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A review by garrettcz
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I didn’t super love this one.
I liked the vibe a lot. That’s easily the best part of this novel.
The characters are pretty meh.
I wanted a lot more academics in a book that’s advertised as dark academia. It feels less like academia and more like investigative journalism.
It has decent prose but lots of the plot/character decisions felt very rushed or implausible.
There were several fantasy/magical/mystical elements that were built up mysteriously and I was really looking forward to learning more about them, but then just kinda felt like an afterthought and were briefly explained at the end. This was a huge let down.
I liked the vibe a lot. That’s easily the best part of this novel.
The characters are pretty meh.
I wanted a lot more academics in a book that’s advertised as dark academia. It feels less like academia and more like investigative journalism.
It has decent prose but lots of the plot/character decisions felt very rushed or implausible.
There were several fantasy/magical/mystical elements that were built up mysteriously and I was really looking forward to learning more about them, but then just kinda felt like an afterthought and were briefly explained at the end. This was a huge let down.