pages. This book is about Nature first and foremost. Female empowerment. Survival against all odds. Kindness in strangers, and Love. I love how they incorporate racism in the 50s & 60s. I think it is beautiful how a Black couple who have less to give than all the others give her the most. I have travelled the world and come from a very poor country. My Mom was abandoned. So, it is not hard for me to believe that a girl with enough self determination and love (for Nature in this case) could survive with the resources in such a wealthy ecosystem and the help of human kindness. This book is exactly why I love to read. This is why I don't do too much research when I pick up a book. I just let a book choose me and if necessary ask for recommendations. I'm curious now to flip through your videos to see what kind of books you do like and what are your favorite books.
I just read this book last month, so you're not alone. I gave it 2.75 stars, but only because the audiobook kept me more engaged than reading it without it. It is definitely comparable to Barbara Kingsolver (I read The Poisonwood Bible in high school). I felt like it was too slow and overly descriptive. Also, the controversy with the author and how the book kind of mirrors that really rubs me the wrong way. The more I talk about it, the more I want to lower my original rating lol
Omg THANK YOU!!! I read this book years ago and I thought it was soooo disappointing and mediocre and I donât understand why everyone loves this book sooo much đ„Čđ«Ł
I disagree with your review and thank goodness you only have a little over 8k subscribers because not many people will see your review to be wrongly persuaded not to read the book. It's generally not the type of book I read but someone recommended it and I enjoyed it. I would tell people to give it a chance. BTW i have no clue where you got that the author Delia Owens is wanted for murder and killed someone that mimicked the character Kya in the book is accused of. That was either something you fabricated or you got misinformation online. Owens is not wanted for murder. She is wanted for questioning of a murder in Zambia that her stepson allegedly committed. He is accused of killing a poacher on land she and her husband owned in Zambia.
I did love this book, but I agree with a lot of what you said. I think they market this genre wrong. Which works in my favor as I love historical and literary fiction. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you! đžđŠ
Isnât the author under investigation for murder in real life because of this book? Maybe I got that wrong but I thought I saw that in the news recently
not because of the book. because there is actual questionable evidence around some time she spent in Africa and the close proximity she had to a man who ended up being killed there. it's just extra sketchy because she wrote a popular book about a woman who gets away with murder...
Hi Ashley, I really like how genuine your reviews are. I initially skipped reading this book because of this video, however, I did ultimately end up reading the book. I personally donât think it was a terrible book. You did an excellent job nailing every point on why you didnât like this book. I agree with everything you said but for some reason I still didnât hate it. Great review!
I thought this book was soooo S L O W. I literally skimmed half of it lol. But the current timeline with the investigation was the best part. I feel like it will translate better as a movie. I gave it a 2/5 and I only give 1âs to DNFâs lol
Hi Ashley. I had a bad feeling about this book too and never picked it up despite the hype. Your review seals the deal. Thanks for taking one for the team! đ
I only read it because of Reese Witherspoon and Taylor Swift (and because I already owned it), and I felt exactly the same. I was bored throughout. I knew it wasn't a thriller, and I normally love historical fiction, but this was so unbelievable and far-fetched that I just couldn't handle it. There are so few even historical elements to it. I didn't know the controversy surrounding the author - which honestly, makes it more interesting, because the anger and murder portions of the book were the only parts that read as having any realistic basis to them. Great vlog.
Your analysis is really immature. I have my own reasons for not liking the book, but do think that it has some strong points that cant be denied. But saying that you dont like the book just because it is "historical fiction" and you do not like historical fiction is closed-minded. (it isnt by the way, although part of the book takes place as early as the 1950s...so not long ago.). "Hate" is a strong word for what seems to me like a very subjective review and no real rationale. I also wouldnt say that "genre blending" is a reason not to say a book is not well-written.
When I started reading again last year, this was my first read and I ended up absolutely loving it. Now I donât know if I would feel the same way if I went back and read it. Just not for sure. But I really think the movie is going to be better for sure if they focus more on the thriller and trial aspects of it! đ
I tried reading this last year and think I only got 25% in before DNFing. I also tried the audiobook and couldnât get into that either. It was so slow and the overly descriptive language didnât hold my attention at all.
Dude, I have the audible and i gotta say the first 17 chapters are slow AF and I already have the time invested plus i'm at work so it's not like i'm wasting any real time lol. But now i'm on like chapter 33 and just want to know the ending at this point. I don't read books and would be so lost/bored trying to read those first 16 chapters.
Really glad I found your channel. Seeing your analysis and personality to go with it, I feel I have found someone I relate to for good book recommendations. I feel I owe you for saving me a lot of misery!
Ok I kinda needed someone to confirm my opinion you did exactly thatđđ I felt alone in not loving this book even as a historical fiction fan myself!! I love your review, you have my taste need to take more recommendations from you!
It was about her being raised by the marsh and learning about life from nature. You donât need to be on her side. She did what animals do to survive. I feel like if you re read in the future and paid more attention to her relationship with the land you might enjoy it and the questions it raises
Totally agree with you. This book feels like an infinite loop of "The Blue Lagoon", relocated in North Carolina. Owens, as a zoologist, really has a hand for describing nature, actually making the marshlands a a perfect setting for a great story. Waaaay to much sugar on top though, huge parts of the dialogues are just badly written, the story & its characters lack depth. Personally, I dindÂŽt find anything of it touching or truly poetic but just schmaltzy and too lame for a crime story in the end.
Finally, someone sees eye to eye with me on this book! I also strongly disliked this book and was so confused when people said they loved it. Makes no sense to me. So slow and the character Kya is so distractingly unbelievable.
I just finished reading the book and it was just alright for me. I feel like the author failed to develop characters in a deeper way. Or explore more complex themes that made me think. It was very surface level writing for me. I also get annoyed when I see the overused love triangle trope in books, movies and tv shows. Women love it but itâs just so predictable.
Same here!! Nice to know Iâm not the only one who had such a miserable experience with this book đ truly goes to show how people can have SUCH different experiences with the same book
I truly feel sorry for folks who do not appreciate a good book. There are so many concepts to reflect uponâŠpoverty, empathy, curiosity, personal emancipation, friendship, sexual assault, love of natureâŠthe list goes on. Amazing that this work of fiction was the authorâs first book! Put down your electronic devices and READ !!!
Pretty obsessed with this book. I donât have many complaints w it but I donât think it picked up for me until about 40% in then it was like I couldnât put it down.
Can I just sayâŠ. I love you? How can these type of books become so popular? Itâs funny to me a girl that raised herself in the marsh grows up looking like a supermodel
@@marthahumphrey3849 **Spoiler Alert**. I was thinking it might have been the guy who owned the gas station. He was pretty upset when he saw that she had been attacked. He practically raised that child.
I have just read this book and i read alot. I would mark this as one of the best books i have ever read. Not sure how this could ever have been in a thiller catogory?? I would say coming of age character study, I thought the trial towards the end of the story was just a show of prejudice of the time, I liked how, in my opinion, there was lost of very accurate discriptions of the wildlife and plenty of dialogue to carry the story along. I thought it made a change to just murder and death like most of the wolrds best sellers. something for everyone :)
Well about how the book was mostly about her life then was only barely about the court case, it was meant to be that way. The book isnât much of a murder mystery. Itâs more about the main characters life, and how she was abused and lonley.
Hahahahaha I read that book when it came out and I didnât know it was marketed as a thriller so I really enjoyed it. This happened to me with The Echo Wife, marketing is so important to set the expectations
I mostly hated the book for sexualising Kya who was 14/15 years old and acting like Tate, who was a 19 year old interested in a 14/15 year old girl isn't disgusting. Not to mention he was present throughout her childhood, so it can absolutely be considered grooming.
I didnât hate it, but I didnât love it either. I will say though that I didnât think she killed Chase because he assaulted her. She killed him because he said that he wasnât going to let her go. There is the line where she says that living in isolation is different than living in fear. In her mind it was more about proactively protecting herself, not revenge. With all the comparisons to human and animals behavior in the book I think that if there is a point to the story itâs that an animal will do what it needs to to survive. As for the trial and the flimsy evidence I donât know how believable it is that a white woman in North Carolina, even one considered to be trash by the townspeople, would get tried on that little evidence, but it should be noted that black men were charged found guilty of capital murder on far less evidence in the South during that period .
I totally agree with you . I tried to read this book twice and give up. Fortunately I got it at the library I would be really miffed that so many people recommend it and I hated it. It reminds me of the Oprah book club reads that I have hated so much that now I donât read any of her recommendations.
I read the New Yorker article on the murder in Zambia (or most of it-it was extremely long and detailed), but the allegations of murder were not against the author herself. She and her husband passionately worked to end the killing of elephants for ivory. Her husband was somewhat implicated in knowing that some of his scouts may have killed poachers in the past. The incident in question was a shooting that was caught on camera in the filming of an ABC News documentary. The New Yorker article found a lot of finger pointing among the villagers, the Owenses, and the ABC News crew that filmed the shooting. A cameraman did state that Deliaâs stepson Chris Owens fired the rifle. The Owenses deny this. Delia and her husband were not present when the incident was filmed.
My wife and I were really into it, u til we realized, we werent being expected to solve this mudet and it wasnt a whodunnit. We were ultimately very let down by the ending.
I loved this book. However, I did feel Delia Owens cut a lot of corners in terms of practical realism for the sake of entertainment, but I can forgive that because I was entertained. I can understand how it would annoy a lot of people though.
Got this at a yard sale a couple years ago - we are fairly close with our opinions and I know that basic historical fiction bores me to death so I think I will put this one in my donate pile! Lol thanks for saving me time đ
I agree 100% with you, the book was so boring and I wondered what was wrong with meâŠhow can everyone else love it so much and I was just like struggling to finish? Glad to hear Iâm not alone!
I tried to listen to the audiobook years ago, and it didn't make sense to me. I couldn't figure out who was talking and when. So I DNF'ed it. I always figured I'd read the book at some point, but now I don't know. Maybe I'll just watch the movie.
I felt so conflicted after reading this. I felt points in this book were strong, but the whole composition wasnât, and some aspects I just couldnât love. Spoiler: I felt unable to digest & stomach the domestic violence due to personal trauma, I felt Kya&Tate werenât romantic but leaning more groomer, Kya&Chase were always terribly triggering upon first picnic for any SA survivors, Kyaâs storyline remained depressing beginning to end. Idk. Some scenes, quotes, general notions were moving or rang personally true. But the majority of this is very nihilistic and depressing.
@@marlonmoncrieffe0728 if I remember correctly Kya was 13 or 14 while Tate was 18. And Tate taught and looked after Kya, placing himself almost as a superior/guardian figure in some ways, which made the age gap increasingly obvious to me anyways. To top it off Tate mentions how he feels Kya is like a sister to him but also more than that and is confused about his feelings. To me it just felt as tho the age gap was larger due to Kyaâs inexperience with the world, her ignorance and innocence made her act younger than she actually was. Their dynamic made me uncomfortable overall. Like something was not quite right about it.
Yeah you donât have to worry about seeing the movie. Itâs so slow and I was super bored for most of it. I havenât read the book, but I think if you find that boring the movie will likely be the same, but at least it had nice shots in the marsh.
Completely agree. One of the most overrated books of all time, in my opinion. The way people were talking about it, you would think Harper Lee had co-authored a book with Charles Dickens. It was such a disappointment when I finally read it.
Your two reasons were exactly the two reasons why I read this book. Finished yesterday, I really liked the first part, the second not so much, and I am unsatisfied with the ending. Now I just want to listen what other people think about it.
I did really enjoy this book, but I love atmospheric, environmental fiction and coming of age-type novels. It definitely isn't a thriller, it's not even suspense, so if that's what you expecting it would be a huge let-down! *Spoiler ahead* The ending felt rushed to me, which was disappointing. It did grow on me as I thought about it afterwards--she didn't do it because she was angry, she did it because she could not continue to live her life while he was trying to redeem his masculinity by chasing her.( pun?) I still think the ending could have been done better, but I was pretty satisfied, personally.
I almost didn't finish it, I was either bored or frustrated through reading it. The one draw for me reading, the idea of a murder-mystery with a coming of age story, seemed fun after enjoying One of Us is Lying and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. This was not it. Nothing in the book was connected in a way that drew me in and wanted to keep me reading while also feeling that the author wanted to do so much in one book that it became overblown bore-fest.
This book was recommended so I tried reading it. I just could not get past, I donât know, 10 pages. A book has to grab me immediately or I just put it down. And I did. Kept hearing about it. Tried again. Not happening. Saw the movie. Had no idea what to expect. Loved the scenery. Kya living in the Marsh kept me interested. Her love interests. Chase, not a good person. The court scene. Thinking these people are only against her because sheâs âdifferentâ. The ending SURPRISED ME!!! I would, at least, recommend the movie. I âŠthought ⊠being the ending shocked me, the book would detail so much more to how the ending was pulled off. Iâm trying to get through the audio book. I just canât. Such a slow moving book ⊠AND BOOKS ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE MOVIE!!!!!!! I even tried to fast forward thru each chapter to get to the murder scene then back up some. I was told what this person did to pull it off was a feat in itself. Can someone help me to find that scene in which chapter? Thx in advance!!!
I didnât know that the author is suspected of murder till you me ruined it. Itâs ruined the movie for me but also I donât like how she murdered him. Tate really abandoned her too and if he came and stayed she would have been safe. What would have made this story for me is if somehow chase died from the marsh be it something poisonous or a gator or something like the marsh was always there to protect her. I havenât read the book but you seem to have a good grip on reading and I would probably agree with you. Crazy that she possibly shot a poacher in Zambia. It might have been her husband though. Crazy
I agree, this book was very slow! I think I put it down for a year and when I picked it back up I pushed myself to finish it. I thought the end picked up a bit and I wound up thinking it was ok. đđŠ
I havenât read a book for so long, and my mom recommended this book for me. I have to say that it was hands down the best book I have ever read! The author really pulls you into the story which makes it to where you are thirsty for more. I agree with Reese Witherspoon, I too didnât want the book to end. Such a DAMN good book! I honestly will be reading it again, and buying the movie when it comes out. No offense, but people who didnât like this book are crazy (LOLđ)! But, we all are different, and thatâs what makes us unique đ!
Spoiler alert** the only part that I have criticism for is how we went so quickly from the trial to her being 65 and dead in a matter of 20 pages⊠otherwise I thought the plot was strong and the book really was about kya and the marsh and I thought Delia owens did a great job of focusing on her
The time jump was abrupt and jarring in the (poor) film adaptation too!
Exactly
I thought both the book and movie were good but would have loved more in between those events as well.
This review really shows me just how much books really are personal⊠I couldnât disagree with you more! My boyfriend didnât hate it, but also didnât love it. I, on the other hand, think itâs one of the best books Iâve ever read. But Iâve also had experience with abandonment, raising myself by age 7, isolating as a defense mechanism, being naive and trusting the wrong partners, etc. I donât want to assume anything about those who didnât like the book, but my personal opinion is that certain themes hit or miss readers based on their life experiences. This one really touched me and made me feel seen in ways most books donât.
YES
YES this book literally changed my entire life
You either get it, or you don't. The people that say they "hate" the story, show with their words, how they simply passed over the important themes, that many who enjoy the story understand and resonate with. They tend to be nitpicky about certain elements of the story, or hate on the author in general, and completely miss the underlying themes.
Yeah. Me too.
Some people can never understand these feelings
I like the themes of this book, and im glad she pushed chase lol however I just didn't like how she falls in love, falls in love again, and tate hurts her. chase deceives her, it was just really sad and disappointing to read. so i was really hoping that justice would be brought and shed be able to find a man that was as faithful as her. but i also understand tate made a mistake.
My heart is literally aching after reading this book, the storyline gripped me and I cried way more than I thought I would. I also loved the beautiful descriptions and didnât notice that this book was slow.. but I also am a cottage core, slow living gal so that might be it đ
echoing many on here - when I read it, I did not going into it thinking it was a thriller. I read it shortly after it came out I went into it blind and I love historical fiction, so this one worked for me! This book is by NO means a thriller and I'm confused why it's being marketed that way
I think itâs pushed more as âmysteryâ than âthrillerâ to be fair and I just formed my own perception that leaned more towards âthrillerâ based on what I heard about it. The bad thing about my reading is I try to not look into books too much before reading them, but then things like this happen where I get an unhappy surprise đ đ glad you enjoyed this one though!
@@ashleyslittlelibrary The characterization is the worst thing about it. They promote Kya as some hero who should be heralded for murdering her abusive boyfriend, when really, it just emphasizes that she was a compulsive liar the whole time and creepily sadistic. Honestly, when Tate finds out at the end, I expected him to be a lot more frightened to realize what she had been capable of. She could have done the same thing to him, regarding his 5-year absence.
I feel like this is definitely a book for someone who is expecting more of a coming of age historical fiction novel. I do agree, however, that end ending seemed sort of out of place and the murder plot was pretty much the least of my interests while I was reading. I much more enjoyed her stories about isolation and growing up.
Yeah. Tbh I forgot this book was about a murder.
I will say, after finishing the movie I think the plot is strong enough to be interesting, but not really strong enough for scrutiny. By the end, I found Kya to be a character I don't want to route for; even with someone as comically terrible as the main "antagonist" opposing her. While I don't like some of the characters, I like their depth. And the directions she explores with them is at least unique.
Spoilers:
In the film, a lot of these characters have real flaws. Flaws that are hard to excuse. While I don't necessarily enjoy some of these character decisions, I think it makes them feel interesting at a baseline and I think that deserves some praise. Tate leaving for 7 years without sending a letter? Comes back and wants her back. Real nice for you, bud. Kya's entire family leaves without offering a branch to her to while she is so young? Wild to me. But this is true to life. We aren't stories, we make bad decisions. But much like Kya's choice near the end, it makes me hard to route for them once they fall under a lens. This story is a coming of age one for an eclectic girl, learning to read, love, and survive. That's where the movie excelled for me. But here are my big hang ups.
Firstly, even in the 60's, the severe lack of physical evidence would never bring her to trial. Kya isn't even found near the water tower that night. She is simply a town outcast marsh girl, who was previously romantic with the deceased, and made the necklace missing from his body once found in the swamp (which everyone seems to know despite her being a secret mistress). These elements are the only real link to motive of a crime and would have served far better motivation for an investigation of Kya and not a trial. I understand the author wanted to hone in on the condemnation piece, since it plays a big part of Kya's closing defense, but that theme could have been preserved with some realistic interpretation of the law while commiting to a small thriller element. Much like Kya's lawyer says, the charges levied against her are barely circumstantial. It's enough to look into her, maybe a bigoted town would want to levy charges, but seldom would their be a court that would do something like this legally. In fact, were Kya black during this time period, due process of the law being hand waved for people during the Civil Rights era, I would understand. The law was far more eager to condemn non-whites for less. As it is, its a small hang up, but one that bugs me.
Next, Kya is clearly a sociopath forged by her harsh upbringing and the movie/book never addresses this. The Marsh is a sympathetic character to her and conversely us. It is a character in and of itself and the only one truly there for Kya. So much so, that she refuses to leave while everyone around her does. To Kya, both from her philosophy and her interests, she is much more at home among the harsh realities of nature than with the rest of the world. Despite the label of Marsh Girl being spoken as a derogatory term, Kya is very much one. Made into one by her environment. And this makes sense given the abuse, harsh conditions she grew in, and the town's hatred of her. It would make her a far more interesting cautionary tale but it wasn't explored. At all. It's in the background enough to interpret it, like her writings and opinions on nature and death, but never enough to take Kya out of the sympathetic lens. Never enough to show the tragedy of her sociopathy, only enough to justify her actions. The film doesn't treat her as someone who planned a murder, feigned innocence, lied to her lawyer, town, and friends, without a shred of remorse, and had dinner while smiley defending the concept of murder in nature after killing a man. She is just sweet, poetic, Kya. For those of you who don't see what I mean, watch "The little things". This movie is a master class in writing conflicted characters we root for when we shouldn't. It actually makes you feel conflicted for believing in them. Good stuff.
Even if you are like me and think Chase is someone who deserves to die on some level, Kya's caviler disconnect should scare you. It isn't heroic. It is understandable in concept. And only because Chase is a comically evil human being who we saw commit these acts. Of course you defend premeditated murder when the guy is a adulterous, 30 second one pump chump, who brags about sexual conquests while he beats and rapes woman. Who wouldn't want this dude dead? It's absurdly easier character motivation that plays the part of us giving the emotional clearance for Kya to kill him. But it never comes up, not even to defend her actions in court. From his first 30 seconds on screen, he is excessively unpalatable. If you think this is fine, that vigilantism is justified, look at the allegations the author has levied against her. If these are true, this entire novel shows the ease at which we can justify horrible actions. We are all heroes when the spotlight make the blood looks like calming waves. Had her actions been used as a way to say something interesting, rather than just okay murder, I would have been all for it. But when they take Kya out of the situation of where she was being raped, where she had the right to defend herself and beat that dude's head in with a rock right then and there, and opted into making her a clever murderer, who feigns innocence and manipulates the situation to have people root for her, and act as if it is okay. There, they lost me. She instead kills Chase like a prane mantis. Luring him in to a place of romantic significance, and consuming his head.
And their conflict is also boring. The films sub theme of Kya's desire for human connection conflicting with her personal call of the bayou could have been capitalized on much better. What if instead of Chase just being a cruel rapist, he reveals at his "daddy's tower" that his family is going to buy and snag up a bunch of land. The very same land we and Kya know can be bought up at a moments notice. Given how 1950's of a guy Chase is in the beginning, it would make total sense if he thought stealing Kya's land and domesticating her was a kind thing to do; contrasting the idea of Tate who sees the value of Kya's life in the Marsh. At least before he goes to college and turns into everyone else. It would have given them a laired element to their dynamic-both in the court and in the flashbacks. Help cast doubt on the idea of murder and frame Kya monologue about "removing predators" in a much more contemplative light. But no. Murder is cool because Chase is the worst on all levels. Anyone can write this.
But we don't get an interesting delivery. We get the twist of her being Chase's murderer framed to us a this beautiful poignant act of vigilante justice when it is actually a premeditated murder. Look at her actions without the flowery lens Kya writes over them and you see a gigantic disconnect from humanity. She could deem anyone a threat at any time and be just as beautiful about it. She is someone I feel immense pity for, someone I see the beauty in and the tragedy which led her there, but she is ultimately never condemned for actions that should be condemned. Instead, she lives a peaceful life without ever bearing those consequences.
All in all, I think the movie has a lot of fantastic elements: the acting, cinematography, and characterization of these people and these lands. But if you want a deep exercise of interesting ideas, you won't find them here.
This is my favorite book of all time and I just finished it for the second time. It breaks my heart to see so many hate it, but itâs okay đ hahaha
Haha every book has its audience and I just wasnât it for this one! đ glad it found you though!
@@ashleyslittlelibrary for sure! Thanks lol!! đ
This book does not suck by any means!! Itâs a great read! Now⊠favorite of all time? Idk but certainly worth being on the living room mantle :)
@Let Your LâĄïžGHT Forever Shine â€ïž
As a work of fiction, the bible is horrible. It makes no sense, and very few of the characters are appealing. As a text book it is worse. Possibly one of the worst âhow to liveâ books ever written.
However, your attempt to derail someone elseâs post for your own mastebatory gratification is noted.
I really enjoyed this book but I think if you read it expecting a thriller it would be super disappointing lol
Totally agree. Next time, I might just skip books recommended by celebrities.
I can see if you were under the impression this novel was a mystery/thriller you would be let down. This is a fiction novel with many themes. If you read it because of an actress and a pop artist well then you would absolutely be let down.
This story is about loneliness, abandonment, nature, and survival. The author has spent many years observing the environment and wild animals where she then decided to write a story about the connection between wild nature and human instincts. It is a fiction novel. She does go into deep descriptions of the coastal environment because this plays a huge role in the plot. This young girl is abandoned by her mother at the beginning left with her abusive absent father. All of her siblings have left as well due to this harsh home life. The marsh then becomes her mother when she realizes her family will not come back. Kya is left alone and survives with what she has been taught. Then she meets a boy who teaches her to read due to that she fled school years before because she was made fun of and discriminated against. She then understands the power of words and can now understand the environment around her better. The boy then abandons her because he feels she is too wild to adapt to his new college life. Alone again her instincts draw her to the strong boy of the group she observes hanging out together. (Natural instincts) she longs and wonders what it would be like to be a part of this group now deeply feeling the loneliness she has in her life. Now older she craves human contact. I could continue but this book is so much more than a mystery/thriller and touches on human instincts and the connection that has to the natural world. How one can survive alone How loneliness and the need for human touch can affect a person. Itâs was brilliant and touching. Her observation of the fireflies survival instincts definitely played a part of her own survival. She was a strong intelligent lead character that I learned from. PS you didnât know who the murderer was. I would bet. Maybe Iâm wrong. This is my opinion.
I absolutely agree with you! I didnât know how to explain my feelings and thoughts on this story so I might have to memorise what you wrote đ đ
Idk. It was exceedingly clear to me personally that she was guilty.
Most of us here have read it... the reviewer definitely has. So you don't need to repeat half of the plot.
MOVIE SPOILER: Kya is arrested in the first scene of the movie and spends the whole book in jail. She is telling her story to a kind lawyer. I just finished the book three days ago and was shocked by this framing. BUT, I think it definitely made it into a "thriller" and more exciting than the quiet book that is was. I liked it being quiet. One thing about the casting....The actor who plays Tate is PERFECTLY cast. The romantic kissing scenes with him are lovely!!
Oooh interesting!!
This was one instance where I loved the movie way more than the book. Reading it was okay but I forgot about it soon afterward. I agree that much of it wasnât believable. However, the movie centers more around the murder case and makes the story more cohesive. Daisy is wonderful as well as Taylor John Smith (the guy who plays Tate). Loved seeing the marshes on the big screen too, it really brought the book to life.
Take a shot every time the word âmarshâ comes out đ„Ž DNFed this one early on
I wish I would've đ
This book is beautifully poetic. Itâs definitely not a thriller, itâs also not a historical drama. Iâd describe it more as a memoir. To be perfectly frank I think your review/hate and dislike of this book shows your youth. The trial is actually very believable because if you studied trials of the time in which it took place youâd see people were charged for crimes with very little evidence, and many put to death by the death sentence and later found to be innocent . ALSO children in the past were way more capable of surviving on their own/or in overcoming dire circumstances, growing up faster in maturity compared to majority of todays American spoiled children who donât even know how do simple things like make themselves breakfast or do the laundry. The poetry of biology and the way in which animals and insects mate, and find mates is fitting given her relationships with men, and the struggle to survive and protect herself. The book is about isolation, abandonment, and ultimately survival. In the end it was either going to be her or him. He wasnât going to let her go until he had final control of her, that was clear after he raped herâŠ.her relationship with Chase mimics her motherâs relationship with her abusive father. Its interesting for sure to hear a young personâs perspective on this book. I think that as you age and grow in wisdom and in life experienceâŠrevisit the book in 15 years, you may have a change of heart. đ„°
I didnât go into it thinking it was a thriller. I feel like there is only 2 chapters where I was even interested in the trial. What I loved so much about it was the romance between her and Tate. Also, the connection between her and nature was described really beautifully. But you are totally right, itâs a historical fiction/romance novel. The trailer honestly makes me alittle nervous about the movie. It looks very action packed and fast paced. Iâm worried it will miss key points from the book like the true isolation she felt and the time she spent in nature.đżđđ
It took me a while to be engaged with the book. The first 120 pages are way too slow. However, it got better and better. The plot was sooo good!!!
This was highly recommended by my aunts over Christmas. Then I heard that they haven't read a book since the 90's. I'm so thankful to hear your perspective.
đđđ
I had no idea about the marketing for this book. I only just heard of it this past May when I saw the trailer for it before a movie I went to see with a friend, I thought it looked intriguing, and she told me it was a book. I picked it up from the library knowing nothing of the genre, and found it an enjoyable read. I couldn't put it down but I still dont know exactly why. I have to say though that the "plot twist" didnt seem like one at all for me. I thought it was obvious it had to be her, or an accident she came upon, due to the missing necklace. Who the hell else would want to take it? I was not surprised at all to find out she did it (though I agree there was definitely not enough evidence to convict her). After she passed I had a feeling Tate would discover something. Obvious plotline was obvious. But still somehow enjoyable for me lol.
I tried to read this for a whole year, so many tries and just couldnât get into it!! Then I decided to get the audiobook from my library and it was so much better and Iâm soo glad I did
I just picked the book up today at Costco. A lady encouraged me to read it. So far I kind of find it boring. But I hope as I get deeper into the book I'll like it like so many others do?!
Honestly I feel like Iâm in the middle here. I loved this book up until the last chapter. The ending felt unsatisfying and rushed and very out of character. It changed my perspective on the entire book and main character! It honestly ruined the book for me. Halfway through I was like I will definitely re-read this book. But by the last chapter it totally changed how I felt about the entire thing and I never want to pick it up again with the last chapter in mind. Very interesting about the real life murder theory. I will definitely look into that. Because honestly those are the vibes I got from this book at the end. My heart just felt heavy when it was finished.
Same, except I didn't love the first part, only liked it đ. The ending was SO bad and totally ruined everything.
I wasnât sure how the author would wrap up the story when I flipped to the last chapter⊠and it completely threw me off. I couldnât have guessed that last chapter for a million dollars, and not in a good way. It just fell so flat after a decent story
I haven't read the book, starting the audio book just to get some answers after watching the movie. I wonder if I fell asleep during the movie and missed the scene on how she accomplished it with being out of town when it happened and having to ride the bus. How she lured him out there and how she accomplished killing him and cleaning the crime scene in the time frame she had to do it in to catch the bus for the next morning meeting? Did I miss a full scene and does the book explain it?
Same! - spoilers ahead-
I somewhat enjoyed the book for the first 90%. It wasnât blowing my mind but I thought the writing was good and I genuinely liked Kya as a character. I donât think it was completely unrealistic that as a child Kya raised herself. She wasnât thriving, she was simply surviving. I didnât care much for the murder mystery and thought that the pacing was so odd of dropping those scenes throughout the story. I think the book would have been better off if it had been chronological and they started with the murder mystery after you got to know chase and Kyaâs dynamic. What makes this one of the worst books Iâve read is Kya literally murdered someone in cold blood. This was so wrong for so many reasons. I understood early on that Kya was likely involved in chases murder in some way. I was thinking that maybe it was an act of self defense after he tried to assault her again, or maybe Tate went to confront Chase and things got out of hand. The last thing I expected was Kya, the same Kya who respected all life forms down to bugs and trees, to premeditate a murder. That was extremely out of character for me. On top of that, she lied to all of her friends and family her whole life after that. She wouldnât even give her lawyer that literally came out of retirement to defend her because he felt bad for her the respect of being honest about what she had done. And then at the end when Tate finds out after she died and he is seemingly ok with it? After Kya rejected him for years over not coming in the Fourth of July although he apologized to her more times than I can count. I think the author wanted us to feel ok about kyaâs decision to murder chase with the implications that were made that Kya was ultimately âwildâ and was more socialized with animal tendencies given her childhood. Yet, Iâm also supposed to believe that Kya is an extremely empathetic person and intelligent enough to become an author that works with a publishing company and makes money from her books. The whole thing just made my blood boil at the end.
You hated it? Shocker! You were rating way before even picking up the book. Sorry but you really judged the book by its "cover" (rumors). It feels like you didn't like it just because a lot of people did.
I honestly only read this book due to upcoming movie adaptation⊠the book itself was just meh for me. Storyline was interesting but Iâm not a ââmarshâ person ⊠I had to lean on the audio book to help me push through the text ..
I'm currently reading this book and I really enjoy it! It actually got me out of a reading slump, it's the first time for months (maybe years?) where I can just sit down and read for a few hours without distraction. I haven't really seen any marketing for it, it was recommended by a friend, so I didn't go into it expecting anything specific. I also find the area of the US it is set in very interesting, so that probably helped. Also, I'm reading the German translation, no idea if that makes a difference.
I read this book in less than a day, what an amazing story genuinely can't see how people would think otherwise!
I really enjoyed this one, but I read it when it first came out back when it wasn't really said to be a suspense/thriller. I think once it got picked up by Reese that the genre got all miscommunicated.
I know Iâm really late to the comments here, but I was happy to hear someone else who had problems with this book! I didnât totally hate it, but people act like itâs just the best book ever printed, and I donât see it!
i loved this one and have read it twice but i understand that itâs not for everyone! i love historical fiction and have no idea why people started calling it a thriller even though thereâs a mystery involved. the focus is really on kyaâs coming of age, her relationship (or lack thereof) with other people, and her relationship with nature. yes some of the things are unbelievable but for me, i enjoyed the story enough to look past it. i respect your opinion though and donât hate you for hating it đ
Picked this up @ Costco on a random trip and knew nothing about it nor the author. I absolutely loved it! This book is so layered and touched my heart in so many ways. The beautiful story telling transported me to Kya's world and that is what I want to feel when I read. I read it over 2 months in bits when I took my puppy to the park or during our afternoons on the beach. However, this week I found myself turning off the TV and just wanting to read it. After she started dating Chase it was hard to put the book down. Finished it tonight and I cried during the last 50 pages. This book is about Nature first and foremost. Female empowerment. Survival against all odds. Kindness in strangers, and Love. I love how they incorporate racism in the 50s & 60s. I think it is beautiful how a Black couple who have less to give than all the others give her the most. I have travelled the world and come from a very poor country. My Mom was abandoned. So, it is not hard for me to believe that a girl with enough self determination and love (for Nature in this case) could survive with the resources in such a wealthy ecosystem and the help of human kindness. This book is exactly why I love to read. This is why I don't do too much research when I pick up a book. I just let a book choose me and if necessary ask for recommendations. I'm curious now to flip through your videos to see what kind of books you do like and what are your favorite books.
I just read this book last month, so you're not alone. I gave it 2.75 stars, but only because the audiobook kept me more engaged than reading it without it. It is definitely comparable to Barbara Kingsolver (I read The Poisonwood Bible in high school). I felt like it was too slow and overly descriptive. Also, the controversy with the author and how the book kind of mirrors that really rubs me the wrong way. The more I talk about it, the more I want to lower my original rating lol
Omg THANK YOU!!! I read this book years ago and I thought it was soooo disappointing and mediocre and I donât understand why everyone loves this book sooo much đ„Čđ«Ł
I disagree with your review and thank goodness you only have a little over 8k subscribers because not many people will see your review to be wrongly persuaded not to read the book. It's generally not the type of book I read but someone recommended it and I enjoyed it. I would tell people to give it a chance. BTW i have no clue where you got that the author Delia Owens is wanted for murder and killed someone that mimicked the character Kya in the book is accused of. That was either something you fabricated or you got misinformation online. Owens is not wanted for murder. She is wanted for questioning of a murder in Zambia that her stepson allegedly committed. He is accused of killing a poacher on land she and her husband owned in Zambia.
While I didnât hate it, I thought it was fine. Even as a lover of historical fiction, there are SO many better books of that genre out there!
That was all I was thinking the whole time - "Why is this so popular? I can name 10 better books."
I did love this book, but I agree with a lot of what you said. I think they market this genre wrong. Which works in my favor as I love historical and literary fiction. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you! đžđŠ
I thought it was amazing, a very sweet and interesting read with a twist at the end that left me speechless
Isnât the author under investigation for murder in real life because of this book? Maybe I got that wrong but I thought I saw that in the news recently
not because of the book. because there is actual questionable evidence around some time she spent in Africa and the close proximity she had to a man who ended up being killed there. it's just extra sketchy because she wrote a popular book about a woman who gets away with murder...
Pro tip, to avoid disappointment watch the movie 1st then read the book. This pretty much applies to all movie adaptations of books.
Hi Ashley, I really like how genuine your reviews are. I initially skipped reading this book because of this video, however, I did ultimately end up reading the book. I personally donât think it was a terrible book. You did an excellent job nailing every point on why you didnât like this book. I agree with everything you said but for some reason I still didnât hate it. Great review!
Your review and honesty are refreshing. Just watched the movie and thought it was fantastic.
I thought this book was soooo S L O W. I literally skimmed half of it lol. But the current timeline with the investigation was the best part. I feel like it will translate better as a movie. I gave it a 2/5 and I only give 1âs to DNFâs lol
If anyone can pull it off itâs Daisy Edgar-Jones đ
Hi Ashley. I had a bad feeling about this book too and never picked it up despite the hype. Your review seals the deal. Thanks for taking one for the team! đ
I only read it because of Reese Witherspoon and Taylor Swift (and because I already owned it), and I felt exactly the same. I was bored throughout. I knew it wasn't a thriller, and I normally love historical fiction, but this was so unbelievable and far-fetched that I just couldn't handle it. There are so few even historical elements to it. I didn't know the controversy surrounding the author - which honestly, makes it more interesting, because the anger and murder portions of the book were the only parts that read as having any realistic basis to them. Great vlog.
Agreed!
I read this book last year after having it shoved down my throat by literally everyone⊠and itâs a no from me, dawg. I was bored to tears đ
retweet
I was tortured by this book
When I reached page 80, I really wanted to burn this book
Your analysis is really immature. I have my own reasons for not liking the book, but do think that it has some strong points that cant be denied. But saying that you dont like the book just because it is "historical fiction" and you do not like historical fiction is closed-minded. (it isnt by the way, although part of the book takes place as early as the 1950s...so not long ago.). "Hate" is a strong word for what seems to me like a very subjective review and no real rationale. I also wouldnt say that "genre blending" is a reason not to say a book is not well-written.
When I started reading again last year, this was my first read and I ended up absolutely loving it. Now I donât know if I would feel the same way if I went back and read it. Just not for sure. But I really think the movie is going to be better for sure if they focus more on the thriller and trial aspects of it! đ
I hope so! Lots of potential to improve the pacing/intrigue
I tried reading this last year and think I only got 25% in before DNFing. I also tried the audiobook and couldnât get into that either. It was so slow and the overly descriptive language didnât hold my attention at all.
Very descriptive when it comes to adjectives which was a challenge for me but figured it was a good brain stimulant. :)
I actually loved this book but it was really interesting to hear your thoughts!
Ashley, why don't you simply stick to your preferred genre?
Dude, I have the audible and i gotta say the first 17 chapters are slow AF and I already have the time invested plus i'm at work so it's not like i'm wasting any real time lol. But now i'm on like chapter 33 and just want to know the ending at this point. I don't read books and would be so lost/bored trying to read those first 16 chapters.
Really glad I found your channel. Seeing your analysis and personality to go with it, I feel I have found someone I relate to for good book recommendations. I feel I owe you for saving me a lot of misery!
This book was amazing!
Ok I kinda needed someone to confirm my opinion you did exactly thatđđ I felt alone in not loving this book even as a historical fiction fan myself!! I love your review, you have my taste need to take more recommendations from you!
It was about her being raised by the marsh and learning about life from nature. You donât need to be on her side. She did what animals do to survive. I feel like if you re read in the future and paid more attention to her relationship with the land you might enjoy it and the questions it raises
Totally agree with you. This book feels like an infinite loop of "The Blue Lagoon", relocated in North Carolina. Owens, as a zoologist, really has a hand for describing nature, actually making the marshlands a a perfect setting for a great story. Waaaay to much sugar on top though, huge parts of the dialogues are just badly written, the story & its characters lack depth. Personally, I dindÂŽt find anything of it touching or truly poetic but just schmaltzy and too lame for a crime story in the end.
Finally, someone sees eye to eye with me on this book! I also strongly disliked this book and was so confused when people said they loved it. Makes no sense to me. So slow and the character Kya is so distractingly unbelievable.
I donât have the best luck with Reeseâs picks
I just finished reading the book and it was just alright for me. I feel like the author failed to develop characters in a deeper way. Or explore more complex themes that made me think. It was very surface level writing for me. I also get annoyed when I see the overused love triangle trope in books, movies and tv shows. Women love it but itâs just so predictable.
Can I just tell you how VALIDATED I feel after watching this! I have never clicked a video so fast when I saw you were reading this! I thought I clearly must have been missing something or something is wrong with my brain because everyone LOVES this bookâŠand I think itâs hot garbage. I am not usually so crass about books and I have a lot of respect for the process because I could never write I bookâŠbut seriously đ© What a waste of time
Same here!! Nice to know Iâm not the only one who had such a miserable experience with this book đ truly goes to show how people can have SUCH different experiences with the same book
Thank you!
I've just started it! I AM SUPER BORED! I agree with everything you said!
I truly feel sorry for folks who do not appreciate a good book. There are so many concepts to reflect uponâŠpoverty, empathy, curiosity, personal emancipation, friendship, sexual assault, love of natureâŠthe list goes on. Amazing that this work of fiction was the authorâs first book! Put down your electronic devices and READ !!!
Pretty obsessed with this book. I donât have many complaints w it but I donât think it picked up for me until about 40% in then it was like I couldnât put it down.
Can I just sayâŠ. I love you? How can these type of books become so popular? Itâs funny to me a girl that raised herself in the marsh grows up looking like a supermodel
I wonder if it's too late for me to go live in the Marsh. :)
Genetics
Itâs not really a thriller not sure why itâs marketed that way.
I just finished the book and loved it, especially the plot twist at the end, canât wait to see the movie!!
The end did surprise me because after Chase's death and the trial, I kept trying to figure out how he died and even speculated it was an accident.
@@marthahumphrey3849 **Spoiler Alert**. I was thinking it might have been the guy who owned the gas station. He was pretty upset when he saw that she had been attacked. He practically raised that child.
@@lynns7262 Me too. It kept me guessing and speculating. The end took me by surprise and the poetry put the nail in the coffin so to speak.
Great book. Honestly donât get the hate.
Oh my word I loved this book, and I guess it isnât for everyone but wow it was such an emotional rollercoasterâŠ
I have just read this book and i read alot. I would mark this as one of the best books i have ever read. Not sure how this could ever have been in a thiller catogory?? I would say coming of age character study, I thought the trial towards the end of the story was just a show of prejudice of the time, I liked how, in my opinion, there was lost of very accurate discriptions of the wildlife and plenty of dialogue to carry the story along. I thought it made a change to just murder and death like most of the wolrds best sellers. something for everyone :)
Well about how the book was mostly about her life then was only barely about the court case, it was meant to be that way. The book isnât much of a murder mystery. Itâs more about the main characters life, and how she was abused and lonley.
Hahahahaha I read that book when it came out and I didnât know it was marketed as a thriller so I really enjoyed it. This happened to me with The Echo Wife, marketing is so important to set the expectations
Totally agree!
I mostly hated the book for sexualising Kya who was 14/15 years old and acting like Tate, who was a 19 year old interested in a 14/15 year old girl isn't disgusting. Not to mention he was present throughout her childhood, so it can absolutely be considered grooming.
I didnât hate it, but I didnât love it either. I will say though that I didnât think she killed Chase because he assaulted her. She killed him because he said that he wasnât going to let her go. There is the line where she says that living in isolation is different than living in fear. In her mind it was more about proactively protecting herself, not revenge. With all the comparisons to human and animals behavior in the book I think that if there is a point to the story itâs that an animal will do what it needs to to survive.
As for the trial and the flimsy evidence I donât know how believable it is that a white woman in North Carolina, even one considered to be trash by the townspeople, would get tried on that little evidence, but it should be noted that black men were charged found guilty of capital murder on far less evidence in the South during that period .
I totally agree with you . I tried to read this book twice and give up. Fortunately I got it at the library I would be really miffed that so many people recommend it and I hated it. It reminds me of the Oprah book club reads that I have hated so much that now I donât read any of her recommendations.
I read the New Yorker article on the murder in Zambia (or most of it-it was extremely long and detailed), but the allegations of murder were not against the author herself. She and her husband passionately worked to end the killing of elephants for ivory. Her husband was somewhat implicated in knowing that some of his scouts may have killed poachers in the past. The incident in question was a shooting that was caught on camera in the filming of an ABC News documentary. The New Yorker article found a lot of finger pointing among the villagers, the Owenses, and the ABC News crew that filmed the shooting. A cameraman did state that Deliaâs stepson Chris Owens fired the rifle. The Owenses deny this. Delia and her husband were not present when the incident was filmed.
My wife and I were really into it, u til we realized, we werent being expected to solve this mudet and it wasnt a whodunnit. We were ultimately very let down by the ending.
I loved this book. However, I did feel Delia Owens cut a lot of corners in terms of practical realism for the sake of entertainment, but I can forgive that because I was entertained. I can understand how it would annoy a lot of people though.
Got this at a yard sale a couple years ago - we are fairly close with our opinions and I know that basic historical fiction bores me to death so I think I will put this one in my donate pile! Lol thanks for saving me time đ
Anytime đ
I agree 100% with you, the book was so boring and I wondered what was wrong with meâŠhow can everyone else love it so much and I was just like struggling to finish? Glad to hear Iâm not alone!
same here! there's been such a flood of positive reviews I felt like I was alone!
I tried to listen to the audiobook years ago, and it didn't make sense to me. I couldn't figure out who was talking and when. So I DNF'ed it. I always figured I'd read the book at some point, but now I don't know. Maybe I'll just watch the movie.
Canât say Iâd recommend the book đ
I totally agree with you. In addition, the writing regarding Kya and her boyfriend make out scene was so Harlequin Romance like,.
I felt so conflicted after reading this. I felt points in this book were strong, but the whole composition wasnât, and some aspects I just couldnât love. Spoiler: I felt unable to digest & stomach the domestic violence due to personal trauma, I felt Kya&Tate werenât romantic but leaning more groomer, Kya&Chase were always terribly triggering upon first picnic for any SA survivors, Kyaâs storyline remained depressing beginning to end.
Idk. Some scenes, quotes, general notions were moving or rang personally true.
But the majority of this is very nihilistic and depressing.
So someone of the SAME age and class can STILL 'groom' someone else???
@@marlonmoncrieffe0728 if I remember correctly Kya was 13 or 14 while Tate was 18. And Tate taught and looked after Kya, placing himself almost as a superior/guardian figure in some ways, which made the age gap increasingly obvious to me anyways. To top it off Tate mentions how he feels Kya is like a sister to him but also more than that and is confused about his feelings.
To me it just felt as tho the age gap was larger due to Kyaâs inexperience with the world, her ignorance and innocence made her act younger than she actually was.
Their dynamic made me uncomfortable overall. Like something was not quite right about it.
Kya isn't on her own until age ten, not six.
My heart đđ I definitely think this will be a case where the movie is actually better than the book!
let's hope đ
Yeah you donât have to worry about seeing the movie. Itâs so slow and I was super bored for most of it.
I havenât read the book, but I think if you find that boring the movie will likely be the same, but at least it had nice shots in the marsh.
If it's so boring why don't you try writing a book yourself?
I thought it was good but why would Kya die at age 64? Thats not very old at all
Completely agree. One of the most overrated books of all time, in my opinion. The way people were talking about it, you would think Harper Lee had co-authored a book with Charles Dickens. It was such a disappointment when I finally read it.
Your two reasons were exactly the two reasons why I read this book. Finished yesterday, I really liked the first part, the second not so much, and I am unsatisfied with the ending. Now I just want to listen what other people think about it.
I did really enjoy this book, but I love atmospheric, environmental fiction and coming of age-type novels. It definitely isn't a thriller, it's not even suspense, so if that's what you expecting it would be a huge let-down! *Spoiler ahead* The ending felt rushed to me, which was disappointing. It did grow on me as I thought about it afterwards--she didn't do it because she was angry, she did it because she could not continue to live her life while he was trying to redeem his masculinity by chasing her.( pun?) I still think the ending could have been done better, but I was pretty satisfied, personally.
I almost didn't finish it, I was either bored or frustrated through reading it. The one draw for me reading, the idea of a murder-mystery with a coming of age story, seemed fun after enjoying One of Us is Lying and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. This was not it. Nothing in the book was connected in a way that drew me in and wanted to keep me reading while also feeling that the author wanted to do so much in one book that it became overblown bore-fest.
Why her review on the book so low??
If you are interested in the controversy...The Atlantic, Savannah Walsh, July 15, 2022.
This book was recommended so I tried reading it. I just could not get past, I donât know, 10 pages. A book has to grab me immediately or I just put it down. And I did. Kept hearing about it. Tried again. Not happening. Saw the movie. Had no idea what to expect. Loved the scenery. Kya living in the Marsh kept me interested. Her love interests. Chase, not a good person. The court scene. Thinking these people are only against her because sheâs âdifferentâ. The ending SURPRISED ME!!!
I would, at least, recommend the movie.
I âŠthought ⊠being the ending shocked me, the book would detail so much more to how the ending was pulled off.
Iâm trying to get through the audio book. I just canât. Such a slow moving book ⊠AND BOOKS ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE MOVIE!!!!!!! I even tried to fast forward thru each chapter to get to the murder scene then back up some. I was told what this person did to pull it off was a feat in itself. Can someone help me to find that scene in which chapter? Thx in advance!!!
This is one book that I literally have no desire to ever read đ„Ž But I might give it a shot someday.
stick to your gut - don't do it đ
@@ashleyslittlelibrary It doesnât sound enticing enough I think Iâll be skipping it đ plus I canât get past the stuff with the author.
i literally read this book in the psychward and i would 100% read this book again. I am working on buying it. Fantastic book.
The way I cackled at that title. I got a few chapters in and hated it đ DNFed it so fast
good for you hahaha
I mean, to each their own. But it reminded me a lot of truman Capote and William Faulkner.
Hater to this book why ?
You started hating the book before reading đ€
I didnât know that the author is suspected of murder till you me ruined it. Itâs ruined the movie for me but also I donât like how she murdered him. Tate really abandoned her too and if he came and stayed she would have been safe. What would have made this story for me is if somehow chase died from the marsh be it something poisonous or a gator or something like the marsh was always there to protect her. I havenât read the book but you seem to have a good grip on reading and I would probably agree with you. Crazy that she possibly shot a poacher in Zambia. It might have been her husband though. Crazy
I agree, this book was very slow! I think I put it down for a year and when I picked it back up I pushed myself to finish it. I thought the end picked up a bit and I wound up thinking it was ok. đđŠ
Oh I agree so much - I was so disapointed with this book-boring, unrealistic, infantile. Thank you for sharingđ„°
đI just finished reading this book and really liked it, but it was also interesting to hear your point of view on it.đ±
I havenât read a book for so long, and my mom recommended this book for me. I have to say that it was hands down the best book I have ever read! The author really pulls you into the story which makes it to where you are thirsty for more. I agree with Reese Witherspoon, I too didnât want the book to end. Such a DAMN good book! I honestly will be reading it again, and buying the movie when it comes out. No offense, but people who didnât like this book are crazy (LOLđ)! But, we all are different, and thatâs what makes us unique đ!