Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - A Study in Drowning

Reviews tagging 'Xenophobia'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

118 reviews

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.

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florecita_lectora's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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zoe_larrimer's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

This book is really stunning. It deals with the themes of

trauma and sexual assault

in a very realistic and empowering way. The fmc is someone I deeply rooted for
throughout the story and the mythology elements were such an interesting twist. I feel like the fairy king in the story is a unique portrayal

of the potential for evil that hides itself within many people.

I really love this book and would highly recommend it, it may be my very own Angharad.

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ginamiya's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

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xerosbeat's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-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

4.5

I really appreciated all the water metaphors when tackling trauma and mental illness in the book. I once told my brother than getting on antidepressants was like coming up for air after being submerged and Ava Reid totally captured that and then some.Misogyny, sexism in academia, survivor guilt, sexual assault, plagiarism, so much was tackled in this book. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

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emptzuu's review against another edition

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Nowadays, it seems that getting glowing Goodreads reviews only requires creating a "relatable" character and including a mediocre romance. Reviews often justify five stars with comments like "it was entertaining" or "the vibes were there." Seriously, people?

This book is not dark academia or gothic, despite having a library and a manor. The writing did not convey the atmosphere associated with these genres. The author's flowery and lyrical style clashes with the book's marketing as gothic and dark academia.

It falls in the same category as "Lessons In Chemistry" where the author creates an old-fashioned world just to make social issues seem more significant. This feels like a lazy plot device. The book oversimplifies everything, portraying all men as evil and all women as innocent. Moreover, the author seems to have done little research. The book features cars and passenger trains, land-line phones and coffee, but also typewriters and mimeographs, and women aren't allowed in university. The constant focus on misogyny and sexual assault in a fantasy book feels excessive and unnecessary. Elements like war and racism are there but have no impact on the plot.

Effy is a highly problematic character, displaying overt racism, misandry, and a severe lack of depth. She is depicted as a weak, whiny, and fearful woman who is perpetually passive, often getting dragged around by men. Her character feels reduced to being defined solely by her trauma, which is portrayed without any nuance or complexity. Trauma does not excuse her behavior.

She would say and think the most outrageous and insulting things about Preston's heritage without even knowing him. She was incredibly prejudiced and judgmental. Considering she herself had faced judgment and been called slurs, you'd think she would understand how wrong it is to act the way she did, but she didn't. She never faced any consequences for her behavior. Preston even coddled her. Why are they even together? Why does Preston forgive her for everything she said and did? It feels like a toxic romance to me. The author spends almost the entire book preaching about misogyny, yet the female main character is ultimately saved by the love interest. Sex solves everything.

She was so entitled that she thought she deserved to be in the literature department, despite being unable to provide a coherent, logical, or evidence-based analysis of the works of her favorite author. In fact, she admitted she had never written a formal paper, even though she was in college.

The only thing she could boast about was memorizing lines from her favorite author's works. She also couldn't accept any criticism, which would make her struggle in a literature class. She just wants to do literature because she is obsessed with Myrddin's work.

She is supposed to be more intelligent than most literature students, yet she is struggling academically in architecture. She is on the verge of flunking out but wins a prestigious opportunity to design for a famous author, beating many competitors.

She is the only girl in architecture, solely because she is not allowed in the literature school, which is illogical. Historically, women have studied literature and languages extensively; it is math and sciences that have had lower female participation.

Additionally, the portrayal of architecture as mere doodling is unrealistic.

It's baffling that some readers find this character relatable. I hesitate to imagine what kind of audience appreciates such a portrayal.

I could easily write three pages detailing how bad this book is, but instead, I'll summarize my thoughts. The book is riddled with plot holes, tackles topics poorly, and features one-dimensional characters along with underdeveloped world-building. Despite its gorgeous cover and beautiful title, the book fails to live up to its marketing promises.

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