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writingwithcaitlin's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“You don’t have to take up a sword.
Survival is bravery, too.”
A Study in Drowning is a story that sets itself apart from other YA Fantasies for its gothic and suspenseful atmosphere as well as for its lyrical prose. This book was marketed as a rivals to lovers dark academia read. While there is romance, be warned that the romance is not the main premise if that is what you seek. However, there is so much more importance to the storyline that makes this book worth the read!
Effy is character that can be relatable to many for her love for stories and belief for fairytales. She really had no choice in whether or not to believe in these fairytale stories and magic given that she has haunted visions of the Fairy King. She finds her comfort in the book Angharad written by her favorite author- Emrys Myrddin. In being a student at the architecture college, she’s determined to prove those who often underestimated her ability wrong.
This story is about the reality of women’s voices being suppressed by men- specifically in the literature world when it relates to this book. The writing is persuasive in the idea that stories that we’ve grown up with and have given us comfort are often the ones that save us.
The romance in the story was pretty minor and I would have liked to see more of it. But I love the idea that Effy and Preston are not people that see eye to eye on things all the time. It makes their relationship more realistic given their unique circumstances and background.
The world building had a ton of potential but I think overall fell flat. The majority of the story took place at Myrddin’s house but the book starts with the mention of a war between the North and South and it’s not really mentioned again. It doesn’t really add anything of importance to the story so had that been taken out, I don’t feel like it would have changed the story. I could see where the tension is needed to add on to Effy and Preston’s history but to say that there’s a “war”- it just didn’t feel like anything was happening to consider it as such. Maybe this will be touched on more in the sequel. (Which I found out about after finishing the book and looking it up on Goodreads)
One of the main things that I found most intriguing was the idea of the Sleepers. So the Sleepers are essentially corpses of very important people in history that are preserved in the Sleeper’s museum and they have magic that is suppose to keep the north at bay but nothing really comes of this. Again, I wonder if this is something that will be prevalent in the sequel but I would have loved for the Sleepers to be incorporated more into this book and be continually built on in the sequel.
Throughout the entirety of my read through, I was going back and forth between a 3 or 4 star rating and I think the stories message along with the writing kept it closer to 4 stars.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read! I do see myself picking up the sequel and I’m interested to see where Reid takes Effy and Preston moving forward. I would also love to read her other works!
Survival is bravery, too.”
A Study in Drowning is a story that sets itself apart from other YA Fantasies for its gothic and suspenseful atmosphere as well as for its lyrical prose. This book was marketed as a rivals to lovers dark academia read. While there is romance, be warned that the romance is not the main premise if that is what you seek. However, there is so much more importance to the storyline that makes this book worth the read!
Effy is character that can be relatable to many for her love for stories and belief for fairytales. She really had no choice in whether or not to believe in these fairytale stories and magic given that she has haunted visions of the Fairy King. She finds her comfort in the book Angharad written by her favorite author- Emrys Myrddin. In being a student at the architecture college, she’s determined to prove those who often underestimated her ability wrong.
This story is about the reality of women’s voices being suppressed by men- specifically in the literature world when it relates to this book. The writing is persuasive in the idea that stories that we’ve grown up with and have given us comfort are often the ones that save us.
The romance in the story was pretty minor and I would have liked to see more of it. But I love the idea that Effy and Preston are not people that see eye to eye on things all the time. It makes their relationship more realistic given their unique circumstances and background.
The world building had a ton of potential but I think overall fell flat. The majority of the story took place at Myrddin’s house but the book starts with the mention of a war between the North and South and it’s not really mentioned again. It doesn’t really add anything of importance to the story so had that been taken out, I don’t feel like it would have changed the story. I could see where the tension is needed to add on to Effy and Preston’s history but to say that there’s a “war”- it just didn’t feel like anything was happening to consider it as such. Maybe this will be touched on more in the sequel. (Which I found out about after finishing the book and looking it up on Goodreads)
One of the main things that I found most intriguing was the idea of the Sleepers. So the Sleepers are essentially corpses of very important people in history that are preserved in the Sleeper’s museum and they have magic that is suppose to keep the north at bay but nothing really comes of this. Again, I wonder if this is something that will be prevalent in the sequel but I would have loved for the Sleepers to be incorporated more into this book and be continually built on in the sequel.
Throughout the entirety of my read through, I was going back and forth between a 3 or 4 star rating and I think the stories message along with the writing kept it closer to 4 stars.
Overall, I really enjoyed this read! I do see myself picking up the sequel and I’m interested to see where Reid takes Effy and Preston moving forward. I would also love to read her other works!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Medical content, and Sexism
Minor: Sexual assault and Violence
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.
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
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
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
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
cortanasreadingnook's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
This book was a sight to behold. I’d never thought a fantasy read could never be cozier till I met A Study in Drowning, whose story deals about a girl defying all the odds as an architecture student and a woman while struggling to make sense of her reality, and a literature scholar with a knack for academic integrity. Ava Reid’s writing is absolutely meticulous and at the same time it articulates the prejudices of a patriarchal society.
It’s incredibly impressive how she built a fantastical world off of European folkloric tradition and culture involving gods and the Fair Folk, with amazing prose and rhetorical imagery. The twists and turns in this book were truly unexpected. The soft and slow-budding romance between our sensitive but hard-driven main character and her smug but adorably handsome male lead was also not only emotionally gratifying to read, but it also takes us through their humorous, banter-filled adventure in the pursuit of truth that might end in a perilous conclusion.
It’s incredibly impressive how she built a fantastical world off of European folkloric tradition and culture involving gods and the Fair Folk, with amazing prose and rhetorical imagery. The twists and turns in this book were truly unexpected. The soft and slow-budding romance between our sensitive but hard-driven main character and her smug but adorably handsome male lead was also not only emotionally gratifying to read, but it also takes us through their humorous, banter-filled adventure in the pursuit of truth that might end in a perilous conclusion.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Medical content
Minor: Car accident and Medical trauma
aformeracceleratedreader's review
dark
sad
medium-paced
3.0
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Blood, Gaslighting, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Medical content, Racism, Alcohol, Bullying, Classism, Death, and Rape
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Ava Reid is one of a small group of authors who I trust when reading a new story that deals with abuse and the precarity of survival. A STUDY IN DROWNING deals with institutional misogyny, sexual abuse, and societal dismissal of complaints about the same, all while telling a gripping story that delves into perception, unreality, and the difficulty of knowing what’s real or imagined when you’re dismissed out of hand as hysterical or crazy. Any summary or specific explanation that I could provide pales in comparison to just how fucking good this book is. It has a specific focus on abuse by men in power on young women who are technically women, and that they're legally adults but are in that strange zone where any signs of maturity are taken as indications that they knew exactly what they were getting into, but they can still be conveniently dismissed as children in an instant when it's convenient for their abusees. Even this thought is an inadequate paraphrasing of the way that this position is described in the text.
A STUDY IN DROWNING is a story of uncertainty and a shaky sense of reality, figuring out how to name and shame abusers who use their power, position, and (often) gender to obscure and diminish their abuse, and to cultivate uncertainty as to whether they did what they did, and if they did it, if it even was wrong. The fantastical setting allows for a recursive reinforcement of themes of decay, drowning, and rot as the specter of the Fairy King is invoked, threatened, and manifested in turn to build a story where the water is certain, death is inevitable, but drowning is slow. In that gap is room for denial and obfuscation as the water rises.
Effy is obsessed with the works of a particular author, and of his novel, Angharad, in particular. It tells the story of the Fairy King seducing his human bride from the perspective of that girl. Effy has the text largely memorized, and many lines in it are deeply meaningful to her, whispered as talismans against the sexism of her daily life. In a country where she has to go to the architecture college because no women are allowed in the literature college, the idea that one of the most famous writers in her country would have written this book with such a careful and nuanced understanding of a female perspective is deeply meaningful and inspiring to her. The college bars women because of misogynist nonsense about their minds being unable to handle understanding or producing great works of literature. Though she is admitted at the architecture college, Effy is the only female student there. The few girls in her dorm who are studying at the music college where they are admitted in greater numbers.
At first, Effy has a xenophobic reaction to learning that a boy from an enemy nation was admitted to study at the literature college at the same time she was denied because of her gender. She ends up meeting him, and it turns into a rivals to lovers scenario where they work together to get around the sexist institution and call abusers to account. Gradually it becomes clear as Effy is able to think and process more specifically that one of the professors abused her. She feels unable to go to anyone for help, or even necessarily to be certain in herself, that it was wrong. The other students assume she used her body to get where she is, that somehow she doesn't deserve to be in the same halls as them.
A STUDY IN DROWNING has cemented Ava Reid on my must-read list for her consistently nuanced handling of themes of abuse and coercion in ways that leverage the strengths of fantasy to help deal with traumatic realities surrounding sexism and abuses of power.
A STUDY IN DROWNING is a story of uncertainty and a shaky sense of reality, figuring out how to name and shame abusers who use their power, position, and (often) gender to obscure and diminish their abuse, and to cultivate uncertainty as to whether they did what they did, and if they did it, if it even was wrong. The fantastical setting allows for a recursive reinforcement of themes of decay, drowning, and rot as the specter of the Fairy King is invoked, threatened, and manifested in turn to build a story where the water is certain, death is inevitable, but drowning is slow. In that gap is room for denial and obfuscation as the water rises.
Effy is obsessed with the works of a particular author, and of his novel, Angharad, in particular. It tells the story of the Fairy King seducing his human bride from the perspective of that girl. Effy has the text largely memorized, and many lines in it are deeply meaningful to her, whispered as talismans against the sexism of her daily life. In a country where she has to go to the architecture college because no women are allowed in the literature college, the idea that one of the most famous writers in her country would have written this book with such a careful and nuanced understanding of a female perspective is deeply meaningful and inspiring to her. The college bars women because of misogynist nonsense about their minds being unable to handle understanding or producing great works of literature. Though she is admitted at the architecture college, Effy is the only female student there. The few girls in her dorm who are studying at the music college where they are admitted in greater numbers.
At first, Effy has a xenophobic reaction to learning that a boy from an enemy nation was admitted to study at the literature college at the same time she was denied because of her gender. She ends up meeting him, and it turns into a rivals to lovers scenario where they work together to get around the sexist institution and call abusers to account. Gradually it becomes clear as Effy is able to think and process more specifically that one of the professors abused her. She feels unable to go to anyone for help, or even necessarily to be certain in herself, that it was wrong. The other students assume she used her body to get where she is, that somehow she doesn't deserve to be in the same halls as them.
A STUDY IN DROWNING has cemented Ava Reid on my must-read list for her consistently nuanced handling of themes of abuse and coercion in ways that leverage the strengths of fantasy to help deal with traumatic realities surrounding sexism and abuses of power.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Child abuse, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Pedophilia, Drug use, Mental illness, Cursing, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Murder, and War
kiandrareadsbooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Bullying, Child abuse, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism
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