Effy is the only female student in the architecture college of Caer-Isel. Due to her lifelong love of the novel Angharad, by recently deceased author, Emyrs Myrddin, she would rather be in the Literature college, but women and not allowed. When the opportunity to submit a design for the upcoming redesign of the Myrddin estate presents itself, Effy has no choice but to submit a proposal. But when her design is actually chosen, she must reconcile the facts and fictions of her life to find a future she’s happy with.

I absolutely adored this book. It mixed together so many things I love: Dark Academia, old world fairy tales, and Gothic horror. This book hit all those marks beautifully and painted a world that was equal parts beautiful and terrible. If you are looking for a good Dark Academia, spooky season book, this one is perfect. It’s dark and atmospheric with much of the novel taking place in a crumbling palatial estate near the sea. What more could you ask for?

A huge theme of this book is the examination of power dynamics. And it is illustrated throughout all of Effy’s relationships: her mother, her professors, her classmates, and Myrddin’s estate. Each and every one of these is handled with care, but honesty. It was wonderful and heartbreaking to watch Effy navigate them all and grow to find her place in a world that has so many hidden rules that must be followed by “polite” society.

For reasons I cannot fully explain, this book gave me Labyrinth (1986) vibes both through the main character’s love of a work of fiction that helped her through a difficult time and through the relationship dynamics between Angharad and the Fairy King within Myrddin’s novel itself (again power dynamics). I have always loved stories of a woman exploring the world through fiction, which is why I find books like this so special. It was beautifully and heartbreakingly written and I cannot wait until it comes out, so I can add it to my shelf.

In A Study In Drowning, Effy Sayre is an architecture student struggling with the after effects of a traumatic event. An opportunity to work on the home of her favorite author seems like a life boat in the storm. However, Myrrdin’s house is nothing like Effy expected, especially with literature student Preston Heloury lurking around the place. Preston is trying to uncover Myrrdin’s secrets and it’s up to Effy to decide if her life boat will save her or sink her

I think A Study in Drowning may be my fav book by Ava Reid. I loved the dark academia vibes with the lightest touches of horror. This isn’t an easy read as it focuses on misogyny and abuses of power, but I enjoyed Effy’s character arc ie seeing her learn to accept herself and find a way to take back the power that was stolen from her. On a lighter note, Effy and Preston were adorable together. I loved their slow burn, slightly awkward, nerdy romance. And last, but not least I enjoyed the literary mystery at the heart of this book.

I absolutely recommend this book, which releases on September 19, 2023.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Collins, for the e-arc!
I was really excited to see Ava Reid's new story, and I'm glad to see it did not disappoint. The recommendations for similar books are spot on, and I can see why so many people love the story. It delivers on the gothic vibes with a nice amount of romance. The dark fae and fantasy elements are creative and spooky. Overall I enjoyed this story immensely.

What do I say? How do I say it? This is a gothic romance/dark academia book, and it delivers in every aspect. But it also takes the notion of gothic and includes some very important moments about consent. It was like one large allegory, but done well. I think this is Reid's best work to date -- and I think it will absolutely resonate with so many people. I simply don't have the words for this book.

A Study in Drowning is everything you could want from a gothic tale, a lone woman (or man) going to an old house or mansion, and stirring up the mysteries and the ghosts of the past. Add into that The Fairy King and magical symbolism and you'll have an excellent story.

Reid's writing weaves such an atmosphere around you, you could almost imagine the ocean waves lapping at the edges of the manor, of it crumbling into the sea...of Effy. The mystery was woven into the atmosphere, and it was a layered mystery. It was complicated and wonderful, and I loved every moment of this book. I wanted to continue to savor it, I didn't want it to end. (Of course, it had to).

This is one of those books that I want to reread because I feel that the first read you'll miss things, things that you'll only understand on a second or third read through.

Effy -- I loved her. She was such a great heroine for this book, because she was strong in a different way. Her anxiety from the first page made me go, "oh, I understand this" and I felt for her. I felt that I was her throughout this book. I loved to see her struggles and her successes, and Reid did a brilliant job depicting them.

I loved the combination of different elements, because it really made this book standout. Honestly, this book is haunting and beautiful. I loved this book.

