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imogenlj's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Compelling and magical; take the question of Shakespeare’s authorship and place it in a fantasy setting, add in some romance and a potentially unreliable narrator and you’ve got the recipe for a cracking book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Cursing, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
booksthatburn's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ava Reid is one of a small group of authors who I trust when reading a new story that deals with abuse and the precarity of survival. A STUDY IN DROWNING deals with institutional misogyny, sexual abuse, and societal dismissal of complaints about the same, all while telling a gripping story that delves into perception, unreality, and the difficulty of knowing what’s real or imagined when you’re dismissed out of hand as hysterical or crazy. Any summary or specific explanation that I could provide pales in comparison to just how fucking good this book is. It has a specific focus on abuse by men in power on young women who are technically women, and that they're legally adults but are in that strange zone where any signs of maturity are taken as indications that they knew exactly what they were getting into, but they can still be conveniently dismissed as children in an instant when it's convenient for their abusees. Even this thought is an inadequate paraphrasing of the way that this position is described in the text.
A STUDY IN DROWNING is a story of uncertainty and a shaky sense of reality, figuring out how to name and shame abusers who use their power, position, and (often) gender to obscure and diminish their abuse, and to cultivate uncertainty as to whether they did what they did, and if they did it, if it even was wrong. The fantastical setting allows for a recursive reinforcement of themes of decay, drowning, and rot as the specter of the Fairy King is invoked, threatened, and manifested in turn to build a story where the water is certain, death is inevitable, but drowning is slow. In that gap is room for denial and obfuscation as the water rises.
Effy is obsessed with the works of a particular author, and of his novel, Angharad, in particular. It tells the story of the Fairy King seducing his human bride from the perspective of that girl. Effy has the text largely memorized, and many lines in it are deeply meaningful to her, whispered as talismans against the sexism of her daily life. In a country where she has to go to the architecture college because no women are allowed in the literature college, the idea that one of the most famous writers in her country would have written this book with such a careful and nuanced understanding of a female perspective is deeply meaningful and inspiring to her. The college bars women because of misogynist nonsense about their minds being unable to handle understanding or producing great works of literature. Though she is admitted at the architecture college, Effy is the only female student there. The few girls in her dorm who are studying at the music college where they are admitted in greater numbers.
At first, Effy has a xenophobic reaction to learning that a boy from an enemy nation was admitted to study at the literature college at the same time she was denied because of her gender. She ends up meeting him, and it turns into a rivals to lovers scenario where they work together to get around the sexist institution and call abusers to account. Gradually it becomes clear as Effy is able to think and process more specifically that one of the professors abused her. She feels unable to go to anyone for help, or even necessarily to be certain in herself, that it was wrong. The other students assume she used her body to get where she is, that somehow she doesn't deserve to be in the same halls as them.
A STUDY IN DROWNING has cemented Ava Reid on my must-read list for her consistently nuanced handling of themes of abuse and coercion in ways that leverage the strengths of fantasy to help deal with traumatic realities surrounding sexism and abuses of power.
A STUDY IN DROWNING is a story of uncertainty and a shaky sense of reality, figuring out how to name and shame abusers who use their power, position, and (often) gender to obscure and diminish their abuse, and to cultivate uncertainty as to whether they did what they did, and if they did it, if it even was wrong. The fantastical setting allows for a recursive reinforcement of themes of decay, drowning, and rot as the specter of the Fairy King is invoked, threatened, and manifested in turn to build a story where the water is certain, death is inevitable, but drowning is slow. In that gap is room for denial and obfuscation as the water rises.
Effy is obsessed with the works of a particular author, and of his novel, Angharad, in particular. It tells the story of the Fairy King seducing his human bride from the perspective of that girl. Effy has the text largely memorized, and many lines in it are deeply meaningful to her, whispered as talismans against the sexism of her daily life. In a country where she has to go to the architecture college because no women are allowed in the literature college, the idea that one of the most famous writers in her country would have written this book with such a careful and nuanced understanding of a female perspective is deeply meaningful and inspiring to her. The college bars women because of misogynist nonsense about their minds being unable to handle understanding or producing great works of literature. Though she is admitted at the architecture college, Effy is the only female student there. The few girls in her dorm who are studying at the music college where they are admitted in greater numbers.
At first, Effy has a xenophobic reaction to learning that a boy from an enemy nation was admitted to study at the literature college at the same time she was denied because of her gender. She ends up meeting him, and it turns into a rivals to lovers scenario where they work together to get around the sexist institution and call abusers to account. Gradually it becomes clear as Effy is able to think and process more specifically that one of the professors abused her. She feels unable to go to anyone for help, or even necessarily to be certain in herself, that it was wrong. The other students assume she used her body to get where she is, that somehow she doesn't deserve to be in the same halls as them.
A STUDY IN DROWNING has cemented Ava Reid on my must-read list for her consistently nuanced handling of themes of abuse and coercion in ways that leverage the strengths of fantasy to help deal with traumatic realities surrounding sexism and abuses of power.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Medical content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Murder, Alcohol, and War
aliyachaudhry's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Mental illness, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Xenophobia, Colonisation, and War
kayceeisbookish's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Spellbinding mystery meets a twisted fantasy folly turned sinister. We all dream of meeting our favorite authors in person, but for Effy, this endeavor turns into a Drowning of her own that she never can turn back from after uncovering the truth of the manor at the sea side cliffs and the reclusive author who lived in its walls. This book was reminiscent of the Fall of the House of Usher by Poe with a strong feminist tone that gives women who have been wronged a boulder upon the shore of crashing waves to grasp and weather life's storms.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
soniajoy98's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
readwithria's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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? It's complicated
3.5
A Study in Drowning is an atmospheric, dark YA debut that takes its premise and runs with it.
While it’s technically a fantasy novel, I would categorize this as more literary in feel than a typical fantasy book. I think that it’s important to know that ahead of time, because my incorrect expectation definitely impacted my experience with the book.
Ava Reid’s writing is, as usual, so beautifully lyrical. There are so many quotes that I highlighted, and I can’t get enough of their dialogue. I think that given the themes of storytelling and truth in this book, that lyricism was very well used and a necessary element of the story.
The pacing was slow and deliberate, which is not what I usually like but it definitely was needed to build the level of tension that Reid achieved. If you like a fast paced book this is definitely not that, but for all the slow burn readers out there this will be right up your alley.
The characters in this were intriguing, and I’m sure that many people will absolutely love them, but it took me until about halfway through the book to fully feel connected to them. The first half of the book felt a bit… maybe disassociated is the right word? A little off, not quite 100% there. For reference, it took me a week to read the first 52% and a day to read the last 48%.
This book is beautiful, and there’s lots of things to love about it, but it wasn’t what I usually look for in a book that I love. I think that lots of people will really enjoy it though. Ava Reid’s YA debut will enthrall its ideal reader, I’m just not quite that person. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
While it’s technically a fantasy novel, I would categorize this as more literary in feel than a typical fantasy book. I think that it’s important to know that ahead of time, because my incorrect expectation definitely impacted my experience with the book.
Ava Reid’s writing is, as usual, so beautifully lyrical. There are so many quotes that I highlighted, and I can’t get enough of their dialogue. I think that given the themes of storytelling and truth in this book, that lyricism was very well used and a necessary element of the story.
The pacing was slow and deliberate, which is not what I usually like but it definitely was needed to build the level of tension that Reid achieved. If you like a fast paced book this is definitely not that, but for all the slow burn readers out there this will be right up your alley.
The characters in this were intriguing, and I’m sure that many people will absolutely love them, but it took me until about halfway through the book to fully feel connected to them. The first half of the book felt a bit… maybe disassociated is the right word? A little off, not quite 100% there. For reference, it took me a week to read the first 52% and a day to read the last 48%.
This book is beautiful, and there’s lots of things to love about it, but it wasn’t what I usually look for in a book that I love. I think that lots of people will really enjoy it though. Ava Reid’s YA debut will enthrall its ideal reader, I’m just not quite that person. 3.5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Alcohol