Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

40 reviews

embersbooknook's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was really good.  
Not what I expected, in a lot of respects - but thoroughly enjoyable.  
While I was able to predict some of what would occur

Angharad being the author, Ianto being the fairy king, Myrddin being not awesome, etc.

, that didn’t make it any less of a good read.  

Effy was initially slightly dislikable in a really relatable way - nervous, anxious, unable to trust herself, processing substantial trauma.  Thus seeking a tad flaky at first.  However after about 50 pages her character growth really started.  
I really enjoyed seeing her character grow throughout this book.  

Preston was a really good match for her - overly sensible perhaps, which I enjoyed seeing soften a bit throughout.  
It was really nice to see Effy’s degrading options about Argantians slide away as she got to know him.  
A reminder that when humans get to know people who are different from them, they are less prone to dehumanize an entire group of people. A reminder we need in the world as often and as much as possible. 🥺🫶🏽  

This book was a good exploration of how sexism affects a society in every level, personally, professionally, intimate relationships, etc.  I also appreciated how small mentions of colonialism and sexist intellectualism, and militarism/war made it into the book.  Ava set up a fascinating world and I very much hope more of these themes and its history are explored in book 2!  Overall a good read that I’d recommend and will enjoy revisiting.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism

The themes mentioned as trigger warnings are mostly minor mentions. Ava doesn’t write out the full

sexual assault that happened to Effy, or the full extent of abuse that Angharad suffered from Myrddin, as the Fairy King took him over especially.

As I always say, I am a sensitive reader and was able to handle this book’s themes.

poetsofsweetpea's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.5

A Study in Drowning was a lengthy look into how superstition is just the ugly side of magic.  This is a dark and icky world where female characters have no agency.   It felt like a cross between Rebecca and the Magicians.  A devotee of a book discovers what it's like to understand her hero.  It's a little soggy.  

Well written though, this novel was filled with beautiful descriptions.  The characters were multi-faceted.  The world building was rich and filled with minute details.

I don't love the way Reid handles SA and its been present in all of her novels I've read so far.  Which I also don't enjoy.  

There were a few times when the characters' decisions seemed too convenient and not fully in character.  But for the most part, it's a good book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

gillianc's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

I have mixed emotions with this book. For 72% (thank you Libby) it had me. The conflict between Effy and Preston worked. And there are a handful of lines that really shot through me...but my GOD what was that sex scene? Completely threw me off!

 

And that's where things started to unravel. I feel like there was so much work done to make us as readers doubt Effy. But little was done to PROVE her experience was real. And there are some continuity issues about who wrote what....if you know what I mea .

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

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

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

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

purplewidow's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

Minor: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

mattiesgalaxy's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship

terrastrial's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious

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

3.5

not my favorite of hers, I liked the plot tho and the strength of connection formed between young women who've been preyed on by older men. The resilience that sparks when someone finds another that has suffered the same trauma and validates its reality. I do feel like Ava Reid built up a whole fantasy world with political strife and two warring countries and then placed this story inside it, I think the xenophobia was unnecessary but I may have missed something.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and Gaslighting

Minor: Domestic abuse

hal00alex's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

Fantasy take on a very interesting time period with dark academia vibes. The characters did very well with the enemies to lovers as it didn’t seem rushed and the dialogue was actually funny. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Drug use