Effy Sayre is a struggling student at Llyr’s architecture college. When she’s given the opportunity to redesign the rotting home of her favorite author, the late Emrys Myrddin, she jumps at the chance. When she arrives, she meets Preston Héloury, a truth-seeking literature student digging into Myrddin’s life in search of evidence to discredit him. Together, they explore the depths of a home steeped in secrets and uncover an ugly reality that makes Effy question everything she believes.

This book addresses a lot of heavy things. Mental illness. The weight of history over time. Women in academia. Men abusing power. What art means outside of the hands of its artist. This all lurks in the back of the mind as we follow Effy through this grim, atmospheric, and hauntingly beautiful (and ugly) world. There’s so much to say, but I want to focus on one thing. I was incredibly moved by the visceral way in which mental illness is portrayed here. Effy was raised in an environment that taught her to distrust her mind. Her hardest battle throughout the story is to survive herself. This is something that will resonate with many readers who are still struggling to understand their own minds and trying to find the strength to overcome.

I also truly enjoyed the gothic mystery elements as well as the horror and folklore flickering in an out of the story’s reality. The romance between Effy and Preston was so sweet despite their combative beginning. Their relationship felt like a safe place amidst the stormy darkness. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of this genre, or who would simply enjoy a thought-provoking read.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children’s Books, and HarperTeen for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"We must discuss, then, the relationship between women and water. When men fall into the sea, they drown. When women meet the water, they transform. It becomes vital to ask: is this a metamorphosis, or a homecoming?"

I am obsessed with A Study in Drowning. The whole story and setting had me hooked right from the start. Picture a fantasy world inspired by mid-20th-century England/Wales, spiced up with some delightful Welsh mythology. It's like stepping into this Dark Academia vibe where mystery and romance take center stage in a crumbling and damp old house perched on a cliff that is about to be swept away into the sea. It delves into the clash between superstitious folklore and academic skepticism, shedding light on the rotten institutional sexism in academia. Reid nails it by portraying how young women are simultaneously dismissed as insipid and frivolous, yet somehow expected to shoulder the blame for the predatory actions of power-hungry men. I felt an instant connection to our unbearably brave FMC, Effy. She proves that being brave doesn't require the loss of being soft, and her softness is what helps her, and those she cares about, survive. This is a novel that is dedicated to those who survive. The blend of storytelling, lovable characters, gripping mysteries, and a touch of ambiguous fantasy makes this such a wonderful read. Honestly, there's not a single con I can think of. This book is hauntingly perfect.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 World Building: 5/5
🌊 Plot: 5/5
💫 Pacing: 5/5
🌸 Characters: 5/5
⭐️ Overall: 5/5

This rating only applies to the ebook version of this book (this version). A separate rating will be shown for the audiobook version, for which I strongly advise against using AI for future audiobooks, as they are monotonous and difficult to comprehend.

After hearing only positive things about Ava Reid, I finally got my hands on one of her books. Unfortunately, I am part of the minority who did not enjoy it as much making the author wish they never gave away free advance copies.

The story follows Effy, an eighteen-year-old girl who is forced to study architecture because, in her world, women are prohibited from studying Literature (a fresh change of setting). From a young age, Iffy has been haunted by visions of the Fairy King, making her obsessed with Emrys Myrddin’s epic Angharad, which tells the story of a mortal girl defeating the Fairy King. When Iffy is offered an opportunity to work at Myrddin’s manor, she believes it is destiny working in her favor. However, upon arrival, she meets Preston, a literature student who threatens to interfere with her plans.

If I could rate only the last three chapters, the book would have a different rating. For me, those chapters felt like a separate story from the one I was listening to/reading; as if the narrative was focused on showing the reader a confusing and disconnected line of events that had, and at the same time didn’t have, anything to do with the final message. Miss Reid should have focused more on that message instead of throwing many subplots together such as fantasy, romance, Effy’s “oddness,” and the dark academic vibes.

The romance, which Ava considers a “true” romance book, was one of the elements that made me reconsider my rating. While Iffy and Preston made a good couple and nothing was rushed between them, the moments of intimacy felt awkward. Despite this, Preston deserves praise for being a gentleman willing to change the patriarchal system—the perfect combination of the perfect gentleman ready to fight the laws that held women back, but with enough skepticism to handle Effy’s fears.

I read on Goodreads that Ava mentioned she wrote this book for the survivors, “the people who aren't believed, who don’t have ownership over their own narrative, who tell themselves stories in order to cope." Once you get to the final pages you realize that this is a story of survival against the odds, a sad reminder of how many are silenced and mistreated to make room for others or simply because they lack empathy. For this reason, I highly recommend "A Study in Drowning." Don't give up after the first few chapters; the ending is worth it.

This is such a phenomenally written book. The dark watery mysterious vibes were palpable and Effy represents so many of us women trying to survive the undertow of societal expectations. sometimes the pacing in the story lagged a little for where my imagination wanted to go but overall this was one of the best reads of 2023 so far and I’m really excited for the journey ahead for Ms. Reid.

I love that the female lead held qualities of humility AND strength. She was never one without the other and I felt so seen in her transparency. Excellent book. Well done Ava!

My new favorite from Ava.
This is a hauntingly beautiful story full of magic and secrets.
Enemies to lovers against the back drop of a drowning house with dark academia and a possible mystery surrounding a writer.

The magical aspect was captivating and the ending was absolutely amazing. I love how much the main FMC Effie, grows throughout the story and Preston, well he was perfect for Effie.

Thank you to the publisher for the arc.


This was a delight! a cozy magical read that I couldn’t put down until the last page. I loved Effy and how courageous she is despite all the challenges she faced throughout the story. I highly reccomend this.

listen. listen. LISTEN. PREORDER THIS. READ IT ASAP. I'M NOT KIDDING THIS IS NOT A GAME THIS IS NOT A DRILL. it's atmospheric, romantic, mysterious, will have you questioning reality.

Take Adrienne Young's atmospheric novel, Spells for Forgetting, and throw in a good dose of magic, a few fairies and some dark academia, and you will end up with A Study in Drowning. This book was dark, but had some really wonderful themes, such as learning to trust one's self, and to speak up for one's self. Eddy finds her voice in this novel, and that alone created a satisfying ending.

This book was well written, but it just wasn't for me. It was just so dark and ominous.

The language was clean (one or two exceptions), there was an open door scene, themes of sexual abuse.

I received an arc from #NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I adored every breathtaking moment of this raw, gorgeous, and beautifully vulnerable book. If ever I could, I would happily wrap myself in a shawl knitted of Ava Reid’s words and remain there for all eternity.

Atmospheric and spell-binding—just when I thought I wasn’t into Dark Academia, A Study in Drowning changed my mind. The gothic rivals-to-lovers romance coupled with a thin line between fairy tales and reality was hard to resist! Can’t wait for this to be out in the world.

Oh my goodness. This book was simply gorgeous! The prose was lyrical, lush, and so atmospheric. I was immediately drawn into the story and invested.

Effy is such a relatable protagonist. As a someone who struggles with anxiety and medication, I loved being able to relate to her and see myself in her character. I also loved how deeply we felt her thoughts and that fascinating question of reality vs imagination.

Preston was a wonderful love interest. They challenged each other and grew in their relationship. The tension was absolutely delicious! I adored the romance.

Overall, I liked the Gothic atmosphere, the unique worldbuilding, and the blurry lines of fairy tales and reality. I also really liked the feminist story line that ran through the entire book. Having been in situations like Effy before, it absolutely tugged at my heartstrings and I loved watching her grow more empowered.

Absolutely I would recommend this one to everyone who loves fantasy, lyrical writing, Gothic atmospheres, and beautiful romance.

TikTok review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8db4ChK/

Thanks to NetGalley for this advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a literary review and analysis of a book we don't know and didn't read. This book is definitely giving a lot of dark academia vibes and is asking the question over and over again about myths and magic and how real they are. The writing in this book is lyrical and beautifully done, but the story really fell flat since so much was being held back for the mystery which made me feel left out in the cold.

The twist in this story felt obvious to me, but that was okay and a nice conclusion to some of the main conflict. Honestly, the best part of this story were our main characters. Effy and Preston are unique characters and their backstories and interactions grew on me so quickly within the story. Overall, as with all dark academia books it felt pretentious, but there were some great moments within the greater story that were worth reading.

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.
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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

God damn I love dark academia books so much, each time I finish I am shoved into a reading slump. Hallppppp, this one shoved me over the edge again.

A Study in Drowning was beautifully atmospheric, haunting, and heart wrenching. While I did guess the 'gotcha', I don't feel let down by that, it was a twisty ride to figure out, and every word was well-written. Ava Reid delivered the dark academia book of the year (though it's descried as gothic mystery and rivals to lovers romance). I did not get a chance to read Juniper & Thorn -- surprise, surprise it's still on my TBR pile-- but I'll be rushing over to it, knowing Ava will deliver as she did with this gem.

I know I usually START by gushing about the [insert any male MC here] but, I want to keep Preston a surprise, he's too precious not to.

If you loved Atlas Six, House of Roots and Ruin, The Dark Window, and/or The Night Circus… I found pieces alike scattered though A Study in Drowning, and hope you will too. It was a delight.

I would like to first thank NetGalley and HarperTeen for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. I greatly appreciate it!

In the aesthetic sense, “A Study in Drowning” was absolutely perfect for this season of my life—I, too, have been reading a dead man’s letters for scholarly reasons. I could very well understand and feel empathy for the main character’s inordinate attachment to her favorite author, and how much she depended upon his words. I saw so much of myself in her affection, and even in her grief when expectation finally clashed with reality.

Once I got past the dark academia clichés, i.e., the ribbons in the hair and the wool clothing, “A Study in Drowning” was riveting. It contained gothic elements, mixed with the accents of the weird and fantastical. The “scholarly” passages were genuinely relatable and inspiring, making this book, in my opinion, a powerful advocate for women in academia. I highly recommend this story for its profound message, intriguing plot, and for its entertaining value.

Ava Reid does it again. I loved the dark academia vibe that still maintains the somewhat fairytale atmosphere that I've seen in her other works. I can see her inching her way up the list of authors I will read no matter what as I type this review.

Amazing book, this was refreshing and new, definitely the one to look out for. The story is original and different. Love the characters and their traits .

First, thank you to @Netgalley for the ARC! This book will hit shelves on September 19, 2023.

“A Study in Drowning” by Ava Reid is a Young Adult novel that might just knock you sideways with its atmosphere. 200 years ago, the world Drowned. The cruel ocean devastated humanity. Now, those left behind fear nothing more than a second Drowning, which might be held at bay by magic woven by Storytellers who have passed into saint-like repose.

Effy Sayre, avid fan of Llyr’s national author Emrys Myrddin, wants to study literature. The problem? Her university only accepts male students into the literature program. Instead, she’s settled on architecture, and even there she’s the only female student. When the opportunity comes to design a house in tribute to the late Myrddin, which includes the opportunity to travel to his home at the bottom of the country by the sea, how could she say no?

Still, everything is not as it seems. Effy walks a fragile line between reality as she knows it, and a terrible fantasy that lurks constantly in her periphery. Visiting the home of her idol isn’t what she hoped it would be. Secrets and trauma rise to the surface there while she tries to keep her head above water.

—

This book was so promising. Lyrical and atmospheric, it really did take my breath away. I would absolutely recommend it, with the caveat that it deals with sexual trauma pretty heavily.

Unfortunately, I felt like Reid didn’t quite stick the landing on this one. It brought my rating to 3.5 stars, but imo it was worth the journey!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Considering the above line, I have to be honest: I have middling (lol) feelings about Ava Reid. I really did not like Juniper & Thorn, but this type of novel sounded way more up my alley than that one, and I wanted to give it a try.

What I'll say first is that Ava Reid is excellent at world-building. There is no question that she is a talented author, and really knows how to slide you straight into her world. Even when I didn't like Juniper & Thorn, I was wholly engrossed in it. It did take me about 20% of the book to really fall into A Study in Drowning, but once I was in it, I flew through it. I am a fast reader, but I did read 80% in about 2 hours, so that's really saying something. I could barely look away.

The characters themselves interested me, but I did not love any of them. Thoughts on Effy: she blushed/flushed way too much. I actually related to her quite a lot - the anxiety, the fear. She was filled with self-doubt and was constantly worrying about what she did or said. I think a lot of people will relate to Effy. But ... wow, did she blush/flush every 5 paragraphs.

I will say I guessed the answer to the mystery at the 34% mark - it actually drove me bonkers that it was SO CLEAR what the answer was, and that they did not immediately see where this was all leading. At some points, I wanted to reach through my kindle and shake them.

In the end, A Study in Drowning is an incredibly interesting book. I think a lot of people will enjoy this creeping, gothic fantasy.

I was ecstatic when Netgalley approved my request for this book because Ava Reid wrote my favorite book of 2022, Juniper and Thorn. This book is Reid's YA debut so it is not quite as brutal as their other book, but it was still a 5 star for me.

This is a dark academia story following architecture student Effy who lives in a Welsh inspired country. Effy finds herself questioning all she's held dear and her grasp on reality after the opportunity to redesign the house of a recently dead author takes her far into the south, where myths are not always make believe.
This book contains themes of mental health, absent parents, predatory men, and how stories help us not feel alone.

The start of this book was a little hard for me to get into. Effy starts off as a very timid character, and the world building opened up in very slow layers making it hard for me to understand what was going on at first. The fictional country of Llyr, where this story takes place exists with one foot rooted in reality and one in fantasy. This leads to an interesting conflict of always questioning if the fantastical is real or all superstition.

While some parts of this book were predictable, I was questioning Effy's perception of reality up until the climax of the book. That tension combined with a softly growing romance and Reid's beautiful and lyrical writing made this a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read and ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My appreciation to Net Galley for the ARC.

I love it when I find an author like Ava Reid who writes with such a distinct style. Her blending of internal & external worlds of the character is what gets me everytime. The theme of escaping one’s own destruction is pretty consistent with Juniper & Thorn—not as dark and intense so don’t worry if it wasn’t your cup of tea.

What I love:
- strong internal dialogue and backstory of female characters;
- so happy to explore yet another dark and twisty fairytale/folklore character.
I was hoping that Reid wouldn’t tone it down so much for the YA debut and I think it’s just right;
- the immersive experience every time I start reading;
- Reid does not load up her story with a millions characters like a lot of other fantasy fiction. I really like getting to know the characters, where they’re from, their prejudices, fears, worries etc.
- the last line of the book 🩵 he’s not such a skeptic after all.

What I did not love as much:
- not sure what role Wetherwell plays in the book;
- there could be more build up to the ultimate climax with Ianto/Angharad i.e., what happened all those years, their relationship. I really just wanted to know more about what keeps them at Hiareth.
- I don’t know why I always expect the resolution to not be so normal after such a fantasy-filled tale. This might a personal preference. But maybe magic and reality can blend even more?

Can’t wait to see what Ava Reid writes next!!