An atmospheric read set in a mano on a cliff side near the ocean. Ava Reid writes such details in the setting that I could hear the waves crashing on the rocks and envision the wet described throughout. I also found myself enjoying the character descriptions in this story. I wanted to reach through the pages to offer a hug to Effy. I couldn't stop reading this book as I was hooked on the mysteriousness and how the story would unfold. I also enjoyed the myth being woven in. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

An interesting read for fantasy lovers who also love books featuring authors or their families. This one was a little hard for me to follow at times, but overall a great storyline.

*4.25⭐️
Warning: this review doesn’t feature any spoilers, but it’s also really hard to talk about this book without spoilers, so I didn’t go into much detail.

This poor girl. As someone who deeply related to multiple of Effy’s experiences, Ava Reid perfectly encapsulated both how to be a survivor and how it feels to survive. As a female history major, I think that Ava Reid also perfectly encapsulated how it feels to academically survive in a world where it’s assumed that “scholarly” articles are more valid coming from a man. Watching Effy survive and learn to thrive by the end of the book was really special.
This was one of the most complex YA books I’ve ever read and I really enjoyed that. I hope that more English teachers add this to their reading lists. The world building was very complex and I would love to read more books set in this world! I also can’t wait to read more from Ava Reid!

Also, I absolutely adored Preston. The world needs more Prestons.

The story revolves around young Effy Sayre, who is delicate and dealing with hallucinations of the Fairy King since her childhood. She is the only woman student in the architecture department, even though she dreamed of focusing her studies on literature: she can recite the entire words of Emrys Myrddin's Angharad. She is socially outcasted after rumors about her involvement with her adviser professor. She is so close to getting dropped from the faculty, failing from classes, and her neglectful, alcoholic mother has no intention of doing anything with her. Her favorite author, Myrddin's death, also affected her deeply. The book he has written is the only thing that can empower her to fight against her nighttime terrors.

The narrator was incredible. This story sucked me into the world and left me wanting to explore more right away. I really enjoyed the main character and her arc. However I felt myself longing for more details and to see the story of the Fairy King more literally on page than we got. That being said as always Ava Reid wrote a beautifully lush world that I could not get enough of.

Great audiobook of a fantastic novel! I've already got requests lined up for oeople I think will love this!

It was really hard for me to into this book at first. I think the first four chapters or so there was just so much going on and so many random thoughts that it was challenging for me to figure out what was important.

However, after that I was hooked! I have never read a YA fantasy book that is also a mystery AND also has such a strong feminine character with real-life problems and a strong feminist point-of-view. Again, look how much I just listed is going on in this book. I will say that the narrator would've been helpful trying to do different voices or giving more variation to character voices to help me keep the story straight and follow along with each character.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to have access to this book free for an honest review.

I ended up loving this book! Atmospheric dark academia and a touch of dark fairy folklore - my perfect recipe for a fall read. The book took place mostly in a secluded single location and I would so love for another book to see the wider world where this is set.

This is a lovely book about trauma, and the power (and fallibility) of stories.

As is often the case with many intense and thorough fantasy books, new names for everything (cities, storytellers, countries) made for a confusing beginning. However the worldbuilding was absolutely lovely and I really liked how the author built the lore and mythos and what’s important to the city and its people.

The lead character is a timid but determined girl, and I appreciated that she differentiates from so many of the fierce heroines of YA lit (who I also love! but it's wonderful to see a different kind of bravery in a female protagonist).

Unfortunately, the audiobook file itself had some technical issues! I noticed some odd garbling noises in the background of the audio files at several points, which sounded like they were background errors in either the voice recording or the editing file. This was a bizarre issue I haven't run into with other audiobooks, and while not too distracting, it definitely pulled me away from the story. I hope it was fixed in the final release. Here are the chapters and time stamps of two examples: Ch1 29:45 and Ch4 10:07.

I appreciated the voice actress's performance in general. She had a beautiful accent, and was good at describing the scenery. But her intonation was often a little off, in a way that didn't give weight to the spoken lines and so it sounded a little hard to differentiate sentences and quotes, a little robotic at times.

Overall a very stunning book seeped in gorgeous dark autumnal atmosphere and a love of stories.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
a study in drowning by Ava reid

thank you to Netgalley for an advanced listeners copy (ALC) in exchange for an honest review

I truly don’t know where to begin with this review…other than Effy is 100% my soul character. Effy is the only girl in the architecture college at her school, however, she wants nothing more than to be in the literature college. she volunteers to take on the project of designing her favorite author’s mansion but soon finds another student in the literature college, Preston who is also her academic rival, is there trying to uncover a mystery that would change the way Effy admires the author.

This book is full of commentary on sexism in academia and how women are constantly made to feel that their ideas and work are inconsequential. Effy has this soft strength that will make many feel seen, she’s anxious (like many of us are), she has her fair share of hardships trying to justify herself to the men she’s in class with, as well as professors— fighting for her rightful place at the college. even after all she’s been through and all that she’s done to contribute to the study of the mansion, author, and fairy king, her college board still wants to keep her name off the paper stating it will never be accepted because a woman’s name is on it.

the romance between Effy and Preston is an excellent slow burn with just beautiful feelings. it truly is on par with the romance in divine rivals…just gorgeous.

This is a Welsh inspired fantasy world filled with hope for all those who have felt like an outsider. Not to mention that it's a gothic horror tale with stunning atmosphere. There is tension and love and hope all wrapped up in a riveting story.

If you like dark academia and good character building you will enjoy this book. Ava Reid created a strong character and a great atmospheric story. I wish there was more world building and a way to tether yourself to a realistic age. I had a hard time placing the characters, I feel like it either needed to be a little more fantasy or a little more realistic. The mystery was fantastically done in the fact that I didn't guess how the story was going to end. Ava Reid has a great writing style and does great character building. I feel like if I enjoyed dark academia work more then I would have liked this more, but that is just me.

This is my second book from Ava Reid, and it is as strange and beautiful as Juniper and Thorn.
Her main heroines are not the likes of which we are used to reading. Some are flawed and broken, and some others are simply there, existing without knowing their place in the world or hungry for life.
The enemies in common are the dominant evil male, themes commonly found in Ava's story; I mean the two books I have read so far.
The world-building is interesting; it does not take place in our world but somewhere that resembles ours. The supernatural aspects blend perfectly into the narrative.
A dark tale that will get you hooked from the start.

The narrator did a wonderful job telling this story. The book itself is great.
Dark moody academic fairy tale.

This book immediately grabbed me, and I read the first half super quickly! It didn't turn out to be the book I thought it would be. I thought there would be a lot more of the house itself being the evil, but it ending up being what it was was very interesting. Overall a pretty good YA read.

I have yet to read The Wolf and the Woodsman, so I may be a little premature in saying this, but Ava Reid is quickly becoming my favorite author of all time.

A Study in Drowning is a young adult dark academia novel with slight fantastical elements. The story follows Effy Sayre, an architecture student who is passionate about literature - especially when it comes to author Emrys Myrddin. Effy wins a contest to redesign Myrddin's home soon after his passing. Effy has more than one reason to escape to Myrddin's manor, but when she gets there she discovers more than she ever expected about Myrddin, his life, and his works. She also gets to work alongside Preston Héloury, a literature student that has very different intentions when it comes to being at the manor...

A Study in Drowning is a gothic, dark, hard-hitting work. It tackles power, abuse, sexism, and more.

I love so many aspects of this book. I love that it has fantastical elements, but it is fully grounded in the real world. It reflects real world problems and issues that are easily transferable to things happening in the world today. There are so many important and relevant discussions happening throughout this book. Reid's writing is so stunning. The romance that develops between Effy and Preston really balances out the dark aspects of this story with some light.

This is the perfect read for anyone who likes books with these elements:
-gothic
-fantasy
-romance
-mystery
-dark academia

*Audiobook provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

I got this as an ARC from NetGalley. I really loved A Study in Drowning. It is a dark academia fantasy novel. I really loved that it was set in the mid 20th century England/Wales and it was influenced by Welsh Mythology.

I loved the character Effy. She struggles with mental health. I really loved her growth throughout the book. She was very anxious and always hid in her favorite stories to escape from her traumas.

The narrator Saskia Maarleveld did amazing!! I really loved her voice!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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

A Study in Drowning was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023 and I was not disappointed! This book is all about fairytales, mental illnesses, keeping our beloved stories safe, and finding a way to live after trauma.

Effy was probably the most anxious character I have ever read about which made me love her quickly. As someone who suffers from anxiety, I related to Effy a lot. She goes through a lot of trauma in her life, especially during her first year in college. All she wants is to fit in and be cared for. Never did she think going away to a rundown, gothic mansion on a cliff that belonged to her favorite author would find love, acceptance, and the truth.

Her and Preston were so loveable and I enjoyed every second of their story from rivals to friends to more. Preston accepts her and doesn’t judge her for her past, illnesses, and traumas. I loved Preston just so much.

If you love lyrical, gothic, atmospheric books, you should definitely read this book!

🌧️Happy Publication Day to A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid🌧️
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for letting read this audio arc!
•••
Effy has always believed in fairy tales, because ever since childhood she is haunted by visions of the Fairy King. Her only reprieve has been the pages of her favorite book Angharad, which is an epic tale of a mortal girl who falls for the Fairy King and then destroys him, authored Emrys Myrddin. Struggling through her first term at Llyr’s prestigious architecture program, Myrddin’s family announces a rare opportunity for a student to design a remodel of the late author’s house and Effy feels it is meant for her. Upon arriving at Hiraeth Manor, she finds it is very near to crumbling into the hungry sea below the cliffs. She also finds she isn’t the only visitor when she meets Preston Heloury, a young literature scholar, who is studying Myrddin’s papers in an effort to prove that her favorite author is a fraud. The rival duo decide to work together to discover the reclusive author’s legacy through his letters, books, and diaries only to discover that the manor’s foundation isn’t the only untrustworthy thing among them. There are dark mortal and magical forces working against them, and the truth could destroy both of them.
•••
Reid has a beautiful way of painting the atmosphere so that the reader really feels the moment. Every novel I’ve read by them, the atmosphere was the shining star of the story. I also really enjoy the topics presented in this novel when it comes to sexism, women’s rights, PTSD, and mental illness. I do think there are some really powerful elements woven into this fictional setting that make it very relevant for today’s audiences.
•••
What did not work for me was quite a few things.

The pacing was terribly slow, it picked up a little at the end, but why should I have to read 75% of a book before it takes off? And it didn’t really take off, just kinda started moving a little faster.

There was zero world building. An attempt was made, but I was so confused the whole time and none of my questions were answered by the end. I mean we never really even get an explanation as to what the actual past drowning was or why it happened? I’m sorry what?? And there were lots of times the characters would hint at past historical events but would never fully explain the histories, so it felt like the reader was supposed to know that already but we’ve never been told it? Also, the time period was super confusing. It was set in like year 190s or 200s but they had more advanced machinery and technology than what was around in the time frame of human history. And yeah, it’s supposed to be a different world than ours I think, but still, it just felt conflicting in my mind.

The climax at the end fell so flat for me. It was just easy peasy and didn’t really feel like there was much risk involved or needed. And the very end has a line of dialogue that I have no clue as to what was trying to be implied to the reader. If anyone else does, please tell me. I’m so confused.
•••
I do recommend this for the atmosphere and important messages but only to those who don’t mind super slow pacing.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date: 9/19/23 — out now.

Thank you to Harper Audio for this advance audio edition! Unfortunately, I did not enjoy the audiobook, but the book itself really was wonderful. This book had a gripping way to it, and the atmosphere was perfect headed into fall. The gothic vibes were there and I believe delivered for my personal tastes, but it might be a miss with others! Overall, it was a short, interesting read.