3.5 stars. And once again, the need to categorize everything as either YA or Adult strikes.
Man, I really wished I could give this book five stars, but this being called a YA book really makes me cringe. Because this is not for teenagers. This is not for young adults. This is a book that could be severely triggering for some people, and it also carries with it a message that can be extremely harmful to young people with mental illness.

But let's start with some positives, and really, there are a lot! I personally love Ava Reid and her writing style to death. She just has a way of creating an athmosphere that is unparalleled in modern literature. Her characterization - top notch. I would kill for Preston, and I would die for Effy.

I loved the whole storyline of you-should-never-meet-your-heroes. It felt like watching Effy grow up the more she learned about her hero, and keeping her company as she slowly begins to combine the image of the glowing, shiny author with the disgusting old man he really was. It feels a lot like growing up, myself, and I think it's so, so necessary, especially in today's era of celebrity worship.

I see a weakness in worldbuilding, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing all the time - sometimes you just wish things were expanded upon. Why is literature, out of all things, the thing that women aren't allowed to study? How do you get from literature to architecture being the second most prestigeous thing to study? Who makes those rules, who decides them? How does a society who values literature like that differ from our own, which mainly focuses on STEM?

I loved the idea of the Sleeper Museum. See, that's what gets me going - something specific, something cultural. But who came up with that idea? Why does a building full of dead Southerners end up in a Northern city? Ava, I need more. I need more worldbuilding.

Furthermore, I'm really confused as to what time this book takes place in. Because we have cars and cigarettes, but no TV or radio. We're in a time that allows women to go to universities and work, but they're clearly seen as secondary citizens.

I just have so many questions.

Okay. Trigger Warnings for sexual assault, rape, severe mental illness, and drug use below.

Here's what's really bothering me about this book. And maybe I should just say that I am also severely mentally ill and are currently being treated for an addiction to sleeping pills.
Effy is also seen as severely mentally ill. She takes sleeping pills every night (even swallows them dry a lot, which is something you should never do!) and cannot sleep without them. (I relate.) She takes what she calls "pink pills" to get rid of what the doctors call hallucinations, which, spoiler alert, turn out to be real!!! Wow, what a stunning plot twist! And then, when all is over and the big bad evil guy is defeated, she just cold turkey stops taking all of her medication and all is well. Because of course that's how it works. And when she forgets her sleeping pills on a trip, being next to her love interest calms her down so much that she is able to sleep! Hurray!

That is dangerous. If you are on medications like Effy's, I assume some kind of anti-psychotic in addition to sleeping pills, you cannot stop cold turkey without severe side effects. Out of my own experience, if you forget your sleeping pills after taking them every night for that long, you don't just nod off to your lover's silky voice, you WILL be crawling across the floor and ripping apart everything you own to find one. You WILL be looking into every pocket of every article of clothing you brought along in case you ever put a pill in there, even if you know you won't find anything, because you're desparate. And in the end, you probably will end up spending your night on the bathroom floor, hugging the toilet bowl.
So, inaccurate portrayal of sleeping pill addiction. Okay, I could live with that. It's not glamorous and it's not romantic. I understand that.
But this message of the-doctors-don't-understand-you and giving you antipsychotics even though what you're saying is actually real - that's dangerous. Just imagine a teen reading this. A young girl, like Effy. She's being treated for mental illness. She takes antidepressants and antipsychotics. She reads this book. She might come to the conclusion that her doctors are talking bullshit. She might not! But teenagers are easy to influence, and might already be inclined to believe that no one understands them. I'm just so worried. Maybe I'm worrying too much. Maybe I'm not giving teens today enough credit.

But even if this wasn't in the book, even if Effy wasn't taking enormous amounts of pills throughout the entire story, I still wouldn't call this book YA. Nothing about this is YA. There is graphic sexual assault scenes and rape scenes that while they do not occur on page, have an enormous amount of influence on Effy. Almost every male she comes in contact with (and those are quite a lot) uses sexually charged language towards her. I'm actually not even sure if this book passes the Bechdel test, because if two women talk, they always talk about men. But it's honestly tiring for man after man to appear on page and immediately start talking about disgusting things about Effy. She's so pretty. She's so girlish. She would look so pretty on my lap. (Ugh).

I wish so badly this book was categorized as a normal novel and not "Ava Reid's big YA debut!!!". It just feels like so much bad marketing. And ultimately, I think that this will lead to a lot of disappointed and confused readers.

A dark academia-type tale with a sprinkling of mystery and romance. This is a fascinating story set around an eerie decaying gothic mansion. It’s a strange book and the pacing was a little slow for my liking, however it’s beautifully written, eerily atmospheric and it’s certainly a thought-provoking novel about the empowerment of women. I liked the Welsh themes in there, in fact the fantasy world was very similar to our own with cars and phones.

I didn’t enjoy it as much as Juniper and Thorn, but it’s a must read for dark fantasy readers who enjoy an unusual tale.

Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the eARC for review.

A new favourite read for me!

When I read the synopsis for this book it drew me in, but I was concerned that my expectations may have been too high. Sometimes when we are especially excited for a release it can not quite live up to the hype. This one however was absolutely worth the hype.
Effy appeared to me initially as a whiney self absorbed individual, I wasn't sure I could ever get on board with her as a MC but the development in her character throughout the book was wonderful. Seeing her develop into a strong female lead, taking on the patriarchy without apology was inspirational.

The storyline was wonderful, and the exploration of female empowerment in a world designed to keep women down matched the story arc perfectly.

The relationship between Effy and Preston was heart warming and whilst it seems to be an enemies to lovers trope, the enemy side of the relationship seems to fade rather quickly.

Romance is not my favourite style of reading but the romance in this worked well, it didn't take over the storyline, but it did add depth to their characters and development.

Overall, I loved this book and I wish I could have read more and more about Effy and the other strong female character we meet.

Effy has read her copy of Emrys Myrddin’s Angharad so many times she can quote entire chunks of it verbatim. A student of architecture (because women aren’t allowed to study literature), Effy has a unique connection to the story.

“Though she had read Angharad for the first time at thirteen, she had been dreaming of the Fairy King long before that.”

When she learns that designs are being sought for Hiraeth Manor, which will house the recently deceased national treasure’s writings, Effy jumps at the chance. While the odds are slim that a university student a mere six weeks into their degree will be chosen, Effy’s determined to make her design stand out.

Upon arriving at Hiraeth Manor, Effy meets Ianto Myrddin, Emrys’ son, and Preston, a literature student. Ianto is … odd and she’s not a fan of “smug, pedantic” Preston. (Effy’s words, not mine.)

Effy’s disdain for Preston grows when she learns the focus of his study, to discredit Emrys Myrddin. Fair enough, too. If your intention is to cast aspersions on one of my favourite authors, we’re going to have a problem.

A book featuring a character who’s this passionate about a book was always going to end up on my radar. Set it in a location like Hiraeth Manor, which you should really explore yourself before anyone describes it to you, and I’ll be planning a road trip. Add fear, uncertainty, some trauma, magic and a mystery to solve, and consider me sold.

I may have to rethink my ‘I don’t do romance’ stance. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries and now this book have both well and truly sucked me in, and I haven’t had a problem with the romance components of either. I was actually looking forward to the characters finally getting their acts together and declaring their love.

“Oh, stop it. You’re being so relentlessly you.”

And now I must retreat into the forest to contemplate my fractured bookish romance worldview.

This book describes dissociation in one of the most authentic ways I’ve ever read. The impacts of the trauma Effy has experienced also rang true.

The writing is beautiful, even when it’s describing darkness. It took me much longer than I expected to finish this book, not because I wasn’t enjoying it but because I wanted to linger over each sentence. I didn’t want to miss a thing and I’m keen for a reread.

I’ve agonised over this review for weeks. There’s so much I want to say but I don’t want to ruin anything. I expect this will be one of my favourite reads of the year.

“But if fairies and monsters were real, so were the women who defeated them.”

Content warnings include sexual assault.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read this book.

What is a mermaid but a woman half-drowned,
What is a selkie but an unwilling wife,
What a tale but a sea-net, snatching up both
From the gentle tumult of dark waves?

A Study in Drowning is a gothic novel that takes place in an old rotting house on the edge of a cliff, slowly falling into the sea. At the heart of the novel, it's about women and their power - or lack of it. About how they are simultaneously too frivolous and superficial to really do anything truly important and yet are also solely held responsible for powerful men's predatory behaviour. It's an eerie, thought-provoking novel that features academic rivals-to-lovers, fae folklore, and dark academia vibes.

A STUDY IN DROWNING is a gorgeous, haunting tale of authorship, secrets, and trauma.

This book is inspired by Anti-Stratfordian theories - the idea that William Shakespeare, a commoner without a university education, could not have written his plays (a pretty snobbish, elitist theory). A STUDY IN DROWNING addresses the mindset behind these theories, and uses this sort of conspiracy as a starting point for the story.

While it is about two academics searching for answers to a paper, I'm not sure it's a dark academic. It's not really about academic obsession sending the research down a dark spiral but about the loss of heroes through academic research. Also Effy and Preston aren't very grey at all - they're kind, gentle people with their own scars. It's the people around them who are obsessed to the point of danger.

It is set in an incredibly atmospheric, damp house on the edge of a crumbling cliff, in a land full of myths that might be real. It draws on Welsh folklore, like the drowning of Cantref y Gwaelod, creating a landscape where the magical could very easily be real - and deadly.

The book deals with sexual abuse from men with power, stealing and using - and then claiming the woman or girl wanted it all along because she didn't fight back, or because she initially seemed to be into it. It explores the guilt and shame this gaslighting creates and how powerful men close ranks to protect their own and their interests.

It is a brilliant book, hauntingly sad but hopeful at once.

I don’t know what I was expecting from this story, but it absolutely swept me off my feet and surprised me in all the best ways. A Study in Drowning is a masterful blend of gothic fantasy, dark academia, folklore, mystery, light horror, and romance that will drown its readers in a whirlpool of emotions.

This is the story of Effy Sayre, a soft and anxious Architecture student who has always believed in fairy tales. Because how could she not, when she has been plagued by nightmare visions of the Fairy King for as long as she can remember? When a contest is announced to redesign the crumbling, decrepit manor of the late author of the Angharad, her all-time favourite story, Effy knows this is her calling.

Though, upon arriving at the estate, she bumps into a rival Literature student with his own secret agenda, and it quickly becomes clear that things are just so slightly off. Before too long, they find themselves entangled in an old and dangerous mystery, fighting off monsters both human and magical, or something altogether more disturbing in between the two. Reality and fiction quickly start to blend and the truths they discover might bring them all down under.

Now, as a character-driven reader, this slooooow-burn story was just a feast for my soul. I wouldn’t say that it’s ‘no plot, just vibes’, but I do think the plot kind of takes a backseat to let the characters and themes shine.
Effy is absolutely one of my new favourite young female protagonists and I thought her story was equally harrowing and empowering. She could so easily have been another one of those strong heroines that falls into the ‘not like other girls’ category, and yet she absolutely does not. Her strength is much more understated, coming all from her mental endurance and sharp wit, which I personally thought made her so interesting and compelling.

Her story is one of endurance and defiance, but in a much more subtle and quiet way than you might expect. The themes of sexism (in academia), mental illness, emotional and physical (sexual) abuse, guilt, self-doubt, and the silencing of women are explored so beautifully through Effy’s personal journey and I absolutely loved her growth by the end of the book. She starts out as a very unstable and unreliable narrator who has allowed herself to be silenced for so long, but the events in this story make her realise that she has the power to break her chains and finally take back control over her own narrative.

I also absolutely adored her dynamic with her rival, Preston, who quickly turns out to be a lot less prim and proper than he likes to pretend to be. Even though their unlikely alliance is struck with much reluctance and distrust at first, it doesn’t take long for them to discover that they are much more alike than they could ever have imagined. And yet, they don’t immediately start swooning over each other, which I found so refreshing for a YA fantasy novel.

Their romance is extremely slow-burn and chaste, and I really appreciated that Effy’s personal journey always remained the main focus of the story. Though, at the same time I also really liked seeing how Preston became her first sign of proof that not all men are predators. His blind trust and faith in her story was so touching to see and I loved how he helped her realise that her voice deserves to be heard. Give me more of these tender and supportive love interests, please!

Another great aspect of this story is the incredibly immersive Welsh-inspired world building. I especially loved the light horror elements with the dark and haunting depiction of the faerie lore in this story, which really increased the levels of tension and intrigue for me. This entire story is just dripping in atmosphere, and I absolutely loved that.
The only thing that broke my immersion a tiny bit was the inclusion of phones and cars, especially considering that the sensibilities of the characters felt more akin to what you’d expect of the Victorian Era instead of the mid-20th century.

However, the rest of the story was so incredibly captivating and immersive that I could very easily get past that little hiccup. From the very first page, Reid just sucked me into this dark and eerie story with their immaculate and soul-stirring prose.
And again, even though the plot/mystery is definitely not the main focus of the story here, I was really impressed by how every single thread of this story turned out to be interconnected in unexpected ways. Especially the way that Effy’s personal life ends up mirroring her all-time favourite story, the Angharad, was extremely fascinating to see. The power of stories, especially the stories we tell (about) ourselves, is such a strong and compelling theme here, which only made me love the book more.

Reid has crafted a beautifully haunting story that is simultaneously a punch to the gut and a balm to the soul. I highly recommend A Study in Drowning to anyone who likes the idea of a character-driven low fantasy with a lot of mystery, folklore, powerful social commentary, endearing characters, intoxicating prose, rich atmosphere, and a touch of innocent romance. This is how you write a good, mature, and powerful YA fantasy novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for providing me with an eARC in exhange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Ava Reid is one of the most talented authors I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Her writing is lyrical and I love the gothic vibes. I enjoyed Effy's story, even though I spent a lot of time being confused, especially by the ending! I absolutely loved the mystery, which is what kept me riveted, as well as Effy's amazing growth over the course of her adventure. Preston was such a delightful character - a bit of a grump, but so gentle and kind with Effy. I liked the slow burn of their relationship, and how he took time to understand her, not rushing her into anything and respecting her boundaries.

This. was a really wonderful read! I definitely recommend it if you're into gothic, dark academia vibes, with some romance and fantasy, a struggling protagonist, an incredibly vivid cliffside setting, and a cutie pie rival academic who knows how to push our girl Effy's buttons in the best ways!

Ava Reid is fast becoming a queen of gothic fairy tale retellings and this book is no different. The romance is a bit of a slow burn but that suits the dark, descriptive nature of the story. I would recommend this for a dark night with a full moon and a blanket. Brilliant book :)

Ava Reid is an author who does everything so well. Tropes that have been done thousands of times (dark academia, rivalry-turns-romance, mythology retelling..) that personally make me a little tired, but then Reid goes and does them exquisitely.
Within its genre, this is definitely a must-read.

I love Ava Reid’s writing so I knew I was probably going to enjoy this book and I absolutely did.

It has the perfect creepy and gothic atmosphere, within faerie folklore and one of my favourite tropes of enemies to lovers. It deals with some important themes as well as having a mystery that is unravelled in the book that makes it all the more thrilling. I loved the slow burn of Effy and Preston’s relationship and how it develops into a romance.

I completely love the perfect atmospheric fall read and the way Ava writes such a striking and imaginative descriptive world, highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me an ARC of this book for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
4.5 Stars!

Synopsis: Effy has a passion for literature but is stuck studying architecture. But when Effy takes on a new project she finds herself in mortal and magical danger. Effy believes in magic, but how much of it is real?

CW/TW: Violence / Blood / Sexual assault & harrasment / sexism / racism / death / grief / loss / drowning / abandonment / neglect / ableism / others may be present.

A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid is a gorgeously written Gothic that is both haunting and captivating in equal measure.

I absolutely adore Gothic novels and this one captured the essence of the Gothic genre perfectly! From the large, creepy, decaying house, to the isolation of the Myrddin family, to the expanse and danger of the sea – Reid perfectly captures the settings and motifs that are classic to the Gothic genre in her own unique and compelling way. Moreover, Reid takes this further and infuses this Gothic story with stories, poetry, magic and myths centred around Faeries exploring it all through a feminist lens.

