Reviews with content warning for Sexism - A Study in Drowning

I think this story will stay with me for a bit.

For most of the book I was unsure how reliable Effy was as a narrator but I think think that might reflect more on me than it does on the book. It really is beautifully written, I just have one issue: Everyone mentions how smart and brave Effy is and of course, yes, she is, but whyyyy did you not go talk to the secretive and reclusive widow of your favorite author when you had the chance? Like you literally did everything including destruction and theft of property and nearly dying in a drowned basement instead of trying to communicate with people that are there and have not explicitly told you to fuck off yet. I was just waiting for them to get to that for nearly half the book so that was incredibly frustrating.

Content Warnings

ayoitme's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

EVERYTHING AVA REID WRITES KILLS. She is an AMAZING author and I enjoy every single one of her stories, this one included.

I saw this marketed as YA, and I would not agree. It deals with a lot of trauma regarding SA.

Effie is a loveable narrator and I resonated and cared for her so much reading the book. You just want to step in an help her get away from some of these men. Even though the book starts with showing a lot of her weaknesses, she also shows her stubbornness and her commitment to what she views as important. The duality of the character is very much appreciated.

The fantasy that Ava Reid writes always comes off as so natural. Where some fantasy books need to explain very clearly the aspects of their worlds, she is able to naturally explain things as they become relevant that only add to the scenes, never taking away as a lore dump.

Her rivalry turned romance with Preston was so sweet and again, Ava Reid knows how to write a relationship. It was just the right amount of romantic development without being to much and taking away from the story to turn it into just a romance.

The mystery of the Fairy King had me second guessing constantly. Because of Effie's pills and "delusions", I couldn't tell if she was an unreliable narrator or if this was really happening, which I LOVED. Effie and Preston solving the mystery of Angharad had me on the edge of my seat, and the backstory being revealed. The parallels between Angharad and Effie's traumas brought everything full circle and being able to see them both move on from these traumas that kept them prisoners and break the cycle made my heart happy.

Content Warnings

nexusgoblin's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.5

This wasn't exactly what I was expecting, and I'm glad for it but it was also a hard one to read. Effie has trauma and severe anxiety, and I found myself relating to her to the point of empathy...which means I'd also end up anxious. That being said please look up some trigger warnings on this one, but the ones I remember are: harassment, misogyny, mentioned SA (no true details on the act but the scene is mentioned and recounted a few times), and death of a parent.

Despite that, I loved the writing style, the story, and Effie. It's a story of being in too deep while trying your hardest to push forward, even when you're not even sure you're where you want or need to be. It's about living with fear and eventually learning to manage it, and about women who have been silenced because the world prefers them under a man's thumb.

Content Warnings

maresuju's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-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

4.75

Content Warnings

writingandwhimsy's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

5.0

Content Warnings

amka_yk's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

‘I will love you to ruination.’

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

I LOVED THIS. Although it started off a bit slow and was a bit hard for me to truly get into it. I LOVED IT. THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS HAD ME SQUEALING I COULDN'T STOP READING UNTIL THE LAT WORD.

AND OMG EFFY AND PRESTON ARE SO CITE TOGETHER 😭😭❤️ I LOVE THEM! I absolutely adored effy, her character felt so fresh from the other female protagonist I've read before. She felt so relatable and deep. I LOVED the ending and felt so hopeful for Effy ❤️ ❤️

Content Warnings

More...