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sammiebauer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
this book was very disappointing to me. i have read part of juniper and thorn by this author, and i finished the wolf and the woodsman, which i have moderate affection for simply because of the magic system and mythology. when i was looking for something new to read, i gave this a try. i did end up finishing it but it was a very close dnf. this was marketed as "dark acacdemia", which was completely incorrect, and it should have been marketed as a romance with academic and fantasy undertones.
the thing that bothers me a lot about reid's writing is that she has a very distinct style and interest that comes through in every book i have read by her: she has a huge interest in exploring misogyny and the way that women are exploited and oppressed, and a huge interest in discussing the way different hostile cultures interact with each other during some kind of wartime or industrial development between countries. now, i can see the merit of these topics. i myself have been on the receiving end of discrimination based on gender in the past as a transgender man. but...every single man in these stories except for the very best of them - the love interest - are predatory and terrifying to the very juvenile and immature young female protagonist. i found the protagonist of this story to be very uninteresting. her experiences deal mainly with being exploited by the men in her life, with no meaningful friendships outside of that, and when she does begin a friendship with someone, it's a man! and this young man she is friends with is now portrayed as the only good man. he respects her and thinks all other men are disgusting for what they've done, he is seen as this absolute paragon of goodness, and she automatically, immediately, has feelings for him, despite her past experiences. she seems to be fixed by her relationship with this young man despite everything else that has been done to her. and despite the fact that she has been sexually abused and harassed in the past by older men, she is extremely sexually attracted to this young man, and the story barely addresses the intricacies of her experience with that. it completely undermines the message of this story, which is about how women are mistreated in academic fields that are dominated by men!
now, to address the other part of my problem with this story -- this book is not the greatest offender of this crime that reid has written. i would say that the wolf and the woodsman is worse about this. this romance takes place between this young woman and this young man during a time of war between their two countries. there are interesting ways to handle this, certainly, but instead, the author chooses to use xenophobia as a bargaining chip in the banter between these characters. the young woman frequently insults the young man's heritage and call him borderline slurs based on his country of origin, and while he rarely rises to the bait and insults her back, he forgives her every time. his offense is to insult the magical religion of her country by being an academic skeptic, which is, in my opinion, really not the same. magic in this book is an extremely nebulous concept.
the fact that i gave it a whole three stars is me making a concession for this story. i thought the atmosphere and general plot of the book was very interesting and engaging. the worldbuilding was well done. the writing was not bad, it was just stylized and overly flowery and repetitive in places that i found to be very annoying. the emotional core of this story was affecting to be sure, i teared up slightly at the end, but i also saw the different twists coming from a mile away - literally from 20% into the book i knew how it was going to end. i also do not want this to be taken as me insulting the themes of misogyny and xenophobia. those are topics that can be explored extremely well in other places, but the nuance given to those topics here was incredibly poor and lacking in many ways. i do not recommend this book but i wanted to write down my thoughts on it anyway.
the thing that bothers me a lot about reid's writing is that she has a very distinct style and interest that comes through in every book i have read by her: she has a huge interest in exploring misogyny and the way that women are exploited and oppressed, and a huge interest in discussing the way different hostile cultures interact with each other during some kind of wartime or industrial development between countries. now, i can see the merit of these topics. i myself have been on the receiving end of discrimination based on gender in the past as a transgender man. but...every single man in these stories except for the very best of them - the love interest - are predatory and terrifying to the very juvenile and immature young female protagonist. i found the protagonist of this story to be very uninteresting. her experiences deal mainly with being exploited by the men in her life, with no meaningful friendships outside of that, and when she does begin a friendship with someone, it's a man! and this young man she is friends with is now portrayed as the only good man. he respects her and thinks all other men are disgusting for what they've done, he is seen as this absolute paragon of goodness, and she automatically, immediately, has feelings for him, despite her past experiences. she seems to be fixed by her relationship with this young man despite everything else that has been done to her. and despite the fact that she has been sexually abused and harassed in the past by older men, she is extremely sexually attracted to this young man, and the story barely addresses the intricacies of her experience with that. it completely undermines the message of this story, which is about how women are mistreated in academic fields that are dominated by men!
now, to address the other part of my problem with this story -- this book is not the greatest offender of this crime that reid has written. i would say that the wolf and the woodsman is worse about this. this romance takes place between this young woman and this young man during a time of war between their two countries. there are interesting ways to handle this, certainly, but instead, the author chooses to use xenophobia as a bargaining chip in the banter between these characters. the young woman frequently insults the young man's heritage and call him borderline slurs based on his country of origin, and while he rarely rises to the bait and insults her back, he forgives her every time. his offense is to insult the magical religion of her country by being an academic skeptic, which is, in my opinion, really not the same. magic in this book is an extremely nebulous concept.
the fact that i gave it a whole three stars is me making a concession for this story. i thought the atmosphere and general plot of the book was very interesting and engaging. the worldbuilding was well done. the writing was not bad, it was just stylized and overly flowery and repetitive in places that i found to be very annoying. the emotional core of this story was affecting to be sure, i teared up slightly at the end, but i also saw the different twists coming from a mile away - literally from 20% into the book i knew how it was going to end. i also do not want this to be taken as me insulting the themes of misogyny and xenophobia. those are topics that can be explored extremely well in other places, but the nuance given to those topics here was incredibly poor and lacking in many ways. i do not recommend this book but i wanted to write down my thoughts on it anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Child abuse, Car accident, Death of parent, and Colonisation
samsbookcorner's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Genuinely my #1 complaint about this book as that I can't read the next one until next year!! I always struggle to find a reason to annotate books, but with this one I truly couldn't put the pen down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and War
may4la's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Gaslighting, and Colonisation
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
cooldudenick's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse and War
roniboi's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I didn't like this book. Nothing about it made me like it. I knew that pretty quick so I was mainly just going through so I had a book to read for a 5 hour drive. First, world building: It was dodgy at best. Even the house that was meant to have the thickest atmosphere, felt lacking. I didn't fully understand the advancement of technology, or how society actually worked. All I can say about this world was that it was wet and falling apart in this town. Second, the characters: I didn't like any of them. What was I supposed to like? Third, the plot: I was make a bunch of theories through the second half of the book. I was excited to see if any of them would happen, but no, it was just the turnout that I had suspected as soon as Preston brought up the dodgy evidence that the author was the author. Wow. Lastly, I did not like the way the author made it so Effie, for whatever reason, suddenly wasn't socially anxious around Preston even while she was being a xenophobe and all around asshole to Preston. Then they trauma dump and talk about their geographical background. Then they sleep together and suddenly, Effie has the will to live. Such a strong will to live that she is able to defeat the Fairy King. Like kill me now. The only thing that I liked about the book was the ambiguity of the Fairy King being real. Even until the end, you don't really know. He was real, perhaps just in womens' minds? It didn't really matter. It doesn't make up for the trite plot, uninteresting characters, shoddy worldbuilding etc. etc.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Sexism and War
kelseydaffodil's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
"Why was it always girls whose forms could not be trusted? Everything could be taken away from them in an instant."
wow. WOW. what a book. i loved so much of this. the vibes, the setting, how it was clearly not in our world yet held some of our own things (cameras, cars, phones). the fact that the fairy king was not romanticised, not like other books. the constant guessing. preston. oh wow, what a sweet guy. exactly what effy needed to ground her. and effy. what an incredible protagonist. i loved her so much.
wow. WOW. what a book. i loved so much of this. the vibes, the setting, how it was clearly not in our world yet held some of our own things (cameras, cars, phones). the fact that the fairy king was not romanticised, not like other books. the constant guessing. preston. oh wow, what a sweet guy. exactly what effy needed to ground her. and effy. what an incredible protagonist. i loved her so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
vaguelyredhead's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Mental illness, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Sexual content, Abandonment, and War
bibliomania_express's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid intertwines magic and folklore with a quest to discover the true identity of an author. This is a book with an interesting premise that tackles hard topics like sexual assault, misogyny, and the erasure of women, but suffers from awkward worldbuilding, a bit too much on-page sexual harrassment, and a lacklustre romance.
I've been avoiding reviews of this book and the little I haven't been able to avoid has been vehemently negative. I'm more on the ambivalent side. I think the book is doing some interesting things with its drowning motif and exploring mental health and the repression of women. It's depicting the casual sexual harrassment women are faced with that society expects them not to react to.
But. The literal only good male character is the main love interest. Who, while a fine character, seems to be the love interest only because he's the only person not sexually harrassing Effy and because this is a "romantasy" when it didn't need to be. The sexism is so pervasive that the triumphant ending seems a bit too good to be true.
My real gripe beyond the ever-present misogyny that made this hard to read is that the magic system and worldbuilding is all over the place. I had a hard time understanding what was accepted existing magic and what was just "local supersition", especially when the supersitions were maybe (?) having an effect on a literal real war. But also there was nothing about the book that felt like it was taking place in a country currently at war, even when the main setting was a university town on the border with the enemy country.
I think I've ended with a 2.5 stars mainly because it was fast-paced and interesting enough to keep me engaging and blasting through it, but the list of gripes is too long to warrant a 3.
I've been avoiding reviews of this book and the little I haven't been able to avoid has been vehemently negative. I'm more on the ambivalent side. I think the book is doing some interesting things with its drowning motif and exploring mental health and the repression of women. It's depicting the casual sexual harrassment women are faced with that society expects them not to react to.
But. The literal only good male character is the main love interest. Who, while a fine character, seems to be the love interest only because he's the only person not sexually harrassing Effy and because this is a "romantasy" when it didn't need to be. The sexism is so pervasive that the triumphant ending seems a bit too good to be true.
My real gripe beyond the ever-present misogyny that made this hard to read is that the magic system and worldbuilding is all over the place. I had a hard time understanding what was accepted existing magic and what was just "local supersition", especially when the supersitions were maybe (?) having an effect on a literal real war. But also there was nothing about the book that felt like it was taking place in a country currently at war, even when the main setting was a university town on the border with the enemy country.
I think I've ended with a 2.5 stars mainly because it was fast-paced and interesting enough to keep me engaging and blasting through it, but the list of gripes is too long to warrant a 3.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
jessversteeg's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“Haunting and tender” one author said of this book on the back jacket cover. I agree.
It’s a weird, gothic book that crosses over university life and fairy folklore (or is it folklore?). It could easily be made into a thriller movie released at Halloween. It’s creepy and tender, but also quite sad.
A huge theme in the book is both the treatment of women and the ways women are perceived. There are a few pretty awful quotes about how women are either seductresses or submissive, how they’re unable to produce any real intellectual work etc. It also becomes clear early on in the book that the main character was taken advantage of by her academic advisor, and she basically has severe anxiety/ptsd over it. Her anxiety about her life experiences makes her wonder if she’s crazy or not, many people tell her she’s crazy and making stuff up. The story juxtaposes folk monsters with real life sketchy men. It’s about fighting back against abusers.
I doubt I’ll read it again, but I’m sure I’ll think about it a lot in the future. I kinda think it should be high school required reading so teens can learn about power dynamics and consent, believing women, etc.
Here’s a quote from the end that gutted me:
“I know I beat him in the end, but for so many years all I could do was run and hide. I just sat there and let the water pour in around me. I didn’t know that I could fight back. I didn’t know how to do anything but wait to drown.”
It’s a weird, gothic book that crosses over university life and fairy folklore (or is it folklore?). It could easily be made into a thriller movie released at Halloween. It’s creepy and tender, but also quite sad.
A huge theme in the book is both the treatment of women and the ways women are perceived. There are a few pretty awful quotes about how women are either seductresses or submissive, how they’re unable to produce any real intellectual work etc. It also becomes clear early on in the book that the main character was taken advantage of by her academic advisor, and she basically has severe anxiety/ptsd over it. Her anxiety about her life experiences makes her wonder if she’s crazy or not, many people tell her she’s crazy and making stuff up. The story juxtaposes folk monsters with real life sketchy men. It’s about fighting back against abusers.
I doubt I’ll read it again, but I’m sure I’ll think about it a lot in the future. I kinda think it should be high school required reading so teens can learn about power dynamics and consent, believing women, etc.
Here’s a quote from the end that gutted me:
“I know I beat him in the end, but for so many years all I could do was run and hide. I just sat there and let the water pour in around me. I didn’t know that I could fight back. I didn’t know how to do anything but wait to drown.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death, Sexual content, and War
anna_xiety's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I loved this book so much- I was hesitant to start it because I had high hopes for it, but it definitely lived up to them. I think the start was a little slow but the pacing builds up and I love how Reid handles the issues in the book. and how the characters stories connect with each other ( put as a spoiler just in case)!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Car accident, and War