A review by inlibrisveritas
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

This wasn't exactly what I was expecting, and I'm glad for it but it was also a hard one to read. Effie has trauma and severe anxiety, and I found myself relating to her to the point of empathy...which means I'd also end up anxious. That being said please look up some trigger warnings on this one, but the ones I remember are: harassment, misogyny, mentioned SA (no true details on the act but the scene is mentioned and recounted a few times), and death of a parent. 

Despite that, I loved the writing style, the story, and Effie. It's a story of being in too deep while trying your hardest to push forward, even when you're not even sure you're where you want or need to be. It's about living with fear and eventually learning to manage it, and about women who have been silenced because the world prefers them under a man's thumb. 
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