Reviews tagging 'Confinement'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

29 reviews

erinreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

This book is stunning, dark, horrifying, and visceral. Not for the faint of heart. Although it is classified as YA, it is not lighthearted or whimsical. Though Effy’s trauma is never explicitly laid out in a complete scene, the glimpses we get through memories and the description of her physical responses to those flashes are truly harrowing to read. Effy’s struggle to believe in herself and find her identity outside of her trauma made me really root for her from the beginning.

As for the prose, the reader is truly drowned in all the water symbolism (pun intended). The theme of drowning is truly hammered home in every sentence, which interestingly worked for me. The water everywhere truly permeated the feel of the book and the experience of reading it felt a bit like drowning, just like Effy felt in the story. 

I also liked that the fairy tale aspect of it morphs from being romanticized to being exposed and criticized but also appreciated for what it was. We learn along with Effy and Preston that you can believe in a story’s power while also looking at it and the world with a critical eye. There is balance to be found between Effy’s initial romanticism and Preston’s initial cynicism.

My small critiques would just be that the world itself isn’t very fleshed out, and that the protagonists are a bit slow on the uptake. The prejudice shown against Preston because of his heritage is just kind of vaguely mentioned and the reasons for the two countries’ animosity isn’t explained in any sort of depth. We are told that there are personal phones and televisions and cars but some things seem incongruous, such as Effy’s friends using hairpins to hold up banners instead of tape, and everyone writing letters to each other. I never really had a clear mental image of the world outside of the manor. However, that being said, it didn’t detract much from the reading experience as the characters and the mystery of Angharad were the main focus. As for the mystery, the answer to who wrote Angharad was pretty clear from the beginning, which made it a tad frustrating that the protagonists didn’t get it until the very end. I think it would’ve been more satisfying if the reader found out later on in the story. 

Read if you like dark, disturbing, fairy tale-esque stories with themes of overcoming trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Bullying, Sexual assault, Racism, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Blood

milcahh's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Car accident, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Abandonment

Minor: Grief, Vomit, Confinement, and War

kattila's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

Great atmosphere, a little bit predictable at times, but overall a great story. I liked how the book combined the real world and magic/fairy tales, although I was left a bit confused by certain things.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexism, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, Child death, and Colonisation

fraxica's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Confinement

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Car accident

The main character immediately shows distress over the micro actions her classmates, revealing slowly over the course of the story that they heard rumors of her having a sexual relationship with a school advisor. Eventually, she admits to herself that she didn't want the relationship to begin with and he exerted his power and control over her. There are flash-backs that show the relationship and abuse. At the end of the book, a newly revealed character has a very similar story and that is described as well. Although both characters take back a sense of agency in the finale, the entire book sits with the weight of their abuse, showing how powerful men use younger women. HEAVY SPOILER: the fictional fae book that drives the story is actually written by a young woman whose abuser bartered her father for the rights to her and her story. He claimed both for his own and succumbed to the Faerie King, which led to her abuse and captivity.

monicaabarrett's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Emotional abuse

dani_reis's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Mental illness, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, and Confinement

Minor: Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Infidelity

Drug use is just glorified smoking of 18-20 year olds.

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Animal death, Bullying, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Blood, Car accident, Classism, Addiction, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, War, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Rape, Sexism, Child death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

warlocksarecool21's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

5.0

I absolutely adored this book omg 😭😭😭. Ava Reid is such a talented writer, her prose is so beautiful and atmospheric. The Gothic element of that wretched house was haunting and suspenseful and it was peak Gothic fantasy imo. 
To me, this book was such a powerful story about womanhood, strength and survival. Of course there’s the dark academia and fantasy elements, which were fun, but the message it had to tell was  very profound. This book also had excellent commentary about the misogyny in academia and the publishing industry and the abuse that so often gets hidden away, which continues to be relevant today. 
Ava Reid’s character work is so well done, I saw so much of myself in Effy, in her fears and self-doubt, but also in her conviction and strength. Her character growth throughout the book was so satisfying and I loved her realization that she can live for herself and build a future despite (and maybe because of) what happened to her. I also adored Preston 💞💞💞 he and Effy were everything to me. I highly recommend this book and I will eagerly read anything Ava Reid writes. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Confinement, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Death of parent, Rape, Car accident, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Addiction, Body shaming, Racism, Death, Physical abuse, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, and Child abuse

Minor: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, and War

cellia's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Confinement, Car accident, Sexism, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship