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amyalwaysbooked's review against another edition
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child death
kiwij96's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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
3.5
I was excited to read this book as it featured a lot of words in my country's language and that's always a winner for me, especially when places like Lake Bala (Llyn Tegid in North Wales) and Saltney (definitely not based on the town in North Wales) are mentioned in the book. And Caer-Isel was an interesting University town name too for me as it translates to Hell Fort.
The book was only okay in comparison, the majority of it was long drawn out internal conflicts and all the characters were unlikeable. I also do not love books where the FMC is described as beautiful by literally every male character (main or otherwise), nor do I love books where the two characters say they love each other after knowing each other for 2 weeks. And for a book following two scholars, neither of them seemingly did any work. Or rather Effy seemed to do all of Preston's work while he had nervous breakdowns.
Don't get me wrong though, the book raised some important points about women's stories being erased and their voices never being heard. And I really appreciated the way that it ended. However, for 280 pages of Effy's internal conflict and the characters barely attempting to put the pieces of their puzzle together, the last 90 pages felt like the story could have been so much shorter.
From a Welsh person's perspective, the fact the house was called Hiraeth was a nice touch. "Hiraeth" being the feeling of homesickness or longing for a homeland you can never return to (a word meant specifically for the people of Wales). That was a constant foreshadowing in the story and one which I enjoyed very much.
The book was only okay in comparison, the majority of it was long drawn out internal conflicts and all the characters were unlikeable. I also do not love books where the FMC is described as beautiful by literally every male character (main or otherwise), nor do I love books where the two characters say they love each other after knowing each other for 2 weeks. And for a book following two scholars, neither of them seemingly did any work. Or rather Effy seemed to do all of Preston's work while he had nervous breakdowns.
Don't get me wrong though, the book raised some important points about women's stories being erased and their voices never being heard. And I really appreciated the way that it ended. However, for 280 pages of Effy's internal conflict and the characters barely attempting to put the pieces of their puzzle together, the last 90 pages felt like the story could have been so much shorter.
From a Welsh person's perspective, the fact the house was called Hiraeth was a nice touch. "Hiraeth" being the feeling of homesickness or longing for a homeland you can never return to (a word meant specifically for the people of Wales). That was a constant foreshadowing in the story and one which I enjoyed very much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Child death, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Abandonment
campredwood's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Stalking, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment
Minor: Drug use and Emotional abuse
grace_koalateareads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
“didn’t all drownings begin with a harmless dribble of water?”
A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid was a mysterious, magical, dark academia read. I went in not knowing much about the story, only that it was a fairly hyped book, and I wanted to jump in the bandwagon. I loved architecture of the world building, how it could have been set in the past or present, with mentions of cars, phones and televisions, as well as typewriters, letters and candlelight.
“Her only enemy was the sea.”
It was definitely worth the read, however, it fell slightly flat for me. The predictability of the plot was a big factor, I like having a few more twists and turns to keep me engaged. Also the characters didn’t feel as real as I would have liked. They definitely had backstories and a “life” off the page, but there was just something about Effy and Preston that irked me slightly. Still a solid four star read though.
“The trick of any good lie is just finding an audience who wants to believe it.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
ireesecups's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book got so much hype but it really fell flat for me. I didn't really like the characters and the pace was inconsistent. The first part of the book was all exposition and didn't get good until the end. But you had to be paying attention to the first to understand the meaning in the end
I normally love dark academia, whixhbis why i thought id like this book but this was not dark academia. She spent 1 or 2 chapters at the school and the rest at the house falling into the sea.
I normally love dark academia, whixhbis why i thought id like this book but this was not dark academia. She spent 1 or 2 chapters at the school and the rest at the house falling into the sea.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
louisepea's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
3.0
'The only reason anything matters is because it ends.'
Effy, the only female architecture student at a prestigious university, wins a contest to redesign the home of her favourite late author.
Troubled by visions of the fairy king her whole life, as well as dealing with sexual abuse from her professor, and an uncaring mother, Effy hopes it will be an opportunity to escape her demons, and finally prove herself. But when she arrives at the dilapidated estate which is threatening to crumble into the sea, Effy discovers another student is secretly attempting to prove that her favourite author is a fraud and the book she finds solace in was penned by another writer.
Effy is furious, but Preston wants her help, and putting her name on his thesis could open doors in the literary college she longs to enter but can't because she's a woman.
With her role to redesign the house proving to be more complicated than she thought, and her host a creepy lech, Effy secretly teams up with the insufferable Preston to uncover the truth about the author and the origin of her favourite book.
Their quest takes them on a dangerous journey which sees them facing two men willing to do anything to hide the truth. a predatory fairy king attempting to claim what he believes is his, the unforgiving forces of nature, and perhaps most perilously of all, their growing feelings for each other. *Gasp*.
Can Effy and Preston uncover the truth and alert the world or will their curiosity see them paying the ultimate price to someone determined to keep it a secret?
*
I was so excited to read this book, but considering the hype online, it wasn't what I was expecting at all, and while I enjoyed it, I guess I'd anticipated so much more.
It was a weird but atmospheric little read about two rival students who team up to secretly uncover the truth about their favourite late author and his most famous book while staying in his creepy, dilapidated old house on other assignments. To be honest, this was a pretty boring storyline I had little interest in, but the threats from their lecherous host, a creepy fairy king, the eerie house, and the elements themselves made it a great, moderately-paced read, and kept me turning the pages. (Although, I felt the addition of a fairy king was a really odd choice for this YA academia / mystery, and made little sense to the story. I think it would've been better without this fantasy aspect).
