Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

12 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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Car accident and Medical trauma

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) 

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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

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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

imogenreads_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

Compelling and magical; take the question of Shakespeare’s authorship and place it in a fantasy setting, add in some romance and a potentially unreliable narrator and you’ve got the recipe for a cracking book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny

Minor: Abandonment, Mental illness, Car accident, Xenophobia, Cursing, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

city_girl_writer's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

This was a really good story. It is dark academic, gothic, rivals-to-lovers, and alternate historical fantasy all-in-one. Not the full 5-star experience because I was kinda confused on the world and I did roll my eyes on certain aspects of the rivals-to-lovers romance between Effy and Preston early on in the book. Nonetheless, it did not deter me too much to hinder my enjoyment. I loved Ava Reid's writing here. I will check out her previous works. The overall themes and messages about storytelling and trauma was the best part of this book. Highly recommend giving it a try, but check content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Xenophobia

Minor: Car accident and Abandonment

rosierosereads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Car accident

annamay1021's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Grief, Blood, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Car accident, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship

briely's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Mental illness

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual harassment

Minor: Car accident and Death of parent

kayceeisbookish's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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

5.0

Spellbinding mystery meets a twisted fantasy folly turned sinister. We all dream of meeting our favorite authors in person, but for Effy, this endeavor turns into a Drowning of her own that she never can turn back from after uncovering the truth of the manor at the sea side cliffs and the reclusive author who lived in its walls. This book was reminiscent of the Fall of the House of Usher by Poe with a strong feminist tone that gives women who have been wronged a boulder upon the shore of crashing waves to grasp and weather life's storms.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Car accident, Sexual content, Animal death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Mental illness, Alcohol, Grief, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Racism

katievallin'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Stalking, Bullying, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Xenophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Medical trauma, Animal death, Sexual content, Body horror, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail