A Study in Drowning

This book was not really what I expected, I expected dark academia, but it was more of a dark mystery or something, so that might have influenced my experience a bit.. A lot of people seem to love this book, so maybe I was just not in the right headspace or expecting something too different, but it just wasn't for me. I didn't dislike the book, but it was just not quite there for me. I feel like there were a lot of unnecessary elements (the rivalry between the 2 countries and the north and south, also the drowning was mentioned a decent amount, but it didn't really feel like part of the story for me) that kind of distracted from the main themes that I was really interested in. I also did not love the romantic relationship, I did not feel like they had a lot of chemistry and it seemed to move quite quick and sudden, especially considering Effy's traumatic past. I thought the sex scene was kind of out of place as well, like they had been worrying about the storm (and the second drowning?) and having only a small amount of time to get out and then just decided that that was the right time for a quicky and a nap? Really?

I tried so hard to love this book, the writing itself is so lyrical and enchanting, but unfortunately I just found the story lacking so much. I really struggled to get through this one, I feel like a good 70% was just boring and nothing really happens. I enjoyed the character building and the relationship between Preston and Effy but that dragged on far longer than it needed to.

Thank you so much to the author and to NetGalley for the ARC.

I was not a fan of this book, it took me until 50% read to actual enjoy the storyline. The plot is so very jumbled and all over the place. This was a read for book club and it was definitely split down the middle of those who enjoyed it and those who weren't a fan.

Me ha sorprendido tantísimo... el romance maybe podría ni estar tbh. Ella es chulísima, mi pobrecita lo pasa fatal, pero es IMPRESIONANTE la evolución que tiene. Effy, eres la mejor no puedo esperar a leerte más.

Qué terrible era navegar el mundo sin una historia que te consolara.

Rounded up from 3.75

This book is a atmospheric young adult historical fantasy with a romance sub plot. Plot pacing felt very slow to me and a bit repetitive - about 30% in and I was still wondering what the main plot of the book was. The plot picked up until the last 100 pages and I found that to be the best part of the reading experience for me. A slower plot usually doesn't bother me much if I feel the characters are well-developed. To me, both characters felt a bit flat to me which made the slow plot stand out more.

This is part one of a duology. The full story does get told with a small piece at the end that allows a jumping off point for book two. I'm not sure if I will continue with the series or not but I liked my experience. I also had the edition with the sprayed edges of a bookshelf and the beauty of the book did enhance my reading experience.

I can see how some readers would find this book boring: it's a pretty fast read, but it's very quiet and moody. Reid's books typically deal with abuse, trauma and violence against women and it shows in Effy's nature and her view of the world. It's a little lighter here (maybe because it's YA?), but it's done compassionately and is no less relatable. I find it weird that some people didn't seem to understand why she'd start off as a timid and paranoid character, but okay. I'm not sure how I feel about a couple choices: like the overall mystery is kind of predictable and the romance while genuinely sweet sometimes, lacks chemistry. It's beautifully written though and the atmosphere is thick. Reid really captures the murky relentlessness of the ocean and water in general. 

This book has so much potential. The world Reid paints is haunting & beautiful, but ultimately seems rushed & unfinished. The culture of Llyria seems to be rich with lore & fictional history, but Reid doesn't bother to tell us about most of it.

Reading this book is like catching up in a race you didn't know you were running in. I found it hard to care about high stakes because i didn't know they were high until the moment had already past.

I think my primary issue with this book was that the central “conflict” in this story ends up kind of just being about whether a book was plagiarized or not, and it turns out that that is just not super interesting to read about. Yes, there are other things going on, but barely, and the other things going on (the fantastical/hallucinatory episodes, and the “romance” if you can even call it that) were equally as lifeless, and failed to get me to care about anyone or anything that was happening.

A secondary issue is definitely that the worldbuilding is so thin that at multiple points I found myself wondering why this wasn't just set in Edwardian England, but with a very minor fantastical twist. In this “world” we are in, there is an unexplained war (that is super important, but also completely irrelevant), the country rivalry (what is it about? who knows, but we hate them and think they shouldn't be allowed to read our books), the North/South differences (what is the difference? idk, people in the south are willing to live in houses filled with water and black mold I guess), any clarity about the magic (seems people mostly think its fake, but also the “Sleepers” are super important to the war?), any clarity about technology in this world, even a good reasoning why this author/book is somehow the most important person/writing to ever exist etc. were all so opaque, way more distracting than intriguing, and kind of completely inconsequential to the story that was being told.

I think the only part that I feel was handled in a satisfying way was showing, through Effy's perspective, how trauma can present itself – and how difficult overcoming those experiences can be. Unfortunately, that one thread was not nearly enough to carry the rest of the book on its back, and I found myself just trying to get through the last 50% on the hope that something would spark in an interesting way, but was left disappointed.

3.5

Surprisingly good! I was wary of the whole dark academia billing, as I dislike TikTok trends/aesthetics/what-have-you, but it was very enjoyable! I'm not a huge fan of fairy myth or romance, but both elements worked out well. One of the few romantic subplots I've actually enjoyed is in this book! The characters fit well together, and had a healthy relationship. The prose is deliciously descriptive, but not overbearing. I also enjoyed the in-world quotes that preceded each chapter.

Issues:

I couldn't decide on a rough time period that the book is based on, so details like television, the common use of cars, and women wearing pants in a misogynistic society threw me off. I was thinking the world building was 1920s-30s-ish, but I'm getting a 50s, maybe even 60s impression now. I really don't know. It doesn't matter much.

Lastly, Preston is just a bit too perfect. Sure, he's arrogant, but no-one ever treats their partners well all the time. I wish that wasn't the case in books or real life, but, considering the goings-on of the story, he should have at least one minor mistake interacting with Effy. On the flip side, she does make mistakes relationship-wise, making her portrayal stick out less in a book of messed-up people.

Stopped reading 3 times until I finally picked up the audiobook. Listened through it and wasn't quite worth the time. Extremely boring and underwhelming until the climax, just for it to fall off again. Sadly, will probably listen to the sequel as I'm nosey.

3,75⭐

This book was way too slow.  This is the third Ava Reid book I tried to read and I didn't like any of them.  I just don't mesh with her writing style and that's okay.  Her books are just not for me.

I became an instant fan of Ava Reid after reading Juniper and Thorn. So when I finally acquired a copy of this book, I immediately read it. And good heavens, I could not put this book down.

This book had the right amount of most of what I’ve been looking for in a good story. The entire plot was very engaging. It had a lot of mystery to it and many times it had me questioning the reality of its universe, much like our sweet protagonist, Effy. I could not help but also root for her the entire story.

Speaking of characters, I love them. Each one has unique strengths and weaknesses and I was able to somehow empathize with each one, despite being very different people. I especially love the relationship Effy has with the characters (though I shall not name them to avoid spoilers).

It was also a nice touch, how the story went around full circle. Suddenly, all the quotes within the story finally made sense. And after all the gripping and intense events, it still left me satisfied, how the story ended. Much like the rollercoaster ride of emotions Effy felt, I felt them too. I felt like I was transported into that world and I was truly invested. And if it were up to me, I’d wish for a continuation. For more adventures with Effy and Preston. I would love to see what their life will become, after such life-changing events.

Effy Sayre selalu percaya pada cerita dongeng. Salah satu cerita yang dia percaya adalah Raja Peri. Buku Angharad (yang ditulis oleh Emrys Myrddin tentang gadis manusia yang jatuh cinta pada Raja Peri, lalu menghancurkannya) adalah favoritnya, hingga usang karena dibacanya berulang kali. Ketika pihak keluarga Myrddin mengumumkan sayembara untuk merancang ulang kediaman mendiang Myrddin, Effy merasa inilah takdirnya.
Namun Manor Hiraeth yang bobrok dan kuno adalah tugas yang mustahil, belum lagi penghuninya yang tidak bersahabat. Termasuk Preston Hèloury, mahasiswa literatur yang bertekad untuk mengungkap Myrddin sebagai penipu. Pada akhirnya Effy dan Preston menyatukan petunjuk-petunjuk dari peninggalan Myrddin, dan menemukan kebenaran.
Awalnya fokusku selalu lepas, karena alur buku yang sangat lambat di awal. Setelahnya, barulah terasa vibe misterinya, mengenai mendiang Emrys Myrddin dan masterpiece nya, Angharad. Ketika aku mencapai akhir buku, ada informasi yang membingungkan, sehingga aku harus googling apa artinya.
Untuk rancang bangun dunianya, kurang dijelaskan secara detil, lebih fokus ke cerita dongeng (di buku disebut mitos atau legenda) mengenai Raja Peri (Fairy King), yang juga tokoh utama dari Angharad, karya Emrys Myrddin. Ada tema feminist juga, dimana Effy berjuang di dunia yang memuja patriarki.
Untuk yang menyukai fantasi ringan dengan trope rivals-to-lovers dan tema feminist, bolehlah memberi buku ini kesempatan.

Didn't love how misogynistic the men in the book are. Also, wasn't a fan of the sex scene thrown in there. Seemed like a bad time and place for it, and NO FOREPLAY? OR CONDOM? The last line of the book gave me chills though.

The setting was fabulous! The characters were eh. The world building was at times contradictory. The ‘message' was a little too on the nose for me.

4.75 ⭐️
Slow in the beginning but god the fucking last 100 pages ish had me nailed by the head to the page.
I ended up staying up till 4am finishing this because I couldn't put it down at all.
Effy and Preston (as a romance enjoyer at heart) made me genuinely SOB. The crying I did when they made me think they'd drown together GAWD then the fucking relief I felt knowing they got their work out and survived and were able to live happily together after aswell.
Fucking beautiful writing honestly, too. Ava Reid could describe the appearance of a lamp post to me and I'd eat that shit up alone.
The reveal of the true author too GODDDDD. Again, made me feel so many emotions when it all strung together.

This was ROUGH but I think it was a me issue. I keep trying to be a fantasy girlie and I am not. I need to accept this.

I liked the atmospheric tone and gothic vibes but that's about it unfortunately.

effy's character is written so fuckin bad and annoying ngl
the ending dragged to hell, there was no need for that extra 50 pages of explanation we didnt need that. ive never been so impatient for a book to just end. 
what the hell was the sex scene? so unnecessary, not to mention they literally have a psychopath trying to kill them + a world altering storm happening + fmc almost dying of hypothermia. its giving “its only love if you have sex”
the fairy king and angharad did not need to actually exist, it was really strange and unnecessary to have them be real, and wouldve been better for them to be “fake”, especially because the fairy king dies in 2 fucking seconds
also, that random boy that asks for her number just, disappears lol? what was the point of his existence?
dont get me started on the romance... these motherfuckers are saying “i love you” 1 week into knowing each other... bruh. some things just DONT need to be a romance. you'll live. i promise.
i did really like the atmosphere but that was about it.

I so wanted to love this book and at times I liked it a lot. But gosh the characters, especially Effy, made it so hard to read. Add to that the glacial pace and oddly anticlimactic ending. It's a no from me.

im conflicted,

the first half of the book was really difficult to get through, I didn't understand anything that happened THEN the romance take another turn as well as the pace of the story

the second half was good ?¿
i really don't know, on one hand the representation of sa survivors is well developed, the writing style and the gothic atmosphere was really good
and on the other hand the transition between enemies to lovers (if we can say enemies) happened when the fmc told the mmc her trauma, the spicy scene was sooo stereotypical, the mmc said that he would be kind, that she was beautiful etc... but he done nothing but p3netrate her (so classic behavior of men)

It was good but I guessed the plottwists very fast.

Very whimsical and fairytalesque

this was a fun read but every time the fairy king was mentioned my brain just went numb

Saying a lot was going on in this book is an understatement, it was slow in the beginning but I felt like it was jumping up and down for new ideas here and there. The only comfort I had from this was when they were at the study?/library? reading and doing nothing because half the time they're just running around and then we get to the ending.
I was freaking out for 5 minutes thinking if he turned to the fairy king? Did he, or did he not, I had to go to the internet and search for reasons why he would even be. Ugh. Anyway, he didn't. Turns out he now is the metaphorical king or something and is now Effy's savior. Okay.
Literally drowning in confusion,

C