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ghostlyprince's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and War
lizzye33's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Confinement, Death, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War
azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
CW: misogyny/sexism, parental abuse/neglect, emotional abuse, gaslighting, adult-minor relationship/grooming, sexual harassment/assault, toxic relationship, domestic abuse, violence, injury, blood, death, death of parent, bullying, xenophobia, grief, mental illness including hallucinations and delusions, suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviors; post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety
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This was my first Ava Reid book and it definitely won’t be my last!
A big reason for this is Reid’s writing, which is phenomenal and perfectly encapsulates the haunting and mysterious atmosphere of this story and setting.
A Study in Drowning follows Effy, a young woman who is an architecture student who grasps the opportunity to design the house of her now late favourite author, Emrys Myrddin as it also means escaping the misogyny and harassment at her institution. Upon arriving at Hiraeth Manor, Effy meets the author’s son who unsettles her with his demeanour and Preston another student who is out to prove Myrddin as a fraud.
Effy’s connection to Angharad, Myrddin’s famous book is more than just sentimental and so she falls in with Preston as a means to uphold Myrddin’s legacy but they both begin to realise that there is more to the house and the author than they expected.
I don’t actually recall reading the synopsis so discovering that the protagonist was an architecture student (albeit reluctantly, as women aren’t allowed to study literature in this world) was such a surprise! There is definitely a niche for more Dark Academia with an Architecture / Engineering focus and I have a mighty need!!
That being said the book does eventually diverge from architecture and despite the study of literature being a big part of the story I feel like genre-wise this leans more towards gothic fiction. Though there is still much commentary on the prejudice women face in academia and in society overall which was really well addressed.
On immediately finishing the book I enjoyed so many things particularly how immersive and vivid everything was and the mystery aspect to the plot. The rivals to lovers aspect did start off a little flat but I liked how it eventually developed.
I do think that the magic side of things wasn’t as fleshed out as I expected by the end, it felt more like it was there to add to the overall ambiance and was overshadowed by the themes of agency and power. Then again I am also a reader who isn’t the biggest fan of fae elements in books so this could have just been a me thing.
All that aside I did enjoy this book and i'm glad I finally picked up Reid's work!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
ronan_lesh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
dianaschmidty's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.25
This poor girl. As someone who deeply related to multiple of Effy’s experiences, Ava Reid perfectly encapsulated both how to be a survivor and how it feels to survive. As a female history major, I think that Ava Reid also perfectly encapsulated how it feels to academically survive in a world where it’s assumed that “scholarly” articles are more valid coming from a man. Watching Effy survive and learn to thrive by the end of the book was really special.
This was one of the most complex YA books I’ve ever read and I really enjoyed that. I hope that more English teachers add this to their reading lists. The world building was very complex and I would love to read more books set in this world! I also can’t wait to read more from Ava Reid!
Also, I absolutely adored Preston. The world needs more Prestons.
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperTeen, and Ava Reid for providing me access to this book.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Rape, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Minor: Sexual content
readintheclouds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual assault
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment
bettysbookishworld's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Abandonment
katyakat's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and War
soniajoy98's review against another edition
- 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
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
gagereadsstuff's review
- 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
5.0
Upon arriving, she finds a decrepit, waterlogged manor on a cliffside and is greeted by an academic rival, Preston Héloury whose thesis she disagrees with. Regardless of their differences, they band together to solve the mystery of Myrddin's principle work, Angharad, in the face of natural and supernatural forces at play.
My scholarly heart was filled with joy reading this Gothic/dark academia/young adult mystery. Can I just say how much it pleases me to puzzle out the little details in Reid's works? Like Llyr is Wales while Argant is possibly Brittany? The university is in Caer-Isel, the mythical sunken city of Ys, and Llyr went through a "Drowning" a little over 200 years earlier in the story. Emrys Myrddin? *Kind of a spoiler* Immortal Bard?! We also get some nods to Marlovian theory going on later in the plot, and the publisher of the famed novel at the center of the mystery is called Marlowe! *Chef kiss*
The themes of ASiD are numerous and complex: superstition, fairies, misogyny, women's roles in academia. But the one that stuck out to me most was mental illness. Effy questions her reality throughout the book as she confronts visions of the Fairy King and dang, if that ain't a trauma response. Even her resilience as she struggles and survives is a sign of her past trauma.
Misogyny and its trappings are the other themes that stuck out to me. Effy is barred from the college of literature since women "have not, as a sex, demonstrated great strength in the faculties of literary analysis or understanding."
First of all, ugh. Every man except for Preston says something misogynistic to her. Ugh. Second, it was interesting to see the internal rebellion Effy had in the face of such outright misogyny. Eventually, she was able to stick up for herself in a way that made the ending satisfying.
The atmosphere of the story was immaculate! The crumbling Gothic manor on a cliff by the sea, the stormy weather, the gruff and helpful harbinger in town. I. Ate. It. Up.
There's also outright romance and romantic tropes in the book that I haven't seen in Reid's other works. I enjoyed the way she incorporated them and molded them to her style.
I can't recommend this book enough. I hope my review has convinced you to read it, and that you'll pick it up when it's released in September!
Also, many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail