Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

119 reviews

tired_cicada's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

There is something to say about a world and a magic system that feel lived in. And if there's one thing that I can appreciate it's an author who trusts her readers to be smart enough to figure things out. Reid doesn't waste unnecessary time on flowery exhibition about how her world works, you just get thrown into it and you sink or swim. Personally, I like that a lot. I don't need an author to hold my hand the entire time and so would an author just says "here you go, figure it out" I just know I'm going to have a great time. Particularly if it's a standalone that needs to be good on its own merit.

I think that this is magical realism at its finest. The world in "A Study in Drowning" is very similar to our own from the 50s and 60s. Many of us have a working knowledge of that time period so it's easy to fill in the blanks for what's going on. Furthermore, the magic system is so well entrenched into the culture that it feels like a natural part of the world. So often magic systems are slapped onto a world but don't seem to affect it down to a day-to-day.

Reid's writing is very poetic, almost to the point of being lyrical in some cases. In previous experience my main criticism with this writing style is that it seems the authors will get so attached to certain phrases that they're dialogue suffers. As in out of nowhere a character who was previously flamboyant and ridiculous is all the sudden preaching at a pulpit over tea. I do not have this criticism here. Each of Reid's characters have a distinct voice that they keep throughout the story. It's easy to know who's speaking as none of them sound the same.

anyway I'm glad that Mr Benett(I listen to the audio books I don't know how it's spelled) got fired or whatever but he deserved to go to jail at least and I'm so mad that he didn't

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Rape, Car accident, Death, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Abandonment

Minor: War, Death of parent, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Grief

zoeforde2's review against another edition

mysterious sad fast-paced

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

2.75

Somehow I missed that this book had very dark themes, I thought it was YA? Read the trigger warnings! That aside the use of anxiety and trauma in this book felt like a plot device and that didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t enjoy the ambiguous commentary whatsoever. I saw the twist coming halfway through the book and skimmed to get to the end so I could be done. So unfortunate, this book could have been so much more :( 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Sexual assault

natesalsbury's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Sexism, Emotional abuse, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Death of parent and Panic attacks/disorders

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

alexijai98's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Sexual violence

honuzbubbles's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Sexism, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Grief, Bullying, Car accident, Physical abuse, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, and Violence

Minor: War

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

ali1311's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

To cover so many topics and do so in such an expert way is a real feat!! I’m not a big fantasy/dark academia person typically, but this book was awesome. It tackled so many big ideas (sexism, trauma, legacy) and did all of that with poetic prose. I read this book sort of on a whim, and I’m so glad I did. On paper, this book seems like it would be very mediocre and boring. But I found myself interested all the time, even at the supposed mundanity of the protagonists’ initial goals. The whole thing was just really grungy and lovely all at once, and I think that’s very impressive and makes for a super compelling story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

katiemcgregor'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

My main problem with A Study in Drowning is that it's predictable. I figured out the main "plot twist" very early on in the book so the big reveal only served to fill in the gaps. That being said, the vibes were immaculate and I loved the unreliability of Effy's perspective, the academic rivals, and the Welsh influences (idk what it is about Welsh-inspired fantasies but I eat them up). It's been a few years since I read The Wolf and and the Woodsman but I liked the pace of this much better as well.

I wish certain parts of the story were given more time and that it wasn't so predictable but the uncanny vibes were impeccable so this was enjoyable overall.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, and Sexual assault

Minor: Abandonment and War