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folkofthebook's review against another edition
- 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
"i will love you to ruination."
"yours or mine?"
ava reid is just one of those authors where i feel like i'm falling slowly into the book, enveloped by my own senses as the her masterful imagery illustrates her story. it's a slow lull that draws you in, like waves rising on the shore that before you know it, you've reached high tide.
"it began as all things did: a girl on the shore, terrified and desirous."
effy sayre is timid, unassuming, and afraid. she desperately wants to break out of her shell, to spill out the words and dreams inside her, but is paralyzed by fear. she yearns to be a writer, but is resigned as a woman to study architecture instead (as the only woman in her college, it was enough of a fight for that alone). reid cleverly likens the dissociation one may experience post-trauma to being underwater - effy struggles to swim, and her anxiety comes in waves.
the story is about her finding her voice again and breaking to surface, learning to not let herself drown.
the only enemy is the sea.
"it's terrifying."
"most beautiful things are."
reid's use of the sea as a supernatural force, an ever-present threat, a means of escape, and, later, a symbol of peace is poetic and powerful. the storms make for an ominous atmosphere, with saltwater's ability to erode land, ships, and man. but there is also a mystical element, a way of cocooning or stepping out of reality when effy disconnects. the idea of drowning - how one can suffer, silently. "it can take 10 minutes to drown" ianto tells her. that sometimes people pass away weeks later from the aftereffects of drowning. but some people drown for a whole lifetime.
i didn't know how to do anything but wait and drown.
she wondered if you could love something out of ruination, reverse that drowning process, make it all new again.
perhaps a romance is a story with no end at all; where the end is but a wardrobe with a false back, leading to stranger and more merciful worlds.
the romance between effy and preston was a delightful surprise for me. i went into this book as blind as i could be, though i had some preconceived notions about the tone and vibes from art and just seeing posts around. but i hadn't realized there would be such friction between the two of them from the start, effy rebuffed at being stuck in proximity with a literature student (and the envy she felt, only doubled by the fact he borrowed all the books she wanted lol). their banter was delightful, the small seeds and buds of effy effortlessly blooming back into herself. she's never afraid to speak up around him, and the gentleness preston provides her lets her continue to grow and build trust with him. he's the only character who really sees her.
"you'd be surprised how much cognitive dissonance people are capable of."
he hadn't touched her, but saints, she wanted him to.
"you took away all other wanting from me."
ava loves motif and imagery. preston and his glasses, the indents. his cigarettes. the fairy king's dark hair, echoed on master corbenic's arms, as well as ianto's. corbenic's large hands to preston's slim, smooth fingers. angharad's blond hair mixing into the fairy king's dark locks. clear eyes, murky eyes. and water, the ever-present sea. the ceilings leak. the water rises. effy's stomach churns like a violent riptide. reid leaves breadcrumbs for you to trail and mull over. the wavering connection between reality and fable keeps you guessing at what is the truth - and what exactly is truth.
i was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me.
it's very hard to believe something when it feels like the whole world is trying to convince you otherwise.
at the heart of this story is a feminist commentary on academics, literature, and society as a whole. women are expected to be meek and unassuming, they are thought to be too capricious and silly for deep thinking, philosophizing, and even storytelling. they are not listened to and when they are, not believed. they are thought to be too childish, but also too tempting. this is a fantasy piece that follows in the footsteps of the #MeToo movement and its lasting effects during the years since.
effy and her story is one that resonated greatly with me. after ASID and lady macbeth, reid is well on their way to securing themselves as a spot as one of my favorite authors.
but if fairies and monsters were real, so were the women who defeated them.
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent, Alcohol, Blood, Toxic relationship, Death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
naisdayz's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Violence and Blood
micaelamariem's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, War, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Car accident, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexual assault, Classism, Death, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Addiction, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
bxnny's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Racism, Stalking, Child death, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Violence
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Blood
chelbawamba's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Overall, the concept of the story was interesting, but the way it was executed was extremely predictable. I knew early on what most of the reveals at the end were going to be. In my opinion, there is a fine line between good foreshadowing and offering too much too early on.
A personal pet peeve of mine is when characters speak about each other as if they’ve known each other for a long time when it’s only been a few days, for example: saying things like “he’s always been kind to me,” or “I had never seen him this flustered” when the character only knew the other person for maybe a collective three hours. This happened frequently in the first half of the book.
I didn’t not enjoy it, but I also didn’t enjoy it. Would not necessarily recommend it, but it had its moments and kept me engaged through the end.
Graphic: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Mental illness, Colonisation, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Death, Car accident, Addiction, Xenophobia, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Classism, Sexual harassment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Child abuse
loveat1stwrite's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Blood, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Grief, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, and Terminal illness
erinreadsbooks's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual assault, Racism, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Blood
allysaurus3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Sexism, Abandonment, Mental illness, Blood, and Misogyny
grace_koalateareads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Sexism, Mental illness, Drug use, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Violence, Death, Abandonment, and Blood
rbash2391's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Rape, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Death, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Classism