Reviews with content warning for Violence - A Study in Drowning

Reviews tagging 'Violence'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

56 reviews

emmieanna's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I loved the aesthetic of this book and I really felt as though I were in the world there with them. It is folklore fantasy crossed with light academia and the romance elements were really tasteful, complementing the style and tone of the book. I would love to explore this world further with any future spin-offs or novellas. I do feel as though the Fairy King could have featured more as an antagonist.

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bookish_slagathor's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Great book dealing with feminist themes, with a dash of romance on the side (I'll be honest, I could have done without it, but it was okay to have it included in the story). Be aware that the setting is heavily misogynistic, and the MC is dealing with severe anxiety/panic attacks.

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hayy6747's review

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

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daydaybookbay's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

I rated this book a 5.5 out of 10. There are many elements to this novel I enjoy, but I wish each had been explored more. By dropping the adolescent romance, more effort could be dedicated to expanding the settings and main plotlines.

Ava Reid writes beautiful phrases and sprinkles them throughout the chapters. Her artistic metaphors rest on the boundry of remaining applicable. The wording captures the reader, but any further, the intention would be lost. She uses imagery to convey emotion and the characters' mindsets.

The characters fell a bit flat for me. Each character was one dimensional and served only one purpose throughout the book. Preston exists to be an on-paper protective love interest. Effy is constantly reminding you how misogyny, sexism, and her beauty overshadow her genius. Every other character means nothing to me.

Effy's low-key racist. Her xenophobia is front and center, but we are
overlooking that? Why?! Time and time again, she shows her
academic rivalry" is really just her prejudice against Argantians.

I wanted more from the fairy-tale.

We are to believe the Fairy King is real, so why are there literally ZERO other elements involved? Everything points to Effy actually having mental health issues where she has "episodes." If Angharad was a ghost/spirit or if Effy would have seen an alternate reality through the hagstones, these would be easy places to incorporate fantasy aspects.

Is Effy a reliable narrator? Honestly, I'm left thinking the fantasy aspect is really part of Effy's imagination. She experienced great trauma from her mother, and her obsession with Myrddin's novel plays a role in her coping. I'm left to feel she really has mental health issues, and maybe the pink pills are good for her.

I know that's not the conclusion I'm "supposed" to reach, but...

I wish there had been more development in the setting and the characters. The countries, the North and South, the school, the house, the land... I could never picture them. The only thing I was able to imagine was the door to the basement. There is this whole world Reid introduced in this book, but we never get a clear picture of what it's like.

I really wanted to love this book. Part of me feels I would have enjoyed it more as a physical book because I would get bored listening to it. I never got the feeling of being immersed in the story.

I love the moody vibes Reid is able to create. The feel and the way she conveys emotion is beautiful. I wish the attention to the setting had matched. I want to visualize where the characters are and how the North/South/Bottom Hundred look and compare to each other. I wanted to pull more from the text.

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star_charter152's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

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naisdayz's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A Study in Drowning has fantasy, mystery, and romance - everything my heart desires, really.

Admittedly, Effy was a character I first had to get to know to be able to understand and love her. She was a bit insufferable in the beginning, towards Preston especially, though I can understand that now as well. Preston was essentially all she wanted and wanted to be.

I love Ava Reid's writing style. It's very vivid, painting pictures without seeming overwritten or forced. The small references to drowning as a metaphor and references to phrases used earlier in the story were amazingly incorporated.

The world building was also chef's kiss. Every chapter features a poem or excerpt from a piece of literature from their world, which made it so much more immersive. Honestly, if I had read Angharad, I would have become about as obsessed as Effy did.

The book was pretty confusing (in a good way). I had zero idea how it would end, and I'm sure my jaw dropped more than once while reading the actual end.

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micaelamariem's review

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dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

I loved this book! The writing and word choice was beautiful. The character development impressive. The worldbuilding involves creating whole new myths and stories and studies which I always find impressive. I’m in love with Preston. But above all, I love the extended metaphor of what it’s like to be a trauma survivor and what is required to survive; especially for women who survive violence against them at the hands of men. This was absolutely beautiful. Full review on my blog to come tomorrow.

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madlysoph's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I loved this book. Ava Reid is so masterful at creating strong themes that are embedded in every piece of the story. Everything fits so well. I don't feel like I have the right words to describe this book and how beautiful it was.

I love Ava's style of worldbuilding, with this world being a new one for her and fascinatingly crafted. The intense connection Effy feels to Angharad is so relatable, being so in love with a book because it is both beautiful and makes you feel seen in a way nothing else has that you revere the author just a bit beyond reasoning.

I loved the symbolism throughout the story, the themes of drowning, water, and women are all woven together masterfully. I really enjoyed how everything unraveled. Effy and Preston have a tender romance that is so fun to watch slowly develop, a well-done rivals-to-lovers romance. This book is about wronged women, the men who have wronged them, and getting what they deserve.

Content Warnings

amandaaahyde's review

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Another book devoured in a day. I couldn't put it down and it has lingered in my dreams.

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

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shreek's review

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adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Really interesting read! I zoomed through this one. I really liked the writing and how the author created the sense of atmosphere. I could truly see some scenes playing out like a movie in my head which helped me to get immersed in the story. The main characters were great too and I enjoyed their relationship. The themes explored such as mental health, trauma, and the significance of storytelling

and of course finding out your hero’s not what you thought they’d be

definitely added more depth to the story. For sure recommend checking any content warnings before reading this.

I did find the main reveal(s),

that Ianto was the fairy king and Angharad was written by Myrridin’s wife

to be kind of predictable. I guessed them very early on so it was a bit odd at times that the characters weren’t putting it together yet, though considering their context I guess it made sense. I also felt that not enough was done with the whole Llyr-Argant dynamic. The war and some geopolitics were introduced, but weren’t really delved into much, which was a little disappointing since that could have involved a discussion into some very important and relevant themes about colonialism, land/borders, and cultural/historical erasure. Maybe that would have been a lot to get into in a shorter book like this, especially since I think it’s a standalone, but it felt kind of odd that this aspect wasn’t addressed. Like I could be forgetting something, but I almost feel like the war could have just not been mentioned and the book would have stayed the same. I’m also not sure how I felt about the ending of the story, like it was fine, but I think I was expecting something more.

I honestly felt that they would leave the question of whether or not the fairy king is real a bit ambiguous at the end, so we’re not sure if what Effy has been seeing is real or not. I also thought that would help with the whole usage of the fairy king as a metaphor for abusers/predators. I do understand though that in the context of the story it was very important for women, like Effy and Angharad to be believed about their experiences. That’s why my feelings remain mixed. I also can’t decide if I would have wanted Angharad to be a ghost or real, it’s kind of odd that she’s been there all along and there was minimal interaction. It is nice that she got freedom at the end though, so there’s that.

I also saw a reviewer mention that for a book with heavy feminist themes there are very few women, and I kind of agree, but I think the story also made sense the way it was.

Wow that got long. Honestly probably because I enjoyed the story and the world building and would have loved a little more oomph. Great read overall!,

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