Reviews with content warning for Schizophrenia/Psychosis - A Study in Drowning

this book was like. incredibly okay. i was expecting more based on the recommendations i have seen but i know that not everyone will feel the same about every book. but yeah i enjoyed my time reading it for the most part. preston is my sweetie pie. there were some really good lines but idk the story as a whole doesn’t hit like i thought it would.

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s_wandering's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

1.5

awfully boring and terribly uninspiring

Pros:

the writing style from Reid has always been great
the general plot was interesting
the first 50 pages were intriguing
the main characters Effy and Preston (outside of their romantic plot)
the connection of
Euphemia's trauma to drowning / the event that happened in the south
really was done exceptionally well

Cons:

at the beginning its said "this is a love story" and with that in mind it felt in the haste to get these characters to fall in love it was forgotten that us as readers were just now meeting them for the first time. Their love story felt rushed, held no real weight and we could've done without it all-together
the plot became unclear, untidy, drawn out and though
the drowning was interesting- it became clear after some time it would only ever really be explored as a metaphor
I don't mind unreliable narrators but Effy was unreliable to an unforgivable point, I think this would've benefited being told by Preston's POV or at-least dual POV
so many things were introduced to set the scenery (war, timeline, characters) but never expanded on to actually provide proper world building and after 300+ pages I feel like I spent time in a world I could not identify in a line up
for a book about academia, the characters aren't that smart

to sum up the reading experience from my book club "a bit bored but intrigued"

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ashleykhoffman's review

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mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This book was a quick read and it was a pretty different take on the fantasy genre than a lot of things I've read. The feminist plot line including a certain "big reveal" at the end were all super predictable. The way Effy's sexual assault was written about and brought up every few pages, even at times where it had no bearing on the rest of the scene, I imagine would be very triggering to a lot of people. The romance was cute, but super unrealistically paced.

Overall, predictable, but quick to read as long as it doesn't stir up any triggers for you.

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naisdayz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A Study in Drowning has fantasy, mystery, and romance - everything my heart desires, really.

Admittedly, Effy was a character I first had to get to know to be able to understand and love her. She was a bit insufferable in the beginning, towards Preston especially, though I can understand that now as well. Preston was essentially all she wanted and wanted to be.

I love Ava Reid's writing style. It's very vivid, painting pictures without seeming overwritten or forced. The small references to drowning as a metaphor and references to phrases used earlier in the story were amazingly incorporated.

The world building was also chef's kiss. Every chapter features a poem or excerpt from a piece of literature from their world, which made it so much more immersive. Honestly, if I had read Angharad, I would have become about as obsessed as Effy did.

The book was pretty confusing (in a good way). I had zero idea how it would end, and I'm sure my jaw dropped more than once while reading the actual end.

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lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

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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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