A Study in Drowning is a Young Adult/New Adult novel that explores several dark themes. Effy Sayre is a young woman who has suffered trauma in her life. She is a voracious reader with a vivid imagination, and her real life visions of the Fairy King she reads about earn her the label of being mentally unstable. She is given pills to keep the visions away and help her sleep, and because women are not permitted to study literature, she enrolls in the architectural college. When she wins a competition to design a manor home in honor of her favorite deceased author she is overjoyed, but, like a fairy tale, the job comes with three conditions: the manor house must have room for all of the author’s relatives, it must be large enough to house all of the author’s books, and it must reflect the spirit of the writer.

When Effy arrives at the mysterious seaside cliff to begin her work, she meets Preston, a literature student from the country’s most prestigious college who is working on a biography of the author. Preston and Effy are at odds regarding life and work of the author, and sparks fly even as the two students are physically drawn to each other as they uncover mysterious details from the landscape and the past.

This book is full of Gothic details that will delight audiences who enjoy dark academic tones. Like the best dark academia, A Study in Drowning presents the aesthetic appeal of university life and creative pursuits while also revealing its heavy underside. This is a great choice for readers interested in an atmospheric read that uses supernatural elements to explore how stored trauma from the past can permeate the present.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of the book in exchange for a fair review.

I received a copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books. All opinions expressed are my own!

Initially I tried to listen to an audiobook version of this story, but with the heaviness of the themes an audiobook version just wasn't for me. But once I started reading the text, I found it as bewitching and sharp as the sea, or the Fairy King himself. In fact, I think that analogy holds even further: A Study in Drowning feels tempestuous and unsafe, and yet deeply and wholly true. It is not always a pleasant and almost never a comfortable voyage, but a compelling one. For sensitive readers, the themes of misogyny and sexual assault are continuous and prevalent, so please be mindful of that when picking up this book. Most references to sex and sex acts are mentioned in euphemistic or indirect terms, though not all. I would definitely recommend this book, though it might be too heavy for some people to read casually.

A Study in Drowning starts off with a relatable scene of Effy Sayre feeling overwhelmed during her first semester of college. Effy then travels to the suffocating, dilapidated estate of her late favorite author after winning a contest to redesign the house, which is where the rest of the book takes place.

Throughout, Reid captures unflinchingly the feeling of being haunted by traumatic relationships and predatory men. The rivals to lovers is also well done; Preston is perfect and protective and- most importantly- believes in her ability to succeed even in a world where women are not often allowed the chance.

This book and Reid's depiction of early womanhood made me feel seen, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of her works.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC!

DNF @ 25%

I was reading it May/June ish and struggling through it, then realized I had a few months before it came out, so I moved on to other things and just ... had absolutely no desire to pick it back up.

Two major things bugged me about it:
1. The sexism in the world (it just didn't feel fully built into the world, but more like "I need there to be obstacles, so we'll go with a classic")
2. Effy. I just did not vibe with her at all.

I did like Preston, he seemed interesting and was almost enough to carry me through the book, and if I pick it up again one day he'd be the reason. But for right now, the poor boy just wasn't enough.

Content Warnings: references to a past sexual assault/grooming situation that continues to affect the MC's life. Probably also one of the reasons I didn't continue, only because sometimes I'm not in a mindset to read that kind of content.

I love Ava Reid’s work and I have been waiting for this book for years! Read it for a YA assignment and loved every moment.

A Study in Drowning has everything I want in a dark academia novel: rivals-to-lovers, rich folklore and world building, and poignant prose. Reid tackled so much in this story, and I'm here for it.

Effy is well-developed and deeply haunted, both by the Fairy King and by her experiences as a girl in academia. Reid doesn't shy away from addressing sexism in academic institutions or the trauma that can result from abuse of power, which are foundational to Effy's journey. Laced within visceral, lyrical prose, Effy's story comes to life as she, a first year architectural student, is impossibly selected to design a house in memory of her favorite author. I loved Effy's perspective and the way she sees the world through the lens of literature, namely stories everyone else sees as fairytales, but she knows to be true.

Once she arrives as Hiraeth, she discovers she's not the only student to reside there, but her rival, Preston, is working on his thesis to challenge the authorship of Effy's favorite story by her favorite author. Preston is logical and reasonable, everything Effy's been told she's not. Their relationship slowly grows (developing into one of my favorite I've yet to read) as they face an impossible mystery backed by a force, both real and magical, that's bent on keeping the secret.

This book isn't heart-pounding and fast-paced, but it's layered and complex, filled with believable characters in a world that feels so visceral that I could almost reach out and touch it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Survival is bravery, too”

This book was so beautifully written I’m almost at a loss for words. It was so stunningly atmospheric and rich with folklore and magic that made me unable to put it down. It’s a beautiful and haunting story that shines a light on Women’s voices being heard, and the constant dismissal of Women’s stories.

What this book has:
-Dark academia
-Welsh folklore
-Academic enemies to lovers
-Hauntingly beautiful writing
-Mental Health representation

I can’t recommend this book enough, and it’s the perfect Fall read!

I loved this book to pieces. The cover is beautiful. The characters are haunting, and the book is a gothic wonderland. I loved the #metoo representation in this book.

A Study in Drowning is an absolute gem of a novel, filled with stunning imagery, complex characters, and important themes. Ava Reid has done an outstanding job weaving together a haunting, dreamlike, and atmospheric setting that completely immerses the reader. From the descriptions of the rugged coastline to the decrepit Hiraeth Manor, everything is gorgeously detailed and sets the perfect mood for the book.

One of the standout aspects of the book is the representation of mental health issues. The main character, Effy, suffers from PTSD and panic attacks. The way Reid portrays Effy's struggles and mental health journey is incredibly nuanced and authentic, showcasing how difficult it can be to process and overcome trauma, especially when it comes from someone you should have been able to trust. The book also tackles important issues such as sexual assault and harassment, which are not always obvious and can be further complicated by power imbalances.

Overall, I was completely swept away by A Study In Drowning. Although it's marketed as a "YA Debut," it feels more like a New Adult book and is sure to appeal to readers of all ages. It flawlessly fits into the Dark Academia genre, which makes it a perfect autumn read.

I want to start by saying Ava Reid writes about such interesting and important topics and themes. Her writing is beautiful and I do find her characters compelling.

This is my third book by her and I feel the same about all of them. While the premises always pull me in, I find them to be missing something for me.

A Study in Drowning is a gothic story that follows Effy as she navigates her trauma and finds her strength. While I loved the way this was done, it left me wanting so much more.

The first half was a slow build up and the second half happened too fast. I got a bit of whiplash by the end with how quickly both the romance and Effy's arc progressed in such a short time. The end felt rushed and a bit spoon fed to you - not as organic as the first half.

This world she created could have been fleshed out more as there were many interesting details brought up that I would have loved to learn more about. These were pushed aside quickly without real impact that I would have enjoyed reading about.

So many people already love this and I know that most others will as well. For me though, this was a good read but nothing that will stand out in the long run.

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for the e arc.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of A STUDY IN DROWNING by Ava Reid. Reid is just a master of atmospheric writing and the motif of drowning in this book was beautifully done. I think since it's YA, it's a little less intense than her other books, while still being very dark and brooding in a way I liked. The romance was so sweet, one that grew slowly until it overtook you, even with some horrible stuff happening all around them. I called some of the twists before they happened, but in a good way, like I was being led there and allowed to feel smart. I took me about half the book before I really started to get pulled along by the plot, but overall I really loved this story and kept underlining beautiful sentences and I fully enjoyed myself.