I cannot wait to reread it when I have a physical copy in my hands (maybe two).

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this on ebook through NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: I ended up really enjoying this. It is a bit of an odd book that deals with dark fae and has a strangely Lovecaftian feel to it as well. I also enjoyed Reid's book "Juniper & Thorn" when I read it.

Effy is the only female architecture student (she wanted to go into literature but they don't let women do that because women are too flighty). She has had some trouble with her professor abusing her and would love nothing more than to leave the college. She ends up winning a contest to redesign the house of a famous author named Myrddin; an author she really admires. However, when she journeys to the desolate Hiraeth Manor she realizes she's been given an impossible task. The house is literally falling into the sea and the new lord of the manor (Myrddin's son) is strange and seems to want to use Effy in the same way her professor wanted to use her.

The only saving grace is that there is another student there, Preston Héloury, working on his thesis. He draws Effy into a mystery around Myrddin that will upend everything she thinks she knows about the fae and her favorite author.

I ended up enjoying this. The story deals some with dark fae but has more of a Lovecraftian vibe to it at points. You have the sea pounding on the town that Hiraeth Manor is located in and the way it is infusing the walls of the house. The master of the house is slowly descending into madness as well. There are also heavy themes about women being taken advantage of and learning to stand up for themselves. Many of the men in here seek to abuse and take advantage of the women in their lives.

This is beautifully written and easy to read. You can smell and taste the moldy walls of Hiraeth Manor. While I got frustrated with Effy at times, I did sympathize for her. I thought the relationship between Effy and Preston was decently done. Although, the fact that Effy went from an abusive relationship with her professor directly into a relationship with another man who says he will protect her was not ideal. It would have been nice if Effy had learned to stand on her own two feet first.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I enjoyed this. The dark damp depths of Hiraeth Manor were strangely enticing and I enjoyed uncovering Myrddin's secrets. The characters weren't my absolutely favorite but I did enjoy the dark fae and Lovecraftian vibes to this story. This was a good read and I will keep an eye out for future books by Reid. I enjoy the darker tone that her books have.

What a stunning surprise. In some ways this book made me feel the way Seanan McGuire’s Every Heart a Doorway did—there is danger lurking around every corner, magic that is a threat, and the absolute overwhelming feeling of being seen.

Ava Reid’s prose is stunning, and the Eddy’s struggles in her intensely misogynistic world don’t feel so far out of reach. But there are books to save us, even if we have to save ourselves too.

This is a gem.

Ava Reid's prose is incredible. I loved every minute I spent reading this book, and I can't wait for more people to experience it.

This is by the author of Juniper and Thorn and The Wolf and the Woodsman but here we have a dark academia YA fantasy that follows Effy, the first and only female student in this prestigious college, she enters and wins a competition to design an estate for her favorite author who is very famous but has recently passed away. As she’s trying to design this estate, she teams up with a former rival and they reveal some gritty truths about this authors famous work. A very different kind of story, it's really unique, I don’t know why but it reminds me of like Edgar Allan Poe for some reason. It was a really good read.

A masterfully done genre bending story with mystery, horror, romance, dark academia, psychological thriller and paranormal elements- set against the backdrop of a gothic haunted house. This is a deeply thought provoking novel with a strong voice for women and the sexism and struggles they endure in academia. Truly an unforgettable read.

Actual Rating 1.5

Effy leads an odd life – she’s had visions since she was a child, visions of fairies and danger, and is also the only female architectural student at a prestigious college. She has sought solace in the pages of Myrddin’s epic novel since she was young, so when she receives an opportunity to visit and design Myrddin’s family estate, she leaps at the chance. While there, she meets a literature student who was invited to study the author’s papers for his thesis. But as they grow closer, Effy realizes that the student isn’t being straightforward with his reasons for being there, and that something dark and unsettling lurks within the walls of the manor.

I wanted to love this book based on its description. What I did enjoy was that the atmosphere was relatively solid. The use of the setting and storms was interesting, and I liked the idea of the threat of a Second Drowning and how that added anxiety to the characters. Each chapter began with a short excerpt from a work of (fictional) literature by or about Myrddin, which helped add to the academic aspect of the read. But these were really the only things I liked.

One of the things I disliked was that there was no meaningful setting description at the beginning. It starts off reading like a traditional fantasy, and then based on some context clues I started wondering if it was more pseudo-early/mid-nineteenth century, but then there are elevators, cars, televisions, guns, etc. But these weren’t included until well into the read, which was frustrating.

This work ended up being too much in some places, and not enough in others. It went too far on the “every man is lewd, corrupt, and sexist except for the hot, young male protagonist” for me to really enjoy the characters/characterization. They weren’t developed well aside from their one or two traits that turned into their entire personalities. It also went too far with the metaphors. I didn’t make a note of every time it came up or any of the exact wording, but we were constantly receiving metaphors about Effy “drowning” and the different ways she was drowning, floundering for air, etc. The first time it came up I thought it was clever. By the fifth time I was ready to move on. The author didn’t go far enough with the Fairy King. There should have been so much more suspense, tension, and danger incorporated with this aspect of the read, but it was barely utilized. And the final confrontation relating to this? Laughable and painfully brief/absurd. The author also didn’t go far enough with developing the relationship between Effy and Preston (insta-love, and no, this isn’t a spoiler, it’s obvious from her arrival that they’re going to be a thing).

Many other reviewers loved this YA read, so if the premise is interesting to you, check out some of their thoughts. This one just did not work for me. My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins Publishing for allowing me to read this work, which will be published September 19th, 2023. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Actual Rating - 4.5]

Ava Reid’s young adult debut is an eclectic mix of a gothic and atmospheric fantasy!

“Everything ancient must decay, a wise man once said thus to me. But a sailor was I–and on my head no fleck of gray–so with all the boldness of my youth, I said: The only enemy is the sea.”

A Study in Drowning tells the story of a young woman trapped within the ruins of a decrepit and sea-sodden house. Effy is forced to live within these unseemly borders and the secrets it harbors. Paired with the infuriating Preston–a scholar from the literature academia, the two of them must uncover the mystery of Hiraeth Manor, before it condemns them both to ruination.

Reid illustrates a tale steeped in folklore and mystery. A Study in Drowning is written in an immersive prose, with description bleeding into reality. The world of a devouring sea and the ringing of bells from long-submerged churches evoke an otherworldly, gothic dreamscape.

All in all, A Study in Drowning told a tale I was all but acquiescent to submerge into.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC. I found this novel haunting in many, many ways. Atmospheric, with a lingering sense of dread.

I really, really liked this! I read it in about two or three days and felt like I was really speeding through it because I enjoyed it so much. I liked the setting/genre -- a fictional, sort of fantasy-like world, full of myth and mythological beliefs, but not so fantastical that what the main characters discover is within the realm of accepted possibility in their world. It was light fantasy, which was refreshing.

I felt like the explanation from Angharad was a little cliche. Everything explained and answered in monologue. AND I pretty much saw those explanations and answers coming. BUT I still enjoyed the getting there.

All of the characters were enjoyable to read, and I liked the theme of men taking advantage of women over time, and the conclusion of that theme, with Effy being about to stand up for herself and get what she wanted and deserved.

I would give this like a 4.25 out of 5 stars.

As a huge fan of "Juniper & Thorn" and "The Wolf and the Woodsman," I was really looking forward to Ava Reid's next book, and first YA novel. "A Study in Drowning" proved to be just as strong as her first two works. The mystery was compelling, but so was the time just spent following the protagonist. A good chunk of the plot is devoted to exploring the relationships we develop with our favorite authors and how their works live independently of them within us. I really enjoyed the lore Reid utilized in this book, and how she kept it manageable for a YA audience.

I didn't really enjoy this book. The writing and the romance didn't work for me. I was put off by the way the main character was treating her soon to be love interest because he was from a different country. I honestly ended up skimming a lot of the book to see how it would end because I didn't want to take the time to fully read it but still get the gist of what this story was about. I've read and liked this author in the past but for some reason, I really struggled with this book pretty much from the start.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperTeen for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Effy Sayre believes in fairytales and the Fairy King and is an ardent fan of the late Emrys Myrddin’s work, his masterpiece Angharad in particular. She finds herself seen and heard and understood within its pages, but despite her dreams of the literature college, she studies architecture at university due to misogynistic prejudice. When Myrddin’s family hosts a contest to redesign Hiraeth Manor, Effy’s design is chosen and she is to spend the winter at her favorite author’s dilapidated manor, where his son and reclusive widow live. Little does she know, Preston Héloury, a literature student working on his thesis, has also been invited to the manor to study his papers—and his goal is to prove that Myrddin’s authorship is not what it seems.

A Study in Drowning is a gorgeous coming of age story discussing survival, believing women, agency, the horrors of academia, and the power of stories. Ava Reid is one of my favorite authors, and I do appreciate that there is always a thread of dissecting nationalism through their works—in this, we experience how stories and mythmaking contribute to the creation of a national identity, and thus propaganda. Though this is not at the forefront, I did think the undercurrent was extremely well done. What it means to survive takes center stage here, and I think that this, too, is wonderfully rendered—Effy’s emotional turmoil is palpable and very real. This book is also clearly inspired by anti-Stratfordians, and I loved how this made us think about things like authorship, agency, and power. I loved how Reid wove folklore and academic skepticism into this even using “one half of the country is notoriously superstitious and the other half disregards folklore/religion entirely” is on the simple side of conflict. And in any case, this story is primarily about Effy and Preston, and these two contain multitudes that make the story shine.

The prose in this is so good and so lyrical that I was instantly absorbed into the story and I loved how all the little details played into the larger narrative. The tension and atmosphere is exquisite; the decrepit manor certainly contributes to a gothic atmosphere, and Effy’s perspective is claustrophobic in the best way. Much like Marlinchen in Reid’s Juniper & Thorn, I loved that Effy was allowed to be afraid and uncertain; each dismissal of Effy’s experiences is infuriating and I thought it was inspiring to see her grow as the story progressed. I also really enjoyed the slow burn of Effy and Preston’s relationship and how they come to understand each other. I loved watching them interact and slowly learn to be vulnerable with one another.

Of course, Reid’s work tends to be heavy in nature and so I definitely recommend checking out the trigger and content warnings on their website. I loved the care that Reid handled these topics with, though of note there is the pervasive and lingering effects of sexual abuse. While it is all off-page and non-graphic, Effy’s fear and anxiety were visceral. Effy’s experience with mental illness is also covered extensively, and she is frequently dismissed as being a silly girl or otherwise belittled.

Overall I am obsessed with the prose, the characters, the atmosphere, the world building… the entire thing, actually. Reid’s written one of the best YA novels I’ve read in ages (though certainly this is for an upper YA crowd) and is still very firmly cemented as one of my favorite authors. I definitely highly recommend this and it absolutely is one of my favorite reads of the year.

This was my first Ava Reid's book and I was impressed by her writing. For the first 30% the pacing was slow but after that the myteries were really gripping. The mysteries throughout the book kept me turning the pages. I actually had a slight discomfort while reading it, so I would advise anyone to look at the trigger warning first before reading. Overall even though the ending felt a little bit rushed I enjoyed reading ASID.
I'd recommend it if you love gothic mystery especially with sprinkles of fairytales and romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ava Reid's beautiful writing sweeps you away with Effy's story. The author creates an atmospheric, dark academic story that transports the reader. It is a story of mystery and rivals to lovers, with Welsh folklore. Fans of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue will enjoy it. This is one of those books, like A Lesson in Chemistry, that sticks with me and makes me glad I was born later in the twentieth century. The book addresses sexism in academia, as well as the men who abuse their positions of power within that world.

This is one of the most beautiful, well-written books I’ve read in awhile. It is atmospheric and you can vividly imagine the scenery of the book while reading, due to how descriptive the author is. The characters are wonderfully done, and unique, especially the female lead. I especially loved the mystery elements and was on my toes wondering what was going to happen to our characters until the very end.

I'm just in awe of this, it's such a beautiful read. It's so atmospheric and mysterious, and I thought all of the themes worked very well together. It felt both painful and empowering to read, and the vibes were immaculate. I was hoping to love this, but honestly it still took me by surprise how stunning of a book this was.