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demievrything's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Ich hatte Angst, dass ich dieses Buch nicht so sehr mögen würde. So ein großer Hype und hohe Erwartungen und dennoch war ich komplett begeistert von der Geschichte.
Perfekt war, dass ich parallel zum Lesen auch das Hörbuch hören konnte und Effy so direkt eine Stimme verliehen bekommen hat, die wunderbar gepasst hat.
Die Handlung geht einerseits langsam voran und dennoch zieht es sich zu keinem Punkt, auch wenn die Kapitel länger sind, sind sie stets mit Handlung und relevanten Informationen gefüllt. Die Geschichte lebt natürlich auch sehr von der ganzen Stimmung, die über dem Haus auf den Klippen und in Effys Innerem herrscht. Besonders mitgezogen hat mich Effy als Protagonistin, weil ich sehr mit ihr fühlen konnte, ihre Handlungen und Gedanken nachvollziehen konnte und sie als Charakter einfach sehr nah und echt wirkte.
Die wenigen anderen Charaktere sind eigenständig und ich kam gut mit den Namen und Unterscheidungen klar. Auch die Dynamik zwischen den Hauptcharakteren hat mich überzeugt. Vor allem das Ende fand ich besonders gelungen, da es mich einerseits zufrieden aber auch etwas wehmütig und melancholisch zurück lässt und gleichzeitig neugierig, auf die Fortsetzung.
Trotz Reihenauftakt ist der Roman alleinstehend mit abgeschlossenem Ende.
"A Study in Drowning" ist ein mitreißender Roman über den Glauben an sich selbst, die Ungerechtigkeit der Welt voller patriarchaler Strukturen und zeigt eine starke innere Entwicklung der Protagonistin.
Ganz große Empfehlung!
Perfekt war, dass ich parallel zum Lesen auch das Hörbuch hören konnte und Effy so direkt eine Stimme verliehen bekommen hat, die wunderbar gepasst hat.
Die Handlung geht einerseits langsam voran und dennoch zieht es sich zu keinem Punkt, auch wenn die Kapitel länger sind, sind sie stets mit Handlung und relevanten Informationen gefüllt. Die Geschichte lebt natürlich auch sehr von der ganzen Stimmung, die über dem Haus auf den Klippen und in Effys Innerem herrscht. Besonders mitgezogen hat mich Effy als Protagonistin, weil ich sehr mit ihr fühlen konnte, ihre Handlungen und Gedanken nachvollziehen konnte und sie als Charakter einfach sehr nah und echt wirkte.
Die wenigen anderen Charaktere sind eigenständig und ich kam gut mit den Namen und Unterscheidungen klar. Auch die Dynamik zwischen den Hauptcharakteren hat mich überzeugt. Vor allem das Ende fand ich besonders gelungen, da es mich einerseits zufrieden aber auch etwas wehmütig und melancholisch zurück lässt und gleichzeitig neugierig, auf die Fortsetzung.
Trotz Reihenauftakt ist der Roman alleinstehend mit abgeschlossenem Ende.
"A Study in Drowning" ist ein mitreißender Roman über den Glauben an sich selbst, die Ungerechtigkeit der Welt voller patriarchaler Strukturen und zeigt eine starke innere Entwicklung der Protagonistin.
Ganz große Empfehlung!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Blood, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
chelseaisreading's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.75
I had one of those moments reading this book where I thought to myself, what would I have been like if a younger me had this? Yes it can be a bit heavy-handed with the message at time, but I think it’s still beautiful. Effy learns to trust and believe herself, and finds someone who does the same. Gorgeously written and perfect for a dark academia fan.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Minor: Racism
zoer03's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
3.5
I liked the mysteriousness and the sort of fae like elements to the world that is built within this story, I just don’t like or couldn’t sympathise with the MFC, effy felt at times childish, naive, rude, horrible and a bit too dramatic almost to the point of madness I feel that with her moods she might be described as having depression. Granted her backstory is pretty harsh but she never apologises for how she treats her rival - lover Preston and I can’t accept it. I found the ending a bit flat. It’s good if you are looking for or love this wishy washy Edwardian style fantasy but I find it leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
wooblatoober's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this review is littered with spoilers so do not read it if you haven’t read the book yet. i’m spoiler tagging the most major spoilers but i am leaving things unspoilered that might or might not be considered spoilers depending on the reader
i really loved some aspects of this book but was really bothered by others—i loved the imagery & the metaphors really made me feel the way i believe the author wanted me to feel. parts were very cozy in ways i haven’t felt since i was probably 14. i LOVED the love interest & i had a huge crush on him because he’s so perfect. whenever there was a scene without him, i wanted him to come back, & i believe reid did a good job of making him incredibly caring while still empowering the female lead. the book covered serious topics regarding misogyny & sexual assault very well,& the way effy was able to bond with angharad & angharad was able to get some sort of justice was really touching to me, not to mention how the symbolism of angharad (who lived much of her life under an entity that seems to represent, as a whole, misogyny, patriarchy, & predation) being able to help effy break out of that cycle for herself. i also liked that even though angharad is old, it’s not treated like she lost her entire life under the repression of a man twice her age who was also sometimes the fairy king. very empowering that it was treated like, despite what was taken from her, she still had life in front of her to live, & be strong, & be free. lastly, i could identify with effy’s sexual trauma in poignant ways. i really enjoyed reading this book for most of my time reading it & i liked it enough that i’ll likely reread it, which i don’t often do.
my complaint is this: effy’s fucking racist. & i love a problematic character who grows & learns lessons & changes, BUT SHE FUCKING DOESN’T!!! it’s just not dealt with well & leaves a bad taste in my mouth. she even calls him slurs at one point and i don’t think she ever took accountability for that at all??? like it seems like she got an argantian boyfriend so she’s absolved of all racism against argantians. it really just gives, “i can’t be racist because my boyfriend’s argantian (or insert any race/ethnicity/nationality in place of that).” book is also hypnotically caucasian, which, like, i know it’s set in a fictional place based on wales & england, but it’s a FICTIONAL PLACE so do all these characters really gotta be beans and toast ass motherfuckers?? last complaint, she throws her long blonde hair into a messy bun 👎
i really loved some aspects of this book but was really bothered by others—i loved the imagery & the metaphors really made me feel the way i believe the author wanted me to feel. parts were very cozy in ways i haven’t felt since i was probably 14. i LOVED the love interest & i had a huge crush on him because he’s so perfect. whenever there was a scene without him, i wanted him to come back, & i believe reid did a good job of making him incredibly caring while still empowering the female lead. the book covered serious topics regarding misogyny & sexual assault very well,
my complaint is this: effy’s fucking racist. & i love a problematic character who grows & learns lessons & changes, BUT SHE FUCKING DOESN’T!!! it’s just not dealt with well & leaves a bad taste in my mouth. she even calls him slurs at one point and i don’t think she ever took accountability for that at all??? like it seems like she got an argantian boyfriend so she’s absolved of all racism against argantians. it really just gives, “i can’t be racist because my boyfriend’s argantian (or insert any race/ethnicity/nationality in place of that).” book is also hypnotically caucasian, which, like, i know it’s set in a fictional place based on wales & england, but it’s a FICTIONAL PLACE so do all these characters really gotta be beans and toast ass motherfuckers?? last complaint, she throws her long blonde hair into a messy bun 👎
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Racial slurs, Rape, Violence, Kidnapping, and War
sydresnik's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
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
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.
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
120read's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual harassment
emptzuu's review against another edition
Nowadays, it seems that getting glowing Goodreads reviews only requires creating a "relatable" character and including a mediocre romance. Reviews often justify five stars with comments like "it was entertaining" or "the vibes were there." Seriously, people?
This book is not dark academia or gothic, despite having a library and a manor. The writing did not convey the atmosphere associated with these genres. The author's flowery and lyrical style clashes with the book's marketing as gothic and dark academia.
It falls in the same category as "Lessons In Chemistry" where the author creates an old-fashioned world just to make social issues seem more significant. This feels like a lazy plot device. The book oversimplifies everything, portraying all men as evil and all women as innocent. Moreover, the author seems to have done little research. The book features cars and passenger trains, land-line phones and coffee, but also typewriters and mimeographs, and women aren't allowed in university. The constant focus on misogyny and sexual assault in a fantasy book feels excessive and unnecessary. Elements like war and racism are there but have no impact on the plot.
Effy is a highly problematic character, displaying overt racism, misandry, and a severe lack of depth. She is depicted as a weak, whiny, and fearful woman who is perpetually passive, often getting dragged around by men. Her character feels reduced to being defined solely by her trauma, which is portrayed without any nuance or complexity. Trauma does not excuse her behavior.
She would say and think the most outrageous and insulting things about Preston's heritage without even knowing him. She was incredibly prejudiced and judgmental. Considering she herself had faced judgment and been called slurs, you'd think she would understand how wrong it is to act the way she did, but she didn't. She never faced any consequences for her behavior. Preston even coddled her. Why are they even together? Why does Preston forgive her for everything she said and did? It feels like a toxic romance to me. The author spends almost the entire book preaching about misogyny, yet the female main character is ultimately saved by the love interest. Sex solves everything.
She was so entitled that she thought she deserved to be in the literature department, despite being unable to provide a coherent, logical, or evidence-based analysis of the works of her favorite author. In fact, she admitted she had never written a formal paper, even though she was in college.
The only thing she could boast about was memorizing lines from her favorite author's works. She also couldn't accept any criticism, which would make her struggle in a literature class. She just wants to do literature because she is obsessed with Myrddin's work.
She is supposed to be more intelligent than most literature students, yet she is struggling academically in architecture. She is on the verge of flunking out but wins a prestigious opportunity to design for a famous author, beating many competitors.
She is the only girl in architecture, solely because she is not allowed in the literature school, which is illogical. Historically, women have studied literature and languages extensively; it is math and sciences that have had lower female participation.
Additionally, the portrayal of architecture as mere doodling is unrealistic.
It's baffling that some readers find this character relatable. I hesitate to imagine what kind of audience appreciates such a portrayal.
I could easily write three pages detailing how bad this book is, but instead, I'll summarize my thoughts. The book is riddled with plot holes, tackles topics poorly, and features one-dimensional characters along with underdeveloped world-building. Despite its gorgeous cover and beautiful title, the book fails to live up to its marketing promises.
This book is not dark academia or gothic, despite having a library and a manor. The writing did not convey the atmosphere associated with these genres. The author's flowery and lyrical style clashes with the book's marketing as gothic and dark academia.
It falls in the same category as "Lessons In Chemistry" where the author creates an old-fashioned world just to make social issues seem more significant. This feels like a lazy plot device. The book oversimplifies everything, portraying all men as evil and all women as innocent. Moreover, the author seems to have done little research. The book features cars and passenger trains, land-line phones and coffee, but also typewriters and mimeographs, and women aren't allowed in university. The constant focus on misogyny and sexual assault in a fantasy book feels excessive and unnecessary. Elements like war and racism are there but have no impact on the plot.
Effy is a highly problematic character, displaying overt racism, misandry, and a severe lack of depth. She is depicted as a weak, whiny, and fearful woman who is perpetually passive, often getting dragged around by men. Her character feels reduced to being defined solely by her trauma, which is portrayed without any nuance or complexity. Trauma does not excuse her behavior.
She would say and think the most outrageous and insulting things about Preston's heritage without even knowing him. She was incredibly prejudiced and judgmental. Considering she herself had faced judgment and been called slurs, you'd think she would understand how wrong it is to act the way she did, but she didn't. She never faced any consequences for her behavior. Preston even coddled her. Why are they even together? Why does Preston forgive her for everything she said and did? It feels like a toxic romance to me. The author spends almost the entire book preaching about misogyny, yet the female main character is ultimately saved by the love interest. Sex solves everything.
She was so entitled that she thought she deserved to be in the literature department, despite being unable to provide a coherent, logical, or evidence-based analysis of the works of her favorite author. In fact, she admitted she had never written a formal paper, even though she was in college.
The only thing she could boast about was memorizing lines from her favorite author's works. She also couldn't accept any criticism, which would make her struggle in a literature class. She just wants to do literature because she is obsessed with Myrddin's work.
She is supposed to be more intelligent than most literature students, yet she is struggling academically in architecture. She is on the verge of flunking out but wins a prestigious opportunity to design for a famous author, beating many competitors.
She is the only girl in architecture, solely because she is not allowed in the literature school, which is illogical. Historically, women have studied literature and languages extensively; it is math and sciences that have had lower female participation.
Additionally, the portrayal of architecture as mere doodling is unrealistic.
It's baffling that some readers find this character relatable. I hesitate to imagine what kind of audience appreciates such a portrayal.
I could easily write three pages detailing how bad this book is, but instead, I'll summarize my thoughts. The book is riddled with plot holes, tackles topics poorly, and features one-dimensional characters along with underdeveloped world-building. Despite its gorgeous cover and beautiful title, the book fails to live up to its marketing promises.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Minor: War
ash2app's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment