A Study in Drowning

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A Study in Drowning is technically Reid’s first foray into writing YA fiction, but nothing about this tale talks down to its audience. Instead, it takes big swings and wrestles with complex questions of agency and trauma, including references to ongoing sexual assault and emotional abuse. It also deftly explores the way that misogyny and sexism can influence history—from which stories and achievements are deemed worth telling to the ways our understanding of the past is often deliberately framed to exclude female agency and participation. And though there is more overt romance, it is firmly couched in the story of one particular young woman’s healing journey. this book has taken me over a month to finish, which is incredibly rare for me. i found this to be an odd book to review and rate, because from the perspective of a literature graduate with special interest in the Gothic in all its forms, this was layered and enthralling, clearly a lot of effort has gone into crafting this story. the gothic aspect was phenomenal, truly. but from a reader’s perspective? someone who just wants to sit and enjoy a book?

The estate of Llyr’s national author EMRYS MYRDDIN is soliciting designs for a manor home outside the late author’s hometown of Saltney, Bay of Nine Bells. A lyrical examination of stories told, cherished myths, and an unravelling of truths held dear. Darkly romantic and unsettlingly eerie. Erin A. CraigHis shoulder was pressed against her chest, their faces close enough that Effy could see the muscle feathering in his jaw." I love you.” Effy pressed her forehead against his. “I love you,” Preston said, voice wavering. “I’m so sorry it’s ruined us both.” and like Preston, Effy also felt quite distant (it’s probably why i didn’t care about the romance since both of them were boring). she didn’t feel all that distinct to me— the book is written from her perspective entirely but in third person, and while i think single third person POV can be done right, it wasn’t done right for me here. Effy doesn’t really have her own unique, distinct voice through the third person POV. she’s intentionally supposed to be a bit turbid due to the medication she takes and her past trauma, but it just made it difficult to latch onto something tangible about her that i could connect with and root for. i truly couldn’t have cared less about her :/ Two: She was the only female student at the architecture college, and she had placed higher than him in the entrance exam. She had scored high enough for the literature college, but they didn’t accept women, so she had settled for architecture: less prestigious, less interesting, and, as far as she was concerned, monumentally more difficult. Her mind didn’t work in straight lines and right angles. So when the opportunity arises for Effy to redesign Myrddin’s estate, she jumps at the job. But upon her arrival, all is not as expected: Hiraeth Manor is literally crumbling into the sea, and it's filled some mysterious and unsettling inhabitants. Effy finds herself living amongst Ianto Myrddin, Myrddin’s son and the head of the estate, Myrddin’s wife who is mysteriously absent and unavailable, and Preston, a fellow student at Effy’s university.

Effy experiences a transformation in this book. What character strengths does Effy show that make her growth possible? How is she courageous? What helps her persevere? What about her integrity? Bestselling author Ava Reid makes her YA debut in this dark academic fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Elana K. Arnold. He’s cute. Very polite and understanding. I loved he was always there for effy. And how he was disgusted by the way men looked at women. His story with his father was really sad 🫂❤️‍🩹. the plot really has no sense of urgency, no real action for the most part. there’s a loose plot there, but nothing substantial that pushes you forward, where one event links to the next and you can follow the thorough thread tying the story together. Reid seems to want to maintain the mystique of the story, to create an ominous dark-academic atmosphere throughout, and in doing so withholds so much information that i could never truly get to the nitty gritty depths of this story (and i think it’s why Effy felt so distant to me, she was always withholding so much information about herself). everything felt like such a mystery to me, but not in a way that motivated me to continue reading. If you're claiming your book is a Very Important Work and an honest exploration of mental illness, women existing in a misogynistic world and women reclaiming their voice at least be actually nuanced about it; if you touch on female empowerment as a writer then actually commit to it. Don't spit on my face and tell me it's raining.

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Lyrical, moving, and sensitive, A Study in Drowning is a magically romantic tale, filled with writing that will sweep you into a whimsical and gothic world. I’ll recommend this beautiful and thoughtful book over and over again. Isabel Ibañez, author of Together We Burn We’ve get all this, and it is great. However, what I feel this books accomplishes best, is describing and validating experiences of abuse (sexual and parental abuse) and panic, dealing with trauma, misogyny and sexism, and finding agency and a new sense of self. Part scholarly mystery, part dark fairytale, Ava Reid’s first young adult novel is, at its heart, a coming-of-age story about survival, about believing women—about giving them the place they rightfully deserve, against men who take and take and take. I’m not sure the dark academia label really fits, but I know these things are muddy, and my personal experience with dark academia makes it harder for me to recognize it when the story doesn’t involve queer characters and messed-up relationships’ dynamics, so this opinion may vary. Who cares, really, though, when the book is wonderful?