a nice mystery, but unfortunately not one that stuck with me. It was very atmospheric, but I felt like that overshadowed the actual story. Somewhat seemed like the author was focusing more on the atmosphere than developing the story.

I liked this story a lot though there were some parts of the fantasy aspect that I thought were weak and needed to be built on a little more (the sleepers). It was a little predictable but the writing was great and extremely engaging, especially in more suspenseful parts of the story.
I thought the romance element was really well done. I think the characters were all fantastically fleshed out!

Effy is a new student in the Architecture College at her university. She is ostracized in her college, being the only girl. Her only outlet is a fantasy novel written by a recently deceased author. To escape her college, classmates, and the desire to be in the literature college (which does not admit women), she applies for a contest to create a blueprint to fix the home of the deceased author. Once she gets there, she works with another student to uncover the true authorship of her favorite novel.

The story was hard to get into in the beginning. The book became interesting only after many of my suspicions were confirmed. I do like that what I suspected turned out to actually be what was going on, but it was also predictable. I was unsure why Effy and Preston did not consider certain theories. I realize that the book is set in a time where women were thought to be intellectually inferior, but that still did not excuse them disregarding the widow for most of the book. In the end, they were guilty of the thing they accused many of the men of doing in the book, which was focusing on the male characters and forgetting the only other woman besides Effy in the house. I do like how the story ended, and happy that Effy got justice and her rightful place at her university. Her and Preston worked well together throughout the book.

3.5/5

I found myself struggling with this book. I can’t necessarily explain why because I think it’s very beautifully written and the plot was great but I just didn’t find myself invested in the characters and I had to push myself to read it. This book is very metaphorical and maybe that’s what I didn’t vibe with because I just didn’t understand the deeper meaning of the book. I think if you like dark academia though you’ll love this!

This was a book I was very much looking forward to reading based on all the hype. I would say it lived up to the hype with atmospheric writing and gorgeous prose. This author does atmospheric fantasy and romance so well!

“You have no idea—I’ve read your book a hundred times, maybe more. It was a friend when I didn’t have any. It was the only thing that said I was sane when the whole world was telling me I was mad. It saved me in more ways than I can count. Because I knew no matter how afraid I felt, I wasn’t truly alone.”

There is something very raw and real about the way Ava Reid portrays womanhood, as well as mental illness. From the themes of patriarchy within the world of academia, to the experience of mental illness both on a personal level as well as a societal level, and the topic of authorship and the legitimacy of women in literature, it is abundantly clear that the words come from a very real place despite this being a work of fiction.

I also appreciated how she represented what it means to be an ally to women through Preston's character. He not only validated Effy's talent, intelligence and capability, but also used his privilege as a man in the world of academia to uplift her and offer an opportunity for HER to prove herself, instead of speaking over her or rushing in with a savior complex.

I especially loved the exploration of the connection between author and reader, and the analogy of the act of writing being like shining a beacon from a lighthouse, searching for kinship, connection and understanding. I was able to deeply relate to many things within Effy's character so I found that the way that she feels towards Angharad and its author is much like the way I feel towards this book and Ava. I am eternally grateful that I got the privilege to encounter a book such as this one in my lifetime.

“It began as all things did: a girl on the shore, terrified and desirous.”

Well. I guess I have a new favorite book. Again. I can’t stop thinking about this story. I want everyone I know to read it just so they can discuss it with me. I admit, the beginning was a little slow for me and it took me a few chapters to get invested. Then I did and I am obsessed.

“I was a woman when it was convenient to blame me, and a girl when they wanted to use me.”

Effy is an amazing and soft character. I loved her so much. She is very obviously traumatized by the misogynistic world she lives in, but she only gets stronger as the story develops. The only female student at the architectural college, her design to renovate her recently deceased favorite author’s home, is chosen in a contest. Once she arrives at Hiraeth Manor, the atmosphere becomes increasingly dark and spooky. She meets Preston, a literature student and rival, who is also staying at Hiraeth. The mystery of the manor and the author’s most famous work is intriguing. We also have a few glimpses of some otherworldly happenings. I really couldn’t stop reading once I started.

“How terrible, to navigate the world without a story to comfort you.”

This is my first book by Ava Reid and I cannot wait to dive into more of this author’s works. The writing was beautiful and I am extremely excited to see this book has a sequel in the works. Definitely a 5 star read for me, and possibly in my top 3 books for the year. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

5⭐️ I LOVED THIS BOOK
A Study in Drowning is a swirling tempest of hope, love, and finding a way forward against all odds. Enveloped in folklore and set in a Welsh-inspired fantasy world this book is a balm for every person who has been an outsider in their lives and for those still fighting to have their voice be heard.

An absolute gem of a novel. The entire time I was reading this story, I was wholly engaged. When I wasn’t reading, I was thinking about it. The flowery prose has a dreamlike quality to it, and the audiobook gives a narration that really enhances this style of storytelling. My first book by Ava Reid and what a fantastic introduction to their work!

i always trust my instincts when it comes to new fall releases because i know deep down i'm a sucker for gothic fiction. when a study in drowning was announced, i knew i needed to read it and boy did i have a good time with this story 🖤🔎🏛️

a study in drowning is actually a new adult in my opinion because of the curses and intimate (almost explicit) scenes that was included. it's definitely not young adult. so bare that in mind, in case you pick this book up. it follows the story of effy sayre who's the first female student to get into the architecture university program. her main goal was to get into the litterature program but she got rejected since it's a male body program (the fkg audacity). so she settles for architecture while still daydreaming about her favorite author's book, myrddin. he wrote a phenomenal story about a mortal girl who gets kidnapped by the faery king and fall in love with him just to destroy him in the end. amidst her messy life and unhealthy family, myrddin's words are truly keeping effy's afloat.

when they announce a project to redesign the author's manor after his passing, effy take advantage of this opportunity to show everyone's that she's capable. effy think it's destiny when her application is accepted but when she arrives there, she realizes how of an impossible task it is to recover the crumbling manor standing near the cliff. she meets a literature student, preston héloury, who's also there for a personal project and both of them team up when they start recovering clues about myrddin's legacy and expose him as a fraud.

i know they marketed this book as dark academia but i don't quite agree with it since the majority of the book is set in a haunted decrepit manor near the cliff. i think it's more of a gothic romance with fantasy elements inspired by the welsh folklore. i though this book was fantastic and perfect for autumn. honestly, effy was such an amazing character. her strengh and struggles were relatable and i loved how brave she was despite the odds. this book is about mental health and toxic abuse done by men in power (teachers). it was filled with female rage and feminism. honestly, i felt so much for the women in this story (except effy's mom, she deserves jail). as a gothic fan, i loved the gothic vibes, the haunted manor, the eerie atmosphere, the weird shady host and all the ugly secrets that were slowly being revealed.

preston as a love interest ? 10/10. he was our typical grumpy smart guy but so soft for his girl. i loved how he was ready to have effy co-write his thesis with him and help her get what she wants. their banter and secret midnight meeting to uncover the clues were my favorite. i love them so much. this story was also filled with fantasy elements and the faery king was quite present throughout the book.

this book wrapped up so nicely and it pushed me to set my eyes on ava reid's other works.



rating: 4 haunted stars.




thank you again to HCC Frency & HarperCollins Canada for sending me an e-arc my way 🖤

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.