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A review by valpyre
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
in a weird way, this was like a head empty all vibes book for me? like the writing was good, and the plot was fleshed out enough that it didn't put me off and i was just along for the ride.
i suppose a lot of the style of the book is meant to reflect effy's state of mind, especially considering her recent trauma, which seems to have exacerbated all her childhood trauma. i think all the water related imagery and metaphors were a little overdone, but obviously fit the theme of the book so im not complaining too much.
i guess i wished that this book was more magical than it ended up being? like were effy's hallucinations just that, or something more? i feel like the whole unraveling of the mystery at the end was a bit blown over, but perhaps that was to put emphasis on the women of the story (honestly, at one point, i was confused as to whether a certain character was even real or not).
i was also intrigued by the war between fantasy france (??) and fantasy wales but it didnt play much into the plot at hand, plus i could've done without the xenophobia throughout. i felt like preston was way too forgiving about that, but i guess that's reality in a way too.
the romance was very sweet, and at the same time, it didn't pull me in or make me feel too much. it just felt like a given of the story, so i enjoyed the beats as they came.
overall, this was a fine read, but i don't think it's a story that will stick with me. i might check out the sequel when it comes out as the very ending of the book holds intrigue in that sense, so i'm a little curious.
i suppose a lot of the style of the book is meant to reflect effy's state of mind, especially considering her recent trauma, which seems to have exacerbated all her childhood trauma. i think all the water related imagery and metaphors were a little overdone, but obviously fit the theme of the book so im not complaining too much.
i guess i wished that this book was more magical than it ended up being? like were effy's hallucinations just that, or something more? i feel like the whole unraveling of the mystery at the end was a bit blown over, but perhaps that was to put emphasis on the women of the story (honestly, at one point, i was confused as to whether a certain character was even real or not).
i was also intrigued by the war between fantasy france (??) and fantasy wales but it didnt play much into the plot at hand, plus i could've done without the xenophobia throughout. i felt like preston was way too forgiving about that, but i guess that's reality in a way too.
the romance was very sweet, and at the same time, it didn't pull me in or make me feel too much. it just felt like a given of the story, so i enjoyed the beats as they came.
overall, this was a fine read, but i don't think it's a story that will stick with me. i might check out the sequel when it comes out as the very ending of the book holds intrigue in that sense, so i'm a little curious.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail