I’M BACK!!!! I’m so happy to announce that I am back after my month long hiatus! I’ve missed blogging, and blog hopping and commenting and just seeing everyone’s amazing content and I can’t wait to jump right back in. I apologize in advance if I begin to bombard your posts with a lot of comments and likes but there is so much for me to catch up on!

Now it is time for my book review! The last book I was reading before my hiatus was Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This was slow, a little hard to read at times, but still magical and beautiful in its own way. I love ‘coming-of-age’ stories, and this one was just as awesome as some of my favorites.

Book: Where The Crawdads Sing

Author: Delia Owens

Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary: For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

Quote: “I wasn’t aware that words could hold so much. I didn’t know a sentence could be so full.”

The Good:

(Two branches surrounding the phrase: The Good:)

*Kya. Over the years, she was slowly abandoned by those she loved and those she thought were always there for her. First it was her mother, then her siblings, and then her dad. She grew up mainly alone, learning the ways of the Marsh to feed herself and hide from the authorities, befriending the animals, collecting mussels to sell to her only friend and companion, Jumpin’, and avoiding the town. She was a quiet and broken child who was so used to being alone that she didn’t know how to interact much with other people. It was sad reading her story as she grew older, how she fell in love twice, had her heart broken by both men, and her humiliation and pain. She was a strong and amazing main character.

*Jumpin’ and Mabel. Those two brought a smile to my face because of their kindness and sympathy for Kya. They were there for her when no one else was and were the only form of parents that she had after her family left.

*Two storylines. The story is told in two parts, the first steadily going through Kya’s life from the age of 6 onward, and the other in the present after the body of Chase Andrews was found. It was interesting to see how Kya fit into the story and what role she had to play and how her past also influenced the present.

*Setting. The beauty of the Marsh was told amazingly. At times, I could vividly imagine what it was like for Kya to live there, and I wanted to be there and join her in discovering the Marsh’s secrets. However, at times, it was tedious and boring since the first around 2/3’s was quite descriptive and there was a lot of scenery. I admit, I did skip parts when I was tired of reading it.

*Chase Andrews’ Murder. This was not what I envisioned it to be. I expected the story to revolve more around the murder, but it was more about Kya, the Marsh, and her first two loves. The trial and the accusations against her were interesting and I loved the legal part of the book. The revelation at the end was also a little surprising.

Quote: “A lot of times love doesn’t work out. Yet even when it fails, it connects you to others and, in the end, that is all you have, the connections.”

The Bad:

(Two branches surrounding the phrase: The Bad:)

*Slow. This was tedious. It was slow, and I was not into it at the beginning. I had to push myself to just finish it and it was still slow until the last half/third. Too much description and not enough action or dialogue. This is in part because of Kya’s isolation. I feel like the book would be a lot better if some of the descriptions of the Marsh were removed, however, it would still be a vital part of the story.

Quote: “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.”

The Wrap:

(Two branches surrounding the phrase: The Wrap:)

Overall, a great coming of age tale with a murder mystery thrown in. It was sweet, and sad, and though it was really slow at times, I still loved it. I would recommend this, but do not expect a thriller or fast paced murder mystery. I hope you enjoy this if you read it!!

One sentence summary: A slow coming of age story with an interesting murder mystery.

Overall, 4 shining stars

★★★★☆

Have you read Where The Crawdads Sing? Did you enjoy it? Did the revelation at the end shock you? Let’s chat in the comments!

P.S. I’m so glad to be back, and I’ve missed a lot. Any blog posts or books you think I should check out? Suggestions or things you’d like to see on the blog? Be sure to share in the comments!

Welcome everybody! Today’s book review is of Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah (~~Um I think they already got that in the title JR~~). This book gets a solid three stars. It is a YA Contemporary read and is also considered a diverse book because the main character is Muslim. I liked this book but there were some issues that made me give it three stars.

Book Review- Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Challenge Criteria (Popsugar): A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover & A book with a question in the title

Challenge Criteria (Mommy Mannegren): A teen as the main character

Book: Does My Head Look Big in This?

Author: Randa Abdel-Fattah

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Summary: Sixteen-year-old Amal makes the decision to start wearing the hijab full-time and everyone has a reaction. Her parents, her teachers, her friends, people on the street. But she stands by her decision to embrace her faith and all that it is, even if it does make her a little different from everyone else.

Can she handle the taunts of “towel head,” the prejudice of her classmates, and still attract the cutest boy in school? Brilliantly funny and poignant, Randa Abdel-Fattah’s debut novel will strike a chord in all teenage readers, no matter what their beliefs.

What I Liked:

*Let’s gush about the beautiful cover, shall we? I love the polka dots and her raised eyebrow as she looks at the title…….

*Amal is a funny and relate-able teenager. She’s going through teenage hormones, her first crush, and life as a Muslim teenager who wears the hijab. She can be whiny, she can be very judgmental, she can be naive, and she can be annoying. But all characters have their flaws And she’s a teenager. All teenagers are like that, right?

*The story line is great. I liked the plot of the story because it deals with issues that are very sensitive in today’s age. Muslims are minorities who are constantly fighting for their rights and are being attacked on all sides. Amal makes a very serious decision in this book to become a hijabi, a Muslim woman who wears the hijab, which is a headscarf. The story shows how she is like any other teenage girl, just one with a different religious affiliation.

I guess when I’m not wearing the hijab I feel like I’m missing out.

*The characters are diverse. Amal is an Australian Palestinian Muslim. Her neighbor is Greek. There are Jewish characters as well and different ‘types’ of Muslims.

What I Didn’t Like:

*The story also deals with fat-shaming and body image. One of Amal’s best friends is Simone, a girl who is insecure with her body. Throughout the book, she is constantly on one diet or another, and even begins smoking because she heard it helps people lose weight.

‘So I’ve… started smoking.’
‘What?‘
‘Apparently it’s a good appetite suppressant. How do you think Tia keeps her figure? I overheard her telling Claire and Rita that she doesn’t eat much, just smokes because it stops her cravings.’

Amal and her other best friend, Eileen, are constantly trying to get Simone to be positive about her body to love herself for who she is. It’s nice to see them being so supportive. However, Simone does not learn to accept herself by the end of the book. This was one reason why I gave it three stars.

*Amal is very judgmental. Her other set of best friends, Yasmeen and Leila are Muslims. They’re families are polar opposites. Yasmeen’s family is more of a modern Muslim family. She doesn’t wear the hijab. Leila’s family is more traditional, with Leila’s mom constantly pressing her to get married and stop studying. Amal and Yasmeen are both angry with Leila’s mom for being ‘backwards’. Amal constantly points out that this has nothing to with Islam and is just traditional customs that she brought with her when she moved to Australia. I think it’s kind of hypocritical of Amal considering how she wants people to understand her, not judge her. She didn’t make any effort to understand why Leila’s mom was acting the way she was. Another star minus.

*The characters sound like 10 year olds. Honestly, the dialogue was horrendous. Every time it’s mentioned that Amal is sixteen, I go “Oh, really?” She constantly sounds like a whining child and it’s easy to forget that she’s supposed to be a teenager. The parts in which she tells her story are fine but actual dialogue between characters is awful.

This was a great story but like all great stories, it has its flaws. I would recommend it as a light YA coming-of-age book that deals with diversity.

★★★☆☆

Have you read Does My Head Look Big in This? What did you think about the story? Let’s chat in the comments!

Tag: Coming of age

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – Review