Reviews with content warning for Racism - A Study in Drowning

Def look at trigger/content warnings.
Overall, I appreciated reading this, but it wasn't a favorite. It was pretty slow at the beginning, and if I didn't also listen to the audio, I think I wouldn't have liked it as much. I appreciate the discussions on sexism and abuse of power/power dynamics with a backdrop of magic, but I feel the magic was a little throw away. I also could've done without the romance aspect of this.
This is the first book from this author I've read and I will plan to read more from them it's just this one wasn't amazing for me.

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nanananaelena's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.5

After a series of bad reads, I picked up this book knowing that I was likely going to love it. For anyone thinking about picking this up, I'd recommend you take a look at this Tiktoker's beautifully worded review of the book (no spoilers): https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT85f4JQt/. Now for my review below:

“I will love you to ruination,” the Fairy King said, brushing a strand of golden hair from my cheek. “Yours or mine?” I asked. The Fairy King did not answer.”

A Study in Drowning is a story that is grounded in dark fairytale, with an eerie and dreamlike atmosphere and beautiful prose. It is not a fairytale retelling, but instead acts as a story within a story and inspired by Welsh folklore.

I was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me.

This book deals in heavy themes of

sexual assault and misogyny

. The protagonist is for the soft, anxious, and deeply caring to a fault parts of us that still check under our beds at night for monsters. She spoke to my own fears and anxieties in a way that most books nowadays - with badass dragon-slaying, sword-wielding female protagonists - don't.

Any for anyone who feels like they're that lone lighthouse shining a beacon into the horizon, wondering if there's anyone there to see, if there's anyone that will signal back: I am that ship in the horizon. I am signaling back. I see you. I understand you.

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amberreadsgood's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

This book seemed like it would be up my alley, as I perceived it as a gothic fantasy mystery/romance with some spooky magic vibes. It was certainly that... But only minimally, I found.

This had beautiful prose and lots of potential, but I think it tried to be too many things at the same time. Effy and Preston had little to no romantic tension, which made it difficult to buy the relationship as genuine, and that's without the weird fantasy racism Effy has towards Preston in the beginning. Her overcoming her misguided preconceptions seemed like a shallow way to develop her character, and personally if I were Preston, I would find it difficult to be attracted to someone who hurled racist remarks at me because they didn't agree with my academic views that I'm actively trying to prove as opposed to believing without merit.

The magic and fantasy elements were (in my opinion) so minimal that it felt like they should have just been cut to flesh out other parts of the story instead. I think it would have been more interesting to root the story a bit more in reality and lean into Effy's delusion/mental instability. For me, there just wasn't enough of the fantasy element going on to justify the presence of it at all.

I wish there had been more of a conclusion with her abusive mother and sexual abuser mentor. One felt too neatly tied up, the other not mentioned at all after the fact. It's another aspect that made me feel like too much was trying to happen here, and so it wasn't handled the best.

I still enjoyed this enough to finish it, and like I said, it had lovely writing from an aesthetic perspective, I just wish it had more substance for me to sink my teeth into. I'm aware it's a YA book, so maybe that's on me 🤷🏽‍♀️

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fossilreads's review

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emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

"Effy was remembering all the curses that turned princesses back to peasant girls as soon as the bell struck twelve. Why was it always girls whose form could not be trusted? Everything could be taken away from them in an instant."

I think the quote really embodies the sadness and grief I experienced reading this 💔

I love Effy's growth during the book and just want her to have so much goodness in her future ♥️

My favorite part was probably Effy and Rhia's snarky conversations and the spider war 😂

The storm scenes were so well written and I could really see it playing out like a movie in my head! 🌧️

I personally would have preferred if Effy and Preston's relationship would've turned out more friends than lovers, but that's just me!

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nyquilla's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense

3.75

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mbzoller's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

A bit over the top with water and architecture themed metaphors

Ava Reid is a true talent with prose. This beautiful, lavish tale of a girl claiming her future is suffused with damp, dark, chilling imagery and symbolism.

I loved the FMC and her arc to self assuredness but in contrast to the setting description, the characters lacked in texture.

I think I just found this wonderful book at the wrong time for it to truly resonate with me.

I will eat up ANYTHING Ava Reid publishes

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kfessy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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