A review by booksalacarte
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

A Study in Drowning- 2.5⭐️ 2.75🌶️


YA Fantasy
Magical realism
Mid century ambiance
Coming of age
College setting
Underdog FMC
Visions
Ptsd
Paranormal
War
One bed


A Study in Drowning is a gothic coming of age story where the lines of fairytale and reality are blurred beyond recognition. It deals with the ideas of trauma, misogyny, prejudice, survivalism, and love.


The setting of a moldy, crumbling manor on the very edge of the sea was so vivid and a character in and of itself. I really liked the romanticism of how it was crumbling into the sea and the presented problem of what could save it. I wish there had been a little more background and world building. While it seemed to play such a prominent part in the story… everything was just vague enough that I was left disappointed. I would have preferred over-explaining.

I was captured by the ptsd and trauma that crafted the FMC’s journey, sharpening her as she went through opening herself up and telling her story. I love the idea that survival is brave… 

The MMC wasn’t your typical overbearing alpha whose only purpose is to save the day. But I was as annoyed with his explained intellectualism that ended up being his only personality trait. 

The chemistry between the two main characters wasn’t as palpable as possible. I think that there wasn’t enough tension to make the chemistry believable. I didn’t feel the irritable pull that comes with the bickering that happened throughout. Instead it felt like the FMC was too distracted by her perceptions of reality and her trauma to understand what what’s genuine attraction or not… In the end, while the romance wasn’t the main focus of the book, it took up way more space than it needed to… or maybe not enough? 


I didn’t enjoy the prejudice and bigotry that was represented in the FMC and played off as falling in love with someone who your society is against. It was so frequently brought up and used as an excuse for witty banter when she was really just disparaging the MMC for his race/ethicist…

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the Advanced eReader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
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