Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars. I loved this so much. I’m so obsessed with anything that has to do with fairies and fae lore, and my favorite movie is Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, so a book about a girl getting pursued by the fairy king was bound to catch my attention.

Effie Sayre, a first year architecture student, is chosen to redesign the manor that belonged to the late Emrys Myrdden, her favorite author. Angharad, his book about a girl who is taken by the fairy king and then defeats him, has been a comfort to Effie her whole life. When she gets to the cliff side house, she realizes that it’s a much more formidable job than she expected. It’s falling apart, and the sea is quickly threatening to swallow it up. She also learns that there’s another student from her university there, a smug boy name Preston Héloury, hoping to find proof that Myrdden is a fraud. But there’s something dark happening at this crumbling house by the sea, and the two will have to work together if they want to avoid drowning. Because the sea is not the only enemy they’re facing.

One thing that I loved about the story was that Ava Reid did such a good job of creating a fleshed-out fictional universe that still has so many parallels to our own. The rules of fairies in Llyr are the same rules you hear told in Celtic folklore, and their technology is similar to ours in the 1920s or 30s. Unfortunately, Effy’s world shares some of the nastier aspects of ours as well, including sexism. In fact, that’s really what this story is about; women and the men who want to have power over them.

Effy was such a good main character, flawed but relatable so many ways. As the first woman in the architectural college, she faced formidable misogyny from students and faculty. She second-guessed herself constantly, but she also knew deep down that she had the strength and capabilities that everyone in her life had done their best to gaslight her out of. We’ve all felt like we weren’t good enough at times, and I don’t know one woman who hasn’t experienced sexism. Preston, the love interest, was also amazing, as her support and as a fully developed character with flaws and trauma of his own.

The only issue I had with the book was that a very important climactic scene (that I won’t spoil here, except to say that it involved a glass shard) felt a little rushed. I would have liked more time spent in that moment. But other than that, I really loved A Study in Drowning.

A Study In Drowning is such a gem of a book. Dark academia with academic rivals, sat in a creepy seaside town within a crumbling house. It reads almost fairytale-esque. Effy, the main character, is such a complex character, she shows there is strength in softness that continues to develop as the story goes on. At the core of the story is sexism in academics, the different ways, your voice can be taken from you, and who gets to decide what a story really means. Ava Reid wastes no words. There were so many good quotes within this book. It’s one of those stories that you could read over and over again, and still discover something new.

Effy wins a grant to help redesign the home of her favorite author, but she is going to uncover far more layers to his origin story. As she traverses a new location, half lies, and a fight with history, Effy carries readers through a convoluted tale that needs to be undone in order for the truth to surface.

As a character, Effy is fine. She has a tough exterior, but is still emotional and kind--and the balance of her emotions make her a likeable MC. Her counterpart, Preston, is a little harder to read, and it keeps the reader wondering which side he'll end up on. The slew of ancillary characters all have unique features that add intrigue to the story as well, but they're clearly secondary to the story.

The writing for this one worked for me. It was fluid and detailed, highlighting emotion without making female emotions the sole focus.

Overall: 4 stars

I'll tell my students about: sexual assault, language, alcohol, death, mental health/trauma

**Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the free DRC. All opinions expressed are my own.**

Beautiful heartbreaking tale of a young girl discovering herself. I resonated with this one so much, as I think most woman would. I found the writing to be beautiful and the entire arc of the story to be so intriguing.

This is my second Ava Reid and she is now an automatic buy for me.

Love love loved this one

This is probably my favorite book I’ve read all year. I am preordering a copy but I hope a special edition comes out in a book box. I can’t wait to see what Ava Reid comes out with next. I love her complex characters, interesting and unique but somehow familiar settings, and themes. Ava Reid is especially talented at crafting female characters that are real and relatable — a nontoxic girl boss. She also has the best male main characters built for the female gaze. I will continue to read everything this author writes because it is a delight each time.

Wow. I just finished A Study in Drowning, and honestly, I know I should sit with my thoughts before penning a review, but I cannot. This story is a deep dive into so many societal issues. Most glaringly obvious is sexism within academia. It is tragic, raw, and beautiful at times. A must-read for lovers of fantasy, academic rivals to lovers, spellbinding prose, and/or stories that will stay with you long after you have finished them.

A Study in Drowning is a Young Adult novel following Effy Sayer as she embarks on a journey to redesign Hiraeth manor: the home of her favorite Lyrian author, Emrys Myrddin. This challenge turns out to be much more difficult than Effy first believes. Myrddin is famous for writing Angharad, a novel about the Fairy King. Effy has been haunted with nightmares and visions of the Fairy King since she was a child. She studies architecture, but her dream is to attend the literature college. At Hiraeth manor she meets a pedantic literature scholar named Preston Hèloury who is studying Myrddin’s legacy. The novel is set in a creepy gothic mansion that is quickly being taken over by rising sea levels. It encloses the themes of multiple gneres that will certainly make you shiver.
Throughout the book, Reid creates some very intriguing characters. First and foremost, Effy Sayre is a girl trying to find her way in the world, she is often made to believe by people that she attracts the wrong kind of attention, which is somehow her fault. Ever since her childhood she has had hallucinations of the Fairy King but everyone keeps telling her that her visions of Fairy King are most certainly fake. To succor her from her visions she takes medication to differentiate between what’s real and fake. Preston Hèloury, the literature scholar, a very likable character, who in the midst of vicious, misogynistic men is the only male character that supports female empowerment. Effy and Preston’s relationship is rather sweet to read about. They bring out the best parts of each other and their banter is really entertaining.

Through descriptive writing, A Study In Drowning brings to life a fantastic world, terrifying mythical creatures like the Fairy King and unique characters like Angharad who help Effy explore her own power, the author is able to reach through the pages to speak to many women throughout time. This book shows the experience of being a woman: barred from rights, belittled, and forced into specific boxes that often do not include their own dreams or aspirations. The author creates a fantasy world that reflects real world problems. In a world where men are allowed to take advantage of women, several powerful men make Effy feel powerless.
This book does an amazing job of portraying sexism in academia. Since the narrator is a woman, she isn’t allowed to study the subject she is the best qualified for. Women are considered to be too frivolous and aren’t allowed to pursue their dreams. Effy also faces ridicule and harassment for being the only woman at the architecture college as they spread false rumors that she is a "temptress" who slept with her professor. At the end of the book, Effy has to fight to include her name on their thesis alongside Preston.
The narrative follows her internal journey to self acceptance until she eventually breaks free from her chains and speaks up for herself and others. It explores the power of stories and their effect on the world, as well as the reality of truth. Throughout the book, Preston emphasizes the importance of discovering “objective truth" as he investigates the author of Angharad. A lack of female stories is used to prove that women are too "foolish" to write well, which the school uses as a justification to bar women from entering. Through the characters, the book highlights the support women can give to each other. Effy has always struggled to believe in herself due to the pressures of her society and the people around her, but throughout the book with the help of Angharad she learns to value her thoughts and

expression. Though she did not want to be an architect, the storyline follows Effy’s march toward understanding as she tries to redesign her own world facing the light.
I love Reid’s writing style; A Study in Drowning is beautifully written with vivid descriptions, absorbing us into the world. For instance, “Hot, indignant tears pricked at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.” shows how Reid captures Effy’s emotion. She uses a wide range of vocabulary, but instead of it making it harder to read, it brings you further into the story and the world that Reid clearly took much time to build. The way the narrator describes things often is tied to water or the sea in some way, which is very prominent in the story. At one point Effy describes, “Her hair drifted out around her head like pale flotsam” (Reid 207). Initially, the book is slow paced but it soon picks up as the main characters begin untangling the mystery, making the story enthralling.
This narrative also explores the duality of water— a parallel to Effy’s very name as Euphemia means both sorrow and strength. Effy and Preston discuss how the sea is described in Myrddin’s works and water is often seen as an enemy. A line from a poem by Myrddin that is quoted throughout the book is “The only enemy is the sea.” The sea is used as a metaphor for death itself. You can really dig deep into the metaphors and meaning of language used in this book, but it can also be appreciated at face value. I think it is a sign of a really good writer if their work can be mulled over while also just being appreciated for what it is.
The slow beginning speeds into a fast-paced rhythm of mystery and character development that keeps the reader hooked. Although the ending wasn’t shocking, the intriguing nature of the world and characters were more than enough to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Overall, the writer did an astounding job with the writing, dealing with important topics like institutional sexism, mental health issues, sexual assault. It’s a dark academia novel packed with mystery, enemies to lovers romance and a powerful feminist vibe to it. Reading this book on a stormy day by the sea would be the perfect way to fully appreciate it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’ll be honest, I liked The Wolf and the Woodsmen and I didn’t really like Juniper and Thorn. But A Study in Drowning? Checks ALL my boxes! A dark academia romantic fantasy set in a crumbling gothic seaside mansion with feminine rage with a healthy dose of social commentary.

I adored this book! I felt like the world-building was easily digestible and the descriptions of the setting were stunning. @avasreid does a spectacular job building her worlds from the ground up with downright gorgeous imagery.

The characters were complex and you got to understand their intentions as the story progressed and they developed. I felt like the romance was paced well and felt believable. The overall plot pacing was great, the story was engaging throughout and I literally did not want to put it down! Another book I can truthfully say that I read all in one night.

If you’re looking for a gothic dark academia romantic fantasy with a bit of mystery, then this book comes out September 19th!

This book has it all. Mystery, magic, romance. The world-building is superb, fully immersing you into the story. I read this in an afternoon; unable to put it down. Highly recommend for fantasy lovers!

(Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc!)

4.5/5 ! A Study in Drowning was on par with Juniper & Thorn for me, a little less tight of a story, but more twisty and literary. It really had the bones of an academic paper about institutional sexism, coercion, fantasy, abuse, academia, imagination, the death of the author, and the suppression of women's creative power, but was fleshed out with a mystery, a love story, and a fairy tale. I kind of felt like these ideas were so thoughtfully engaged with that the plot and characters fell a little by the wayside at times. Which was okay-- there was more than enough going on to distract me. I can't wait to reread when it's out in print.

"And to Zelda: I remember you. I believe you." (sobbing into my soup)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced review copy.

I have wanted to read an Ava Reid book for a long time, and I am so glad to have finally read my first. This book was so good. To start, I loved the atmosphere of this book. It largely takes place in a secluded and crumbling seaside estate, and I loved the descriptions of the house that was falling to ruin. Everything was tinged with a bit of mystery and was slightly spooky, as folktales and myth were blended with reality. Additionally, I really enjoyed the dark academia vibes, as Effy and Preston work on research and theorize about literature. Effy and Preston were great characters to follow. I loved both of them individually, but I really loved their dynamic and how it grew from their banter and jabs at one another at the beginning. Additionally, this story handled many important topics, including mental illness, neglect and abuse, and the power of stories. Overall, this book was so immersive and had me desperate to know the truth of the mystery. I really enjoyed this book so much, and I can’t wait to Reid more from Ava Reid.

I am not going to lie, I didn’t love this book when I first started it. But, I was drawn into the story. There is an unsettling event that the MC alludes to but doesn’t describe but it was enough to leave me feeling icky. However, as I kept reading, I discovered it was written with a purpose.

Something I did love was the way this story straddles the line of supernatural and madness. It was very Edgar Allen Poe in that regard and I loved that element.

I also really enjoyed the academia vibes despite being taken out of a collegiate setting early on in the book.

Overall, this book really grew on me and ended up being a story that really resonated with me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Part Dark Academia, part Gothic Romance.
I have very mixed feelings about A Study in Drowning. While I loved the two main characters, Effy and Preston, and their gothic, slow-burning romance. The world-building of A Study in Drowning is murky at best. Throughout the story, I always felt slightly confused as to the mythology of the world and if magic was real? Even with the unclear world-building, I did enjoy the story as a whole. Effy is given the opportunity to redesign her favorite, and recently deceased, author's estate but upon arrival quickly realizes that something dark lurks beneath the surface of the house. Preston Héloury is researching the author's life, and attempting to uncover secrets about his most beloved work, Angharad. Like every great Gothic story, Hiraeth Manor is just as important of a character as Effy is. Ava Reid does an excellent job at describing just how decrepit and haunting Hiraeth is, to the point that you can almost smell the sea slowly filling the house.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harperteen for providing me with an ARC .

As always, Ava Reid’s prose is just utterly breathtaking!! This story was so uniquely crafted and had such an interesting plot. I loved the characters and the way Reid crafted such a detailed setting. Like in her other novels, Reid makes you feel like you’re living and breathing the atmosphere of the novel.

While I didn’t enjoy this one as much as her previous works, I would say that anyone that’s a fan of Ava Reid would love this new release!

I had to sit on this review for a few days (like, two weeks actually) because this book was so incredibly meaningful to me. I went into this a little unsure, because the beginning just felt a bit slow to me. But I realized that the slow beginning was necessary for the incredible build up we got in the end.

I have anxiety, and I am often second-guessing myself because I simply can't be true. Other people are more right than me, so I should listen to them instead. If a situation is wrong in the beginning, it must've been a terrible decision I made and I should just give up right then. Effy felt so very relatable in all of these moments, and it made my heart break for both her and younger me.

The journey she went through to accept herself, her flaws, and her situation was a delight to watch (if incredibly difficult at the same time). The sexual harassment was very poignant and hard to read, but necessary, as it's a terrible reality for so many young women.

Overall, my favorite quote of the book that I can't stop thinking about was actually a chapter header, from Angharad.

What wisdom do you want from a death-marked girl? I can say only this: in the end I learned that the water was in me. It was a ghost that could not be exorcised. But a guest, even uninvited, must be attended to. You make up a bed for them. You pour from your best bottle of wine. If you can learn to love that which despises you, that which terrifies you, you can dance on the shore and play in the waves again, like you did when you were young. Before the ocean is friend or foe, it simply is. And so are you.

I didn't think I would cry, but I'm crying again just re-reading that snippet. Thank you so much for the review copy, and the book as a whole.

"A Study in Drowning" is a remarkable and multifaceted novel that delves into profound themes of institutional sexism, ownership of narratives, and the struggle to reclaim one's voice. This dark academia tale of mystery and romance takes place in a decaying old house perched on a cliff, skillfully interweaving religious folklore and academic agnosticism. As readers journey through this narrative, they will be compelled to question perceptions of reality and grapple with the uncertainties of truth and belief.

At the heart of this captivating story is Effy Sayre, the main character who defies stereotypes and showcases the strength found in softness. Effy's relatability and authenticity make her a truly remarkable protagonist. She represents the anxiety-filled individuals, the ones who rehearse their Starbucks orders in line and often find their fight-or-flight response leaning heavily towards flight for survival. Effy's journey highlights that survival itself is an act of bravery, and her character demonstrates that there is strength in vulnerability. She isn't a flawless heroine with all the answers, but her flaws make her genuine and allow room for meaningful growth.

From the very beginning, it was clear that "A Study in Drowning" would not be a book I could simply approach with indifference. Effy captured my heart, and her story resonated deeply with me. I felt a genuine connection to her, as she represented aspects of my own experiences. This novel holds a special place in my heart, alongside other impactful books like VE Schwab's "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue" and John Green's "Turtles All the Way Down." The personal nature of this story elevates an already fantastic book, making it an exceptional reading experience.

The power of stories is a central theme explored within the narrative, and the author's ability to capture emotions and evoke empathy is a testament to their skill. The quote, "This is the way it feels to me. Can you understand what I'm saying? Does it feel this way to you?" reflects the connection between the characters and readers themselves. Like a ship on the horizon, I signal back that this story resonates deeply with me. The authenticity and personal touch embedded in the writing create a sense of shared understanding and leave an indelible mark on the reader.

In conclusion, "A Study in Drowning" is a beautifully crafted novel that tackles complex themes of identity, strength, and the transformative power of stories. It successfully combines elements of mystery, romance, and dark academia to create an enthralling narrative. Effy Sayre is a protagonist who will capture your heart and inspire you with her resilience. With its profound impact and ability to evoke strong emotions, this book deserves five stars and will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression on all who delve into its pages.

A Study in Drowning is a lush, claustrophobic gothic romance with a fairy tale for its heart that follows Effy, an architecture student who dreams of being admitted into the mens-only literature college at her university, as she attempts to design an impossible manor house for the son of her literary idol, Myrddin, alongside Preston, a literature student who has made it his academic mission to prove Myrddin's authorship of his most famous text a sham.

While A Study in Drowning is compelling, the novel has a deep paucity of worldbuilding that makes the foundation of the story truly precarious. Reid has painted a thin veneer of second-world fantasy over a pastiche of late 1950's Ireland and Wales. The central figure of the recently deceased Myrddin is part Lord Dunsany, part Kennith Morris, and The Drowning is an obvious parallel to the Great Hunger. So little worldbuilding exists to prop up the novel, with no mention is made of the world outside the tiny countries of Llyr and Argant, that the reader is left to paint in the gaps with whatever they imagine know of Welsh cliffsides and tiny Irish fishing towns. It honestly felt like Reid initially planned to set the story in Ireland or possibly Wales, but shifted gears when it became clear that she didn't have either the historical background or the inclination to deal with the ramifications of writing a story that tears down the legacy of a beloved Welsh or Irish author, even a fictional one.

In addition, the fairy tale logic of A Study in Drowning was deeply inconsistent. Selkies are established fact, if hunted to extinction, but believing in The Fairy King is a Southern superstition. The pills doctors prescribe work perfectly well to keep the fair folk away, but no right-thinking physician believes them to be anything but hallucinations. If this had more of a grounding in an actual time period, perhaps these inconsistencies could have been smoothed over or ignored, but in a completely second-world setting, with so few details to be found anywhere, they stood out like burrs, catching my imagination in an unpleasant way.

Ultimately, I was unable to enjoy A Study in Drowning because of these issues, which is a shame, because the gothic romance at its heart was something I really did want to love.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the eARC of A Study in Drowning, provided in exchange for an honest review.

A Study in Drowning was absolutely fantastic! Ava Reid wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

I LOVED this book!! I only docked it a little bit of points because it did feel a little predictable at times. This was my first read by Ava Reid. I fell in love with Effy and her character through the book, and I feel like she would be relatable for a lot of people. I loved the mystery in the book and the setting, it was quite different than any book I have ever read. Definitely recommend! I can’t wait to read more by this author!!

Admittedly I was kind of torn between a 4 star and a 5 star, but the climax and ending made up for the slower parts that lost me in the very beginning.

At first I really didn’t care for the story because it felt like there was so much being thrown at me at once. This is the first Ava Reid I have read and I must say she is very good at painting a picture, but sometimes the details made pages feel tedious or sequences in general. Overall, I did end up enjoying it! It just took me a moment to get used to the writing style.

Also this book being categorized as YA seems odd to me and doesn’t feel right? But I guess I can understand it.