Reviews with content warning for Racism - A Study in Drowning

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

10 reviews

aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

3.5

Def look at trigger/content warnings.
Overall, I appreciated reading this, but it wasn't a favorite. It was pretty slow at the beginning, and if I didn't also listen to the audio, I think I wouldn't have liked it as much. I appreciate the discussions on sexism and abuse of power/power dynamics with a backdrop of magic, but I feel the magic was a little throw away. I also could've done without the romance aspect of this.
This is the first book from this author I've read and I will plan to read more from them it's just this one wasn't amazing for me.

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nanananaelena's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

After a series of bad reads, I picked up this book knowing that I was likely going to love it. For anyone thinking about picking this up, I'd recommend you take a look at this Tiktoker's beautifully worded review of the book (no spoilers): https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT85f4JQt/. Now for my review below:

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

A Study in Drowning is a story that is grounded in dark fairytale, with an eerie and dreamlike atmosphere and beautiful prose. It is not a fairytale retelling, but instead acts as a story within a story and inspired by Welsh folklore.

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

This book deals in heavy themes of

sexual assault and misogyny

. The protagonist is for the soft, anxious, and deeply caring to a fault parts of us that still check under our beds at night for monsters. She spoke to my own fears and anxieties in a way that most books nowadays - with badass dragon-slaying, sword-wielding female protagonists - don't.

Any for anyone who feels like they're that lone lighthouse shining a beacon into the horizon, wondering if there's anyone there to see, if there's anyone that will signal back: I am that ship in the horizon. I am signaling back. I see you. I understand you.

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amberreadsgood's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book seemed like it would be up my alley, as I perceived it as a gothic fantasy mystery/romance with some spooky magic vibes. It was certainly that... But only minimally, I found.

This had beautiful prose and lots of potential, but I think it tried to be too many things at the same time. Effy and Preston had little to no romantic tension, which made it difficult to buy the relationship as genuine, and that's without the weird fantasy racism Effy has towards Preston in the beginning. Her overcoming her misguided preconceptions seemed like a shallow way to develop her character, and personally if I were Preston, I would find it difficult to be attracted to someone who hurled racist remarks at me because they didn't agree with my academic views that I'm actively trying to prove as opposed to believing without merit.

The magic and fantasy elements were (in my opinion) so minimal that it felt like they should have just been cut to flesh out other parts of the story instead. I think it would have been more interesting to root the story a bit more in reality and lean into Effy's delusion/mental instability. For me, there just wasn't enough of the fantasy element going on to justify the presence of it at all.

I wish there had been more of a conclusion with her abusive mother and sexual abuser mentor. One felt too neatly tied up, the other not mentioned at all after the fact. It's another aspect that made me feel like too much was trying to happen here, and so it wasn't handled the best.

I still enjoyed this enough to finish it, and like I said, it had lovely writing from an aesthetic perspective, I just wish it had more substance for me to sink my teeth into. I'm aware it's a YA book, so maybe that's on me 🤷🏽‍♀️

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fossilreads's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad tense

Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

"Effy was remembering all the curses that turned princesses back to peasant girls as soon as the bell struck twelve. Why was it always girls whose form could not be trusted? Everything could be taken away from them in an instant."

I think the quote really embodies the sadness and grief I experienced reading this 💔

I love Effy's growth during the book and just want her to have so much goodness in her future ♥️

My favorite part was probably Effy and Rhia's snarky conversations and the spider war 😂

The storm scenes were so well written and I could really see it playing out like a movie in my head! 🌧️

I personally would have preferred if Effy and Preston's relationship would've turned out more friends than lovers, but that's just me!

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nyquilla's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense

3.75

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mbzoller's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

•a bit over the top with water and architecture themed metaphors
•beautiful prose
•the characters felt lacking in texture especially when compared to the extensive description of the setting

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kfessy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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booksalacarte's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

A Study in Drowning- 2.5⭐️ 2.75🌶️

YA Fantasy

Magical realism

Mid century ambiance

Coming of age

College setting

Underdog FMC

Visions

Ptsd

Paranormal

War

One bed

A Study in Drowning is a gothic coming of age story where the lines of fairytale and reality are blurred beyond recognition. It deals with the ideas of trauma, misogyny, prejudice, survivalism, and love.

The setting of a moldy, crumbling manor on the very edge of the sea was so vivid and a character in and of itself. I really liked the romanticism of how it was crumbling into the sea and the presented problem of what could save it. I wish there had been a little more background and world building. While it seemed to play such a prominent part in the story… everything was just vague enough that I was left disappointed. I would have preferred over-explaining.

I was captured by the ptsd and trauma that crafted the FMC’s journey, sharpening her as she went through opening herself up and telling her story. I love the idea that survival is brave…

The MMC wasn’t your typical overbearing alpha whose only purpose is to save the day. But I was as annoyed with his explained intellectualism that ended up being his only personality trait.

The chemistry between the two main characters wasn’t as palpable as possible. I think that there wasn’t enough tension to make the chemistry believable. I didn’t feel the irritable pull that comes with the bickering that happened throughout. Instead it felt like the FMC was too distracted by her perceptions of reality and her trauma to understand what what’s genuine attraction or not… In the end, while the romance wasn’t the main focus of the book, it took up way more space than it needed to… or maybe not enough?

I didn’t enjoy the prejudice and bigotry that was represented in the FMC and played off as falling in love with someone who your society is against. It was so frequently brought up and used as an excuse for witty banter when she was really just disparaging the MMC for his race/ethicist…

I liked this book, but I didn’t love it as much as I wanted to.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for the Advanced eReader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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kayceeisbookish's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Spellbinding mystery meets a twisted fantasy folly turned sinister. We all dream of meeting our favorite authors in person, but for Effy, this endeavor turns into a Drowning of her own that she never can turn back from after uncovering the truth of the manor at the sea side cliffs and the reclusive author who lived in its walls. This book was reminiscent of the Fall of the House of Usher by Poe with a strong feminist tone that gives women who have been wronged a boulder upon the shore of crashing waves to grasp and weather life's storms.

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readwithria's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

A Study in Drowning is an atmospheric, dark YA debut that takes its premise and runs with it.

While it’s technically a fantasy novel, I would categorize this as more literary in feel than a typical fantasy book. I think that it’s important to know that ahead of time, because my incorrect expectation definitely impacted my experience with the book.

Ava Reid’s writing is, as usual, so beautifully lyrical. There are so many quotes that I highlighted, and I can’t get enough of their dialogue. I think that given the themes of storytelling and truth in this book, that lyricism was very well used and a necessary element of the story.

The pacing was slow and deliberate, which is not what I usually like but it definitely was needed to build the level of tension that Reid achieved. If you like a fast paced book this is definitely not that, but for all the slow burn readers out there this will be right up your alley.

The characters in this were intriguing, and I’m sure that many people will absolutely love them, but it took me until about halfway through the book to fully feel connected to them. The first half of the book felt a bit… maybe disassociated is the right word? A little off, not quite 100% there. For reference, it took me a week to read the first 52% and a day to read the last 48%.

This book is beautiful, and there’s lots of things to love about it, but it wasn’t what I usually look for in a book that I love. I think that lots of people will really enjoy it though. Ava Reid’s YA debut will enthrall its ideal reader, I’m just not quite that person. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

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