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andra_mihaela_s 's review for:
A Study in Drowning
by Ava Reid
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
From me, A Study in Drowning gets 4 โญ!๐
General info : #yafantasy, 1st in a duology, with a dark academia / Gothic setting and a mystery plot; full of fae, fairytales and romantic vibes ๐ while also discussing misogyny, sexism and abuse against women.
CW: abuse against women, power imbalance relationships, panic attacks, gaslighting, childhood trauma, sexual assault and abuse, sexism, misogyny, patriarchy, grooming๐ซฃ
#bookthoughts
I did a blend of audio and physical #reading for this book๐..and I believe this was the best approach, as the pronunciations were something else for me๐...so, thanks #everand, I quess ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ.
This novel has some strong pillars on which the story is carried on...those are the fairytale vibes, the poetry and use of book within a book concept, and the overall mystery to enhance the heavier discussions this author wanted to have with you.
I highly appreciate now, after finishing it, why Effy is the way she is. You can say she's the main vessel for these very important topics, while also being a good protagonist for the story.
Due to her trauma and personality, I often felt she's way younger and more vulnerable than she should be, and I believe that was the author's intention.
In my previous post, I mentioned she's unfair in her interactions with the other MC, Preston... And I stand by it for the most part...I guess I wanted the author to find a different way in which these 2 interacted initially.
After those strange 25%, they started communicating properly, and Preston really grew on me๐ฅน. He's not my favorite by a long shot, but as a mmc, he's calm, he listens and validates Effy when it's needed, while also keeping her grounded and on a straight path. You can say he's the earth to her water ๐ค.
Now...this book is also vibes ๐, and if you enjoy that, perfect! ๐
As it happens, the plot helped me get into the vibe of it, and I can confirm this book feels like the rainy season๐.
We are practically to the neck in water whatever we do in this book . It works ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ.
The prose is beautiful and well thought out ; the passages written from different sources on Emrys Myrddin studies, from the Angharad and the Mariner's demise are lovely! ๐ฅฐ
Hiraeth manor feels adequately creepy and despairing ๐, and the characters are more than a tool to make commentary on important issues.๐
I particularly enjoyed how Ianto was done; while Preston Heloury is our MC, he is a well-rounded opposition ๐.
The plot: the mystery was good in my opinion, not great, just good...as I guessed everything that was happening ๐ ..but that didn't detract from my enjoyment.
The struggle our mcs felt somewhat good and rewarding, despite some plot holes. The introduction of Blackmar was somewhat out of the left field, but it is relevant and helpful for our bigger discussion. Nevermind I wasn't happy how our characters chose to conduct that part of their plan...for me it felt unrealistic, he definitely wouldn't let them do whatever they wanted ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ.
Now...the fae king...THIS is the main tool for Ava Reid's desire to shed some light on the issues I mentioned above. He's a mirror image for the horrible people taking advantage of others under the pretext of love.๐ซ ...the whole story is evolving around him (both as a concept and as a character) and how he is seen by the victims, how can you fight such an abuse and the constant comparison to the sea, done by another type of victim, only enhances the whole point. I believe that creating Angharad as a romantic story first and then a tragedy, represents very well what such abuse does to people and how slow and harmless a monster can seem.
I really enjoyed reading this. โบ๏ธ
The themes of abuse, victim blaming, gaslighting, misogyny, sexism and grooming are explored in JUST the right way, so that you sit with yourself and open your eyes to them in all their disgusting glory.๐ฅฒ
Besides that, we have cruelty showcased in families ๐..I'll leave you to figure out what I mean by that, but that only shows how groomers latch onto already vulnerable souls.๐ฅฒ
As a last note...this is a #lowfantasy with minimal but purposeful #worldbuilding.
Overall, I highly recommend you try this if you want a romantic, Gothic fantasy with a mystery that focuses on important issues in society.
Yes, I got the sequel ๐
General info : #yafantasy, 1st in a duology, with a dark academia / Gothic setting and a mystery plot; full of fae, fairytales and romantic vibes ๐ while also discussing misogyny, sexism and abuse against women.
CW: abuse against women, power imbalance relationships, panic attacks, gaslighting, childhood trauma, sexual assault and abuse, sexism, misogyny, patriarchy, grooming๐ซฃ
#bookthoughts
I did a blend of audio and physical #reading for this book๐..and I believe this was the best approach, as the pronunciations were something else for me๐...so, thanks #everand, I quess ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ.
This novel has some strong pillars on which the story is carried on...those are the fairytale vibes, the poetry and use of book within a book concept, and the overall mystery to enhance the heavier discussions this author wanted to have with you.
I highly appreciate now, after finishing it, why Effy is the way she is. You can say she's the main vessel for these very important topics, while also being a good protagonist for the story.
Due to her trauma and personality, I often felt she's way younger and more vulnerable than she should be, and I believe that was the author's intention.
In my previous post, I mentioned she's unfair in her interactions with the other MC, Preston... And I stand by it for the most part...I guess I wanted the author to find a different way in which these 2 interacted initially.
After those strange 25%, they started communicating properly, and Preston really grew on me๐ฅน. He's not my favorite by a long shot, but as a mmc, he's calm, he listens and validates Effy when it's needed, while also keeping her grounded and on a straight path. You can say he's the earth to her water ๐ค.
Now...this book is also vibes ๐, and if you enjoy that, perfect! ๐
As it happens, the plot helped me get into the vibe of it, and I can confirm this book feels like the rainy season๐.
We are practically to the neck in water whatever we do in this book . It works ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ.
The prose is beautiful and well thought out ; the passages written from different sources on Emrys Myrddin studies, from the Angharad and the Mariner's demise are lovely! ๐ฅฐ
Hiraeth manor feels adequately creepy and despairing ๐, and the characters are more than a tool to make commentary on important issues.๐
I particularly enjoyed how Ianto was done; while Preston Heloury is our MC, he is a well-rounded opposition ๐.
The plot: the mystery was good in my opinion, not great, just good...as I guessed everything that was happening ๐ ..but that didn't detract from my enjoyment.
The struggle our mcs felt somewhat good and rewarding, despite some plot holes. The introduction of Blackmar was somewhat out of the left field, but it is relevant and helpful for our bigger discussion. Nevermind I wasn't happy how our characters chose to conduct that part of their plan...for me it felt unrealistic, he definitely wouldn't let them do whatever they wanted ๐คท๐ผโโ๏ธ.
Now...the fae king...THIS is the main tool for Ava Reid's desire to shed some light on the issues I mentioned above. He's a mirror image for the horrible people taking advantage of others under the pretext of love.๐ซ ...the whole story is evolving around him (both as a concept and as a character) and how he is seen by the victims, how can you fight such an abuse and the constant comparison to the sea, done by another type of victim, only enhances the whole point. I believe that creating Angharad as a romantic story first and then a tragedy, represents very well what such abuse does to people and how slow and harmless a monster can seem.
I really enjoyed reading this. โบ๏ธ
The themes of abuse, victim blaming, gaslighting, misogyny, sexism and grooming are explored in JUST the right way, so that you sit with yourself and open your eyes to them in all their disgusting glory.๐ฅฒ
Besides that, we have cruelty showcased in families ๐..I'll leave you to figure out what I mean by that, but that only shows how groomers latch onto already vulnerable souls.๐ฅฒ
As a last note...this is a #lowfantasy with minimal but purposeful #worldbuilding.
Overall, I highly recommend you try this if you want a romantic, Gothic fantasy with a mystery that focuses on important issues in society.
Yes, I got the sequel ๐
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Abandonment
Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship
Minor: Addiction, Gun violence, Classism