Ava Reid has this way of drawing you in within the first paragraph. The atmosphere of each of their books makes you feel like you are within the pages with the characters. A study in drowning was so vivid and filled with mystery, romance, and gothic horror. I’m in awe of Reid’s writing and will continue to read anything they write.

I adored this book just as I have adored all of Ava Reid’s books. This solidifies her as one of my favorite authors of all time. 10/10 stars from me. I am so grateful I got to read this book before it is released.

This book made me feel so many things. It was lyrical, eerily beautiful, captivating, clever and stunning. The world building was astounding, the gothic dark academia vibes were impeccable and our cast of characters hold a very special place in my heart. Ava Reid hasn't failed me yet.

It’s moments like these, having finished what I think is most likely going to be one of my favorite books of the year, that I wish I had better capacity to put into words how I feel and what I think. At least to be able to do so adequately and eloquently. Alas, I am but a mere humble girl who’s greatest talent is in fact, NOT writing, so I have no choice but to simply just say WOWOWOWOWOWOOWOWW and hope it encompasses my thoughts enough to convey that this book has moved me and impacted me and made me want to do a reread right away. I hope it encompasses the fact that I’m still reeling and lying here (in bed, writing this from my phone) thinking about the beautiful gothic imagery. That I thought the writing was absolutely stunning, lyrical, atmospheric and clever and the world felt SO REAL. That it made me want to write an essay (a thesis?) on all the parallels and allusions between so many aspects of the story. Especially about women and how they’re so easily dismissed. On all of the juxtapositions between Preston and the Fairy King and about the Fairy King being a reflection of all the nasty predatory men. And about the use of mirrors. And the use of the sea and water to portray grief and love and terror and death (or dying as one Preston Heloury would say). My only wish tonight is that my simple ‘wow’ translates perfectly to mean that this book was meant for me and that it’s stunning and beautiful and I will be undeniably devoted to it for the foreseeable future. Wow.



Goes without saying that I’m absolutely thankful to NetGalley and Harpercollins/Harperteen for the advanced reader copy!

Very Crimson Peak Dark Academia vibes. World building was really interesting. Had kind of a hard time figuring out the when of it all? First I assumed Victorian or turn of the century because of the vibes and general sexism, but then there was talk of phones and stuff so I think it’s meant to be modern? Called the “twist” from a mile away, but it was still a satisfying build up and reveal. Definitely recommend!
As an educator, I likely wouldn't recommend it to my high school students. I might to seniors, but it has some pretty mature themes and the MC is in her first year of university, so it might be a little too adult for younger teens.

It is a rare thing to come across a book that perfectly captures a moment in your life let alone an entire event that you experienced including every thought and emotion you felt. Ava Reid has done exactly that. The things Effy, the main character, goes through are so relatable to so many of us, filling us with levels of frustration, sadness, pride and contentment at various times throughout the book. Ava Reid was able to take these horrible experiences that so many people have had and make them universally horrifying by adding a layer of fantasy and folklore with a villain that could only exist in the nightmares of children, thus making it understandable to the rest of the world. This is a rare talent.

Ava Reid’s writing style is absolutely beautiful. They find the perfect balance of making you see every detail and feel every sensation without weighing the story down with unnecessary information.

Once again, they also did a wonderful job of including a rich world of mythology, this time borrowing ideas from Irish folklore, which I love. Ava Reid never seems to forget to build the mythology throughout each book they write so the reader is never lost.

I am so honored to have received an advanced reader’s copy of this book and absolutely will be preordering. Ava Reid has become an automatic preorder author for me, but especially this book in particular because they gave us the ending we all wish we had.

4✰ // atmospheric, immersive, and captivating. A Study in Drowning is a perfect read for fans of fantasy, dark academia, and stories that feature a mysterious seaside home where your academic rival happens to be conducting research. though the book is considered YA, it definitely touches on heavier topics and features darker undertones. therefore, i believe this story is one that can be enjoyed by a spectrum of readers of various ages, far beyond young adults alone. the story was the perfect length and i devoured it in just a short few days. i would definitely recommend A Study in Drowning to readers that are looking for an enchanting story with beautifully haunting vibes.

thank you so much to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m gonna be honest, I really wanted to like this. It seemed right up my ally with a mystery, dark academia, and academic rivals to lovers. But the more I got into it, the more I just began to lose interest to the point where I was skimming. And unfortunately, I have to DNF this book at 60%.

There were a couple of things I DID like however. I really enjoyed the haunting and elegant atmosphere with paired really well with Reid’s writing style. And I really liked both Effy and Preston as I thought they were actually adorable. But the plot really wasn’t enough to hook me in and I read up to 200 pages before I had to call it quits.

I am willing to however finish this at a later date as I’ve heard many good things about this book. However, as for now, the book just didn’t capture my attention the way I wanted it to.

2.5/5 stars. Thank you to HarperTeen for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was just as beautiful, impactful, and atmospheric as I've come to expect from Ava Reid. I really love Effy and Preston, and I definitely want to reread this book in the future. Highly recommend!

This was just as beautiful, impactful, and atmospheric as I've come to expect from Ava Reid. I really love Effy and Preston, and I definitely want to reread this book in the future. Highly recommend!

Ava Reid has such a gift for creating worlds. I want to crawl in them and live there, even though they are frequently a little dark and frightening. She's never afraid of the darkness of fairytales and I really appreciate it. A Study in Drowning was riveting. I loved the Welsh elements, and how atmospheric it was. I think I maybe could have done with a bit more magic, but I did enjoy how ambiguous she kept it until the end. Can't really have both more magic and still keep it ambiguous, so I'm happy overall. I want to read more in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving this ARC, and this doesn’t influence my review. What first drew me in was the gorgeous cover.
The writing style was great, the plot and secrets hidden from reader of FMC really were interesting.
Tropes: dark academia, rivals to lovers, gothic mystery,
Unfortunately the rivals to lovers wasn’t done well at all, but the Chemistry!!!!!! Eeeek they had a pride & prejudice moment and a the cruel prince moment!!!!
He was protective of her but he was way too cinnamon roll ugh
Honestly the romance could’ve been better, he was too shy

ava reid does! not! miss! both books i've read of their's have been put high on my all time favorites list and now this one can fill its spot on there! 'a study in drowning' fills all the boxes that a reader would be looking for in a read. there's dark academia, academic rivals to lovers, romance, mystery and so much more, this is truly a book that everyone will find something that'll hook them in! i was very interested in seeing how ava reid's writing style would feel within a YA setting and she did not disappoint! the writing was insanely atmospheric (as it always is), it flowed together perfectly and caught me feeling as if i was in the story myself. there were also some heavy topics that have been seen in her two adult fiction books, which i was also interested in seeing how they'd work within a YA book but they were written in so well. effy's character didn't feel like just a character in a book, but a real person which is something ava reid does really well in their books with their main characters. they feel real, their experiences are real and you can tell that ava reid puts their all into these MC's (which is something i will always appreciate in an author's work).

This book is a buoy at sea. A lighthouse’s relentless patrol for all souls lost and circumnavigating home. Rarely do I start something and instantly understand how much it will touch my soul. The aching beauty and deep-seated magic springing open like springtime buds for the world to see is exactly what I needed whilst in the throes of a rainy and snow-melting spring when the land is hard and the days feel so wet and endlessly gray.

A STUDY IN DROWNING is a YA gothic mystery novel similarly perfect for fall with its “dark academia” undertones and rich atmospheric settings. The main protagonist, Effy Sayre, is the only female student at an otherwise all-male Llyrian school for architecture. Her first choice is the school of literature, however, due to the glaring misogyny of the board, no women are allowed admittance. Forced into complacency, Effy is excited when a contest to design the manor of Myrddin, the recently deceased author and beloved Llyr author of her favorite novel “Angharad” is advertised on campus.

This novel has always been a balm and salve for Effy amidst a rough childhood filled with neglect and gaslighting behavior from her alcoholic mother. “Angharad” has been a safe place for her fears, hopes, and even at times, desires, creasing the pages with use and filling them with tears to absorb her pain. There is seemingly nothing that can dissuade or disillusion her love for Myrddin and sense of Llyrian pride, academics, and general nationalism.

Until she meets Preston Héloury–an Argantian literature student who suspects “Angharad” might not have been written by Myrddin. This immediately casts a rift between the two academic rivals as they try to solve and uncover the mysteries of Hiraeth Manor–a crumbling and decrepit estate on its way to returning to the sea.

I think what’s so potent about Reid’s writing style is how visceral the descriptions are as well as this mounting fear of drowning which serves as an extended metaphor throughout the entire novel. You see Effy, a tender and delicate girl clinging to fairy tales to deal with her trauma and pain, and the world that insists on crumbling at her feet, making way to the roaring ocean below. And you long to catch her, wrapping her up in this net of mythos and calm beneath the lashing waves.

With the inclusion of tougher themes pertaining to child abuse, SA, addiction, and so on, the sort of roman à clef nature of the text, and this “story within a story” atmosphere, we are given multiple insights into one story in particular and many others like it. The repetition and the injustice in this narrative that we can not seem to change beings to feel a lot like drowning until one brave day, somebody takes a stance against this age-old narrative of pain and injustice.

The exploration of pain, trauma, and bravery against your inner demons, or the chance to stand up against certain injustices in ASID skyrockets it into a sort of timeless piece of literature that can be revisited whenever one is faced with mounting dread, paralysis, or crippling inertia. Ava Reid takes your hand and shows you how there is a soft place to land in literature and that your voice matters–your story matters, and you are not alone.

A Study in Drowning
By Ava Reid

“Part historical fantasy, part rivals-to-lovers romance, part Gothic mystery, and all haunting, dreamlike atmosphere…”

I must say, the blurb doesn’t mislead, especially in emphasizing the atmosphere. Reid does an amazing job at really dragging you into the wet, decaying, damp, heavy atmosphere and then just drags you through it the whole book. But in a good way. And in this state of half drowning we find our main character, Effy, who is struggling to keep her head above water. She’s been cast aside, called crazy, and belittled her whole life. So much so that she doesn’t think she can trust her own instincts, she has perfected the fine art of shutting down and feeling the waves crashing in. A balance of dissociation and panic attacks.

Enter her trip to her favorite author’s estate where she comes face to face with herself and with the demons who haunt her.

Have you ever found yourself wanting to know what happens next and the next thing you know, you’re eyes are skipping over lines to get there? But then you don’t want to miss anything so you make yourself read more slowly? Maybe that’s just me, but I found myself doing that with this book. Not that it doesn’t have its faults. Besides the main characters, everyone else seemed to be a caricature of a person. Nearly every man was lecherous and wanted to subdue and control the main character. But despite the quibbles, I was thoroughly enthralled by the journey Reid took me on.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was absolutely incredible. I love everything Ava Reid writes, but I think this might be her best book yet. Despite this book being YA, it dealt with pretty heavy topics in a very age-appropriate way. Reid's depiction of Effy's panic attacks and dissociative episodes were so true to what I experience myself and I greatly appreciated that representation. I also loved the romance between Effy and Preston.
The Welsh-inspired mythology was so interesting, and I especially loved the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. This book is just so wonderful. The way the mystery played out was so perfect, and the ending felt so gratifying. 5000/5 stars.

The beauty that is held inside every page of Ava's books will never cease to amaze me.

Reading A Study In Drowning felt like setting my brain on fire, the prose so gorgeous I felt it down to my bones. Slipping into the story is as easy as water sliding past your skin, and then there is the joy of the rip current tearing you to shreds until the very, very end.

With imagery that branded itself on the back of my eyelids and a romance that I felt in every aching part of my soul, I do not have words to encompass my love for this book. Effy is my child, the love of my life, my girl who deserves the whole world and her place firmly inside it and all the love that she wishes to have (and Preston, my smug boy, who has such a tender, thoughtful heart). What struck me the most, and by that I mean struck right in the chest hard enough to knock me to floor where I will remain as what I FEEL towards this book is simply a whole very lot, was that Effy's strength is so largely internal. She operates on a basis of survival; her growth comes from an internal shift of discovering how can move the world with those skills, and how she can be when her focus is not solely set on keeping herself alive. It is a strength, and Effy exemplifies that in every way. She's is a wonderous, courageous girl, and she meant the world to me.

Specialness is engraved in every facet of this book, but where it shines through most clearly is in it's kinship. In it's open and honest declaration of the pain girls and women feel. In a way that felt so incredibly loving it says: "I see you". It offers a shoulder to cry on, a gently embrace, and the frustration and rage that comes from being ignored and made to feel mad for far too long. Even more so, it offers the satisfaction of knowing that it's possible to prevail in any way shape or form that it takes.

My love for this book is deep and immense, and it is so, so special.

"𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯," 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘬.
"𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦?" 𝘐 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥.
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳.

This book pulled me under the water and DROWNED me.
Atmospheric and tragic in its beauty, A Study in Drowning was both a sharp knife in my chest and a balm against my skin.
Ava Reid is a master at creating wonderfully complex characters, Our heroine Effy is tender and traumatized, but she is not weak. Her unique outlook and growth throughout a book will speak to survivors and those who have been brought down and silenced by the world.

"𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨-- 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯."
A Study in Drowning is to me what Angharad was to Effy.

Thank you Harper a Collins for this arc. This books was beautifully written but sadly not for me. Ava Reid has a way of writing that is just beautiful and her characters really pull at your heart strings. This was no way a bad book, it just wasn’t the book for me

A Study in Drowning is a haunting tale of unraveling truths and survival. Part dark academia and part gothic fairytale, this book was at once romantic, disturbing, beautiful, and eerie. I felt like I was holding my breath the entire time and absolutely devoured it. As per any Ava Reid novel, the writing was perfectly atmospheric and lyrical — I never wanted it to end. They have written a beautiful ode to survivors everywhere.

Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the advanced copy!