I really enjoyed this book! It's well written and the story flows really well. There were some things that were mentioned in the middle of the story that confused me because it wasn't something mentioned earlier, but it gets explained later so I think it works well. I also really liked the character development of both of the main character's. The imagery is great, makes it very easy to imagine Hiareth Manor. The ending was a tad underwhelming, but if the author is making this book a series, then I think it works as a great cliffhanger!

I could not put this book down once I started. It blends gothic and fairy tale themes in a cat-and-mouse chase of "Is there or isn't there a Fairy King?" Reid's descriptions make me feel like I have been to and know the soggy damp Bottom Hundred and Hiraeth Manor. I'm obsessed with Reid's world-building and how Llyr is a place out of time, and that she does not feel the need to explicitly explain to us how the world works.

💫 A cinnamon roll MMC, a groundbreaking FMC, and their very soft, swoony and trauma-respectful romance ❤️
💫 A mystery solved across time
💫 Themes of female empowerment, especially for women explicitly oppressed by the patriarchy (sexual assault, loss of property/rights, forced marriage)
💫 An overall wicked but darkly enchanting faerie theme!
💫 The loveliest of hea's, with the oppressed women in question reclaiming their rights ❤️

TWs - sexual assault by men in positions of power (professors, employers) and the victims facing backlash/blame, attempted murder, drowning, extreme misogyny

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

4 out of 5 stars. To be released November 2023.

Effy has always been a huge fan of fairy tales, especially the one about the Fairy King. As an architectural student, Effy jumps at the chance to enter a contest to redesign the author's estate. Effy wins and embarks on the journey south to the mysterious house. A literature student, Preston, is also at the estate and is researching the history of the author. Together they discover that things aren't exactly what they seem.

A Study in Drawing is a wonderful blend of myths and legends, truth and deception, and unraveling the past. Effy challenges the role of women in her society, who are seen as essentially not being able to be intellectuals or writers. The island estate creates a creepy atmosphere that adds to sometimes unnerving descriptions of the Fairy King. It was a unique take on stories about the fae and does not romanticize them at all.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for providing me with a digital advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Release Date: Sep 19, 2023

I cannot think of a better read to get your hands on this fall!

Effy Sayre is an avid fan of the haunting fantasy works of the late great Emyrs Myrddin. When she is denied entry into the all-male literature college to study Myrddin’s works, she grudgingly settles on architecture. After winning a design contest, Effy is invited to Myrddin’s estate to redesign his now crumbling, waterlogged manor. While redesigning the manor, Effy becomes acquainted with Preston, a smug literature student studying Myrddin’s old letters. As Myrddin’s son and other unknown magical forces try to keep Effy and Preston from working together, they clandestinely operate to uncover the secrets held within the slowly sinking manor - secrets that could topple everything that Effy has ever held dear.

Effy is one of my favorite female main characters I’ve read. She reminds me so much of myself as a first year college student: determined, but timid and shy in a place she feels she just doesn’t belong. She’s strong without having to dominate every interaction, battle with swords, or make amusing quips. Effy is a wonderful example of quiet bravery, fighting against her past and clamoring to create her future.

The setting and world are haunting and eerie. I pictured everything in a washed-out sepia tone. Mythology and inspiration is drawn heavily from England and Wales. We also have some early 20th century technology, adding an unexpected element to the world. It’s a perfect ethereal dark-academia fall read!

The romance in this book is so tender, so real, and so beautiful. It was touching to see a relationship built upon trust, shared intellectual pursuits, and honest respect for each other. Our love interest shows such a realistic sweetness and gentleness that is (I believe) lacking in a lot of upper YA romantic interests.

There are a couple minor instances of swearing and one closed-door romantic scene. I’d recommend it for the older YA age group (16-19) as Effy is in her first year of college and this book is focused around themes of sexism in academia and grooming/sexual harassment.

If you want an atmospheric, dark academia, rivals-to-lovers, mysterious story, A Study in Drowning is the book for you.

A solid mystery that unfolds quite nicely and at a steady pace. Interesting how they intertwined the past with the present. Underlying story was “a woman’s place” in society. True then, now and forever! A great young adult book, characters are in college, but an interesting read for all audiences.

*Maybe 2.75 stars? 2.5? 3?
Mixed feelings seem to be a theme for me now! To preface, I've read Juniper & Thorn, which was adult horror, but seemed to be marketed more as adult fantasy by the publisher, which affected my experience and made me dislike it. Going into A Study in Drowning, I knew it was young adult fantasy dark academia, but I thought it would've been better suited to an adult label. It had both creepy and straight-up thriller/mystery elements, but just in general, I feel like it would've been better if it had truly just gone full send into the mystery elements whereas instead it became more predictable and boring in some places. I guessed almost every twist before most of them happened, but it felt more like, "oh, okay," than it being a crazy revelation.
I liked Preston and Effy and hated the people I was supposed to hate, but didn't have much passion about the story. I liked it in theory: dubious authorship of a lauded classic becoming a mystery about the life of this man, but the fantasy elements also tainted it a bit. I felt like this book was trying to do too much at once, especially when Effy started making crazy comments about Argantian stereotypes because she really pulled me out of it at times.
I wouldn't discourage someone from reading this, but I don't think I'd recommend it either. It was limited by its age range a bit and also too predictable at times to be much more. If you like mysteries, though, this could be interesting.

I have never run so fast to NetGalley to request an ARC as I did when I saw the author's Insta reel on the aesthetic of this book. Happy to say it lived up to that dark academia, hauntingly atmospheric vibe. The romance, dark fairy lore, and feminist undertones didn't hurt, either.

I love that this is YA. Reid's writing is lyrical and haunting, but she also has something to say about silencing the female voice, and I think that is an important message for teenagers. I also appreciate that Effy is just so...normal. She isn't the physically strong heroine slaying dragons and saving the world, she has insecurities and fears, and I think that makes her more relatable. "You don't have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too."

Two things are keeping this from a 5 star rating for me. The first is that I felt the romance was a little rushed. Not in an insta-love way, just that I would have liked to see and feel a slower burn with more intimate tension and release moments. The second is the climax with the Fairy King was too quick and easy, and the mystery reveal was done in all telling with very little showing.

Reid's writing definitely passed my vibe check and I will be adding her other books to my TBR pile ASAP.

Ava Reid has done it again, and again, and again. I was very interested to see how their first YA debut would play out and I was NOT disappointed. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved Preston and Effy. Ava Reid excelled at writing another story where characters can make you quite uncomfortable, queasy, and scared of. I loved the whole plot of this book and it felt like an outstanding debut for Ava’s YA work.

Overall, this book was good. It spins an inspirational tale of feminism and progress and growth. I love Effy.
However, I don't think this was the book for me. I feel like the plot could have been fleshed out more, maybe some more world building before jumping it. The romance felt rushed, as did the climax scene with the Fairy King.
Don't let that keep you from reading, though. This is still a very special, necessary story to be told to a YA audience.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ava Reid & HarperCollins for an arc of A Study in Drowning in exchange for an honest review.
Ava Reid never misses, and that's a fact! They are an instant author buy for me so to receive this eARC was such a gift!
Now to get into the story.
Reid has the ability to transport me anywhere with such a succinct and lush description of the world. Truly, the sensations of the sea, the creaking of a house on a cliff, all of them were so visceral. Effy, my beloved girl, I will truly treasure her as a character into the future. Reid weaves the well felt tragedy of women in academia with such vigor, at many points, Effy’s despair and my own past were intertwined. This is the heartbreaking story of a girl discovering herself, and I am blessed to have been part of the journey.
Where I felt I wanted a little more in terms of story was with Preston. I loved Preston, and I loved his support of Effy in her journey. However, his haunted past was referenced many times in the novel, and I wish I could have known more. I can only hope one day we will see a little more of Preston and his past, as well as his future.
Overall, this story is a 5/5 for me, I loved every second and I wish I could turn back time to reread it for the first time again.
Ava Reid, if you are reading this, I am on my knees, please give us the full story of Angharad.

Wow. This book was incredible. The story telling and world building kept me wanting more. This was my first book by Ava Reid but I have their others waiting on my shelf.

Effy's growth and character development were everything. Unfortunately, I think most young girls/women have an experience similar to Effy and just letting things happen. When she found her voice and stood up for herself, I could have cried.

Things I liked about this book:
- Setting: This book's setting had an unexpected twist on living by the sea. In most houses near the sea, you can expect luxury and extravagance. However, that couldn't be further from the truth for this book. The way Ava Reid wrote about the smell, sight, and fear of the sea was something I had not read in a novel before.
- Spidey Sense: Throughout this novel, I knew something was wrong but I could not place what it was. Ava Reid leads her readers to question, does the Fairy King exist? Is anyone telling the truth? What is there to fear about the sea? These were just a few questions readers might have when reading this novel.
- North vs South: This novel had a clear outline of what the Northerners think versus the Southerners and how that in itself creates a sort of conflict of belief. Wherever you grow up, you are told different stories/myths/folklore, and that changes how you perceive different matters. Ava Reid outlined those differences in beliefs perfectly in her novel.

Things I think could have been better (SPOILERS AHEAD)
- Chemistry: The romance between Effy and Preston felt a bit random. I didn't get much chemistry build-up between the two. Their romance also had odd timing considering their time was very limited.
- Modern-day technology: The use of cameras, cars, and cell phones felt out of place due to the fantasy-like setting. I think this novel could have gone without modern-day technology altogether and it would not have changed the story.
- Characters: The reason for my 4 star review instead of 5 stars was simply because I personally found it difficult to connect with any of the characters. Effy was never able to quite stand up for herself until the end and I was left questioning how loyal Preston was until the end as well. While I understand why Effy could not stand up for herself, it made it more challenging to connect with her on the lack of action.

I really enjoyed the Welsh inspired setting and the academic vibes. Unfortunately, for book that's being billed as Reid's first "true" romance, I felt that the romance itself was rushed and underdeveloped. I was really left just wanting MORE of the whole story.

A Study In Drowning is such a stunning story for any lovers of dark academia and the rivals to lovers trope. Ava Reid has such a fascinating, detailed, and immersive prose that leads to the fairytale atmosphere she always creates with her books. The characters were well-crafted and had their own complexities, especially Effy with her courage and strength in adversity. The inclusion of sexism was immensely important to the story, as the main character struggles for her opinions and voice to be heard, just like it happens more than we know in today's society. I adored this book, and would recommend it gladly to anyone.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy, as well as Harper Collins.

I don’t even know where to begin. First of all, wow. This was one of my most anticipated reads, I mean dark academia, rivals to lovers? Say less. This book though, was SO MUCH more than just fitting into these genres and tropes.

Ava Reid has such an enchanting and atmospheric writing style that fully immerses you into the book. Her world building is seamless and so easy to follow and her characters are fully developed and well-rounded. The main character, Effy, is one of my favorite main characters i’ve ever read. She is the epitome of an unreliable narrator due to her anxiety and the pills she takes to stave off her hallucinations. This makes you question everything throughout the book and whether what she sees and hears are real or just hallucinations.

This book is so much more than a dark academia fantasy novel. It covers sexism within academia as the only female in the architecture college while not being allowed in the male only literature college. It discusses the me too movement and the way woman get labeled as promiscuous and a tease. The way women are used almost as cattle and the way they get taken advantage of professionally and personally. By the end of the book, Effy has become such a strong main character and isn’t afraid to stand up for herself.

I will say, this is very light academic rivals to lovers. Preston and Effy hadn’t met until a chapter or two in and are really only rivals for a chapter or two before teaming up together. Preston though I LOVED. He was such a great male character and I loved how he cared for Effy. Their banter was amazing and I loved their relationship and how it developed.

I genuinely cannot say how much I enjoyed this book. It was by far one of my favorite books i’ve ever read and I will definitely be purchasing a copy when it publishes to reread and annotate.

The perfect example of how a predictable story can make a reading experience better. I knew how this one would end from the first chapter, but it was thoroughly satisfying to go on the journey to get there.

What I liked:
- The critique of misogyny in academia was by far the highlight
- Rivals to lovers that feels mostly natural, especially on Effy's part
- The world is inspired by Wales and its cultural conflict with England

What I didn't like:
- I would've liked to explore Preston's heritage and life more. He's got the whole tragic backstory thing going, and I think he's a well-developed character, but I just wanted more.
- The sea as the enemy theme wasn't quite resolved

What I want Ava Reid to do next:
- Write Angharad
- Be bffs with Rebecca Ross (author of Divine Rivals) because same vibes

Would you like a book to tell you exactly what it would feel like for a woman in the institutional world of dark academia? The true under belly of just how unfortunate she’d be treated and viewed. Of the world we’re perceived in and how the world perceives us in return. A Study in Drowning does just this. The sharp parchment and rolled scrolls of this is no where near as pertinent as the house on a cliff with a girl just trying to survive vibes. Showing us bravery is more than picking up your armor and marching to battle. Our main character Effy is a uniquely serene and soft girl who is just trying to get by as best she can. That there’s a certain beauty to that way of survival. Sometimes it’s better to remain. Remain still. Remain running. Or remain hidden. I think the author did a spectacular job of giving us a book that shows such beauty in a antiqued world.

This is my first Ava Reid book but I can guarantee it won’t be my last. I pretty much knew from the first chapter that A Study in Drowning would be a 5 star read.

Between the characters, the lore and the vibes, I was 100% hooked.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order next year and will recommend it to students.