A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Product Details
Web ID: 17302177A Dark Fairytale
Based on the blurb on the inside cover, I was not 100% sure I would like this book. Seemed interesting but nothing stood out at me. I am so happy that I decided to read it! Borrowed it from the library and I'll definitely be buying it for my collection. The FMC is so relatable and the point of view is so important. The fantasy and romance beautifully etched into this story, gave me everything I wanted in a book without taking away from the main focal points. I cannot wait for the second book to come!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Dark Fantasy & Mystery
The main takeaway is that this is an overall enjoyable read. It started out slow for me with the world building being rushed for how complicated it was. I had to reread a few sections to fully comprehend it. However it isn't really major to the story if you don't get every little detail. I wish there was more character development. I didn't like the main character at all through the first half of the book but when she started to get the know the main male love interest and stopped being such a jerk then she was way more tolerable and I wish we had more of the them just interacting together. (Maybe we will get a sequel :) ) I did like that it didn't follow the normal tropes, it was pretty predictable but the story itself is so unique that you really don't mind. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised and definitely think it's worth a read!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
The Bravery of Survival
When picking up my second novel by Ava Reid I knew to expect stunning prose, gothic world building, and a harsh look at how the world treats women. What I was not expecting was to have a story about the beauty and bravery of survival make me sob on my break at work. A Study in Drowning is an ephemeral, gothic leaning, fantasy novel rooted in Welsh and Celtic mythology and the realities of being a young woman in a world that sees your only value as your desirability. Effy is a soft soul who has been hate, used, and treated badly by those in her life that should have protected and supported her, and it has left her scared and running from the world. However, she finds escape in her favorite authors novel t such a degree that when a chance to work on the house is provided to her, she runs for it. However, upon arriving at the house she discovers that much like her it is drowning slowly under its own past. When reading this I expected a novel that would have an enticing story and instead received a commentary on so much about both how the world sees women, and how men in places of power abuse them. This book gave a head on look into sexism that women face daily, and showcased how fighting it often feels like drowning under the impossibility of escaping it. The prose and world building swept me away into a world of dark fantasy that felt real and slimy, and tinged with salt. This novel touches on sexual abuse, parental abuse and neglect, and death, please make sure to at least glance at the trigger warnings if you have issues with any of these subjects prior to picking up this novel.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great world, meh characters
A mystery set in a lush world filled with myth and mystery. The story centers around the origins of a story that became of touchstone of the culture while remaining a bit of mystery in terms of origin and meaning. I struggled a bit with the pacing that came in stops and starts. I also didn't love the characters or find them particularly compelling which again, made me struggle a bit. I have seen a lot of positive reviews though so maybe it was a me problem 🤷‍♀️ I did really like the world the story is set in and the damp creepy manor at the edge of the world.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
3/5đźŚ
Beginning of this book was a little rough. World building was a bit confusing at the start but once that was over, I was hooked. Middle was faster paced and action packed. As far as romance, it was a slow burn. I really enjoyed the male main character, more so than the female. All in all, 3/5 stars.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Gothic Fantasy at It's Core
Sorry I am late on this review! The holidays, goal setting and working on my 2024 book journal have set me back a bit. I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me of Starling House (gothic fantasy). I am not going to lie but it took me a minute to get into it but once I did, I couldn't put it down. Effy has always been into fairytales. Her own fairytale is that she wants to be the only woman in the literature department of her college. In the meantime though, she has entered a contest to be able to redesign her favorite author's house (Emrys Myrddin) which is far far away from the problems that she is experiencing at school. Low and behold, she gets selected and decides to do it. She finds herself on a literal cliff with the assignment to rebuild this house to be able to survive another "drowning" if it happens. In the meantime, she meets Preston. Preston who is in the literature college. Preston who is from the other side of the war that is threatening to happen. Preston who recruits her to help him learn more about their author. Preston seems to think there is no way that he wrote the Fairy King. Effy wants to prove that he did. So they set out on a quest of sorts and find themselves liking each other more and more. We learn more about Effy's past and where she got her name. We meet the literal Fairy King and learn more about Emrys' past. Everything comes to a head and both Effy and Preston get what they want in the end. I liked the build up. I liked the prose and the incorporation of the Fairy King the story. It was whimsical and sad and tragic and GOOD. Like I said, this one took me a minute to get into but when I did it paid off. I highly recommend this one if you haven't already picked it up!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Absolutely GORGEOUS
Tied for first place as my favorite read of 2023. This is my first book of Ava Reid's, and I was immediately enraptured by her writing (I may or may not have finished it in a day and a half!) The prose is stunning and atmospheric, and so immersive that you feel like you are there. While on the surface a gothic fantasy / mystery / romance, Reid utilizes the genre to also illuminate the topics of sexism, misogyny, and mental health. She does so in a deft manner that is not at all abrasive or in-your-face. I wish I could go back and read it for the first time; this book is so special. My only "complaint" is that it is a standalone and that we don't get to spend more time in this world.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
One of my faves this year
Thank you NetGalley and HarperAudio for approving my request for the A Study in Drowning audiobook! I have been a huge fan of Ava Reid since The Wolf and the Woodsman, and as she publishes, her books get better from last to next–not to downplay how much I love TWATW or Juniper and Thorn, because those are two of my favorite books, but ASID’s dark academia vibes and academic rivals to lovers trope literally checked every box for me! This book is about recovering from SA, never meeting your heroes, and suppressing women as intellectuals and artists, with allusions to Anti Stratfordian theory. What’s amazing is, after having read the book and discovering these themes, I read some notes from Reid on her ideas for the book, and she confirmed all of my impressions, which tells me that Reid is a master at weaving motifs into the matter of her fiction–which I did honestly already know from reading her other books and then learning her thoughts behind those. She is truly a machine of thought-provoking talent. Despite ASID’s heavier themes, this book ultimately left me with such good feelings, from the dark academia tone to the romance, and finally with the female connection and empowerment in the end. Being aware of the SA TW, I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys these tropes and is looking for the perfect fall read, or seaside read, or good book in general!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com