I will be reading Ava Reid’s entire backlog immediately! This world were brought into was so unique and I was completely immersed in it with the characters. The gothic theme and lyrical writing style paired so well together! I also really enjoyed Effy as an unreliable narrator and trying to figure out what was real or not. There are some parts of the book that were a little slow so if you’re looking for something fast paced this won’t be it. Overall this is definitely a new YA favorite.

I don’t care where in the world and in what climate you read this book, no matter what Ava will take you in to her world! This book was dark, interesting and page turning!

I REALLY liked this. It was such a nice change and written so beautifully!!! It’s been such a long time since I’ve struggled to put a book down, and let me tell you it was so difficult to stop reading once i started!! Effy’s story is the epitome of so many women’s experiences despite the historical aspect, and despite experiencing so much abuse, misogynism, and fear from people (like her horrific mother) making her thing she’s insane, Effy remained strong and grew even STRONGER! I loved watching her confidence grow throughout the book and Preston’s sort of guidance helping her find herself and feel more sure of herself. The whole fairy king plot line was also so interesting, and the actual mirroring with Effy and Angarad (ifykyk) was IMPECCABLE. What an amazing story written about the struggles women go through and the strength there is in togetherness there. I absolutely adored this story and highly recommend!

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.
But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

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

The haunting gothic atmosphere was one of the things I loved the most about ASID. Dark academia, mystery, light horror, and slow burn romance come together along with an exploration of sexism in academia, mental illness, sexual abuse, and the many ways women are silenced or belittled by men. I could relate to and understand Effy so much. Effy was raised to believe that it was her fault whenever men behave badly. As she begins to find her voice, she finally accepts that she isn’t an insipid little girl; that she’s smart and capable and deserving. Watching her grow and heal from years of trauma was the best part of ASID for me.

Ava Reid is one of my all-time favorite authors. Juniper & Thorn quickly became one of my very favorite books, and to be given a chance to read A Study in Drowning early really did feel like a huge privilege. I can honestly say that this is one of the best books I have ever read--there is something so alluring about Reid's writing that I can't look away from or stop thinking about. The way that Reid constructs sentences bewitches me; the sentence structure is clever and unique. I think anyone who loves descriptive, lush prose will gush over the construction of this work, but also when you pair it with such a beautiful premise, plot, and characters, it is something to covet, at least in my experience reading it.

A Study in Drowning is a stunning blend of fantasy, folklore, mystery, and a bit of horror and romance for good measure. Reid helms it masterfully as if they are creating a complex, layered tapestry of ideas. It is so riveting and heart-pounding as the story goes on and on. The protagonist of the book, Effy, is an unforgettable character who is truly the soul of this story and makes it come alive.

Reid is one of the best authors of this decade, and I cannot wait to see what they do next.

5 stars!

This book was not for me.

I wanted a more dark academia feel. This was slow, and I did not like the main character. She felt a little bit annoying and flat at the same time. I found I wasn't rooting for her at all.

Overall, the story was bland, not very dark academia, not very much magic, and the romance had no chemistry to ut.

A perfect book for the hozier, dark academia, fantasy girlies! I love the folklore woven throughout and how Ava Reid masterfully depicts the feelings for love and girlhood and mental health throughout.

This book was wonderfully atmospheric and mysterious, though I do wish it had been more obscure and dense regarding the house, the fairy king, and the curse, and more detailed and forthcoming regarding Effy’s roommates/friends and their involvement in her life, as well as more exploration of the pain she suffered at the hands of her mother.

A Study In Drowning drew me in instantly and hooked my from the stary with its atmospheric setting and entrancing plot and characters. I really enjoyed being captured by the vibe and feel of the book and emotions of the characters!

A magically Gothic story. This is one I will definitely read at least once a year! I heard the author is doing her own retelling of Lady Macbeth and I think she'll do an excellent job with it

This was my first book by Ava Reid and let me just say that it has convinced me to read Ava's other books. I could not put this book down.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This book made me feel a lot of things. It gave the impression that one who has lost their power and fighting to get back all done with the background of a dark academia setting. A large house on a cliffside. There are a lot of "relationships" going on in this book. Effy comes off a bit to timid for me in the beginning and I did not care much for Preston. He came off a little to close minded for me.

This book had everything I loved. Dark academia, spooky vibes, enemies to lovers. Even with all of this it fell a little flat. I struggled getting into it and when I finally did the main character annoyed me. The cover is beautiful and it was written very well, though.

I really really enjoyed this book. This was right up my ally and was executed perfectly! This is definitley a book I would recommend to others.

I love Ava Reid, so I am very thankful to the publisher for the arc of this novel!
I very much enjoyed being immediately introduced to the world of this book. Ava Reid has a fantasy way of being able to weave in a totally new magical world in with one that feels familiar, by doing that it makes it easy as a reader to just sink into the story and go along for the ride. The blending of surreal magic and reality of the book gave this a very moody/mysterious feel that I was totally into.

I’m so sad. I was holding onto this book because I was SO excited about it.

In theory in was perfect for me.

✏️ Dark Academia
✏️ Enemies to lovers
✏️Spooky magic


The good: the ambience was THERE. I could hear the creaks of the house and feel the mist in the forest. That was excellent.

The bad: The story fell really flat for me. It didn’t feel like enemies to lovers. It was just a girl being rude to a nice guy for no reason ?

Overall, the story was just so boring. 😔 I didn’t even care what happened which is the ultimate deal killer for me.

The ugly : the fantasy element of this was so weird to me. Not in a good way. I don’t want to spoil anything, but it wasn’t for me.

Thank you netgalley for this copy !

This was a fun and inventive fantasy, if a little tough to get through. The world building was great and the concept was fantastic. I think it was just the heroine, Effy, who I didn't get along with as well as I would have liked. Overall a fun read that I think my fantasy loving students would enjoy.

This needs to be talked about more! The story was so simple. But it was written so well that the simplicity was very effective. I loved Effy and Preston so much!

I was so excited to read this book but it was a complete let down. The only reason I am giving it 2 stars is because I was able to finish it and not DNF it. I can not count the number of times I wanted to put this down and not go back, or the number of times I found myself nodding off while reading it. It was long, drawn out, and extremely boring. I understand the underlying themes but it did not achieve them at all.

The main character is supposed to be a strong woman, who is willing to go after what she wants, instead she is a people pleaser, who is whiny, has no backbone to stand up to anyone, and has no idea what she really wants in life.

The descriptions in the book take forever to get through, and most of the time the descriptions are of things that mean absolutely nothing plot of the book. Yet, important details are skimmed over and thought of as nothing.

I want to thank Netgalley and HarperCollins for an ARC of this book.

4.5/5 Stars

Thank you to Harperteen and Netgalley for providing me with an arc.

I absolutely love Ava Reid’s writing, it is always captivating and just sucks you in. I was worried about how her writing would transfer to YA as what I have read from her is very dark and YA normally isn’t quite as dark but this was somehow one of the most confusing things I've read and one of the best spooky books. Reid manages to create an environment you feel safe in and twists it in a completely unique way that even if you guess what is going to happen it still feels surprising and will make you question what you just read. I never thought a book could be confusing in a good way but Reid did it.

Effy has always loved literature but the university doesn’t allow women into the program. When she gets an offer to go help design renovations for one of her favorite authors' estate she can’t say no even if she probably should. There she meets a man that flips what she knows upside down and they team up to figure out the truth.

Honestly other than knowing that this book is spooky and gothic I would say go in knowing nothing if you think you can handle it. There is a very interesting mystery element paired with a slight romance that is pretty minor. This book is perfect for a cozy day or to get you in the spooky mood.