Effy is not our typical girl. She has visions of the Fairy King. See, Effy has believed in fairy tales all her life, a life that hasn’t been great to her. Once she finds out the family of her recently deceased favorite author wants a student to redesign the estate, she thinks it’s a dream come true. Somehow the fates align and Effy gets picked.

Once at the estate she meets an insufferable student there, Preston, who is there because he is writing his thesis on the late author and needs to gain access to what his life was truly like.

The two find themselves working together to piece together the life of their beloved author. They start to uncover some dark secrets and there are people, and things, out there that don’t want the truth uncovered.

R E V I E W:
I thought this was great. I loved the world that we were thrown into. I loved the character. The writing was great, tragic yet hopeful. There are definitely some dark themes going on throughout this book but it was all blended together so perfectly.
Definitely worth the read.

10/10 Ava Reid does it again! They know how to craft a book. The settings, characters, and plot are all great

Though no fault of this book, I just could not get into it. I am in *another* reading slump and this one just couldn't hook me enough to keep going.

3.5 rounding up to 4
Enjoyable but pretty predictable. Definitely my least favorite Ava Reid story to date but (as always with Reid) its beautifully written and v atmospheric.

Effie Sayre is the only girl in her university architecture program. She wasn’t allowed to attend the literature program because girls aren’t allowed in. Her favourite book is Angharad, the famous book by Emrys Myrddin about a girl who falls in love with the Fairy King and then destroys him. When Myrddin’s son creates a contest for an architecture student to redesign the late Myrddin’s home, Effie enters and wins. She goes to the estate, where she meets Preston, a literature student who is researching Myrddin’s documents to prove he was a fraud. That goes against everything Effie has always believed about her favourite author, but she can see some truth in it. Effie and Preston have to discreetly look for evidence to prove Myrddin was a fraud, while his estate crumbles around them.

This was such a powerful story about women finding their voice. Effie had experienced so much sexism and misogyny at school. She wasn’t believed at home or school because she was a girl. I liked the theme of history repeating itself. Effie’s story was universal, because at some point in every woman’s life they have heard comments like this or experienced horrible acts simply because of their gender. This story also addresses what happens when the author of your favourite book, that you’ve always believed in, betrays you. It’s very difficult when someone you’ve admired for your whole life turns out not to be the person you thought you were, but unfortunately that happens.

A Study in Drowning is a thought-provoking story!

Thank you Frenzy Books for providing a digital copy of this book.

Content warnings: sexual assault, misogyny, sexism, drowning, death of parent (off page)

A Study in Drowning follows Effy, a student who is given the opportunity to redesign a decrepit manor owned by her favorite author. She discovers that the manor may be even more dangerous than it appears on the surface.

I thought that the first half was incredibly boring, and while the writing was beautiful at times, it also sometimes felt overwritten, with info dumps that felt stilting and unnatural to the flow. I did not feel the "so what" for a very long time and was very close to DNFing until about 50% through the book. At about 50%, the plot _really_ picked up and the danger felt much more immediate. The writing style and plot also seemed to meld much more nicely at this point.

While we got a lot of Effy's backstory, her character on its own did not stand out and instead felt like a mechanism for just getting us into the manor. Preston grew on me throughout the book, but was not a favorite character. What I really cared about was the manor and the gothic aspects and not the MCs themselves.

Averaging how I felt throughout the whole book, I don't regret reading this, but I don't think I would recommend it because there are other gothic stories I liked better. If you wanted to like this but didn't, I recommend THE LAST HEIR TO THE BLACKWOOD LIBRARY by Hester Fox.

This was very slow and atmospheric, but ultimately very weird and creepy. I loved when pieces finally revealed themselves, though I would have left this place immediately.

DNF @25%

I really tried to get into this (for months its been in my currently reading) but I'm just not feeling it right now! As this was an anticipated read, I'm really sad about that but have not completely given up on this book. Hopefully, I'll definitely get back into reading ASID once I'm in a better reading mood!


Thank you Harper Collins Canada for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am obsessed!
When it comes to life, anything goes. A dark academia tale where women are viewed as naive and frivolous, and the battle to distort that world view. A great read and with every minute of my time.

I'm in love with this book. A Study in Drowning is for the girls who just want to drown in a cold, dark, misty, spooky, mysterious, fantastical atmosphere, maybe with a cup of tea by their side on a stormy night. This coupled with the slowly unraveling mystery, the feminist themes of the story, and the tender romance made it the perfect book for me.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid is a fantasy story about Effy Sayre. Effy enters a contest to redesign her favorite author's estate. When she arrives, she realizes she'll be working with Preston, a scholar who is not exactly a friend. This story was beautifully written and very atmospheric, and I really enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

This was such a beautiful book! The writing style was so whimsical and unique. Although the pacing was a bit slow, I was never bored and thoroughly enjoyed the entire plot.

This was a really interesting dark academia YA fantasy novel!

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher

Effy Sayre reluctantly joined the architecture department of a prestigious college, since she is a woman and therefore could not join the literary department. So, when there is an application to become the architect of her favourite author's (Emrys Myrddin) estate she jumps at the chance (even if there is little hope of a first year student being chosen). To her delight, and then anxiety, she is chosen. But, upon arriving she is met with a crumbling manor which is close to falling off the cliffs into the sea. As well, a fellow student is there trying to do a piece on the recently deceased author (possibly scathing). Something is wrong at Hiraeth; Myrddin's son seems too eager to be near Effy, the author's wife if nowhere to be found, and the student Preston Héloury bothers her. What is Effy to do?

This might end up being my favourite read this year. The writing is so beautiful, it felt as though I fell into a poem. Into the world of Effy and Preston, into the world of the Faerie King and all the horror he represents. This book reminded me of a romance novel that has been placed inside a folk/fairytale of old (where there is blood and fear and death). It was lyrical, the atmosphere lifelike (Hiraeth Manor itself is a character), the world dripping from the page like the sea lapping at the shores near Hiraeth. I was enchanted, even as the story reflected such a bleak and terrible reality in Effy's story.

The story had so much depth too, with it's own language, with two warring countries (one subjugated and relegated by the affluent other). And wow, the words that Preston says to Effy, I would have been swooning too. Not to mention the story that lives within this story (Angharad) of a young girl who defeats the mighty Faerie King with her wit. I mean, I would love to read that novel in itself. As well as the poetry. There was so much thought and knowledge, so much poetry and prose, so much hidden meaning and overt meaning that this novel had everything I could hope for in a dark academia, gothic, horror, romance novel. I soaked it up in a day! And I recommend especially listening to the audiobook so you can hear the words, so they can seep into your mind and paint a vivid image of the world that Reid created.

Effy and Preston were written so well. Effy is not your strong heroin, she is fragile, fearful, meak, but she still fights for herself. After everything she has been through, she does not give up and she then pushes back. Preston is honest, he is also oblivious to the reality of what women go through and has prejudices of his own to work through (which he is honest with himself about near the end). However, he is a kind man, a thoughtful man, one who knows he has no right to take what is not willingly and explicitly given. I love a man who offers space as comfort, who asks permission, who knows when not to touch, and when not to stare. He is a prize!

This novel is also so enraging, but not the book itself, but the circumstances in the book and all the truths that come to light (which I figured out with all the hints, but was aghast at how easy it was). What men were (and are) able to get away with, how the Faerie King is able to take control. The lack of care for young women. I was so glad when Effy was finally able to find her voice and fight back. That instead of Preston standing up for her she stood up for herself, which I would say is sometimes the hardest thing to do.

This book is a hard read, as much as it is beautiful and imaginative, because of the very real subject matter. There are moments of utter disgust and dread for Effy. Moments of fear and panic and anxiety, which many who have been victimized by men have faced. Effy must face constant doubt about her own emotions, her own misgivings about people, wondering if it is her past abuse that has made her think this way or if yes she is once again being put in a situation that is dangerous for her. She also has very little support in her life, having a mother that cares little for her. Preston comes to her at a time when her own self worth is so minimal, that having someone else notice her and actually care for her is vital to her being able to rebuild herself and protect herself from the evils around her.

Honestly, I feel I could talk about this book for hours, days, years. It has embedded itself in my heart. I urge you to read this book if you love fairy tales, inventive world building, charming bookish nerds, and gothic dark academia.

Beautifully written and emotionally charged. Ava Reid has a gift for prose that pull you in and soak you to the bone. I made sure to buy this for my library, hoping our patrons will be drawn into such a beautiful and Gothic story

I really like this atmospheric read! Great for fall and as a good introduction into dark academia. I will be buying a physical copy!

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

This was a wonderfully atmospheric read. The gothic environment lent itself well to the intricate story that was told. I felt like there was a critical piece missing from the story but I couldn't put my finger on it.

If I had to describe this book in one word, it would be phenomenal. Phenomenal characters, phenomenal writing and I loved the way the author tackled the struggles of mental health in this book. It made me connect to the characters even more. The story itself was very complex and I think that’s where I struggled a little bit because it took a little longer for me to fully grasp what was actually going on. Overall, definitely a book I would recommend!

A STUDY IN DROWNING had the potential for greatness. With its eery, atmospheric setting, unsettling yet whimsical tone, and the light yet fascinating worldbuilding, this book should have been a hit for me. So though Reid builds a story that quickly pulls you in, by the end, it drops off like a house perched on a crumbling cliff.

Effie is the only female architecture student at her university, though her dream is to be a literature student. The only problem: women are not allowed. So when a chance comes for her to redesign the crumbling mansion for her favorite author, she jumps on the chance to prove herself. However, upon arriving Effie finds the mansion in worse condition than she could have ever imagined. And she's forced to share her time there with Preston, a condescending literature student, who seems bent on proving that her favorite author is actually a fraud. The longer Effie stays there, the less things seem to make sense. As the environment becomes increasingly sinister, Effie finds that fact and fiction seem to be blending together, and she can no longer discern what is real and what is imagined. Hopefully, Effie will be able to leave with her mind, life, and heart intact.

As mentioned earlier, I was wanting this book to be more. Reid sets up a novel that is incredibly intriguing and I was expecting an epic conclusion to this story. However, I found that Reid sacrificed her plot for the central message. While I think her message was noble and important, I cannot help but feel there are ways to marry the two. She could have delved into the themes of sexual assault and women's bravery through that kind of adversity but I feel that the plot fell off by the end and just fizzled out. I also feel that the use of the Faerie King and his possession of many of these men undermined the message Reid was going for. Were these men truly evil? How many of their actions were them and how many were influenced by the Faerie King? Does this absolve them of anything? And Reid also, then, pigeon-holes the men in the story into one box. Outside of Preston, every man is evil and gross. It becomes a very black-and-white issue, leaving little room for true nuance. I wish Reid had worked on growing her characters, expanding the world and the plot, while also selling her message to the reader. She had all the elements of a fantastic novel, but unfortunately, the story fell flat. I think she is an excellent writer and I am eager to see what she produces going forward. I just hope she is able to stick the landing, next time.