Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

123 reviews

autumnrh's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

It wasn’t too bad. The writing was actually really good, especially the excerpts at the top of each chapter. I did find it somewhat unremarkable though. There really is no sound world building and all the big plot reveals are super underwhelming. BIG SPOILERS FROM HERE ON. Just a few things like the fairy king reveal was seen coming a mile away. I really expected a big showdown with some heavy growth but for her to just…hold a shard of glass up…and that was it. Also I believe Angharad could have played a bigger role rather than being in the literal last chapter or two. Could have made her presence more know, why say there is a mistress in the house if you aren’t ever going to show her. Also all the SKEEVY men were swept under the rug way too much. Hated that. Overall pretty good tho. Also that ending….please be serious what was that. 
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mcrespo's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

while i really enjoyed Reid's ability to world build with a passage or quote at the beginning of each chapter, i found that overall this novel lacked something remarkable to set it apart from any standard fantasy (with a dash of romance) novel. it felt truly that this novel relied on some of the most predictable tropes from both fantasy novels and romance novels (enemies to lovers .... yawn). early on in the novel, the sea and water metaphors seemed overstated and repetitive. in addition to this, all of the points that Reid was making regarding sexism and misogyny in academia were stated forthright rather than implied. it seems that this is a novel that lays out very plainly the plot and main themes, and because of this, it became predictable. i also think that Effy, as a "strong female lead," really does center her male counterpart and love interest far too much. at some points, it seems that Effy only makes it through to be with Preston, and at some points, Effy does seemingly have a lot of grace and empathy for men like Ianto who was violently misogynistic. considering this is a YA novel, it does make sense why the messages and themes of this novel are so blatantly obvious, and at the end of the day, this is such an easy read for anyone just needing a quick fantasy fix. unfortunately, i'm not the target audience for this one (´• ᴗ •̥`✿)
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reddeddy's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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emilychristina's review against another edition

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adventurous tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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chasinggrace's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Upon reflection, this book lived up to its positive social media reputation. I was not expecting the darker themes that are woven throughout the story (abandonment, PTSD, sexual assault, adult/minor relationships) nor did I expect the consistent use of water and architecture analogies. While the FMC character arc was slightly predictable (
a damaged, meek woman finds her voice through further trauma 👍🏼
), I think it was done well, especially when compared to
Angharad’s story
. 

I thought the setting was beautiful and the world building was not overwhelming at all. The themes of colonization, classism, & religious separations were touched on, but were not overbearing. The mystery & folklore kept me intrigued, and I thought the romance was sweet (even though Preston will not be a favorite book boyfriend of mine). 

Unfortunately, I needed to dock .5 stars for the writing, especially in the first 100 pages of the book. While I think similes are helpful literary tools and can be beautiful, they are completely overdone in this text. The author cannot write one singular page of this book without comparing two things and using the word “like.” Try it - flip to any page and you will find a sentence that uses this structure. While I’m not a style critic, I could not ignore it and it tainted the opening of the story. I also found Effy to be quite insufferable, before I understood her trauma. Finally, while I know Preston is self-described as unromantic,
I wish their physical intimacy could’ve been sweeter. This could have been a deliberate choice from the author to denounce the romanticizing of losing one’s virginity, or it could’ve reflected Preston’s stoic nature, but I still wanted a little more from that scene.


All together, I think this is a beautiful story that weaves dark themes with stunning comparisons to the relentlessness of water. It teaches you that you are the only one who constructs the house in which you live, if you can be strong enough to hammer the stakes yourself. 
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writingandwhimsy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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midgereads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It took me an eternity but I finally finished this book and I really liked it.
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amalas_bookstop's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I thought this was a pretty simple plot. The story opens with Effy who attends the Architecture College at the University she attends. She did test high enough to attend the literature college however the school has an archaic rule that states women are not allowed. After entering a competition she is awarded an opportunity to stay at and design her favorite authors home who is recently deceased. It is through this opportunity she meets the love interest Preston and uncovers secrets that will have the potential to rewrite history. 

Ava Reid is a really descriptive writer. I think she did a really good job of exploring some of the more triggering topics in this novel in a very age appropriate way as this is a YA novel. I also really enjoyed how she described the anxiety that Effy was feeling every day. There was only one scene between the love interests Preston and Effy that seemed to toe the line a little, seemed more like adult content. 

I only have a few critiques. First, I thought the pace of this story was a little slow and very predictable. Once you get to the end the twist (if you could call it that) was not a surprise more of a confirmation. The ending seemed to also drag a little for me as well. I found myself skimming. Secondly, based on the cover and title I thought this book would have dark academia vibes, but this doesn’t quite hit the mark. While the overall atmosphere does seem pretty bleak. The university has a very minor role and I just don’t get the prestigious atmosphere like I have gotten in other dark academia novels. 

Overall it was a great break from my usual tastes, but I will probably never think of it again. 
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holliesatchell's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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sophiarichter's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I was really excited to read this book because I saw a glowing review on it. To be honest I was a bit disappointed by the quality of writing, even though the world and characters were well-developed I felt like I was being hit over the head with the same point. I loved the sea imagery and many of the lines were quite beautiful.
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