Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

40 reviews

erinreadsbooks's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

This book is stunning, dark, horrifying, and visceral. Not for the faint of heart. Although it is classified as YA, it is not lighthearted or whimsical. Though Effy’s trauma is never explicitly laid out in a complete scene, the glimpses we get through memories and the description of her physical responses to those flashes are truly harrowing to read. Effy’s struggle to believe in herself and find her identity outside of her trauma made me really root for her from the beginning.

As for the prose, the reader is truly drowned in all the water symbolism (pun intended). The theme of drowning is truly hammered home in every sentence, which interestingly worked for me. The water everywhere truly permeated the feel of the book and the experience of reading it felt a bit like drowning, just like Effy felt in the story. 

I also liked that the fairy tale aspect of it morphs from being romanticized to being exposed and criticized but also appreciated for what it was. We learn along with Effy and Preston that you can believe in a story’s power while also looking at it and the world with a critical eye. There is balance to be found between Effy’s initial romanticism and Preston’s initial cynicism.

My small critiques would just be that the world itself isn’t very fleshed out, and that the protagonists are a bit slow on the uptake. The prejudice shown against Preston because of his heritage is just kind of vaguely mentioned and the reasons for the two countries’ animosity isn’t explained in any sort of depth. We are told that there are personal phones and televisions and cars but some things seem incongruous, such as Effy’s friends using hairpins to hold up banners instead of tape, and everyone writing letters to each other. I never really had a clear mental image of the world outside of the manor. However, that being said, it didn’t detract much from the reading experience as the characters and the mystery of Angharad were the main focus. As for the mystery, the answer to who wrote Angharad was pretty clear from the beginning, which made it a tad frustrating that the protagonists didn’t get it until the very end. I think it would’ve been more satisfying if the reader found out later on in the story. 

Read if you like dark, disturbing, fairy tale-esque stories with themes of overcoming trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Blood

booklizard_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Abandonment

kirjakimalainen's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.5

Great atmosphere, a little bit predictable at times, but overall a great story. I liked how the book combined the real world and magic/fairy tales, although I was left a bit confused by certain things.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual content, and Colonisation

fraxica's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Car accident

The main character immediately shows distress over the micro actions her classmates, revealing slowly over the course of the story that they heard rumors of her having a sexual relationship with a school advisor. Eventually, she admits to herself that she didn't want the relationship to begin with and he exerted his power and control over her. There are flash-backs that show the relationship and abuse. At the end of the book, a newly revealed character has a very similar story and that is described as well. Although both characters take back a sense of agency in the finale, the entire book sits with the weight of their abuse, showing how powerful men use younger women. HEAVY SPOILER: the fictional fae book that drives the story is actually written by a young woman whose abuser bartered her father for the rights to her and her story. He claimed both for his own and succumbed to the Faerie King, which led to her abuse and captivity.

jaydeecepticon's review

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault

Minor: Violence and Alcohol

missgnomers's review against another edition

dark emotional lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

I really enjoyed this! Some reviews say the themes are heavy handed and that the setting feels awkwardly placed in time. While I believe it to be a thematic choice, it didn’t feel cohesive. 

I  think the themes are well handled in this lite thriller

I just adored the romance in this book. Also, I liked that the writer had only Effy and Anghadad see the Fairy King. Allies like Preston can hear and know, but they can’t experience it for themselves. The mystery itself was an easy guess but felt earned.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Grief

Minor: Animal death

themorrigan43's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

This book is marketed as YA but there are a lot of adult, dark topics mentioned and referenced. It's more new adult in my opinion. 

I was reading part of this in the middle of the night and I actually had to stop reading because I was so freaked out. This is a surprisingly tense and freaky book. It's a little bit of a thriller and a fantasy with a healthy dash of romance.

If you ever read The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova, this book is very reminiscent of that, with more fantasy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Excrement, and Death of parent

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: War

monicaabarrett's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

kirbylover16's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-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

2.75

I find the story concepts to be quite intriguing. For example, I am interested in exploring various religious and regional interpretations of a flooded world. Additionally, the idea of Celebrity Sleepers acting as protectors is unique, although it is unfortunately not utilized enough.

the Cold War, the start of the second drowning, her mother; all plotlines dropped

There was a missed opportunity not to add a Lemony Snicket twist to the title, which should have featured Augharad, or even just the Fairy King would be a better title. I wish the book spent more time with Effy while she attends school. (the dark academia?) This change would not only help us better understand Effy but also enable us to get to know other characters.

The story was supposed to be a romance with rivals-turned-lovers, but it failed to deliver. The main love interest is introduced too late, and we learn little about him, except that he's foreign and Effy is jealous/racist towards him. Effy never stops being racist or unfairly mean to him. I like him more than Effy because he's less whiney and stupid. They don't fight each other in the competition or know each other in school. They're not even staying in the same house. Where is this rivalry? The romance is rushed and not spicy. 

TL;DR
I am eager to learn more about the world, but there are still too many gaps and squandered ideas. I made zero connections to any of the characters. The pacing is all over the place. This book is falsely advised and disappointing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Car accident, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Genocide, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

The car accident isn't an accident but not attempted murder either. not very violent.

Mc is pushed out of a moving car. The guy was trying to keep mc from coming back to the house but couldn't tell her

There is one bar date? where mc tries alcohol for the first time to fit in. She doesn't get drunk or even finish the glass. The child abuse is only hinted at till halfway thru the book where mc tells the so her mom tried to leave her to die but chickened out. Kinda comes out of nowhere.

inkybees's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Sexual content, Xenophobia, and War