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artmuseam's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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? No
3.75
this book had everything i love in a romantasy: magic, academia, two misunderstood people who fell in love, and historical fantasy. i would say this was honestly pretty good for a ya debut novel, but i think the ending was very predictable, which made this book fall short. the pacing and world building was really well done throughout the beginning and middle parts, and i loved the slow but steady unraveling of the mystery. the ending ended up being exactly what i predicted, though, which left me feeling slightly disappointed. i wanted some sort of shocking plot twist after such a large buildup happening from the start, but i think the author decided to leave plot extravagance away from the focus. still, it was an enjoyable read and i loved the aesthetic and deep metaphors behind the story. 3.75/5 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
amy_reading_23's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
This book is so good!! I really enjoyed it and read it in a few days. It was beautifully written snd I loved the academic background as well as all the fae elements. This is a book that masterfully talks about misogyny, SA and mental health in a sensitive way. I also liked how the protagonist was very aware of herself when the romance bits were cliche. Definitely check trigger warnings, as SA and PTSD is a topic that features throughout the book. As someone who lives in Wales, the use of some of the Welsh words seemed a bit random to me, especially as the book is set in some unnamed world.
I thought it was kind of onvious that his wife had written Angharad from early on in the novel so it frystrated me a little that it took them so long to come to that conclusion.
But overall a good fantasy dark-academia read!
But overall a good fantasy dark-academia read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
p2evavaras's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.75
I really-really liked this story! It was comforting for my soul and the characters were well constructed, even tho it's quite a short book I felt like there was something to be learned about them at every page-turn. Effy was quite clearly mentally troubled but I liked the author's representation of her anxieties, as in they felt true to life. I also loved the small romance between Preston and Effy, it worked great as a subplot and gave the story a more lighthearted tone, also their banter was -chefs kiss-!! The only reason why the book didn't get 5 stars from me is the very-very ending - it wasnt a bad ending by any means but something about it left me feeling like it was a tad bit rushed and somehow didn't feel as well thought-out and put-together as the rest of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol
kaiyakaiyo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
this book starts a bit slowly but man did I soon feel like I was imprisoned in a rotting house on the sea… “mad” wives locked away… sublime climatological events… the Gothic TM!!!! Reid took NOTES on gothic classics and passed this practical with flying colors methinks
Effy is deeply, sadly relatable: scared, often cowed by the incredibly shitty hand she is dealt, but empowered by genuine love and support, and her commitment to never backing down from her dreams. Preston was almost uncannily perfect as a love interest, and frankly I need me a literature freak like dat. hinge isn’t working so maybe i gotta start hanging out in the bookstore looking ready to Have Discourse
I liked this a lot, and am very interested in reading Reid’s other work. I didn’t realize this was YA until I’d already started it, but I would call this a really good example of YA writing, maybe towards the end of YA and into New Adult (is that still a thing)? the themes are very timely imo for 17-20 year olds moving into higher ed and the workforce, and something I think would’ve really resonated with me at that time. as a 26 year old, they still ring quite true for me as a person a bit beyond those years, but still able to remember the simultaneous freedom and fear inherent in being a newly “adult” woman. you’re on your own! but that means you’re on your own. a terrifying and exhilarating time of life, and a vulnerable time to those with power over you or your future. great read
Effy is deeply, sadly relatable: scared, often cowed by the incredibly shitty hand she is dealt, but empowered by genuine love and support, and her commitment to never backing down from her dreams. Preston was almost uncannily perfect as a love interest, and frankly I need me a literature freak like dat. hinge isn’t working so maybe i gotta start hanging out in the bookstore looking ready to Have Discourse
I liked this a lot, and am very interested in reading Reid’s other work. I didn’t realize this was YA until I’d already started it, but I would call this a really good example of YA writing, maybe towards the end of YA and into New Adult (is that still a thing)? the themes are very timely imo for 17-20 year olds moving into higher ed and the workforce, and something I think would’ve really resonated with me at that time. as a 26 year old, they still ring quite true for me as a person a bit beyond those years, but still able to remember the simultaneous freedom and fear inherent in being a newly “adult” woman. you’re on your own! but that means you’re on your own. a terrifying and exhilarating time of life, and a vulnerable time to those with power over you or your future. great read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Sexual assault and Xenophobia
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, War, and Injury/Injury detail
wooblatoober's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this review is littered with spoilers so do not read it if you haven’t read the book yet. i’m spoiler tagging the most major spoilers but i am leaving things unspoilered that might or might not be considered spoilers depending on the reader
i really loved some aspects of this book but was really bothered by others—i loved the imagery & the metaphors really made me feel the way i believe the author wanted me to feel. parts were very cozy in ways i haven’t felt since i was probably 14. i LOVED the love interest & i had a huge crush on him because he’s so perfect. whenever there was a scene without him, i wanted him to come back, & i believe reid did a good job of making him incredibly caring while still empowering the female lead. the book covered serious topics regarding misogyny & sexual assault very well,& the way effy was able to bond with angharad & angharad was able to get some sort of justice was really touching to me, not to mention how the symbolism of angharad (who lived much of her life under an entity that seems to represent, as a whole, misogyny, patriarchy, & predation) being able to help effy break out of that cycle for herself. i also liked that even though angharad is old, it’s not treated like she lost her entire life under the repression of a man twice her age who was also sometimes the fairy king. very empowering that it was treated like, despite what was taken from her, she still had life in front of her to live, & be strong, & be free. lastly, i could identify with effy’s sexual trauma in poignant ways. i really enjoyed reading this book for most of my time reading it & i liked it enough that i’ll likely reread it, which i don’t often do.
my complaint is this: effy’s fucking racist. & i love a problematic character who grows & learns lessons & changes, BUT SHE FUCKING DOESN’T!!! it’s just not dealt with well & leaves a bad taste in my mouth. she even calls him slurs at one point and i don’t think she ever took accountability for that at all??? like it seems like she got an argantian boyfriend so she’s absolved of all racism against argantians. it really just gives, “i can’t be racist because my boyfriend’s argantian (or insert any race/ethnicity/nationality in place of that).” book is also hypnotically caucasian, which, like, i know it’s set in a fictional place based on wales & england, but it’s a FICTIONAL PLACE so do all these characters really gotta be beans and toast ass motherfuckers?? last complaint, she throws her long blonde hair into a messy bun 👎
i really loved some aspects of this book but was really bothered by others—i loved the imagery & the metaphors really made me feel the way i believe the author wanted me to feel. parts were very cozy in ways i haven’t felt since i was probably 14. i LOVED the love interest & i had a huge crush on him because he’s so perfect. whenever there was a scene without him, i wanted him to come back, & i believe reid did a good job of making him incredibly caring while still empowering the female lead. the book covered serious topics regarding misogyny & sexual assault very well,
my complaint is this: effy’s fucking racist. & i love a problematic character who grows & learns lessons & changes, BUT SHE FUCKING DOESN’T!!! it’s just not dealt with well & leaves a bad taste in my mouth. she even calls him slurs at one point and i don’t think she ever took accountability for that at all??? like it seems like she got an argantian boyfriend so she’s absolved of all racism against argantians. it really just gives, “i can’t be racist because my boyfriend’s argantian (or insert any race/ethnicity/nationality in place of that).” book is also hypnotically caucasian, which, like, i know it’s set in a fictional place based on wales & england, but it’s a FICTIONAL PLACE so do all these characters really gotta be beans and toast ass motherfuckers?? last complaint, she throws her long blonde hair into a messy bun 👎
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, Kidnapping, and War
librarymouse's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A Study in Drowning is an alternate world folkloric story about misogyny in academia and the systemic penchant for not believing women and girls. It's beautifully written and hard to put down, blending fantastical elements into Effy not trusting her own mind, and dark academic suspicion and intrigue.
Effy's anti-Argantian sentiments early on in the book are very off putting, but she's reformed her opinions by the end of the novel. Massive content warning for sexually abusive men in positions of power, and locker room mentalities as normalized behavior in the world in which the novel is set.
Effy's anti-Argantian sentiments early on in the book are very off putting, but she's reformed her opinions by the end of the novel. Massive content warning for sexually abusive men in positions of power, and locker room mentalities as normalized behavior in the world in which the novel is set.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcohol and Injury/Injury detail
ceruleanheather's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"I wish I had fought..."
"Oh no, Effy. That's not what I meant at all. You don't have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery too."
Effy is a smart, pretty architectural student who is probably Emrys Myrddin's biggest fan. So when she gets the chance to redesign Myrddin's home it seems like a dream come true. However Effy has to share this dream with a smug literature student named Preston, who is bent on proving that Effy's idol is not deserving of the praise he receives.
This sounds like a rom com at first glance, but there are sinister secrets everywhere. Old magic, curses and sacrifices, and a journey of healing and self discovery. It is tough to get through at times, just like any real grief and healing journey.
In the end I absolutely adored this book, but it took me time to get there. I really struggled to sit down and read it. At first I thought it was because I couldn't connect to the characters and the story. However as the story continued, I realized that I in fact connected too much with Effy. And that is the beauty of this book. Just like Angharad was a lighthouse for Effy, A Study in Drowning is a lighthouse for any girl or woman (or any person for that matter) who has been through something and had no one believe them. Yet the story is told in such a way that you don't realize it is helping you heal until you battle through it.
Effy's journey from a lost, self-doubting, girl who thinks she isn't capable of being loved to the girl who survives and uses the strength she found along the way to make a stand is just beautiful.
Also a side note: I picked this book as the last one in my Taylor Swift Eras reading challenge, to go with the Tortured Poets Department. It ended up fitting pretty well. Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? You should be.
*************
Some of my favorite lines/parts:
"Love is a fire that cannot burn alone."
"My apologies if it wasn't clear to you, Mr. Marlowe." (It makes sense in context!)
"Miserably, and against her will, Effy realized that she was in a Romance after all."
"Are you scared?"
"Of drowning? Of the dark? Yes. Those are very reasonable things to be scared of."
"And everyone thinks that I started it but I didn't. I never got anything from him..."
"...I believe you." ❤️❤️❤️
"One must know before loving."
"The only reason anything matters is because it ends."
"The Fairy King was all of them...every wanting man..."
"I wanted just one girl, only one, to read my book and feel that she was understood, and I would be understood in return." ❤️❤️❤️
"If you can learn to love that which despises you, that which terrifies you, you can dance on the shore and play in the waves again like you did when you were young. Before the ocean is friend or foe, it simply is. And so are you."
"Survival is bravery too."
"Oh no, Effy. That's not what I meant at all. You don't have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery too."
Effy is a smart, pretty architectural student who is probably Emrys Myrddin's biggest fan. So when she gets the chance to redesign Myrddin's home it seems like a dream come true. However Effy has to share this dream with a smug literature student named Preston, who is bent on proving that Effy's idol is not deserving of the praise he receives.
This sounds like a rom com at first glance, but there are sinister secrets everywhere. Old magic, curses and sacrifices, and a journey of healing and self discovery. It is tough to get through at times, just like any real grief and healing journey.
In the end I absolutely adored this book, but it took me time to get there. I really struggled to sit down and read it. At first I thought it was because I couldn't connect to the characters and the story. However as the story continued, I realized that I in fact connected too much with Effy. And that is the beauty of this book. Just like Angharad was a lighthouse for Effy, A Study in Drowning is a lighthouse for any girl or woman (or any person for that matter) who has been through something and had no one believe them. Yet the story is told in such a way that you don't realize it is helping you heal until you battle through it.
Effy's journey from a lost, self-doubting, girl who thinks she isn't capable of being loved to the girl who survives and uses the strength she found along the way to make a stand is just beautiful.
Also a side note: I picked this book as the last one in my Taylor Swift Eras reading challenge, to go with the Tortured Poets Department. It ended up fitting pretty well. Who's Afraid of Little Old Me? You should be.
*************
Some of my favorite lines/parts:
"Love is a fire that cannot burn alone."
"My apologies if it wasn't clear to you, Mr. Marlowe." (It makes sense in context!)
"Miserably, and against her will, Effy realized that she was in a Romance after all."
"Are you scared?"
"Of drowning? Of the dark? Yes. Those are very reasonable things to be scared of."
"And everyone thinks that I started it but I didn't. I never got anything from him..."
"...I believe you." ❤️❤️❤️
"One must know before loving."
"The only reason anything matters is because it ends."
"The Fairy King was all of them...every wanting man..."
"I wanted just one girl, only one, to read my book and feel that she was understood, and I would be understood in return." ❤️❤️❤️
"If you can learn to love that which despises you, that which terrifies you, you can dance on the shore and play in the waves again like you did when you were young. Before the ocean is friend or foe, it simply is. And so are you."
"Survival is bravery too."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Abandonment
Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and Blood
Thee protagonist is taken advantage of by a superior. This causes many issues for the protagonist, howeverhaley_mil_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Xenophobia
valpyre's review
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
in a weird way, this was like a head empty all vibes book for me? like the writing was good, and the plot was fleshed out enough that it didn't put me off and i was just along for the ride.
i suppose a lot of the style of the book is meant to reflect effy's state of mind, especially considering her recent trauma, which seems to have exacerbated all her childhood trauma. i think all the water related imagery and metaphors were a little overdone, but obviously fit the theme of the book so im not complaining too much.
i guess i wished that this book was more magical than it ended up being? like were effy's hallucinations just that, or something more? i feel like the whole unraveling of the mystery at the end was a bit blown over, but perhaps that was to put emphasis on the women of the story (honestly, at one point, i was confused as to whether a certain character was even real or not).
i was also intrigued by the war between fantasy france (??) and fantasy wales but it didnt play much into the plot at hand, plus i could've done without the xenophobia throughout. i felt like preston was way too forgiving about that, but i guess that's reality in a way too.
the romance was very sweet, and at the same time, it didn't pull me in or make me feel too much. it just felt like a given of the story, so i enjoyed the beats as they came.
overall, this was a fine read, but i don't think it's a story that will stick with me. i might check out the sequel when it comes out as the very ending of the book holds intrigue in that sense, so i'm a little curious.
i suppose a lot of the style of the book is meant to reflect effy's state of mind, especially considering her recent trauma, which seems to have exacerbated all her childhood trauma. i think all the water related imagery and metaphors were a little overdone, but obviously fit the theme of the book so im not complaining too much.
i guess i wished that this book was more magical than it ended up being? like were effy's hallucinations just that, or something more? i feel like the whole unraveling of the mystery at the end was a bit blown over, but perhaps that was to put emphasis on the women of the story (honestly, at one point, i was confused as to whether a certain character was even real or not).
i was also intrigued by the war between fantasy france (??) and fantasy wales but it didnt play much into the plot at hand, plus i could've done without the xenophobia throughout. i felt like preston was way too forgiving about that, but i guess that's reality in a way too.
the romance was very sweet, and at the same time, it didn't pull me in or make me feel too much. it just felt like a given of the story, so i enjoyed the beats as they came.
overall, this was a fine read, but i don't think it's a story that will stick with me. i might check out the sequel when it comes out as the very ending of the book holds intrigue in that sense, so i'm a little curious.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
sydresnik's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism