A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

4.5 ⭐️ / 5

This book got me in a choke hold. The premise was super interesting and the plot develops fast and steady while also keeping you guessing at every turn.

I wholeheartedly enjoyed the setting and the academic discussions the characters get into. The romance was a nice touch too. I adore Preston, I found him charming, endearing and very likable.

My only issue was with our girl Effy, she is just not the type of main character I enjoy. She got on my nerves throughout the whole book. Most of time I just wanted to shake her. That’s not to say that the author did a bad job on any instance. It truly is a testament to her writing style that I enjoyed the book as much as I did while at the same time being completely annoy by the leading character.

Overall a very recommended read for fans of dark academia, rivals to lovers, mysteries and gothic vibes.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid is a darkly atmospheric and artfully constructed treasure of a book. Having already adored the authors previous works I came into this one with high expectations that were mere than met. From world building to character development and pacing Ava Reid shows a masterful skill that ensured I would be running out to buy a physical copy the moment this tittle released. Fans of dark fantasy looking for a fairy tale like air will find themselves at home in this title.

"In her mind there was an even divide, a before and an after. Once she had been an ordinary, if imprudent, little girl. And then, in the span of a moment, she became something else. Or maybe she had always been wrong. A wicked fae creature from the unreal world, stranded unfairly in the real one."

I'm usually not a fan when an author's personal experiences or biases are apparent in a novel (which seems somewhat strange to say considering that an author's writing is an extension of them), but I felt that Ava Reid's added depth to her latest work. Part lore, part mystery, and an abundance of stunning prose, A STUDY IN DROWNING focuses on the effect lived experiences have on someone's psyche and mental health. Additionally, encapsulates the reverberating impact of literature on both an individual and societal level. I loved that Effy wasn't written as a traditional young adult protagonist; she didn't dive headfirst into danger to save the day. This didn't make her any less compelling, though, and her relationship with Preston was sweet and authentic.

"Cruel magic was the currency of the Fair Folk as they appeared in Myrddin’s books. She had read them all so many times that the logic of his world was layered over hers, like glossy tracing paper on top of the original."

If you can, read this one on a chilly, rainy day (even though Reid's writing is immersive on its own - I felt like I was standing on a crumbling cliffside next to an old decrepit house while reading). I'm so happy that the #fantasyfrenemies introduced me to Ava Reid via her debut novel in 2021 and that we've read each of her subsequent novels since. I didn't think it would be possible to surpass THE WOLF AND THE WOODSMAN, but A STUDY IN DROWNING did just that. Many thanks to Harper Teen for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

A Study in Drowning was truly a masterpiece. I don’t think read a book that demonstrates the strength, resilience and suffering women experience quite like this book.

Our MCs Effy and Preston embark on uncovering the truth about Effy’s most beloved author together. Their love story that develops amidst the mystery plot is beautiful, tender and vulnerable. It made me ache and cry. Effy is a survivor through and through but this book also demonstrated the power in having somebody believe you and fight for you. To me, the romance plot was very central to the story but I know that has not been others experience. It is not a typical “romance book” by any means.

UGH I could gush about this book forever. But I leave you with this quote for all my fellow book lovers who found solace in a book in the face of fear and anxiety- “I’ve read your book 100 times, maybe more. It was a friend when I didn’t have any. It saved me in more ways than I can count because I knew no matter how afraid I felt, I wasn’t truly alone.”

“I was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me.”

Wow, Ava Reid... I adored this!! This was one of my most anticipated fall reads and it delivered past my expectations. Effy was such a strong FMC and the overarching plot was powerful and well executed. Avas writing is so lyrical and poetic, which just settled the atmosphere of the dark academia vibes perfectly.

Read if you like:
-historical fantasy
-epic romantasy
-gothic vibes
-feminist topics
-rivals-to-lovers

“There was an intimacy to all violence, she supposed. The better you knew someone, the more terribly you could hurt them.”

Thank you Netgalley, Ava Reid and the publisher for an eARC.

I find Ava Reid is an author that I seem to feel subpar about. I thought her debut through the YA section might change that, but it still hasn't. I enjoyed her first book the Wolf and the Woodsman but also found something lacking. I didn't get enough emotional turmoil over it, and didn't feel anything over the characters. Reid has the tendency it seems to push her reader away from her characters and you are only watching and not feeling the emotions that the characters are going through.

Sadly this is a flop for me.

A Study In Drowning - Ava Reid

This is a tricky one to review for me.

On one hand, the beginning was rough to get into. The world building and character development were full of open ended questions and big holes. I kept looking back to see if I'd missed something because I really felt like I had. There was a point around 30% that I debated making this one a DNF. On the other hand, once the story got rolling and things fell into place, it ended up being richly atmospheric, loaded with lore and actually really mature in its story line. I'm glad the first 30% or so didn't turn me off.

Read if you like:
*Dark academic themes
*women rising up over men abusing power (Effy at the end was fire)
*spooky, gothic architecture
*rivals to lovers romance
*a bit of mystery added in for fun

So, I just finished "A Study in Drowning" and it’s not your typical dark academia or rivals-to-lovers story. If you're diving in expecting a school-centered drama or an intense love rivalry, you might be thrown off track.

This book? It’s deep. It’s more about the bond between a writer and their readers and how historically, women and their genius have often been overshadowed by men in positions of power. The magic is there, but it’s subtle and not the star of the show.

Our main character, Effy, embodies the spirit of survival, proving that one can possess both bravery and softness. She shows a very different strength than the characters you would normally find in a fantasy novel.

And the writing? Chef's kiss! So beautifully crafted. It felt like a slow burn in the best way possible, making me savor every page.

It's not a book for everyone, but for me? A solid 5-star read. If you're into layered tales that explore deeper themes beyond the superficial, this one's a gem. Just make sure to adjust your expectations and dive into its depths.

I wanted to like this book. I wanted to LOVE this book. Sadly, I did neither, and it felt a bit distanced and cold. Like many, I saw the 'twists' coming pretty far off, and that caused a huge rift between me and the MC.

I really enjoyed submerging myself in this wonderful fall read, and though I can't promise this review will be free of corny drowning-related puns, I can promise that if you're looking for an atmospheric read in an unsettling, seaswept manor with an academic rivalry that threatens the crumbling foundations of the perceived truth, look no further. A Study in Drowning follows Effy Sayre, an unwilling student of the architecture college in a university that bans women from enrolling to study literature, the most prized subject of her home country of Llyr.

So prized is literature that famous authors are interred in a museum as "Sleepers" that protect the land from the threat of Argant, their enemy country, and Emrys Myrddin, the author of her most beloved book, Angharad, has recently joined their number. What's more, a competition has opened to redesign the late author's manor in Southern Llyr, one she wins— but the task is even more daunting than expected, and between the dissolving cliffs, Emrys's overbearing and mysterious son Ianto, and the surprise addition of a stuffy student from the literature college there to prove Emrys Myrddin is a fraud, it's everything Effy can do to stay afloat.

This novel's strengths lie in its prose and atmosphere by far. I had a few things holding me back from a full 5-star, which I'll get to, but the magic of the Bottom Hundred seemed ingrained into the writing in a palpable shift from the university town of Caer-Isel to the sprawling, waterlogged Hiraeth manor. Even when I felt let down by some aspects, or was annoyed by certain characters, I still could not put the book down— and I think that's a bewitching in and of itself. I loved Angharad just as much as Effy at the end, and I find myself wondering if we'll ever be graced with the full story. The writing weaves into the atmosphere perfectly, and there is nothing quite as unsettling to me as water damage, a living rot that served the themes of the novel with regard to assault, power, and control well. In lighter aspects, I adored Preston and I thought his bond with Effy was very cute in a platonic sense. I sometimes felt Effy's affection for him was very "tell not show" and his own attraction seemed strangely progressive (more on that later), but overall, several scenes got me and I was not disappointed to see them together. Preston was also just my type, so he's got that going for him.

As for my disappointments with the book, I felt the worldbuilding was stretched thin insofar as the arbitrary relevance of certain details, namely the Llyrian-Argantian conflict that fuels much of Effy's initial animosity toward Preston. Listen, I also would hold a senseless animosity toward someone who checked out every single library book I wanted at once, but I felt her hating him for having a spot in the college she coveted would have been more believable than her xenophobia toward Argantians since it dropped so suddenly. I didn't feel a proper conclusion or acknowledgment of it, and on the whole, it seemed unnecessary. I also had an incredibly hard time placing the intended time period with the details & technology and ended up having to hear from other readers that it was meant to take place in the 1950s. That might be a purely me pet peeve, but it kept me from fully dipping into the beginning and I was only truly pulled under when Effy left for Hiraeth, since the countryside felt much more familiar to me.

I can see other aspects that might hold back others from loving this book, and while there are some others I agree with, overall I did enjoy this read and I'm looking forward to tackling Ava Reid's backlog as well as seeing what else she has in store for us as her talent grows. My final remark is that if like me, you're a fan of the overall vibe of A House of Salt and Sorrows, I would definitely recommend this.

This was a really fabulous novel full of dark academia vibes, a haunted house, and unpredictable moors. I was a bit confused by the set up of the plot but overall I think it worked in it's unreliability. Adding a literature component was compelling and Ava Reid's writing is so atmospheric and, at times, raw.

This is Ava Reid’s best work yet. I’m glad to see her branching into YA. Touching, heartbreaking, and deeply moving. An absolute treasure in the dark academia genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book!
This book was a slow burn for me. Took me a while to get into it but once I did, I was hooked. The two main characters were engaging and I loved their development. The twist at the end was well done. A perfect fall read!

Ava Reid does such an amazing job creating such magical worlds with such amazing characters. A Study in Drowning was such an immersive read with such amazing vibes!

Content warning: sexual assault

I got a little hung up on modern technologies like phones, cars, and mentions of watching TV yet the rest of this world feels like it should be pre-technology. Other than that, Hiraeth Manor is an interesting setting and I liked the dynamic between Effy and Preston.

Some details of the history of the drowning, the Fairy King, and Emrys Myrddin’s Angharad could have been explained further - I was a little lost at times within the plot. But overall this was an enjoyable read.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and HarperTeen in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

If you like gothic/dark academia vibes, this book may be for you! I loved the writing style and descriptiveness, there is a romance plot which I was also a fan of, and I flew through this book to try to understand everything that was going on as fast as possible.

As usual with Reid, this is beautifully written. Many aspects of the book are right up my alley. Perhaps I wish the leads had a little more chemistry but I still appreciate what we got.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins for the ARC of this spooky faerie story!

I loved Effy, she’s a good mix of strong and broken, willing to go for what she wants in some aspects but afraid of so much. The plot was interesting, as well as her interactions with other characters.

A smart, enchanting, and deep young/new adult fantasy novel featuring a young female protagonist struggling with the realities of patriarchal world in which men can be both kind and cruel. In her search for the truth Effy finds that she is more strong then she knows. Absolutely stunning!

I would give A Study in Drowning 3.5 stars, but am rounding up to 4. I did really enjoy reading this story. The atmospheric elements were well written and drew me into the world. I could feel the cliff crumbling into the sea. I also enjoyed Effy's character development and Preston's presence as a tool to exemplify that. I will echo some reviews that suggest the ending fell a bit flat. At the start of the end, so to speak, I was on the edge of my seat. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. But then it felt as though it all ended rather abruptly and the resolution was too simple, too easy. All in all I did enjoy it, and I would recommend it to readers looking for a moody, stormy, tale with a shifting reality.