A Study in Drowning

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

I wasn't deeply touched by this book, but it had its moments. The writing is really good, though.

I loved, loved, loved this book! The atmosphere, dark academia leanings, the mystery, the fairytale elements, relatability, and a non-cringey, slow burn romance. Most especially though it's themes on storytelling and authorship. I'm not sure I can fully articulate how much I loved this but I'll try!
The very beginning felt a bit awkward in the writing, but once Ava Reid hits her stride the writing literally drips with atmospheric lyricism. I FELT this book and was transported every time I opened it to a place that was damp, eerie, haunting and vivid. But it's not just the writing style that captivated me, but also the fact that Reid deals with some pretty unsettling and heavy subjects, while also telling a fantastic story. Sexism, patriarchy, sexual assault, female autonomy, and mental health are weaved in so well that it never feels heavy handed, but just disconcerting enough to make you pay attention and really think about the implications. It is written so seamlessly that it never detracts from the story or enjoyment of it. I really loved the main character Effy. Her struggles are relatable, she is relatable in so many ways and in the end very inspiring. I think that's what I enjoyed the most about this book - it deals with a lot of dark, unpleasant subjects, but Reid manages to build it into something very positive and inspiring. It would be easy to leave it in the mire and bitterness and bleakness, but instead her character Effy rises above that, fights to change her fate and inner struggles with wits, determination and bravery and I think we all could use more encouragement to do the same no matter our circumstances. Reading, books and storytelling have long been a huge source of comfort, encouragement and solace for me and this book hits so close to home on that fine line between our admiration for the flawed people who write those stories, the impact the stories have on our lives and how we navigate the tightrope of the ownership of those stories.
I want to say so much more, about the refreshingly healthy romance and actually likeable and decent love interest, the setting and fairytale aspect, but I'll stop here otherwise this review will be an essay and will leave it to others to discover this treasure of a book!

Bought this completely on a whim - the cover was pretty and it was cheap for a hardcover. Best decision ever!

The story was sooo eerie. Effy was such a contradictory narrator that you couldn't tell if she was fulfilling the role of an unreliable narrator or not. I was questioning my sanity with her lol. 5 stars to Preston for not being an asshole and for being a softy.

The writing was amazing! The story inside the story was amazing. The little epigraph snippets from the in-book authors were amazing. I marked so many quotes I loved.
Going back to read the previous two works by the author.

Whoa, so much to unpack here.
There are a lot of important themes in this story.
The gothic vibes, the eerieness, the creepiness, the disturbing moments, all of it worked so well.
Unfortunately, the romance was my least favorite part. It felt underdeveloped.
I still enjoyed this one a lot!
FRTC

I enjoyed the writing, the ideas and the vibes a lot but the last few chapters kinda fell off for me

This is one of those books, those that will teach you that you are seen in the world. Even if you are only seen by 1, 10 or hundreds of people.

It's not exactly the best book but it's one that falls deep into you, seeps into your brain and burrows there because you relate to it all so much. It reminds me of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue in that regard. Both were entirely remarkable, they were so creative and both Addie and Effy are so similar although one made a bargain and the other was a child desperate to escape death after being left.

This book is imprinted in my brain, possibly even my heart and that's enough for me to rate it 5 stars

Merged review:

This is one of those books, those that will teach you that you are seen in the world. Even if you are only seen by 1, 10 or hundreds of people.

It's not exactly the best book but it's one that falls deep into you, seeps into your brain and burrows there because you relate to it all so much. It reminds me of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue in that regard. Both were entirely remarkable, they were so creative and both Addie and Effy are so similar although one made a bargain and the other was a child desperate to escape death after being left.

This book is imprinted in my brain, possibly even my heart and that's enough for me to rate it 5 stars

Wow, that was bad! How can this be so much worse than the author's debut???

4.5 stars.

Dark, atmospheric and an overall great story. Very creative world building and unique setting. I loved every minute of the journey and the satisfying ending.

For me, this book did not live up to the hype.
At some point the narration seemed to be taken over by a romantic version of it, which I did not enjoy but I think that's mostly on my own bookish dislikes.

The story was interesting but some things about the writing style and story decisions annoyed me too much.

Merged review:

For me, this book did not live up to the hype.
At some point the narration seemed to be taken over by a romantic version of it, which I did not enjoy but I think that's mostly on my own bookish dislikes.

The story was interesting but some things about the writing style and story decisions annoyed me too much.

2.5 - A refreshing take on dark academia genre. Ava Reid's writing is brilliant as always.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. The devil makes three vibes are strong.

Characters.

I loved the characters in this. Preston especially. Effy annoyed me in places but as the story continued, she grew on me. But Preston will forever have my heart.

Everyone keeps saying his is the best book of the year and I can see why hey love it so much but while enjoyed it, it had some issues.

Mainly the ending. I loved the last chapter, how Effy grew from the start of the book. But the ending before that, the fight for survival, the boss battle if you will. it felt cheep. it ended too quickly for my taste and I would have loved to see more of a struggle with the antagonist since they have been plaugines Effy from the start.

My other issue is with the fantasy element. The Fae king. I believe the book would have been stronger if it was clear from the start that the fae king was real. Only Effy believes in the fae king and it left doubt is he was real. I had a feeling reading that it was going to toy with the is it real or inside Effy's head. Not until the end did we get the answer.

Now I loved the romance. it deep deep and meaningful.
I loved the vibe. The vibe of this book nails.


Overall I had a good time reading this.

Merged review:

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this book. The devil makes three vibes are strong.

Characters.

I loved the characters in this. Preston especially. Effy annoyed me in places but as the story continued, she grew on me. But Preston will forever have my heart.

Everyone keeps saying his is the best book of the year and I can see why hey love it so much but while enjoyed it, it had some issues.

Mainly the ending. I loved the last chapter, how Effy grew from the start of the book. But the ending before that, the fight for survival, the boss battle if you will. it felt cheep. it ended too quickly for my taste and I would have loved to see more of a struggle with the antagonist since they have been plaugines Effy from the start.

My other issue is with the fantasy element. The Fae king. I believe the book would have been stronger if it was clear from the start that the fae king was real. Only Effy believes in the fae king and it left doubt is he was real. I had a feeling reading that it was going to toy with the is it real or inside Effy's head. Not until the end did we get the answer.

Now I loved the romance. it deep deep and meaningful.
I loved the vibe. The vibe of this book nails.


Overall I had a good time reading this.

Out now!

“You don't have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery too”

Thank you Ava Reid, I've felt seen.

I am truly impressed with this book, it was very different and had much more depth than I was expecting.

”It was an eternal feeling, this sense of being unwelcome. No matter where she was, Effy was always afraid she was not wanted.”

I entered into A Study in Drowning expecting a fantasy novel based on folklore and mid 20th century England/ Wales, happening in a dark academia setting with a bit of mystery to move story forward.
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.

The prose is expertly crafted, giving a murky feeling to the story, and easily showing what I imagine to be the feeling of drowning. My senses were overwhelmed with the descriptions from the start until the end.

I've felt the romance was a bit rushed, especially given the circumstances. However, I believe it was an important piece of the healing process and I wouldn't change the length of the book.

As a fantasy, I wished we had a bit more worldbuilding and context regarding the hate, war and the drownings. A map would have been nice as well, I don't know if the final version has it or not.

I enjoyed it and I wish I had the opportunity to read something like this when I was younger.
I wish Effy was less relatable and that her experiences were conscripted to the past. However, this is still an accurate reality, fairytale beauty or not.

I'm glad this is going to be on Illumicrate box and that I get to have a pretty Edition of it.

I would like to thanks The Fairy King, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW - sexual harassment, sexual and parental abuse, panic attacks, mental illness, sexism, misogyny, death of a parent

This is a tricky one to accurately rate. I loved it and easily rate it at least 4 stars, but I'm going to have to sit with my thoughts for a bit before deciding if that's where it should stay.

UPDATED REVIEW:
Let me start off by saying I am a sucker for dark academia, books about books, and gothic settings, so this book would have had to try hard to disappoint. I'm glad to say that wasn't the case. The decaying almost-haunted house atop a cliff setting was visceral, the enemies-to-lovers romance was incredibly satisfying, and the themes of institutional sexism in academia, the relationship between author and reader, and space for old-world beliefs in a modern world all worked wonderfully.

That said, I still can't help but feel like something was missing. Almost like a new partner tried cooking your favorite childhood dish and although the meal was absolutely delicious and filling in its own right, you can still tell an ingredient was missing‚ even if you can't tell which.

Perhaps that was the intention. This book is about questioning reality—not knowing who or what to believe—and perhaps that applies not just to the story, but to the author's actual writing as well. The story moves along quickly, almost conveniently, setting up only what needs to happen. As I was reading, I felt like key details were being omitted or perhaps happening just offscreen. I knew there was more—a larger world, a larger story—but I wasn't privy to it. At least not yet. Just like Effy, I had to question whether to believe what I was being told or believe what I knew I was seeing. I'm still questioning it. So, I guess in that regard, the book was successful.

Haunting and beautifully written, this book is something special.

Thanks to HarperCollins/HarperTeen and NetGalley for allowing me to read this digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
Effy, refused entry to the faculty of literature because of her gender, is a reluctant and distracted architecture student instead. But when a chance comes to design a museum for her beloved, recently deceased, and nationally treasured author Emrys Myrddin, she jumps at it. If only her visions of the fairy world didn't keep getting in the way...

Review
Normally, the word ‘fairy' diminishes my interest in a book considerably. I like the concept well enough; I've just seen it applied poorly far too many times. But the title of this book caught my eye, and the description intrigued me. Plus, I'm always on the lookout for new authors.

The result was a somewhat mixed success. I liked Reid's prose well enough, but there was just too much about the story that felt familiar – too many tropes that we've seen before, reused without much innovation. This is a book whose path you know fairly well from the early pages, and the solution to its central mystery is evident from the halfway point, yet its protagonists somehow fail to see it. There are some new elements here – sexual abuse by an authority is a recurring theme, but to me a little too much seemed to be rote emulation of other stories. The romantic pairing of the story is so familiar that the author makes little real attempt to justify it, relying on familiarity to carry us through.

I don't mean to downplay the book's strengths – Reid is an able writer, if with a tendency (like, but with a very different tone from, K.J. Parker) to take her metaphor and let it wash over and over us like the tide – and I'm a fan of metaphor. The characters are engaging and interesting, if a little too stock to really take to heart. And the heart of the story is strong. I just wish Reid had taken a little more time to make familiar tropes her own.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.