I really liked the two main characters, Effy and Preston, and their slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance was adorable in a way only young love is. Preston sweetly vowing to look after Effy, a vulnerable young woman who'd known nothing but neglect, fear, and sexual abuse her whole life, might have melted my cold, dead heart. I loved how he always had her back, even when they had different views, and the way she made him blush was too cute.
I was on the edge of my seat during the scenes in the flooded basement, when it seemed like all hope was lost for a happy ending for the two of them, and it added a much stronger climax to the story than the truth that unravelled about the author and Angharad. To them, I say 'meh.'
Overall, I thought it was a suspenseful three star read with an interesting setting, likeable main characters, and some good lessons to be learnt. But did it wow me? No, not as much as I'd hoped.
Effy, the only female architecture student at a prestigious university, wins a contest to redesign the home of her favourite late author.
Troubled by visions of the fairy king her whole life, as well as dealing with sexual abuse from her professor, and an uncaring mother, Effy hopes it will be an opportunity to escape her demons, and finally prove herself. But when she arrives at the dilapidated estate which is threatening to crumble into the sea, Effy discovers another student is secretly attempting to prove that her favourite author is a fraud and the book she finds solace in was penned by another writer.
Effy is furious, but Preston wants her help, and putting her name on his thesis could open doors in the literary college she longs to enter but can't because she's a woman.
With her role to redesign the house proving to be more complicated than she thought, and her host a creepy lech, Effy secretly teams up with the insufferable Preston to uncover the truth about the author and the origin of her favourite book.
Their quest takes them on a dangerous journey which sees them facing two men willing to do anything to hide the truth. a predatory fairy king attempting to claim what he believes is his, the unforgiving forces of nature, and perhaps most perilously of all, their growing feelings for each other. *Gasp*.
Can Effy and Preston uncover the truth and alert the world or will their curiosity see them paying the ultimate price to someone determined to keep it a secret?
*
I was so excited to read this book, but considering the hype online, it wasn't what I was expecting at all, and while I enjoyed it, I guess I'd anticipated so much more.
It was a weird but atmospheric little read about two rival students who team up to secretly uncover the truth about their favourite late author and his most famous book while staying in his creepy, dilapidated old house on other assignments. To be honest, this was a pretty boring storyline I had little interest in, but the threats from their lecherous host, a creepy fairy king, the eerie house, and the elements themselves made it a great, moderately-paced read, and kept me turning the pages. (Although, I felt the addition of a fairy king was a really odd choice for this YA academia / mystery, and made little sense to the story. I think it would've been better without this fantasy aspect).
I really liked the two main characters, Effy and Preston, and their slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance was adorable in a way only young love is. Preston sweetly vowing to look after Effy, a vulnerable young woman who'd known nothing but neglect, fear, and sexual abuse her whole life, might have melted my cold, dead heart. I loved how he always had her back, even when they had different views, and the way she made him blush was too cute.
I was on the edge of my seat during the scenes in the flooded basement, when it seemed like all hope was lost for a happy ending for the two of them, and it added a much stronger climax to the story than the truth that unravelled about the author and Angharad. To them, I say 'meh.'
Overall, I thought it was a suspenseful three star read with an interesting setting, likeable main characters, and some good lessons to be learnt. But did it wow me? No, not as much as I'd hoped.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Minor: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
ramenfuneral's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
First absolute BANGER of the year. Who says you need a whole series. This book proves you can do it in a stand alone. First off, the writing with the spooky, gothic coastal town was just perfect. It was incredibly easy to put yourself there and get immersed in it.
The FMC was also written perfectly. Her trauma and struggles with mental illness were done so well. She’s vulnerable and soft also smart and courageous at times.
There is a romance subplot and it is perfectly fine. It’s nothing mind blowing. I had a good time reading their story but the chemistry was just fine but that’s okay cause the mystery and the main plot was what I was HERE FOR so I’m okay with the just fine subplot.
Definitely a feminist novel with lots of rage inducing misogynistic men, but that’s the goal so it works. Except for sweet, angel Preston. Whose name I don’t care for either but I won’t dock points for it. This book was advertised to me as dark academia, and while it’s dark and academics are definitely a point of this book, it didn’t feel like a dark academia book to me. Idk, maybe that’s just me.
Despite it being an early read, I anticipate this being in the top books of the year. Loved It.
The FMC was also written perfectly. Her trauma and struggles with mental illness were done so well. She’s vulnerable and soft also smart and courageous at times.
There is a romance subplot and it is perfectly fine. It’s nothing mind blowing. I had a good time reading their story but the chemistry was just fine but that’s okay cause the mystery and the main plot was what I was HERE FOR so I’m okay with the just fine subplot.
Definitely a feminist novel with lots of rage inducing misogynistic men, but that’s the goal so it works. Except for sweet, angel Preston. Whose name I don’t care for either but I won’t dock points for it. This book was advertised to me as dark academia, and while it’s dark and academics are definitely a point of this book, it didn’t feel like a dark academia book to me. Idk, maybe that’s just me.
Despite it being an early read, I anticipate this being in the top books of the year. Loved It.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
dani_reis's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, and Sexual assault
Minor: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
Drug use is just glorified smoking of 18-20 year olds.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: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Body horror, Drug use, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol
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)
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
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, Chronic illness, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Torture, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, and Car accident