A Study in Drowning

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The prose is expertly crafted, giving a murky feeling to the story, and easily showing what I imagine to be the feeling of drowning. My senses were overwhelmed with the descriptions from the start until the end. It was very beautifully written, very poetic. I loved the dark atmosphere and the gothic horror vibes. It was very refreshing especially in this weather 🫶🏻 i liked the plot of the story it was very predictable but the massage behind it was very important and touching. It left me aching for effy and Angharad and everyone else involved ❤️‍🩹 the misogyny and the way men was treating women in here was very provoking and real i wanted to to kill all the men on earth. I was very satisfied and proud with how everything ended.

Effy squeezed her eyes shut, willing the image to vanish. When she opened them again, the chalkboard in front of her looked glassy, like a window at night. She could picture a thousand blurry, half-seen things behind it. Now, I’ve been dreading writing this review, as I am certain I need a reread to fully extract my thoughts on this book, because it has SO much to say and it feels hard to reflect upon the dazzling mosaic of its imagery after just one read. And... I won't lie, I’ve also kind of been dreading writing this review as this isn’t my favorite of Ava’s works, and though I LOVED it, I found this one a little bit harder to gush about. There’s a few narrative threads I felt weren’t incredibly strong, and I wish it had been a little longer, as some bits felt skimmed over or underutilized. I think perhaps this story would’ve worked better as a duology or an adult book. But on the other hand, this was some of Ava’s best writing. The quotes at the start of each chapter were especially enchanting, as I found myself poring over those words in an attempt to absorb them into my very being. At the end of the day, it is an Ava Reid book, and so it left me with some ineffable fullness and magic that cannot be pinned down or named in words. And that is something priceless and rare and more important to me than any small shortcomings.If you're claiming your book is a Very Important Work and an honest exploration of mental illness, women existing in a misogynistic world and women reclaiming their voice at least be actually nuanced about it; if you touch on female empowerment as a writer then actually commit to it. Don't spit on my face and tell me it's raining. Of course, is this only my personal opinion of the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

there was just no logic or coherency to the world building. it’s fine if your world building is simple, just make it make sense. Ava has crafted THE YA gothic fantasy, complete with dark academic elements, fae realms, sharp commentary, and a heart-melting romance at its center.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin's legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them--and the truth may bring them both to ruin. Effy's tattered copy is all that's keeping her afloat through her stifling first term at her prestigious architecture college. So when the late author's family announces a contest to design his house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny. this book is perfect to read during fall. i'd recommend it to anyone that is looking for an atmospheric and immersive read that touches on some heavier subjects while also having loveable characters and an engaging plot/mystery.

the romance was incredibly cute, though i wouldn't necessarily describe it as rivals-to-lovers since they're not even actual rivals and the initial dislike is heavily one-sided on effy's part and basically just due to her prejudice..? but i love how they grew with the story and i found myself caring about them together as i loved their banter and interactions, especially when they both shared various moments of vulnerability and intimacy with each other. they both just deserve the world. 😭🫶 A Study in Drowning is everything: a dark fairytale, a tender romance, a haunting historical mystery, and a quietly furious tribute to the people whose stories have been stolen from them. I absolutely loved it. Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Once and Future Witches But stories were devious things, things with agendas. They could cheat and steal and lie to your face. They could crumble away under your feet.” His shoulder was pressed against her chest, their faces close enough that Effy could see the muscle feathering in his jaw." Reid wields lyricism, dark academia, and fairy-core elements to eloquently imbue the narrative with originality and depth that ferries themes surrounding grief, gender, and the value of folklore. Publishers Weekly (starred review)Why is this pitched as Gothic? Because that’s what’s popular right now too. The Crimson Peak is gothic (deliciously so), this is just a sad imitation of the aesthetic. Cruel magic was the currency of the Fair Folk as they appeared in Myrddin’s books. She had read them all so many times that the logic of his world was layered over hers, like glossy tracing paper on top of the original. We follow Effy Sayre, an architecture student at the University of Llyr. But despite being an architecture major, Effy is a literature fiend. Or at least a fiend about one piece of literature in particular: Angharad by Emrys Myrddin, a beloved fairytale of a young woman abducted who falls in love with–and ultimately destroys–the fairy king. And Effy WOULD be dedicating her studies to literature if she could, but unfortunately women are not allowed in the literature college. We ask that the proposed structure—HIRAETH MANOR—be large enough to house the surviving Myrddin family, as well as the extensive collection of books, manuscripts, and letters that Myrddin leaves behind. Our main character, Effy, loves the book 'Angharad' more than anything, it connects with her on a level deeper than the male scholars could ever possibly understand. It's a story that sings to her truth, it provides her shelter and comfort from the storm of her reality, and it gives her courage to rewrite her own history. I think every book lover can relate to the feeling of having that one book that speaks to you, that one story that feels like it was written just for you (mine is He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan).

Amidst an excellent gothic atmosphere, A Study in Drowning gave me glimpses of untapped potential that left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. Unfortunately, I think this is my least favorite Ava Reid so far. I will probably stay away from any of their future YA releases but I would happily read more books along the lines of Juniper and Thorn. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Divine Rivals. Anything can be taken from you, at any moment. Even the past isn’t guaranteed. You can lose that too, slowly, like water eating away at stone. the two main characters, Effy and Preston were so severely bland to me that i really don’t have anything of value to say about them. Preston literally could have been anyone— anyone. he was so distant and anonymous, almost mechanical in nature. there was zero depth, charisma or really anything truly unique about him, so rooting for him and Effy was impossible. i truly had no desire to see them as a romantic pairing because he’d have to have a personality for that. and calling this an academic rivals to lovers is honestly an insult to the entire trope— sincerely where was the academic rivalry? they meet and Effy doesn’t like him for the dumbest read possible, and then soon enough they decide to team up together to investigate Preston’s thesis. The gothic atmosphere and Effy’s trauma are both the book's main focus and its strengths. However, many other parts of the story felt underdeveloped in comparison. The untapped potential of the world-building and character development left me wanting more.

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You’re not just one thing. Survival is something you do, not something you are. You’re brave and brilliant. You’re the most real, full person I’ve ever met.” You want be the first to tell his life story,” she said. “You’re—you’re just the academic equivalent of a carpetbagger.” An Argantian trying to write the narrative of a Llyrian icon’s life—of Myrddin’s life—it was so aberrant that she was at a loss for further words. The dedication to this book reads: “This is a love story” and, respectfully, no it's not. I am not one to complain about a fantasy book having too little romance, but this dedication really sets the wrong expectations for the book. Effy and Preston’s romance is incredibly underdeveloped and is certainly not “rivals to lovers.” The entire conflict between them is Effy’s one-sided anger over something kind of stupid. Then she gets over it, they have a few scenes that were probably supposed to have romantic tension, and suddenly they're together.