A Study in Drowning is going to be relatable to an entire generation that doesn't even realize it yet. Effy Sayre is a voracious reader, but has her beloved book: Angharad, written by the late Emrys Myrddin. It's a tale about a woman, Angharad, who the Fairy King falls in love with...then she destroys him. Effy has read it so many times that she can nearly recite it cover to cover...well, the cover of a normal copy. Her copy barely has a cover left, it's so worn and well-loved. Unfortunately, women aren't allowed into the literature college of her country, so she's forced into the architecture college instead. She's miserable, being sexually assaulted by her advisor, demeaned by the entirety of her class (all of which are male), and existing as a burden on her mother; Effy has been deemed "mad" by her family and her doctors, because she's been plagued by visions of things that aren't there. She's got pink pills that keep the visions away...barely, during the day, and sleeping pills to knock her out at night. One day, though, she thinks all of her dreams may have come true when she is selected by Emrys Myrddin's son himself to redesign the Myrddin estate. When she arrives, she meets Preston Héloury, a literature college student who is there to review Emrys' study and collect documents that could be valuable for the college, and Ianto Myrddin, Emrys' super weird son. Oh, and the house she's supposed to redesign is literally crumbling off a cliff into the sea.

Effy quickly realizes that Preston isn't exactly there to "study" Myrddin's documents...he's there to essentially discredit Myrddin, who, Preston thinks, didn't actually write Angharad. And Preston's thoughts are valid: how did the son of illiterate fisher-people pen the greatest epic of their day? Even the thought is utterly devastating to Effy, who has all but worshipped the ground that Emrys Myrddin walks on for her entire life. Here's where things get so relatable: I spent more than half of my life totally engrossed in the Harry Potter franchise, totally rooted in the knowledge that JK Rowling was a genius who could do no wrong. Even the thought that she wasn't absolutely perfect was something that would have rocked my world. Then, she came out as bigoted trash, and my entire world was turned upside down. How did someone who created a world, and who crafted stories that quite literally shaped the person that I am today, turn out so opposite of all of the things that her words taught me to be?! It's melodramatic, sure, but it's taken years to cope with that kind of disappointment. So, knowing that even the thought of that disappointment could be possible for Effy? Yeah, it strikes a chord.

This book was everything that I hoped it would be and nothing that I expected. It's all of the dark academia I wanted, but also feels like it takes place in the world of a sea shanty--without being lighthearted...because this story is HEAVY. There are so many dark themes that Effy has to deal with: mental health issues and stigmas surrounding them (and not being believed about her truth), sexism and sexual assault, the potential fall of a hero, and a world being ravaged and swallowed in the sea.

It. Was. Perfect. You'll ache for Effy in so many ways, mostly by how isolated she is, and has always been, because it's been so ingrained in her: she is odd, so she is other. She isn't like us, so she must be kept on the outside. It's gut wrenching and awful. Preston also has a pretty tragic history, although you don't get as much of his perspective.

The last sentence of the book sent chills down my spine. Actual chills.

There are trigger warnings to be mindful of: sexual assault, someone in a person of power exploiting those considered "beneath" them, sexism, parental rejection, parent death, amputation, (the remaining trigger warnings that follow this warning are SPOILERY but important) children abandoned to die, child sacrifice, and near-death by drowning (a character is SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER chained and staked to a wall in a room slowing filling with water).

Ava Reid is a master with words, and I will be reading Juniper and Thorn very soon. It's been on my shelf for so long (the curse of the neverending TBR, right?!), I just didn't know what I was missing!

This wasn't so much a fantasy-driven plot that I assumed it would be, but that's okay because the characters are what made me fall in love with this book. Effy and Preston are both wonderful and I adore the romance between them. The YEARNING!? I was screaming at them to kiss already. Excellently drawn out, and we get to understand what drives each character along the way. The creepy gothic atmosphere was well done - I couldn't put this down once I got started on it and binged it in two days! An excellent read for fall!

3.5 stars
I enjoyed the characters and the story idea. Reading this was harder than I would have thought. It dragged more that I think it needed to. By the end though everything got wrapped up nicely.

Gave dark and eerie vibes. I was questioning reality the whole time. The visual this drew was astounding. I can’t wait for the character/setting art.

Overall message is darker than what I assumed. Check content warnings.

Romance was a fairly big part of this, but there is decent driving plot behind it.

Special thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books, HarperTeen for this digital ARC.

𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘
𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘺.
I had the immense pleasure of reading the ARC for Ava Reid’s new novel, 𝘼 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝘿𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, out September 19. Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the opportunity.
Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. After a troubled childhood being haunted by the Fairy King, she is now a first-year university student, and the only woman in the architecture school. After taking a chance and entering a contest to redesign the manor of her favorite author at the behest of his son and widow, she travels to Saltney and discovers that the fairy tales she was always told were make believe may actually be more real than anyone could ever have imagined.
Ava Reid gives us a heroine who uses literature to escape and survive, a love interest who is skeptical but adoring, a proper villain, and an ending that, while wrapping things up pretty neatly, left me a bit wanting. I also have a bit of annoyance in calling this an “academic rivals-to-lovers” book, but maybe I’m just being picky?
Ava writes so beautifully, but I feel like the character growth took just a bit too long for Effy. It’s not BAD. I just wish it had happened a bit sooner.
Hireath Manor, where 95% of the story takes place, deserves to be called a character all on its own. The detail Ava put into it made me feel like I was there. Everything felt the grey-green of water damage and rough seas, and I loved it.
I will say, I wish that there was a bit more backstory into the mythology and folklore of Llyr, specifically the different Saints (but that’s just the enthusiast in me). Please don’t take these issues as me hating on this book. I loved it! I think that’s why I’m being so critical. Ava Reid is quickly rising on my favorite authors list; I haven’t disliked a single thing they’ve written. So yes, I have critiques but that’s because I thought 𝘼𝙎𝙞𝘿 was so good. I would throw hands for Effy.
Trigger warning for SA on and off page, violence, depictions of mental illness, and multiple mentions of drowning. 4★

A Study in Drowning is Ava Reid’s newest novel, and it follows Effy Sayre, an architecture student, after she wins the chance to plan the rebuilding of her favorite author’s home, the late Emrys Myrddin, famous for his book, Angharad. But Effy’s not the only student who finds themself at Myrddin’s home; upon arriving, she meets Preston Héloury, who’s researching into the validity of Angharad’s authorship, and who drives Effy mad while she discovers who the man behind her favorite story is—and learns that sometimes, our heroes aren’t always who we thought they were.

Set on a crumbling cliff beside the sea, A Study in Drowning is an atmospheric masterpiece that had me peeking around the corners as I was reading, afraid that the monsters and ghouls hiding in Effy’s story might be lurking around my home, too. It reminded me of the seaside home that Erin A. Craig writes in House of Salt and Sorrow, tips me over the edge in the same way and has me wondering what’s happening with our less than reliable narrators and the life that’s crumbling around them. The drowning metaphor in A Study in Drowning worked so well, and Reid used it in different ways, with the Drowning, a flood that washed away part of Llyr and is said to be coming again, the country the story takes place in; with Effy’s own emotional state; with the fates that some characters face, and with items Effy needs to become the hero of the story.

I also loved Preston. I pictured him as this lovable nerd who doesn’t trust easily, and Effy really didn’t give him a reason to like her at the beginning, but they grew together and I loved that, especially considering Effy’s history in the story and how women are treated in the story by men, because the society is very patriarchal. I loved all the feminist bits as well, and when the ending came along, I wasn’t wholly surprised that the women were the winners in the end. The politics of it all was simple and sort of in the backdrop, but just the right amount of breadcrumbs were left for it to tie up nicely together in the end.

If you’re looking for an eerie book with a creeping spookiness and a dash of dark academia this fall, A Study in Drowning is the perfect story to pick up with a cup of coffee (or scotch) and curl up with on the couch—but I suggest reading it during the daytime and away from the sea, or anywhere else you may feel the lingering lurking of magic and madness.

A Study in Drowning, is a novel that blends a gothic mood and dark academia, with a fairytale like and romantic tone. I absolutely loved how these two contrasting moods merged to create such an immersive atmosphere.

