Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

36 reviews

sherylkay's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

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

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

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

annakh16's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.5

A story about stories, focused quite closely on our main characters, with vivid scenic descriptions of a drowning house. Ava Reid is certainly a good writer, and the visuals/vibe and some book quotes were great here. 

I thought the dark themes were handled well, especially for a YA book. I do agree that Effie‘s xenophobia was forgiven really quickly though? Hopefully the next book will explore the political conflict more, including its impact on the characters - we‘ll see. 

I enjoyed the dynamic between Effie and Preston, although the romance only really came through at the end for me and their feelings seemed a bit intense then compared to the rest of the book. I almost preferred them as friends/academic partners. The mystery was unfortunately pretty predictable to me, which was a bit of a bummer. 

Based on some reviews, I had hoped to be more obsessed with this, but it was a solid read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Misogyny

Moderate: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism and Sexual content

The sexual assault, revealed very early in the book, was committed by a professor to the student - couldn’t find a specific CW option for that.

av0universe's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Me ha encantado si soy completamente honesta. Es el primer libro que leo de la autora y creo que empezar por el juvenil que tiene ha sido una idea acertada.

Lo que me encanta de este libro es el desarrollo de personaje de la protagonista, Effy. Pasa de ser una "niña llorona y asustada" a una mujer empoderada con sus miedos y angustias (no me gusta ponerlo de esta manera, pero creo que se entiende la idea). Ese viaje que sigue Effy para encontrarse a sí misma y sobre todo aceptarse tal como y finalmente verse como Preston la ve, fuerte, inteligente y valiente. También adoro el mundo en el que se desarrolla la trama, me parece muy rico y creo que la autora lo conoce perfectamente (aspiro a lo mismo como future autore).

La única razón por la que no es 5 estrellas es precisamente porque a veces, especialmente al inicio del libro que no entendía ni mierdas, Effy me parecía demasiado redundante en sus miedos, que aunque reales y bienfundados, me desconcertaba bastante. Ahora, creo que es extremadamente realista, todo el mundo tiene miedos y me parece maravilloso que la autora haya elegido una persona así como protagonista, no lo cambiaría por nada.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and War

sfeldmann's review against another edition

The plot really goes everywhere in this book. I tried to read it after DNFing it last year to give it another shot. I just can’t get into it. The atmosphere is great but all the themes and messages of the book are heavy handed and leave little room for the action of the characters and the plot to show the readers of just tell them. The romance isn’t bad either but it is a little bit insta-lovey. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism

cadimy's review against another edition

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

2.25

Architecture student gets chosen to design a home for her favorite author’s estate. At no point does she actually do what she was hired to do. She’s off hanging out with the other kid from her school and snooping around the house. 

I get what the author was trying to do with the heavy misogyny and how it affects the MC deeply, so I did appreciate that at times. Unfortunately I had no connection to any of the characters- they fell so flat and there was no chemistry to be found.

Also, little to no backstory on the fairy king?? Why was he hanging around? He was apparently “stuck” on the estate because of the trees and berries everywhere but that doesn’t explain how he escaped to almost steal the MC? She said she saw him all of the time, but how? Not much story building, and the backstory of the north vs south seemed unnecessary other than to sprinkle in some racism for the characters. 

I listened to the audiobook on a road trip, and the fact that I finished it gives it 2 stars, maybe 2.5. I was kind of hoping for a dark ending where her love interest was over taken by the fairy king.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Violence, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Religious bigotry