A review by naomidanae
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

dark hopeful 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? No

4.75

This book is a love letter to women who were not believed. Reid speaks so carefully about the feelings surrounding assault and she does so in a way that’s validating and empowering all at once. She doesn’t flinch from the feelings that surround assault, and I’m so glad that this book exists. More young girls need to read stories like this, in my opinion. I think the only thing holding me back from giving it perfect marks is how easy the conflict is resolved. As a metaphor, I want to believe in it. But even as a metaphor, it’s hard to say that something so simple could sort of “fix” things at least a little.
Some Quotes:
“There was an intimacy to all violence, she supposed. The better you knew someone, the more terribly you could hurt them.”
“We must discuss, then, the relationship between women and water. When men fall into the sea, they drown. When women meet the water, they transform. It becomes vital to ask: is this a metamorphosis, or a homecoming?”
“Effy had never thought much about the lies she told—she didn’t feel good about them, but they didn’t rend her apart with guilt, either. Lying was a form of survival, a way out of whatever trap had been set. Some animals chewed off their own limbs to escape.”
“Survival is something you do, not something you are.”
“Survival is bravery, too.”
“The truth was very costly at times. How terrible, to navigate the world without a story to comfort you.”
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