Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

147 reviews

shamaramill's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

jelliclecax's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Abandonment

Minor: Car accident and Death of parent

amy_reading_23's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This book is so good!! I really enjoyed it and read it in a few days. It was beautifully written snd I loved the academic background as well as all the fae elements. This is a book that masterfully talks about misogyny, SA and mental health in a sensitive way. I also liked how the protagonist was very aware of herself when the romance bits were cliche. Definitely check trigger warnings, as SA and PTSD is a topic that features throughout the book. As someone who lives in Wales, the use of some of the Welsh words seemed a bit random to me, especially as the book is set in some unnamed world. 

I thought it was kind of onvious that his wife had written Angharad from early on in the novel so it frystrated me a little that it took them so long to come to that conclusion.

But overall a good fantasy dark-academia read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

p2evavaras's review against another edition

hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.75

I really-really liked this story! It was comforting for my soul and the characters were well constructed, even tho it's quite a short book I felt like there was something to be learned about them at every page-turn.

Effy was quite clearly mentally troubled but I liked the author's representation of her anxieties, as in they felt true to life. I also loved the small romance between Preston and Effy, it worked great as a subplot and gave the story a more lighthearted tone, also their banter was -chefs kiss-!!

The only reason why the book didn't get 5 stars from me is the very-very ending - it wasnt a bad ending by any means but something about it left me feeling like it was a tad bit rushed and somehow didn't feel as well thought-out and put-together as the rest of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism and Alcohol

ellenwm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.75

This book is beautiful and brilliant. Truly stunning.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Car accident, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Gun violence, and War

theonlybaillie's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Death of parent

zoer03's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I liked the mysteriousness and the sort of fae like elements to the world that is built within this story, I just don’t like or couldn’t sympathise with the MFC, effy felt at times childish, naive, rude, horrible and a bit too dramatic almost to the point of madness I feel that with her moods she might be described as having depression. Granted her backstory is pretty harsh but she never apologises for how she treats her rival - lover Preston and I can’t accept it. I found the ending a bit flat. It’s good if you are looking for or love this wishy washy Edwardian style fantasy but I find it leaves a nasty taste in my mouth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

karinreadsalot's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

aleilvandrea's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Dementia, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Infidelity, Grief, Car accident, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

verdescheele's review against another edition

mysterious tense

3.0

Mi problema principal con este libro es el worldbuilding. Siento que en muchos aspectos se le ven las costuras, y que los recursos que emplea la autora para dirigir la historia son demasiado evidentes. ¿Por qué podrían estudiar arquitectura las mujeres (aunque no haya muchas) y no literatura? Yo diría que es más coherente que se les permita estudiar una filología bajo el pretexto de que se “entretengan con sus cositas” mientras buscan marido (tipo La sonrisa de Mona Lisa). Arquitectura me parece que requiere tanto creatividad como saber científico como para que acepten alumnas antes. Por otro lado, me sacaba de la narración que hiciera referencias a libros de la vida real (mujeres encerradas en áticos, ¿hola Jane Eyre?, princesas que han de irse antes de medianoche…), ¿se supone que tengo que creer que otros escritores han llegado exactamente a las mismas historias en este mundo imaginario?

Por otro lado… el conflicto bélico. Absurdamente innecesario. Habría sido mejor que la guerra ya hubiera pasado y que nos dieran un poco de contexto sobre el por qué del enfrentamiento entre las dos naciones, pero es tan obvio que solo era para preparar el terreno para el “””enemies””” to lovers que en fin. Tampoco hay un resolución real de los prejuicios de Effy contra los otros, porque es algo que en cuanto se enamoran ya queda totalmente de fondo. Habría tenido más sentido que fueran países con cierta “enemistad” como España/Francia o algo así, en plan que te puede dar rabia si eres una chiquita de 18 que un francés quiera ser experto en Lorca, yo que sé (luego creces y se te pasa).

A pesar de todo esto, he de decir que me entretuvo y me mantuvo en tensión, sí que consigue crear una atmósfera decrépita y asfixiante cuando están en Hiraeth, pero tiene muchísimas fisuras.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Grief, and Abandonment