Darkly romantic, unsettling and moving all at once, A Study in Drowning is an atmospheric story about readers and their relationships to stories; academia and the institutional sexism that it is built upon; and the frustrating treatment of women's voices both in academia and in life, especially among family. Reid's prose is so heart-achingly beautiful, the book is filled to the brim with lines I want to read over and over again.

The Gothic backdrop of a crumbling estate on a cliff is the perfect setting for this dark academia story. I could practically smell the salt as I read the book. The rivals to lovers romance is so tender and beautiful and really sets this book apart as one of my favorites of all time. The main character, Effy, broke my heart because of how relatable and frustrating her experiences have been. The world building in this story is excellent, giving the reader the sense of a complete world full of its own myths, religion, and history. Reid is a master at writing fantasy romance that is intense, bold, unsettling, and touching, and she has proven herself yet again with this YA debut!

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books/HarperTeen for providing me with an early copy in exchange for an honest review!

Really good, dripping with atmosphere and beautifully written. This can be a book for many audiences, not just young adult readers. I'll be recommending this for sure.

Overwritten and lacking depth in its actual feminist messaging. I also went into this expecting dark academia but this felt more like a thriller maybe? It felt like this book wasn't sure what it was.

This was such an action filled book! I absolutely loved the characters and the journey they went on. The plot was creative, interesting, and exciting. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

A STUDY IN DROWNING might be the best YA I’ve ever read. I was absolutely enthralled from the first page, pulled in by Reid’s gorgeous writing and the immersive way we are thrust into Effy’s world. And, oh, the world! It was…I don’t know how to describe it, but it scratched an itch I didn’t know I had. It was fresh and interesting and felt extremely real. The characters did as well, I loved Effy as a protagonist and I thought her trauma was explored very well. I also appreciated a main character that was weepy and a little weak, but still got the job done. I can’t fully put all my thoughts down, I can’t put them into words, I just adored this book so much.

I really liked Ava Reid’s “Juniper and Thorn” (and I thought “The Wolf and the Woodsman was a-okay), so I was excited to read “A Study in Drowning.” This is the author’s YA debut, and for a YA book, it is much like her others in that there are some dark themes. This is definitely upper YA/NA, and it should hold appeal for adults. Check the trigger warnings if needed; while nothing is explicit, there are frequent troubling recollections. However, the content of “A Study in Drowning” is nowhere near as gory or horrific as that of her adult books. The author handles the difficult subjects in this book as deftly as she did in her other novels.

It is a slow-burning story; I can see how readers might want to put down the book at the beginning, but by the 50% mark, it’s unputdownable. The twists and turns of the story were quite obvious, but that didn’t affect my enjoyment of it.

Effy is an incredibly sympathetic character, and unfortunately, I think many girls and women can relate to her experiences. How Preston treats Effy is just perfection.

Ava Reid, you’ve done it again.

I tried my very best to go into this book blind, considering Ava is an autobuy author for me, so upon reading all I knew was that it was a dark academia / gothic romance featuring a deliciously unhinged FMC and there would maybe be faeries?

And it was everything I could’ve hoped for: spellbinding and slow, with an unreliable narrator and a cliffside manor slowly sinking into the sea.

✨Metaphor✨ is my favorite storytelling device, and this book was as much a study in it as it was in drowning — equally bonechilling and whimsical, the metaphors throughout ASID were masterfully placed and executed, and I ate. it. up.

This is one of those stories that, no matter how hard I try, I can’t adequately express my feelings about it. I didn’t love it, but I don’t think it’s meant to be loved; it’s meant to linger, to hover like a dark cloud, to remind you what it is to be seen.

So grateful to netgalley for an advance review copy, but I can’t wait to hold the real thing in my hands! 🥹

I wanted to love this one so much, but I just couldn’t get into it. I finished it, I just didn’t feel a connection to the MC.

This was my first dark academia book and it certainly won’t be my last!

This vibe was sooo intriguing that I just could not stop reading until I finished it.

I loved the blending of both the academic world and the spiritual/supernatural world.

I loved the themes of women empowerment, mystery, faeries, mental illness.

I would have loved to delve more into Effy’s past!!

I find it difficult to come up with the right words needed to describe how I felt about A Study in Drowning. No combination of words feel enough to describe just how much I loved this book. It was a story that called to me in a way few books do. I was riveted, scared, concerned, thrilled, happy, despondent, satisfied...I felt like all the emotions consumed me at one time or another. I was utterly enthralled. This story is poignant, stunning, and magical.

》Effy《

Oh my beautiful, vulnerable yet brave-hearted Effy.

A Survivor. A Dreamer. A Resilient Soul.

The narrative takes such good care of slowly revealing Effy’s backstory— which can be a triggering one to witness. She has been outcasted due to the machinations of powerful, horrible men. She has been groomed by men, misused by them, and ridiculed by them. She is drowning every second, her head barely taking in the air above water, but her strength is relentless— and she keeps swimming. Looking for an anchor. She grabs hold onto the myth of the Fairy King in the story of Angharad. A tale of fairies and survival she knows all too well.

The walls are constantly closing in upon Effy, the water rising, but her resilience is just as imposing, and the hope that comes from her dreams are her continuous salvation. Effy’s voice has been muted for far too long, but she begins a journey that may just end with her finding that lost voice once again.


》Preston《

Preston and Effy begin this story as different as water and oil. From different cultures, different perspectives, different social positions in life. Yet Preston is the first to see Effy as a fellow human, as an equal to him, not beneath him. He can see her hurt, the scars upon her heart, but he also sees her resilience, her intelligence, her courage. He sees what there is to admire.

Preston is a wonderful co-lead. Although we do not get his POV we see his growth through Effy’s eyes, and we see a young man filled with determination and bravery to uncover truths. He is led by his morals, and although stiff at times, through his companionship with Effy, his heart becomes softened and his resolve further strengthens. He is a gorgeous character.


》To Love to Ruination《

"Love" is a constant presence throughout the story, albeit not always in an expected way. Sometimes love is obsession, sometimes it is false, sometimes it is the capture of innocence and stolen dreams. Sometimes it is just a disguise for anything but love.

But sometimes, love does bloom, sometimes it’s tended with care and gentleness. The romance between Effy and Preston is one built in the most delicate of manners, one fostered so gently with care, one you will hope will eventually bloom in triumphant beauty. There is hope that two souls who may not seem like a perfect match will find just how well they do fit. A love you will hope will become an anchor amongst tumultuous waves, the guiding light through heavy fog, the gift of tentative friendship turned nurtured love.

The way love is presented in this story is majestic.


》Through the Dark, Murky Waters《

The atmosphere established in this book is phenomenal. The fairytale Effy clings to edges the reader into a world of magic, but when that magic enters the real world in its unique way, suddenly the atmosphere goes from magical to horror. Heightened with the allure of mystery and the encompassing tendrils of the gothic together, we are immersed in a world of tangibility that still feels infinite in its fantastical possibilities. It is spectacularly crafted. At times I wanted to hide under the covers with Effy, other times I wanted to join her and Preston in their investigations, all around: it was immensely satisfying world-building.


》For Whom the Bell Tolls《

I didn’t want to say goodbye to Effy and Preston. I didn’t want the final page to come and for it all to be over. I almost couldn’t bear the goodbye. I came to love this book so deeply, I came to love its protagonists whole-heartedly. Every new chapter just heightened my love. This is a book that gets better and better as you go along, the anticipation builds, a sense of addictive fear prickles your skin, you feel haunted by the mystery as it builds, by the fairytale that captivates you to an almost standstill...but the page must be turned. It cannot remain in place, not when so much is calling for more and more. To know, to believe, to hope.

I didn’t want this end, but I just had to know how it would all turn out.

This narrative cannot be constrained by words, it feels beyond that. Perhaps we have all have our own version of the Fairy King who haunts us. I felt a strange nostalgia take hold of me as I journeyed my way through this story. I admire Effy so very much, I hope she serves as inspiration for all to take control of our agency, of our personal stories— of our voices.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Anything can be taken from you, at any moment. Even the past isn’t guaranteed. You can lose that too, slowly, like water eating away at stone."

There is a lot going on in A Study in Drowning. It’s about institutional sexism in academia; about how young women are simultaneously treated as too insipid and frivolous to be of any consequence and yet also held responsible for the predation of the men who demand power over them. It’s about stories and the relationship between author and reader; about who really owns a story and decides what it means. It’s about all the ways your voice can be taken from you - both by others and eaten away at within yourself - and what it takes to get it back, if you can.
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.
And all of it works so beautifully. A seamless blend of narrative, characters I absolutely loved, mysteries to unravel, and an ambiguously fantastical setting that you will question again and again. I loved this book so very much.

On the note of characters, I can’t not speak about the main character, Effy.

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

Effy Sayre is for the soft femmes. The anxiety femmes. The “I’ve been rehearsing my Starbucks order since I got in line” femmes. The “life has made my fight or flight response heavily weighted toward flight for my own survival” femmes. I love her. She’s not going to pick up a sword and get a training montage to defeat her enemies on a battlefield, she’s not always going to have the right quip at just the right time, and she’s not always going to have the right answers, but she shows that there’s a strength in softness. That it’s strength enough to survive and that the ways we find to make it through the day are valid. She’s not a perfect character, she has very real flaws beyond the sometimes trite “quirks that a romantic partner will find cute,” and it’s part of what makes her authentic and leaves room through the writing for real growth.

Almost as soon as I started this book I knew there was no chance that I was going to be Normal about it. Effy, has my whole heart. I love her, I feel protective of her, and I will lay down my life for her. (Remember, not going to be Normal about this). She distinctly puts this in the rare category of books that make me feel Seen as a human being, alongside others like VE Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and John Green’s Turtles All The Way Down. This is personal, it feels very singular (though it definitionally is not), and it absolutely elevates the experience of an already fantastic book. This idea is reflected in the story as well. To paraphrase, “Writing [a book is] like shining a beacon from a lighthouse…Are there any ships on the horizon? Will they signal back…?” It reminds me of the Kazuo Ishiguro quote “In the end, stories are about one person saying to another: This is the way it feels to me. Can you understand what I’m saying? Does it feel this way to you?”

And so, yes, I am the ship on the horizon signaling back. It feels this way to me too. And for that, A Study in Drowning holds a very special place in my heart. Five Stars.

3/5

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Ava Reid has become an auto read author for me since I read Juniper and Thorn earlier this year and absolutely LOVED it. I then read her debut novel The Wolf and The Woodsman which was not my favorite but still not a bad read. A Study in Drowning falls somewhere between those two on the enjoyability scale.

This is one of those books that I would categorize in the ‘no plot just vibes’ even though it had a great plot. I loved the atmosphere and setting of this story more than anything. It was so eerie and totally something you should read if you’re into dark academia that actually has an academic setting and a dark storyline.

It has a romance that does not over power the main plot but acts as a great side plot that enhances the overall story. Preston Heloury is truly a man written by a women *chefs kiss*

You will like this if you like:
- Dark Academia setting
- Slow burn romance
- A little bit of rivals to lovers trope
- Thriller/mystery storyline
- Gothic historical fiction vibes

What an amazing YA debut by Ava Reid. I thoroughly enjoy Reid’s writing in their adult novel, Wolf and the Woodsman, and her YA doesn’t skip out on any of the beautiful storytelling I enjoyed so much in WOATW. For those wondering though, ASID has a more gothic tone than WOATW, and I assume is not as dark as Juniper & Thorn (I have yet to read it, but based on the premise I believe this to be true.)

I love Reid’s ability to write interesting and complex characters. We follow Effy, a quiet and submissive girl who takes pink pills in order to decipher what is real and what isn’t. We meet Ianto Myrddin, the son of the mysterious and reclusive author, who wrote one of the most famous works of his time. Then finally, Preston Heloury, a smug and awkward boy who only wants to seek the truth.

There’s an overall mystery to the story regarding the legitimacy of Myrddin’s writing, and of the very foundation Myrddin lived. There’s a recurring theme of water and drowning, and symbols of anti-semitism. And finally, a beautiful love story.

This has easily become one of my favorite reads of the year.

This was amazing! I absolutely loved it. This was just the fantasy book I was looking for. I was hooked from the very beginning.
I just reviewed A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid. #AStudyinDrowning #NetGalley
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I have never so badly wanted to be besties with a FMC as badly as I do with Effy. She is so incredibly loveable and I see so much of myself in her. (I would indeed die for and protect her regardless of the cost).

The pacing of this book was PHENOMENAL - I typically read majority adult. However, I was pleasantly surprised! This is tagged as a young adult but it reads more closely to new adult. There were even some vocabulary I wasn't familiar with and this does take place in a college-style academic setting with some topics that dive into mass amounts of anxiety, being S.A.'d by someone in power over Effy, struggles with self-worth, racism, and so on.

The story was spectacular, the characters are to die for, the academic rivals to lovers did not overpower the main plot/mystery of the story. I have no notes. 5 stars.

3.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
Effy, refused entry to the faculty of literature because of her gender, is a reluctant and distracted architecture student instead. But when a chance comes to design a museum for her beloved, recently deceased, and nationally treasured author Emrys Myrddin, she jumps at it. If only her visions of the fairy world didn't keep getting in the way..
Review
Normally, the word ‘fairy’ diminishes my interest in a book considerably. I like the concept well enough; I’ve just seen it applied poorly far too many times. But the title of this book caught my eye, and the description intrigued me. Plus, I’m always on the lookout for new authors.
The result was a somewhat mixed success. I liked Reid’s prose well enough, but there was just too much about the story that felt familiar – too many tropes that we’ve seen before, reused without much innovation. This is a book whose path you know fairly well from the early pages, and the solution to its central mystery is evident from the halfway point, yet its protagonists somehow fail to see it. There are some new elements here – sexual abuse by an authority is a recurring theme, but to me a little too much seemed to be rote emulation of other stories. The romantic pairing of the story is so familiar that the author makes little real attempt to justify it, relying on familiarity to carry us through.
I don’t mean to downplay the book’s strengths – Reid is an able writer, if with a tendency (like, but with a very different tone from, K.J. Parker) to take her metaphor and let it wash over and over us like the tide – and I’m a fan of metaphor. The characters are engaging and interesting, if a little too stock to really take to heart. And the heart of the story is strong. I just wish Reid had taken a little more time to make familiar tropes her own.

Ava Reid really set out to write a story that somehow captures the terrifying power of myth, the reclamation of stolen stories, the ways that women not only escape but transform when confronted with the unthinkable, and the most gorgeously moody setting I’ve found in a book recently.

And she makes it look easy.

This book was everything I wanted and more, and I know it will be one of my top books of the year. As much as I enjoyed and appreciated Wolf and the Woodsman and Juniper and Thorn, this book for me, is Ava’s tour de force. It captures so much of what I like best about her writing, her themes, and her characters and distills it all into the perfect story.

One thing about an Ava Reid book is that it’s going to have voice and style and something to say, and I think that’s why I’m going to always be such a fan. Ava shoots straight for the style and topics that they want to discuss, without hesitation.

Ok onto our heroine, Effy, who is a girl with yearning and desire for something she can’t quite name. As a child she believes she was given over to the Fairy King, and as a result, even though she was rescued from his clutches, she believes she sees him in her dreams and occasionally in her everyday life.

At university, Effy wants to be a literature student and study the works of Emrys Myrddin, whose seminal work tells the love story of the Faerie King and a mortal woman, Anghorad. However, women aren’t allowed to be literature students, so Effy does the next best thing and accepts an offer to investigate Myrddin’s home and belongings, in the hopes of finding a deeper connection to his work.

If this sounds a bit convoluted, I promise it’s my fault, as the narrative establishes all of this quite quickly and succinctly. Effy is also an immediately sympathetic character with stories to tell and a desire for what she can’t have.

Probably my favorite part of this book was the lore. I love Welsh mythology, and Celtic mythology in general. Ava draws on a rich tradition of both mythology and medieval romance style in order to build the construct of her narrative (Effy’s quest) and the narrative within the narrative (Anghorad).

While building both stories, she also weaves the story of her fictional (welsh based) world of Llyr, and it’s just stunningly beautiful. The crumbling houses on the cliffs, the crushing waves of the sea, the fears of drowning, the mysticism of places where land and humanity are at an impasse between forces of nature…masterful is an understatement.

I would read 10 more books set here, or in the stories within this story. Or just Effy at university studying literature with a certain fellow student with glasses. I would take alllll of it because I was so fully engaged in this story.

I think it would be possible (and disturbingly easy) for me to write 10 more paragraphs about all the how’s and why’s of my love for this book, so I will attempt to cap it here with this very SHORT and CONCISE review, and just say that I think this is Ava’s best book yet and you should BUY IT.

This was an addictive read! I always expect some good atmospheric writing from Ava Reid and she never disappoints. Our female lead, Effy, is a strong-headed, witty woman with a lot of sass and determination to prove herself as the first ever female literature student at her college but she is stuck in architecture. Preston, our male lead, is a sophisticated scholar whose opinion is settled and leads a very curious mind. The two embark on a journey to uncover secrets of Effy's favorite author for a chance to write a joint thesis in the Literature college, but the process is a lot darker than they anticipated. Overall I really enjoyed this novel and will be purchasing it when it is published. Only trigger warning is passive recall of a Sexual Assault experience between a student and professor.

A Study in Drowning is a haunting tale of the dark secrets even your own heroes have. The eerie, dark academia vibes of this story was so strong. Ava Reid does a really good job of making you feel on edge while Effy and Preston are at Hiraeth Manor. This story mainly tells the story of victims and survivors of sexual assault & harassment, grooming, and child sexual abuse, and how society treats victims over the abusers themselves. My heart hurt for Effy at the way she was treated by the faculty and student body at her school, as well as her own mother. Seeing Preston and Effy find each other through this nightmare of an academic project, might I add, was beautiful. The supernatural element of the Fairy King and the lore behind this creature was also so chilling. If you love haunting, gothic tales in a dark academia setting, definitely pick up A Study in Drowning!

I don't even know how to begin talking about this book. A Study in Drowning is. Incredible. It touched me so deeply, I will need 7-10 business days to process my emotions and what this story means to me. A brilliant and sensitive exploration of survival and love - this one is special.