Reviews tagging 'Torture'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

7 reviews

reddeddy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

After hearing everyone rave about this book last year, I was curious to pick it up for myself.
"A Study in Drowning" follows Effy Sayre, a young woman who is an architecture student who wants to believe in nothing more than fairy tales. When she gets the opportunity to help design the remodel of Hiraeth Manor, she thinks it is finally her chance to make a name for herself. Preston Héloury is a literature student that is hellbent on disproving renowned author Emry Myrddin, who also happens to hold a very special place in Effy's heart. Effy and Preston get off to a rocky start, but they quickly learn that they will need to work together so they both can get what they desire.
This book was fine, and I see why everyone seems so enamored with it. The prose is beautiful and haunting, and the mental illness representation seen in Effy is great to see. Unfortunately, this book just did not land for me like I thought it would. The story felt very predictable and relied heavily on stereotypical Young Adult tropes. This is not a bad thing per say, but it made the story feel uninspired to me.
Rather than coming across as a meek, struggling student, Effy just felt like a very weak protagonist who needed more time to grow up. I empathize with her struggles, and her mother is awful towards her, but I did not enjoy reading from her perspective. Preston felt much more dynamic of a character, and I think I might have enjoyed the story more if we got his perspective instead, or just more of him in general.
I think this book has all of the right ingredients; it was just not executed well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

underhill's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Abandonment, and War

Minor: Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Colonisation

kenzaett's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

I went into this knowing nothing but the title, and that it was a runner up for book of the year..

Did I expect a wonderfully written novel thats engaging, has dark academia, found family, enemies to lovers, grumpy x grumpy, mystery, academic rivals tropes, dark urban fantasy, fae legend proving true, great world building, feminism, mental health awareness, and is trickled with beautiful poetry, in a gloomy, misty island setting?? 

Did I LOVE IT and read half of it within one day? Yes!!! 

And the romance was JUST the right amount, not overly annoying or taking away from the protagonist's innner conflict, or the mystery in the plot. 
THE FMC is called Effy, btw. What other Effies do we know? Trinket, the one from skims... She's another one in a line of amazing, uniquely flawed and intriguing characters! 

The "plot twist" was a bit expectable, but I don't mind figuring it out earlier than the protagonists. It was just too obvious

with there only being one name unmentioned and then turning out to be exactly her, lol.

You'll love this if you liked books like Divine Rivals or , cold oceans and cliff sides, LOADS of references to water, a slow burn academic rivals romance, elements of fairy tales, female empowerment, discussions of mental health... And beautiful, poetic writing!

Here are my favorite, most memorable wuotes;

(TBA) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Torture, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, and Car accident

lizzye33's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

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

smellymiche's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Torture, and Sexual harassment

cristina_margarita's review against another edition

adventurous 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

I really love Ava’s books. This one is the perfect middle ground between The Wolf & The Woodsman & Juniper & Thorn. I come away from each of Ava’s books feeling like just the girl she’s written them for. This book is once again a tender love letter to survivors. 

The dark academia/gothic blend was so well executed. 

Having followed her for a while & kept up with not just her progress on this book but also the little bit of her life she shares online, it was interesting to see how much of herself & her fiancé she put into this book.

I did have a couple of qualms with the book. The biggest being that while I understand the symbolism behind

having Effy’s showdown with the Fairy King as he posses Ianto being over so quickly to demonstrate how absolutely inconsequential he is to Effy etc. it still had an air of disappointment to it. The whole book was building to this climax & I appreciate what Ava was going for, but I think it was a path that requires some faith on the part of the reader to continue & sit with why that was the choice. Additionally, I wish we had gotten an explanation from Angharad herself as to why she never made herself known before the very end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail