This book was very slow paced. It’s set as a story within a story and those are very fine lines to walk because if that inner story is dull then the entire book will as well. Sadly, I could not connect with the fantasy story that was going on within to enjoy the book. Now the book is well written and the characters likeable, so this could very well be up someone else’s jibe.

This is Ava Reid’s best work, which says a lot, because Wolf and Juniper are hard to beat. They just keep getting better and better.

Drowning is a sweeping story full of mystery and romance, with a main character who is captivating and interesting to read from beginning to end. Effy is a character we can understand and root for, and she’s a character many readers can see pieces of themselves in. I will always trust Ava to write about themes of SA and cohesion. Their stories are raw and honest—Drowning is no exception. Seeing Effy come to terms with what happened to her and letting it go, taking back control of herself, is beautiful.

My only critique here is that Drowning does not feel like YA. This belongs on a shelf beside Wolf and Juniper. There’s nothing inappropriate for a teen reader, but it’s pretty dense and ambiguous for YA. Effy is 19 or 20? She’s in college. The vocabulary is more advanced than what is typically found in YA, and the plot is probably too slow to maintain the average teen reader’s interest. I love a slow burning, character driven novel, but I find myself a bit frustrated with Drowning because it is slim pickings for YA books that are actually written for teens. I have no doubt Drowning will do very well and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it in at least one book box, and while I love this book and want it to succeed, that is also a bummer because it will take up space where YA written for teens could be.

*4.5 stars*

part horror, part fantasy and part romance, Ava Reid’s “A Study in Drowning” is an immersive, nuanced story about monsters that hide in plain sight — and the ways power is reclaimed despite them.

*thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.*

This fascinating gothic mansion/haunted house theme has a twisty mystery and powerful feminist vibes! The horror, mystery, enemies-to-lovers romance, paranormal, and psychological thriller genres are perfectly blended at the same portal. The riveting mystery makes you guess until the end as the spine-tingling, eerie, drowning house pushes you to hide under blankets. You're drawn into the unreliable narration of the traumatized heroine and complex storytelling. But this book is more than a dark academia, paranormal fantasy, or bone-chilling horror novel! This is also a thought-provoking, bold, profound, and empowering story about women with #MeToo movement representation. That's what makes it unique, brave, and more powerful! I devoured it in a few hours! The execution of the story was well-crafted. The myths, folklore, urban legend parts, and shocking, challenging backstory make the book extra captivating and unputdownable!

The story revolves around young Effy Sayre, who is delicate and dealing with hallucinations of the Fairy King since her childhood. She is the only woman student in the architecture department, even though she dreamed of focusing her studies on literature: she can recite the entire words of Emrys Myrddin's Angharad. She is socially outcasted after rumors about her involvement with her adviser professor. She is so close to getting dropped from the faculty, failing from classes, and her neglectful, alcoholic mother has no intention of doing anything with her. Her favorite author, Myrddin's death, also affected her deeply. The book he has written is the only thing that can empower her to fight against her nighttime terrors.

When she applied with her project to redesign Myrddin's estate, Hiraeth Manor, which resides in a very dangerous part of the country, she didn't expect to be chosen for this impossible task. But she gets an invitation telling her that all of her expenses will be covered for six weeks, including her travel fees.

When she arrives at the dilapidated house, which is hardly affected by the last drowning and crumbling into pieces, she not only meets Myrddin's eccentric son, but she also finds out that a literature scholar, Preston Heloury, also works with the letters and manuscripts of the late author with a secret agenda.

He rubs her the wrong way because this condescending, stubborn, pragmatic boy is a literature scholar even though he's Argentinean, while she was rejected from the same faculty because she's female! When she finds out Preston is conducting a secret investigation to prove that Myrddin is a fraud because there are inconsistencies with his signature on the letters written for the publisher, and he didn't have a background as an uneducated fisherman's boy to write an epic masterpiece, Effy becomes livid.

But Effy's nightmares about the Fairy King increase. The awkward manners of Myrddin's son, the ill widow who is locked in her room they didn't see, and the secret passages of the manor increase her suspicions as well. She teams up with Preston to find out the truth about the manor and Myrddin, not only for her curiosity but also to end her misery about her biggest childhood mystery!

Overall, this book is scary, ominous, intense, moving, bold, and one of the best reads I've had lately!

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books/HarperTeen for sharing this amazing book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Ava Reid writes for people like me— for the girls nobody believed. Her prose is beautiful, as always, and her characters are deeply compelling. This is a wonderful addition to the YA genre and I know countless people will feel seen by it.

3.5-4 stars
TW: SA, child neglect, violence, attempted murder, sexual harassment, bullying, rape culture, misogyny, sexism & mental illness.

I truly appreciate how this book was whimsical & philosophical.
Many young adults or teens are not given a chance or the benefit of the doubt that they can grasp any denser form of literature without the need for it to be thoroughly explained. Yet at the same time, they are expected to know this for university/college. So they are basically & constantly dealt a double edge sword.

I think this book does an excellent job of backhanding that thought. And respects the reader.

I don't think this book is entirely for me. y enjoyed it, but it was not what I was expecting.
This book has layers that paint a picture of a misogynistic society that would rather silence a woman and sell her as stock than give her a voice. We see this happen in the book with our main character and others. The sexualisation of women, young girls/children that is accepted is another disgusting layer too. The author doesn't do anything but make us take a hard look at the realities we have in our world as we explore this fictional one.

Every story has a heart in reality, and eacfactty holds a sense of fiction, and this book "A Study in Drowning" proves that.

Ava Reid does it again. I fell in love with her dark, fantasy storytelling in her adult novels, but her YA debut really solidified her as a favorite author for me. This book completely transports you and grabs you from the very first page. I loved the characters and the story and everything about this. If you enjoy dark academia, fantasy, beautiful writing, books about books, and a little bit of romance, you will love this book.

Ava Reid has this way of drawing you in within the first paragraph. The atmosphere of each of their books makes you feel like you are within the pages with the characters. A study in drowning was so vivid and filled with mystery, romance, and gothic horror. I’m in awe of Reid’s writing and will continue to read anything they write.

I adored this book just as I have adored all of Ava Reid’s books. This solidifies her as one of my favorite authors of all time. 10/10 stars from me. I am so grateful I got to read this book before it is released.

This book made me feel so many things. It was lyrical, eerily beautiful, captivating, clever and stunning. The world building was astounding, the gothic dark academia vibes were impeccable and our cast of characters hold a very special place in my heart. Ava Reid hasn't failed me yet.

It’s moments like these, having finished what I think is most likely going to be one of my favorite books of the year, that I wish I had better capacity to put into words how I feel and what I think. At least to be able to do so adequately and eloquently. Alas, I am but a mere humble girl who’s greatest talent is in fact, NOT writing, so I have no choice but to simply just say WOWOWOWOWOWOOWOWW and hope it encompasses my thoughts enough to convey that this book has moved me and impacted me and made me want to do a reread right away. I hope it encompasses the fact that I’m still reeling and lying here (in bed, writing this from my phone) thinking about the beautiful gothic imagery. That I thought the writing was absolutely stunning, lyrical, atmospheric and clever and the world felt SO REAL. That it made me want to write an essay (a thesis?) on all the parallels and allusions between so many aspects of the story. Especially about women and how they’re so easily dismissed. On all of the juxtapositions between Preston and the Fairy King and about the Fairy King being a reflection of all the nasty predatory men. And about the use of mirrors. And the use of the sea and water to portray grief and love and terror and death (or dying as one Preston Heloury would say). My only wish tonight is that my simple ‘wow’ translates perfectly to mean that this book was meant for me and that it’s stunning and beautiful and I will be undeniably devoted to it for the foreseeable future. Wow.



Goes without saying that I’m absolutely thankful to NetGalley and Harpercollins/Harperteen for the advanced reader copy!

Very Crimson Peak Dark Academia vibes. World building was really interesting. Had kind of a hard time figuring out the when of it all? First I assumed Victorian or turn of the century because of the vibes and general sexism, but then there was talk of phones and stuff so I think it’s meant to be modern? Called the “twist” from a mile away, but it was still a satisfying build up and reveal. Definitely recommend!
As an educator, I likely wouldn't recommend it to my high school students. I might to seniors, but it has some pretty mature themes and the MC is in her first year of university, so it might be a little too adult for younger teens.

It is a rare thing to come across a book that perfectly captures a moment in your life let alone an entire event that you experienced including every thought and emotion you felt. Ava Reid has done exactly that. The things Effy, the main character, goes through are so relatable to so many of us, filling us with levels of frustration, sadness, pride and contentment at various times throughout the book. Ava Reid was able to take these horrible experiences that so many people have had and make them universally horrifying by adding a layer of fantasy and folklore with a villain that could only exist in the nightmares of children, thus making it understandable to the rest of the world. This is a rare talent.

Ava Reid’s writing style is absolutely beautiful. They find the perfect balance of making you see every detail and feel every sensation without weighing the story down with unnecessary information.

Once again, they also did a wonderful job of including a rich world of mythology, this time borrowing ideas from Irish folklore, which I love. Ava Reid never seems to forget to build the mythology throughout each book they write so the reader is never lost.

I am so honored to have received an advanced reader’s copy of this book and absolutely will be preordering. Ava Reid has become an automatic preorder author for me, but especially this book in particular because they gave us the ending we all wish we had.

4✰ // atmospheric, immersive, and captivating. A Study in Drowning is a perfect read for fans of fantasy, dark academia, and stories that feature a mysterious seaside home where your academic rival happens to be conducting research. though the book is considered YA, it definitely touches on heavier topics and features darker undertones. therefore, i believe this story is one that can be enjoyed by a spectrum of readers of various ages, far beyond young adults alone. the story was the perfect length and i devoured it in just a short few days. i would definitely recommend A Study in Drowning to readers that are looking for an enchanting story with beautifully haunting vibes.

thank you so much to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m gonna be honest, I really wanted to like this. It seemed right up my ally with a mystery, dark academia, and academic rivals to lovers. But the more I got into it, the more I just began to lose interest to the point where I was skimming. And unfortunately, I have to DNF this book at 60%.

There were a couple of things I DID like however. I really enjoyed the haunting and elegant atmosphere with paired really well with Reid’s writing style. And I really liked both Effy and Preston as I thought they were actually adorable. But the plot really wasn’t enough to hook me in and I read up to 200 pages before I had to call it quits.

I am willing to however finish this at a later date as I’ve heard many good things about this book. However, as for now, the book just didn’t capture my attention the way I wanted it to.

2.5/5 stars. Thank you to HarperTeen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was just as beautiful, impactful, and atmospheric as I've come to expect from Ava Reid. I really love Effy and Preston, and I definitely want to reread this book in the future. Highly recommend!

This was just as beautiful, impactful, and atmospheric as I've come to expect from Ava Reid. I really love Effy and Preston, and I definitely want to reread this book in the future. Highly recommend!

Ava Reid has such a gift for creating worlds. I want to crawl in them and live there, even though they are frequently a little dark and frightening. She's never afraid of the darkness of fairytales and I really appreciate it. A Study in Drowning was riveting. I loved the Welsh elements, and how atmospheric it was. I think I maybe could have done with a bit more magic, but I did enjoy how ambiguous she kept it until the end. Can't really have both more magic and still keep it ambiguous, so I'm happy overall. I want to read more in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. What first drew me in was the gorgeous cover.
The writing style was great, the plot and secrets hidden from reader of FMC really were interesting.
Tropes: dark academia, rivals to lovers, gothic mystery,
Unfortunately the rivals to lovers wasn’t done well at all, but the Chemistry!!!!!! Eeeek they had a pride & prejudice moment and a the cruel prince moment!!!!
He was protective of her but he was way too cinnamon roll ugh
Honestly the romance could’ve been better, he was too shy

ava reid does! not! miss! both books i've read of their's have been put high on my all time favorites list and now this one can fill its spot on there! 'a study in drowning' fills all the boxes that a reader would be looking for in a read. there's dark academia, academic rivals to lovers, romance, mystery and so much more, this is truly a book that everyone will find something that'll hook them in! i was very interested in seeing how ava reid's writing style would feel within a YA setting and she did not disappoint! the writing was insanely atmospheric (as it always is), it flowed together perfectly and caught me feeling as if i was in the story myself. there were also some heavy topics that have been seen in her two adult fiction books, which i was also interested in seeing how they'd work within a YA book but they were written in so well. effy's character didn't feel like just a character in a book, but a real person which is something ava reid does really well in their books with their main characters. they feel real, their experiences are real and you can tell that ava reid puts their all into these MC's (which is something i will always appreciate in an author's work).