Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

125 reviews

autumnrh's review

emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

It wasn’t too bad. The writing was actually really good, especially the excerpts at the top of each chapter. I did find it somewhat unremarkable though. There really is no sound world building and all the big plot reveals are super underwhelming. BIG SPOILERS FROM HERE ON. Just a few things like the fairy king reveal was seen coming a mile away. I really expected a big showdown with some heavy growth but for her to just…hold a shard of glass up…and that was it. Also I believe Angharad could have played a bigger role rather than being in the literal last chapter or two. Could have made her presence more know, why say there is a mistress in the house if you aren’t ever going to show her. Also all the SKEEVY men were swept under the rug way too much. Hated that. Overall pretty good tho. Also that ending….please be serious what was that. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, and Panic attacks/disorders

chronic_pessimist_2's review

dark emotional

• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Sexism

reddeddy's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Sexism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Body shaming, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Classism, Confinement, Child abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, War, Animal death, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Blood, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Bullying, Car accident, and Deportation

emilychristina's review against another edition

adventurous tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism

desiderium_incarnate's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

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. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Child abuse, Murder, Car accident, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, Sexism, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders

chasinggrace's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

Upon reflection, this book lived up to its positive social media reputation. I was not expecting the darker themes that are woven throughout the story (abandonment, PTSD, sexual assault, adult/minor relationships) nor did I expect the consistent use of water and architecture analogies. While the FMC character arc was slightly predictable (

a damaged, meek woman finds her voice through further trauma 👍🏼

), I think it was done well, especially when compared to

Angharad’s story

. 

I thought the setting was beautiful and the world building was not overwhelming at all. The themes of colonization, classism, & religious separations were touched on, but were not overbearing. The mystery & folklore kept me intrigued, and I thought the romance was sweet (even though Preston will not be a favorite book boyfriend of mine). 

Unfortunately, I needed to dock .5 stars for the writing, especially in the first 100 pages of the book. While I think similes are helpful literary tools and can be beautiful, they are completely overdone in this text. The author cannot write one singular page of this book without comparing two things and using the word “like.” Try it - flip to any page and you will find a sentence that uses this structure. While I’m not a style critic, I could not ignore it and it tainted the opening of the story. I also found Effy to be quite insufferable, before I understood her trauma. Finally, while I know Preston is self-described as unromantic,

I wish their physical intimacy could’ve been sweeter. This could have been a deliberate choice from the author to denounce the romanticizing of losing one’s virginity, or it could’ve reflected Preston’s stoic nature, but I still wanted a little more from that scene.

All together, I think this is a beautiful story that weaves dark themes with stunning comparisons to the relentlessness of water. It teaches you that you are the only one who constructs the house in which you live, if you can be strong enough to hammer the stakes yourself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Bullying, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Classism, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault

maresuju's review against another edition

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Xenophobia

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Confinement, Animal death, and Abandonment

amalas_bookstop's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

3.0

I thought this was a pretty simple plot. The story opens with Effy who attends the Architecture College at the University she attends. She did test high enough to attend the literature college however the school has an archaic rule that states women are not allowed. After entering a competition she is awarded an opportunity to stay at and design her favorite authors home who is recently deceased. It is through this opportunity she meets the love interest Preston and uncovers secrets that will have the potential to rewrite history. 

Ava Reid is a really descriptive writer. I think she did a really good job of exploring some of the more triggering topics in this novel in a very age appropriate way as this is a YA novel. I also really enjoyed how she described the anxiety that Effy was feeling every day. There was only one scene between the love interests Preston and Effy that seemed to toe the line a little, seemed more like adult content. 

I only have a few critiques. First, I thought the pace of this story was a little slow and very predictable. Once you get to the end the twist (if you could call it that) was not a surprise more of a confirmation. The ending seemed to also drag a little for me as well. I found myself skimming. Secondly, based on the cover and title I thought this book would have dark academia vibes, but this doesn’t quite hit the mark. While the overall atmosphere does seem pretty bleak. The university has a very minor role and I just don’t get the prestigious atmosphere like I have gotten in other dark academia novels. 

Overall it was a great break from my usual tastes, but I will probably never think of it again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia

Minor: Death of parent

emmieanna's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I loved the aesthetic of this book and I really felt as though I were in the world there with them. It is folklore fantasy crossed with light academia and the romance elements were really tasteful, complementing the style and tone of the book. I would love to explore this world further with any future spin-offs or novellas. I do feel as though the Fairy King could have featured more as an antagonist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Murder, Rape, and Sexual assault

bookish_slagathor's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-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

Great book dealing with feminist themes, with a dash of romance on the side (I'll be honest, I could have done without it, but it was okay to have it included in the story). Be aware that the setting is heavily misogynistic, and the MC is dealing with severe anxiety/panic attacks. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Misogyny, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

Minor: Blood and War