chiaseedreads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
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
3.75
shesreadingagain_'s review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
river24's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4/5
The mariner's hubris isn't necessarily in his belief that he won't die, but his belief that the worst the sea can do is kill him.
Thank you Del Rey for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book immensely, this is my first Ava Reid book and I cannot wait to read their adult works as well. The writing in this book was astoundingly beautiful. Every word bleeds with emotion, I kept stopping so that I could admire the words I was reading in depth.
It's an incredibly atmospheric book, every moment feels alive, as if the wind will wrench you from this world and place you anew upon the cliffs. Every creak of the dilapidated house, every lash of rain on the characters' cheeks, it was all so vivid. The writing was truly phenomenal.
The sea took and took and took, thousands of little deaths, and they endured it all because they knew nothing else. They didn't think to fear the Drowning until the water was lapping at their door.
I adored the themes throughout the story. I could tell where the story was heading and was correct in my theories, and I loved how these darker themes were explored both delicately and deeply. The exploration of misogyny of all kinds—of the commodification of women, of women's roles within stories and the roles women have played within mythologies and folklore—was fascinating. I loved how intrinsically this exploration was paired with the folklore of the world, I loved how connected they were to the various stories within stories.
But didn't all drownings begin with a harmless dribble of water?
Our main character, Effy, loves the book 'Angharad' more than anything, it connects with her on a level deeper than the male scholars could ever possibly understand. It's a story that sings to her truth, it provides her shelter and comfort from the storm of her reality, and it gives her courage to rewrite her own history. I think every book lover can relate to the feeling of having that one book that speaks to you, that one story that feels like it was written just for you (mine is He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan).
This story will appeal to you if you like books about books, but it is also so much more than that. It's quite a difficult book to summarise as it explores so many different themes, with great nuance, that are interwoven with such complexity. It's also, on the surface, a mystery (or, at least, very mysterious) and so I fear saying too much in case I give something away. But at its heart this book is about the characters.
Effy is the perfect main character to follow, she's vibrant and brave and rears up against the forced narrative she is often shunted in, yet she is also scared and vulnerable, succumbing to the waves of the never-ending sea, swallowing down the salt water of her fears and drowning in the very place the world's narrative has left her. Her story is a constant battle; for sanity, for peace, for autonomy, for freedom, for greatness. It often appears that the entire world is against her, but she finds an undaunted strength within herself that she wields to face each struggle. I loved watching Effy grow throughout the story.
You don't have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too.
I did like how soft and sweet the romance in this book was and I did like the other character in the romance a lot, however I was never as gripped by this aspect I was by many of the others. But I did appreciate how caring and gentle and always kind it was, I thought it a brilliant contrast to the cruelty of the surrounding world and characters.
She wondered if you could love something out of ruination, reverse that drowning process, make it all new again.
I'm incredibly excited to read Ava Reid's other works (I've been wanting to read Juniper and Thorn for so long)! I'm interested to see how much this book differs from their usual writing and storytelling as A Study in Drowning is YA whereas their other works are adult. I can see how a lot of the themes within this book could be taken and explored in darker and more gory ways. I absolutely cannot wait to read more!
Centuries later, it was the stuff of fairy tales and legends, as if no conquest had ever occurred. As if whole villages had not been slaughtered in a quest to eradicate those unseemly traditions. As if stories were not spoils of war.
The mariner's hubris isn't necessarily in his belief that he won't die, but his belief that the worst the sea can do is kill him.
Thank you Del Rey for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book immensely, this is my first Ava Reid book and I cannot wait to read their adult works as well. The writing in this book was astoundingly beautiful. Every word bleeds with emotion, I kept stopping so that I could admire the words I was reading in depth.
It's an incredibly atmospheric book, every moment feels alive, as if the wind will wrench you from this world and place you anew upon the cliffs. Every creak of the dilapidated house, every lash of rain on the characters' cheeks, it was all so vivid. The writing was truly phenomenal.
The sea took and took and took, thousands of little deaths, and they endured it all because they knew nothing else. They didn't think to fear the Drowning until the water was lapping at their door.
I adored the themes throughout the story. I could tell where the story was heading and was correct in my theories, and I loved how these darker themes were explored both delicately and deeply. The exploration of misogyny of all kinds—of the commodification of women, of women's roles within stories and the roles women have played within mythologies and folklore—was fascinating. I loved how intrinsically this exploration was paired with the folklore of the world, I loved how connected they were to the various stories within stories.
But didn't all drownings begin with a harmless dribble of water?
Our main character, Effy, loves the book 'Angharad' more than anything, it connects with her on a level deeper than the male scholars could ever possibly understand. It's a story that sings to her truth, it provides her shelter and comfort from the storm of her reality, and it gives her courage to rewrite her own history. I think every book lover can relate to the feeling of having that one book that speaks to you, that one story that feels like it was written just for you (mine is He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan).
This story will appeal to you if you like books about books, but it is also so much more than that. It's quite a difficult book to summarise as it explores so many different themes, with great nuance, that are interwoven with such complexity. It's also, on the surface, a mystery (or, at least, very mysterious) and so I fear saying too much in case I give something away. But at its heart this book is about the characters.
Effy is the perfect main character to follow, she's vibrant and brave and rears up against the forced narrative she is often shunted in, yet she is also scared and vulnerable, succumbing to the waves of the never-ending sea, swallowing down the salt water of her fears and drowning in the very place the world's narrative has left her. Her story is a constant battle; for sanity, for peace, for autonomy, for freedom, for greatness. It often appears that the entire world is against her, but she finds an undaunted strength within herself that she wields to face each struggle. I loved watching Effy grow throughout the story.
You don't have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too.
I did like how soft and sweet the romance in this book was and I did like the other character in the romance a lot, however I was never as gripped by this aspect I was by many of the others. But I did appreciate how caring and gentle and always kind it was, I thought it a brilliant contrast to the cruelty of the surrounding world and characters.
She wondered if you could love something out of ruination, reverse that drowning process, make it all new again.
I'm incredibly excited to read Ava Reid's other works (I've been wanting to read Juniper and Thorn for so long)! I'm interested to see how much this book differs from their usual writing and storytelling as A Study in Drowning is YA whereas their other works are adult. I can see how a lot of the themes within this book could be taken and explored in darker and more gory ways. I absolutely cannot wait to read more!
Centuries later, it was the stuff of fairy tales and legends, as if no conquest had ever occurred. As if whole villages had not been slaughtered in a quest to eradicate those unseemly traditions. As if stories were not spoils of war.
stonedgirlreading's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
mamma_calls_me_francis's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
3.5
I enjoyed the characters and the story idea. Reading this was harder Than I would have thought. It dragged more that I think it needed to.
Gave dark and eerie vibes. I was questioning reality the whole time. The visual this drew was astounding. I can’t wait for the character/setting art.
Overall message is darker than what I assumed. Check content warnings.
Romance was a fairly big part of this, but there is decent driving plot behind it.
Special thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books, HarperTeen for this digital ARC.
Gave dark and eerie vibes. I was questioning reality the whole time. The visual this drew was astounding. I can’t wait for the character/setting art.
Overall message is darker than what I assumed. Check content warnings.
Romance was a fairly big part of this, but there is decent driving plot behind it.
Special thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books, HarperTeen for this digital ARC.
titalindaslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
lunairee's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
taxiforone's review
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
cierailana's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
chippyreads's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Dark academia book that doesn’t take place in a school, rivals to lovers who aren’t actually competing for anything.....
Fantasy with a world I needed to know more about.
Not as creepy as I’d hoped. Beautiful writing. Not a fan of the romance (I never am with Reid’s books). I think it’s time I stopped expecting to be wowed by Reid’s books.
I had an ok/good time reading this. Loved the themes and how Effy had to navigate a world where she wasn’t always welcome. We get elusions to Effy’s abuse from a teacher but didn’t go into details which I appreciated. Even changelings were handled with care in this one.
But nothing really stood out for me. Dark academia doesn’t feel right for this. Effy starts her journey at the school but soon goes off to the sinking house. Yes Preston and Effy are solving a mystery about a book but does it count as academia? And rivals to lovers.... they aren’t competing at school (they’re not even in the same field) and they’re not competing for anything in the house. They very quickly decide to work together with some mild bickering along the way.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion
Fantasy with a world I needed to know more about.
Not as creepy as I’d hoped. Beautiful writing. Not a fan of the romance (I never am with Reid’s books). I think it’s time I stopped expecting to be wowed by Reid’s books.
I had an ok/good time reading this. Loved the themes and how Effy had to navigate a world where she wasn’t always welcome. We get elusions to Effy’s abuse from a teacher but didn’t go into details which I appreciated. Even changelings were handled with care in this one.
But nothing really stood out for me. Dark academia doesn’t feel right for this. Effy starts her journey at the school but soon goes off to the sinking house. Yes Preston and Effy are solving a mystery about a book but does it count as academia? And rivals to lovers.... they aren’t competing at school (they’re not even in the same field) and they’re not competing for anything in the house. They very quickly decide to work together with some mild bickering along the way.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion