A Study in Drowning

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I still had a great time reading it : in the end, it didn’t truly matter if I guessed everything, because I enjoyed the journey anyway.

Bestselling author Ava Reid makes her YA debut in this dark academic fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Elana K. Arnold.In this upside-down world, apparently, Natural Philosophy hasn’t been “invented” yet, and Literary analysis (NOT Philosophy) seems to be the most prestigious thing one can study, while architecture is seen as the lower-status field. It’s honestly utter nonsense if one looks at history, but Reid hand-waves it as something that has to do with the magic in this world. All of this is wrapped within a Dark Academia tale of mystery and romance (of the academic rivals variety) in a rotting old house on a cliff, intertwined with themes of the disconnect between religious, superstitious folklore and academic agnosticism. This book will have you questioning perceptions of reality and not knowing who or what to believe. I wanted to tell the story of a woman who is gaslit, abused, chafing beneath the confines of a patriarchal and ableist society, who is both vulnerable and brave, and who still manages to find her own voice. When she applied with her project to redesign Myrddin's estate, Hiraeth Manor, which resides in a very dangerous part of the country, she didn't expect to be chosen for this impossible task. But she gets an invitation telling her that all of her expenses will be covered for six weeks, including her travel fees. The gothic atmosphere is easily the strongest element of the book. Hiraeth Manor is a fascinating setting and I was obsessed with the idea of a house that is, quite literally, falling into the sea.

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. 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. Effy's tattered copy is all that's keeping her afloat through her stifling first term at her prestigious architecture college. So when the late author's family announces a contest to design his house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny.

The word “girlboss” has done irreparable damage in understanding the nuances of female characters & any female character that dares to show anger, isn’t some martyr, and wants revenge is being dismissed as a “girlboss” 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. The edges were curling in on themselves -either shyly or protectively, as if the parchment had a secret to hide." Effy squeezed her eyes shut, willing the image to vanish. When she opened them again, the chalkboard in front of her looked glassy, like a window at night. She could picture a thousand blurry, half-seen things behind it. Effy is a really interesting main character and her soft strength makes her stand out from other characters in the genre. But I wanted a bit more from her character development and from the other characters. I did not expect Effy to overcome all of her trauma in such a short book. The way she slowly built trust with Preston was really beautiful. But then she had a very sudden character shift at the very, very end of the story that felt really random. Preston is a cardboard cutout of a character whose only personality trait was being the one not shitty man in this entire story. I love his type of character so the fact that I thought he was boring says a lot.

the plot really has no sense of urgency, no real action for the most part. there’s a loose plot there, but nothing substantial that pushes you forward, where one event links to the next and you can follow the thorough thread tying the story together. Reid seems to want to maintain the mystique of the story, to create an ominous dark-academic atmosphere throughout, and in doing so withholds so much information that i could never truly get to the nitty gritty depths of this story (and i think it� Cruel magic was the currency of the Fair Folk as they appeared in Myrddin’s books. She had read them all so many times that the logic of his world was layered over hers, like glossy tracing paper on top of the original.Once again an Ava Reid book sounds like it will be a 100% Perfect Fit for me, and once again there are some things about the final product that I really love but a number of others that just don't quite work for me. A Study in Drowning is, not an exaggeration, a masterpiece. I’ve been an Ava Reid fan since The Wolf and the Woodsman but their newest instalment has made it extremely obviously that she will forever be one of my favourite authors. Their ability to meld together folklore, tender romance, a truly gripping plot and a nuanced portrayal of trauma and recovery is absolutely masterful. A Study in Drowning hit me right in the stomach, drawing up feelings around growing up as a girl trying to proof herself, of wishing to take up space, and of navigating the dangerous waters of who to trust— including yourself.