A review by willofaleksander
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

  • (note: i tend to focus on things i dislike but all gripes were truly minimal. this book did feel very special and it was so beautiful to read.) i have some gripes about the marketing in the US as a dark academia YA tho. it is fully a gothic fantasy and more suitable imo to new adult genre (ignoring the conflation of these markets) 
  • the atmosphere building is so strong and vibes are so on point, for lack of better word lol. who can resist fairy tales and introspection on the ambivalent nature of the ocean...i think im trying to say that the mythology of the world was very effectively established and really built the kind of atmosphere i personally enjoy. lots of intrigue. the snippets of the primary texts and academic works engaging with those before each chapter were *chef's kiss*
  • with that said, certain details really did not end up mattering or feel necessary. the war is established in the background but ends up not having a bearing on anything, other than for effy to see preston as the other. the war could have easily not existed and effy could still retain the antagonism she initially has. the sleeper museum (so cool) does not end up being relevant either. i can understand it emphasizing the prevailing legacy of emrys
    and the weight of interrogating and destroying that
    but it ultimately did not need to be as much of a detail as it was. i can also see how it adds to the mythology of the world though but the politics of the north and south felt muddied at times too. the north seems to have all the financial capital but the south has such a strong cultural hold that feels at odds with its conquered past? unless im interpreting this incorrectly. 
  • i do think the character work overall could be stronger. they all felt one degree off from being fully dimensional.
    unfortunately, i think angharad suffers the most from this but her omission makes obvious narrative sense. i still feel that the climax struggled to be exciting since she became a sort of figure that showed up to fix everything. but. i also feel like rather than a character, she most of all, is moreso here to represent the main theme of the story - which is fine. there's a balance im thinking of where she herself is so physically absent from the book but the mystery is uncovering her truth and just reflecting on if that did justice to her overall from a narrative aspect. i think it did?
  • i personally prefer showing over telling and i feel like the ending was a little heavy handed/spoon-feeding the message but i also think that is fine.
  • romance-they are very cute but preston being an exception to every man sucking in her life and never feeling like a threat to effy isn't enough to establish something to me. too convenient? this is defs a small point though because they really were so cute to read. i loved their banter and preston is really so sweet to her. i also can defs accept that he's just hilariously and loudly non threatning in an almost weenie way where i want to pinch his cheeks and call him a nerd. 
  • i do adore effy and the portrayal of her experiences
    as a victim of csa
    was really good and complex. her fear and panic in her day to day felt real and oppressive. i really felt for her and enjoyed her arc and development over her changing feelings towards angharad as the mystery unfolded. truly the bravest girlie out there for having to question her comfort media. the comfort and true solace she found in the end was so heartening. 

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