Reviews tagging 'Violence'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

25 reviews

cortanasreadingnook's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book was a sight to behold. I’d never thought a fantasy read could never be cozier till I met A Study in Drowning, whose story deals about a girl defying all the odds as an architecture student and a woman while struggling to make sense of her reality, and a literature scholar with a knack for academic integrity. Ava Reid’s writing is absolutely meticulous and at the same time it articulates the prejudices of a patriarchal society.

It’s incredibly impressive how she built a fantastical world off of European folkloric tradition and culture involving gods and the Fair Folk, with amazing prose and rhetorical imagery. The twists and turns in this book were truly unexpected. The soft and slow-budding romance between our sensitive but hard-driven main character and her smug but adorably handsome male lead was also not only emotionally gratifying to read, but it also takes us through their humorous, banter-filled adventure in the pursuit of truth that might end in a perilous conclusion.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Car accident and Medical trauma

deetabz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Confinement, Death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, and Sexual content

sam_appa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The story is of a young girl, Effy, who gets chosen to redesign the house of the late Emrys Myrddin, her favorite author. She has been having visions of the fabled Fairy King ever since she was little, the same Fairy King detailed in the Myrddin’s book ‘Angharad’. We follow along as her and the other collegiate guest of the house, Preston, uncover the mysteries of the book, questioning both it’s authorial origins and how much truth it’s words hold.

I enjoyed it, I thought the romance was really well done, the dark academia vibe was exactly what I was looking for, and the plot kept me interested. I did wish that either the magic was more complex and fleshed out (since I went into this thinking it would be fantasy driven) or Effy’s madness fully realized. I also wished that the triumph at the end was more.. triumphant?

This magical Fairy King that had been tormenting Effy  her whole life was defeated in a single page with his own reflection in a shard of glass. It felt rushed and a bit unsatisfying. The way in which her sexual assault was handled in the end also felt unfinished, though I appreciated that it was consistently validated as sexual assault. It never glamorized the relationship between an older man and a teenage girl, instead, using Angharad’s story as fuel to further validate the assault.

But it was nice to see Effy’s development as well as Preston’s. As a whole, although it’s predictable at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it. From the gorgeous writing to the lovable characters, this was a great read.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Drug abuse

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Mental illness, and Death of parent

taylooney's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Poetic, haunting, and a great depiction of trauma. One of my favorite books of the year!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Sexual assault

parchmentflipper's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual harassment

kenzaett's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

I went into this knowing nothing but the title, and that it was a runner up for book of the year..

Did I expect a wonderfully written novel thats engaging, has dark academia, found family, enemies to lovers, grumpy x grumpy, mystery, academic rivals tropes, dark urban fantasy, fae legend proving true, great world building, feminism, mental health awareness, and is trickled with beautiful poetry, in a gloomy, misty island setting?? 

Did I LOVE IT and read half of it within one day? Yes!!! 

And the romance was JUST the right amount, not overly annoying or taking away from the protagonist's innner conflict, or the mystery in the plot. 
THE FMC is called Effy, btw. What other Effies do we know? Trinket, the one from skims... She's another one in a line of amazing, uniquely flawed and intriguing characters! 

The "plot twist" was a bit expectable, but I don't mind figuring it out earlier than the protagonists. It was just too obvious

with there only being one name unmentioned and then turning out to be exactly her, lol.

You'll love this if you liked books like Divine Rivals or , cold oceans and cliff sides, LOADS of references to water, a slow burn academic rivals romance, elements of fairy tales, female empowerment, discussions of mental health... And beautiful, poetic writing!

Here are my favorite, most memorable wuotes;

(TBA) 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Drug use, Chronic illness, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Moderate: Murder, Addiction, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Abandonment, Torture, Xenophobia, and Mental illness

Minor: Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Violence

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

jos_haunted_library's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Misogyny, and Classism

Moderate: Death of parent, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Violence, Abandonment, and War

Minor: Blood, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

kristen_sav's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Death, Violence, and Death of parent

frankieclc's review against another edition

2.0

why did i trust the tiktok girlies????
dreadful writing 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Violence and Death of parent