Reviews tagging 'Rape'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

15 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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism

Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Medical content, Bullying, Classism, Racism, and Rape

lizzye33's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

Minor: Torture, Sexual assault, Gore, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Cursing, Child death, Car accident, Body shaming, Animal death, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, War, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Rape, and Domestic abuse

lisztaffe's review against another edition

reflective 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? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Moderate: Bullying, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Rape, and Self harm

hailslynn's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is the book I will reference whenever I talk about dark academia from now on. Poignant with beautiful prose and tough conversations. This book is heartbreaking and healing, leaving me feel seen and heard and giving me hope. Effy is strong and brave and brilliant and also fragile and scared. Preston is thoughtful and kind and the perfectly flawed male love interest to the perfectly flawed main character. This book is as real as it is fiction, and I loved getting to escape into it. Here’s to Effy.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Drug use, Violence, Sexism, Rape, Mental illness, Death, Bullying, Alcohol, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: War

bailey_walk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Grief, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, Violence, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Child abuse, Bullying, and Alcoholism

dianaschmidty's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Warning: this review doesn’t feature any spoilers, but it’s also really hard to talk about this book without spoilers, so I didn’t go into much detail.

This poor girl. As someone who deeply related to multiple of Effy’s experiences, Ava Reid perfectly encapsulated both how to be a survivor and how it feels to survive. As a female history major, I think that Ava Reid also perfectly encapsulated how it feels to academically survive in a world where it’s assumed that “scholarly” articles are more valid coming from a man. Watching Effy survive and learn to thrive by the end of the book was really special.
This was one of the most complex YA books I’ve ever read and I really enjoyed that. I hope that more English teachers add this to their reading lists. The world building was very complex and I would love to read more books set in this world! I also can’t wait to read more from Ava Reid!

Also, I absolutely adored Preston. The world needs more Prestons.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperTeen, and Ava Reid for providing me access to this book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Child abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Rape, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Sexual content

sleepywren's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, War, and Xenophobia

lexihworth's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

katyakat's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Alcoholism, Blood, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, and War

dragonwriter's review against another edition

challenging dark informative 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

5.0

Effy has dreamed of attending Llyre’s literature academy, but despite being one of the top scoring applicants, she was ultimately rejected by the all-male school. The closest she can get is the nearby architecture school, of which she would be the only female student. This brings its own problems when an unfortunate “incident” with her school advisor triggers nasty rumors. When she hears of an opportunity to design a house in memoriam of her favorite author, she leaps at the chance for an off-campus project. It’s not the opportunity she’d hoped, however, when she discovers one of the literature students is also at the location trying to prove that her favorite author hadn’t written the work he’s best known for: Effy’s favorite book Anharrad. As the lines of fantasy and reality start to blur, Effy has to face that with she’s most scared of: the truth. But will the truth break her?

I wasn’t expecting to like (or dislike) this book; I expected it to be meh. But I wasn’t expecting the Fairy King, either. He haunted the story, making Effy question reality, littering her world until she retreats to Anharrad for safety. The Fairy King gave me “Jareth” vibes, and I loved it! His climax felt like a retread of the confrontation in “Labyrinth”, and it had me squealing! And I loved the themes of believing women and giving them back their voices. It was beautiful!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Rape