I tend to favour the male leads in books over the female lead, especially in YA, since they're usually annoying, insufferable, and have absolutely no backbone, but I loved the main character, Effy. She had a mind of her own, that was caught up in dreams, fantasy, and of course she loved reading, Because of her, the book felt kind of like a book within a book or a story within a story,

The romance in this book was so sweet, I loved the how respectful the male lead was towards the main character, he was never pushy, or aggressive, he was simply there for her,.

While I wouldn't say that this book had the most unexpected plot twists, it was predictable in the sense that even though you knew what was going to happen, the story was so endearing that it kept you wanting to read more, Despite this, I found the ending so satisfying because it connected all the loose strings together so well, in ways that I hadn't expected, and had the bonus of a wonderful full circle moment!

Thank you so much to Harper Collins Children's Publishing for sending me the e-galley of "A Study in Drowning" I absolutely loved it!

4.5 ⭐️

This is a YA Fantasy that reads like a classic. The female main character is disregarred whenever she tells anyone about the mysterious entity that has visited her since childhood. As a teenager, she reads a book that finally makes her full seen and same. When the authorship of the book is called into question, Effy begins a journey where the lines between reality & fair tale become blurred. This book gives off the vibes of the Spiderwick Chronicles, Wuthering Heights, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. It's deep, mysterious, and entertaining! The perfect book to get ready for spooky season!

A Study in Drowning is simply one of the best books of the year! While this is Ava Reid's Young Adult debut, the intensity and depth of this book makes it easily enjoyable for adults.

Effy is a main character after my own heart. She is smart, academic and feisty, but also disregarded and unsure of herself. Fearing she has been haunted for much of her life, she struggles with what is real and what is imagined. She finds solace in the literary works of the recently deceased Emrys Myrddin and see's herself in his famous main character. Now, with an opportunity to visit his dilapidated home as an architecture student in a prestigious college, she has to confront what is real and what is imagined about the writer she has idolized, as well as her own past trauma.

This book is eloquently written, tying water to themes of life and death, rebirth and decay, truth and falsehood, in a suspenseful mysterious haunted house read. I was on the edge of my seat through so much of the novel! It is scary but without the gore of Reid's adult novels. It kept me questioning what was real and what wasn't. It grapples with how we experience and process trauma without explicit on page descriptions. It does have romance, but Effy's journey is central. At its core it is is a story about our need to tell stories and the roll they play in how we experience the world.

A fantastic read from start to finish! I highly recommend !

Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for providing access to an eACR of this work in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great darker New Adult fairytale-isc academia book that had me in a Fall mood. It's got a spooky mansion that is falling apart (but not too spooky) and a good mystery with a super sweet slow burn romance between rival students. Though I didn't find their rivalry to really be a big part of the story. It was more "dislike at first" meeting turned friendship turned more.

I will admit this is a little slow at points and took me a bit to get into. The writing is very romantic but also it lulled me to sleep a couple times which isn't a bad thing but I had to make sure I was reading this with no distractions and could focus. Some of the fantasy elements were a little confusing, like I'm still trying to understand some of what went down at the end.

It's one of those stories where you know something traumatic happened to her but you learn in pieces along the way. I don't know where I got the impression this was a YA book but I would say it's not. Or I hope it's not because it has some darker mature experiences that surprised me. The main girl is the only girl at college and is constantly leered at by men which I felt any woman could relate to. There is one experience especially that just makes you so sadden and hurt for her.

Once, I got a little ways into the story, I was definitely hooked and curious for more. I loved the mystery element and the main characters working together. The darker fairytale vibes were great too. But the slow burn romance was just so sweet and natural. I loved how it came about.

The ending was a little fast, especially the grand moment where I had to reread it and be like "wait what happened." But overall, this was a great Fall darker fantasy book, especially if you're looking for something slower that you can absorb and soak in. There was one line at the end that I'm still trying to figure out what it meant and need someone to explain it to me because I think I missed something. It kind of gave me Allison Shaft vibes but darker and more NA.