Couldn't quite finish this one as unfortunately it was not my cup of tea.i do think this would appeal to some other people though.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC.
Rating: ★★★★☆

"A Study in Drowning" by Ava Reid is a mesmerizing blend of fairy tale allure and gothic suspense that captures the reader's imagination from the very first page. The story centers on Effy Sayre, a character whose life has been deeply entwined with the mystical and the literary. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King and clinging to her beloved copy of Emrys Myrddin’s epic tale, Angharad, Effy’s journey to redesign Myrddin’s estate, Hiraeth Manor, feels like a calling.

The setting of Hiraeth Manor is portrayed with such vividness that it almost becomes a character in itself. Musty, decrepit, and filled with secrets, it sets the perfect backdrop for the unfolding drama. Effy's determination and the eerie atmosphere of the manor are beautifully contrasted with the presence of Preston Héloury, a literature scholar intent on exposing Myrddin as a fraud. The dynamic between Effy and Preston is electric, filled with tension and mutual distrust, yet it evolves into a compelling partnership as they uncover the manor’s secrets and face the dark forces at play.

"A Study in Drowning" shines with its rich storytelling and intricate plotting. Ava Reid masterfully weaves together elements of magic, mystery, and romance, making it a highly engaging read. The novel’s exploration of the blurred lines between reality and fairy tale, as well as the dark truths lurking beneath beloved stories, adds depth and intrigue. Overall, with its enchanting narrative and well-developed characters, it’s no wonder this book earned a solid 4/5 stars.

Evocative and escapist, I was carried deep into the eerie, gothic world of Effy, Preston and Hiraeth Manor. Lyrical, nautical metaphor infuse the narrative throughout as the reader sinks into the underwater gloom of Myrddin's Manor and the southern superstician.

A really enjoyed this book, wasn't a huge fan of this author previously but I've been brought around now.

3.75

An interesting mash-up of horror and dark academia, I am pleased to say this is the first book by this author I have enjoyed! We follow Effy a student at a prestigious university who undertakes a task to go to a drowning mansion that belongs to her favourite author to redesign it, alongside her academic rival and quickly discovers the house and family that live there have a lot of dark secrets.

The atmosphere in this book was really good, the energy of a slowly decaying house with creepy residents and a mystery to be unfolded. I'm not the biggest dark acadmeia fan but I feel like the horror elements of this book made up for that, and were done incredibly well. The plot was quite predictable but I didn't mind that as the atmosphere was so good.

Effy was a bit of a pick me but was easy to empathise with (which I have previous found Ava Reid's character very unlikeable and kind of ruin the reading experience) and I loved the romance and her love interest Preston. The nerdy bookish sweethearts always get me haha.

I also liked the theme of Effy discovering those she had previously idolised she was actually putting on a pedestal and they can be bad people too.

Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing this one. I really try not to DNF, and it’s a bit gutting because I adored the premise, but I think I picked this one up too soon after reading JUNIPER AND THORN. The repeating themes of Reid’s work are becoming obvious and simply do not appeal to me as a reader: abused girls within patriarchal systems struggling to emerge triumphant.

While books with these themes should always exist, it can be exhausting to read them in fiction considering we still LIVE in a patriarchal world, when fiction has the potential to be more than a reflection of our own world. I also recently read POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt and I love JONATHAN STRANGE & MR NORRELL by Susanna Clarke, and I think both of those books dealt with aspects and themes better than A STUDY IN DROWNING did, unfortunately.

I think others will really love this book, especially if they want a more accessible text than the two I mentioned above (both are intricate, intimidating tomes). Disappointing, but this is absolutely a case of the problem being me, not the book.

As I have DNFed, I will not be posting this review publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.

I was quite conflicted at the start, not sure if I'll like this story or not. But further into the book and I fell in love with the characters and the mysterious vibe of this world (although it was a bit confusing, I won't lie). I really liked the lyrical writing and the discussion of misogony. Overall, it was a very pleasant read :)

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Incredibly atmospheric, with great depictions of Gothic libraries and a sweeping landscape that features a crumbling manor by the sea. However the plot is meandering and the characters lack the depth and charisma that the surroundings have. I found Effy to be particularly irritating and childish, and she just didn't ever seem to feel comfortable in this world that relishes in stories and myths. She stuck out like a sore thumb, and not in a positive story way. I liked her journey and backstory relating to her trauma, however I just don't think she was nuanced enough to carry the weight of such a heavy topic.

Beautiful writing, but the slow pacing and lack of character depth made this a bit of a slog.

This book is different to what I usually read. And at first it took getting use to the writing style but once I did the story had me hooked!

Wonderful exploration of myth, mental health and the cutest romance. A brilliant entry from Ava Reid into YA.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the early access to this book.

It wasn't exactly what I expected, but I think it was better going into the book this way. It took me by surprise, kept me hooked, and I'm in love.

The writing was impeccable. I can't wait for the author's next book.

(And my beautiful special editions of this one!)

Yet another book which had a great premise, but was poorly executed. The characters were outlines of what they could've been; there was no real substance to them aside from prejudice. I found that I was enjoying it enough while reading, but never had the urge to go back to the book once I'd closed it. There was nothing notable about the plot by the halfway mark, nothing pulling me back to - or into - the story. The gothic elements were there; they simply needed to tie together a lot better, rather than drag the story out to the point where 150 pages barely covered introductions and a basic plot point.

This is unfortunately not for me, and I don't think it's advertised correctly as dark academia. Definitely gothic, perhaps new adult.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

I love Ava’s dark and atmospheric writing and this book was no exception! This had great dark academia vibes and it was intriguing and drew me in from the start!

Thanks for my earc of this book. I was in the mood for something more slow in pace and this fit the bill perfectly. This is one to savour and enjoy and I did just that!

I loved this! The folklore, the academia, the rivals to friends to lovers! I was enraptured from the first few chapters, both by the settings and characters, but also the authors use of language; it was poetic but not exaggerated, and certain phrases were distinguishable from other texts, making this one I go back to simply to enjoy the immersion I get from the more unusual and unique descriptions.
A true dark academia marvel, and gain something for anyone who loves folklore with a dark twist, as well as more gothic elements thrown in alongside a bit of mystery!

I was really looking forward to "A Study in Drowning" and was really happy when I received a copy from Netgalley. I would recommend this novel to everyone who enjoys dark academia. Reid's writing style is very gripping and I really enjoyed the atmosphere she created. The characters were very intriguing too and I loved going on this journey with them.

My least favourite of Ava Reid’s books but there was still a lot to like – I wasn’t invested in the characters or their relationship but the worldbuilding was really interesting and the writing was often very atmospheric. After putting the book down for the first time I was just never that excited to pick it up again which has not been the case for either of Reid’s other books. Not bad but not really for me sadly.

I loved the creepy fairytale elements of this story and – highly unusual for me – I adored the subtle romance that blooms between the two main characters, but the pace was just so slow! It felt like drowning in treacle rather than water!

Vast swathes of the plot focus on Effy’s self-doubt and her fretting about her mental health, her career, her hero, her rivals, her past trauma, without really being able to resolve any of it. It turned into a repetitive cycle in which Effy finds herself creeped out by a person/situation, freezes or flees, then convinces herself it was all in her head and dives right back in. Over and over again.

The pervading Gothic atmosphere is convincing and I could feel the clinging, oppressive dampness as I read, but the driving plot and the worldbuilding felt sparse and thinly spread across the length of the book.

This is an intriguing deep dive into female oppression, trauma, ambition and anger and I found myself as obsessed by the idea of ‘Angharad’ as the characters were – I wanted so badly to be able to read it myself!

After all of the slow, menacing build-up, the climax felt quite anti-climactic and left me wishing there had been more complexity to the big confrontation and reveal, to justify the drip-by-drip slow submersion that brought us to that point.

I would be keen to read more from this author, as while I found this a bit hard going in places, the ideas and characters here did engage me and whet my appetite for further immersion in this imaginary world.

This book was so good! It was intriguing and really drawed me in. I'll be reading more of this authors work.

Reasons to read this book:
- The vibes were immaculate
- The mystery was hard to solve
- Maybe I'm just slow, but it definitely kept me guessing
- Effy and Preston were very adorable
- Felt like a perfect fall-time read
- Also a STANDALONE

Reasons not to read this book:
- If you don't like water or talk of drowning stay away (unless you liked being freaked out by it?? I'm not questioning your tastes, you do you)
- Also, most definitely check up on other triggers as my girl Effy has been through it

4.4/5⭐

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey and Netgallery for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review