Reviews - A Study in Drowning

15.3k reviews for:

why did they fuck at literally the MOST inappropriate time?? the werido fucker whose house yall staying in is lurking and there's a storm so bad brewing that is going to flood the entire house.. go home and then fuck jesus christ

samzwrites's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I found this book to be a unique fantasy that felt more like a fictional folklore. The folkloric elements stood out the most. I appreciated that the fae were depicted as being tricky and treacherous, not the typical sexy, desirable creatures. And I was kept on my toes, and my theories about the plot twist kept shifting, though I did ultimately figure it out well before it was revealed.

The writing is flowery with a beautifully poetic tone, though I will admit it was a bit much at times. However, the gothic and decaying setting was perfectly atmospheric, and the "story within a story" trope was a clever way to blur the lines between reality and hallucination. Effy's inner turmoil and journey of perseverance felt very "seen," and the quiet, gentle romance - VERY MUCH A SLOW BURN - with Preston was sweet and balancing. Although the climax of their relationship... definitely rushed.

Despite my overall enjoyment, the book was not without its flaws. Something felt missing for me; maybe it was a deeper exploration of the world-building. Elements like the Sleeper Museum and the warring nations were introduced but ultimately left undeveloped. Also, the climax was actually quite anticlimactic and over in a matter of roughly five paragraphs. I wasn't sure what to expect - maybe a little action - but the climax was one of the least action-packed scenes in the book and felt like it ended too soon for something that was hyped up the entire book. This lack of depth, along with the anachronistic bigotry that was never truly addressed, prevented the book from reaching its full potential for me. Still, the book's strengths seem to outweigh its weaknesses, and I would rate it a solid 3.75/5 though I wish I could 4/5. (The climax really muddled it for me, tbh.)

Content Warnings

raquelpalminha's review against another edition

3.5

inspiring 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: No

I think this boom explains really well how women feel in a men’s world. Also, I love the small gestures between Effy and Preston. I do think that their intimacy happened really fast but at the same time, they were kinda running out of time. It was a good book and definitely a fall book 😊

Content Warnings

amyglover_writer's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

arianagarcia97's review against another edition

5.0

Such a beautiful novel!!! Loved everything about it!

namva's review against another edition

3.0

⭐ DNF – Couldn’t stay engaged

I really wanted to like A Study of Drowning, but unfortunately, it just didn’t hold my interest enough to finish. The premise had potential, and I pushed myself through a good portion of the book hoping it would click — but it never quite did.

The pacing felt slow, and I found it hard to connect with the characters or feel invested in the story. In the end, I decided to DNF rather than force myself through it. Not for me, but I know others might enjoy the atmospheric style and literary tone more.