The story is told from the perspective of Effy, our main character. Effy has a deep passion of literature but, due to being a woman, cannot attend the literature college and instead ends up being the only woman in the architecture college. So when Effy gets the opportunity to design a house for E.Myrddin, her favourite author, she jumps at the chance – but this opportunity grows odder and more mysterious the more she learns about it.

Effy’s perspective works incredibly well for this story because it is centred around the experiences of women, and at the heart of this is Effy’s favourite book – Angharad. The story is set in a fictional world reminiscent of our own, and is heavily patriarchal. Effy, being the only women at the university, is the subject of harassment and contempt. Her only solace is Angharad, a book in which she deeply relates, for many reasons. From the start we get an intense look at this world, its power structures and the effects it has on those deemed less then worthy. Effy’s perspective adds a depth to this story that is heart-wrenching because it is intensely relatable. Reid’s gorgeous prose adds to this, she is an evocative, immersive and intense writer whose skill immediately captures you and fully immerses you in the world she has created and her character’s experiences. Traditional and true to the Gothic genre, the book is slow and intense, the pacing works well to keep you engaged and the slow build up works perfectly with the story, settings and themes.

At the heart of this story is Angharad – a book about a mortal women who falls in love with the Faerie King – a cruel and vicious creature. But at its heart it is a story about power, control, and cruelty. Effy feels a deep connection to this book because she believes in magic, in Faeries. Now, within this world are those who believe in magic, and those who regard it as superstition. Effy believes but she really has no choice – Effy has seen the Faerie King, she has done all her life and so when she begins to design the house for Myrrdin she cannot shake the feeling that the Faerie King is near. But Effy is not the only person interested in the Myrrdin legacy, a literature student named Preston has also been invited to Myrrdin’s home to investigate his works – particularly Angharad. Preston and Effy have an academic rivalry, but the two must work together to find out the truth about the author and his work.

This mysterious investigation take place in the Myrddin house, a decaying home set on the top of a crumbling cliff. I loved the plot, the slow academic investigation into the author, the way Effy and Preston challenge each others views – it leaned into dark academia and added such an interesting depth to this story. As the two investigate they face dangers, both human and magical, but how much of the magic is real? This was an intense element of the story, Effy sees the Faerie King – she believes in the magic, but she is ignored, written off, seen as ‘mad’ and as the story goes on we watch as she struggles with what is real and what is in her mind. It was intrigued to watch play out because you too, as a reader, do not know for certain if the Faerie King is in fact real and yet there is something undoubtedly odd about the Myrrdin home and its owner Ianto. This coupled with the mystery of the author was fascinating and made for an excellent read.

Sidenote – I also really loved just how deeply ingrained the literature of this world was and how realistic it came across. Each chapter starts with a quote from one of the works from this worlds authors and it was beautifully done. Stories and poems were crafted and weaved into this book, this story, so beautifully that it was just mesmerising.

Another element I loved throughout the book was Effy and Preston’s relationship and how it grew and changed over the course of the book. It complimented the plot well, and worked to show growth in Effy as well as Preston. It highlighted the importance of freedom and choice.

Overall, A Study In Drowning by Ava Reid is a gorgeous, Gothic story that entwines magic, love, sexism, fairytales and stories and explores them through a feminist lens.

*I received an eARC via Netgalley from Del Ray/Random House UK in exchange for an honest review – thank you!!*

3,5 stars

This is the first book by Ava Reid I have read, so I had no idea what to expect, besides a general vibe after reading the synopsis.

Even though I liked the book and it had lots of the elements I usually enjoy, there were also some things I could not connect with...

First of all, as a gothic story the eerie feeling, the innuendoes and the magical elements were the things I liked the most.
Personally I found the whole mystery woman in the manor and the substory that happened in the past the most interesting points in the book.

As for the main characters, l liked Preston and found Effy to be very brave, smart and caring but, also underdeveloped. I think it would be better for us to see more of her upbringing and her past relationships with her family members in order to connect with her. The way the writer chooses to hint about her past traumatic experiences, like a mystery instead of traumas (trying not to spoil the story) make them less real in a way, like a bad nightmare.

The story was interesting and well paced, but the twist was expected.

All in all a very enjoyable book and prefer read for a crispy, autumn night!

Thank you to Netgalley and for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!! One of my new favourite books of ALL TIME! Effy and Preston made me feel all the emotions in this thrilling novel with a mystery at its heart!

This book was just so surprisingly nuanced. It was dark, whimsical, eerie and made me feel like I was in this dark and dreary landscape with Effy the entire time!

When Effy is chosen to design the house of an infamous author who wrote her favourite book, she is ecstatic. She's had a tough time at her school of architecture and has gone through things that she just wants to get away from. As the only girl in the college, she is sent alongside the mysterious Preston to the crumbling manor that hides the deceased author's own dark secrets.

This book made me feel cold. Like actually cold on a hot summer's day. I love Effy- she's fierce but not in a loud way. I loved her infatuation with Angharad- the book that keeps her going. And as we learn more about the strange visions she has of the Fairy King, as the reader I myself began to question what was real and what wasn't.

The writing was mesmerising. Ava Reid manages to not only transport you to this dark and dreary manor on the edge of a cliff, but also makes you feel like you are losing your mind as you embark with Effy on this journey. I adored the slow build-up of romance between Effy and Preston. And when Ianto's character was introduced, I found myself wanting to explore along with these characters. I could feel every emotion jump off the page. By the end of it, I felt like I was gasping for breath, because the beauty of this novel just left me speechless.

Effy is such a memorable character. Chocked with beautiful and whimsical descriptions, I fell so deeply into this mystery, with a plot that kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I had to pause while reading just to absorb how beautifully the setting was described. I was thinking about this book when I wasn't reading it, and when I finished, I am still thinking about it months afterwards. Ava Reid is up there as one of my new favourite author's and I cannot wait to pick up everything she has written!

Thank you so so much NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc of a new favourite! I am so grateful!

Headlines:
Darkly atmospheric
Creepy and evocative
THAT house

A Study in Drowning was a fantastic read from cover to cover and it was especially atmospheric for the autumnal season of dark, rainy and windy nights. This reader living next to the woods is going to peering out of the window for slick black hair and bone crowns!

Effy was a protagonist with growth throughout the story. She was a young women disempowered, controlled by many in her shortish life but she was forging her way through academic life with a burgeoning strength that increased. The reveal about her part way through the story absolutely took my breath away; I did not see it coming. Her project at the house on the cliff seemed an exciting opportunity...at first.

That house. My goodness, my toes curled, I shuddered and all the hairs on the back of my neck were standing on end. The state of it, its occupants and then the basement were horrendous. Iaoto was all kinds of shades of creepy but Preston was a solid character who showed his ability to be relied upon.

Rowan berries, hag stones and iron forged the way for safety alongside those pills. I felt for all that Effy had been through in the past and the labels she had been pinned with. The plot was superb, I was kept guessing, I felt all the eerie vibes and turned the pages with fervour.

Ava Reid has yet again produced a memorable story with characters that come alive on the page. I loved this book, not quite to ruination but nearly.

Thank you DelReyUK for the stunning proof which I happily devoured.

Effy has grown up turning to her favorite novel to get her through the dark moments that persist despite the naysayers in her life. When she gets the opportunity to design the house belonging to it's author she find herself in another unforgiving environment with secrets that threaten to unravel her comfort mechanism of escaping into the aforementioned literature. Ava Reid's writing crashes over you so thoroughly you can almost taste the sea salt and feel the dampness in the air. This deeply atmospheric novel is a tale of resilience at its heart with undercurrents of a deeply troubling past - please do read content warnings beforehand if you have any trigger points.

I have to admit that I've never read an Ava Reid book before. Both her other books are on the shelves, but like so many other books they're unread yet. However, this book spoke to me. It's hard to say why. I saw it on Netgalley and there was a certain urge to click the request button. It was almost as if the book was calling to me. I was therefore really happy that Del Rey granted me a review copy and I could answer the call of the book.

I finished the book ten minutes ago and in a way I'm still processing how the book made me feel. It most of all made me feel a lot. Anger, sadness, happiness, love, fear. And because of the very last sentence it feels like the story will live on inside me for a very long time to come. And that's exactly what I want when I read a book. I want to feel. I want to feel part of the book. I want the book to eventually become a part of me.

That happened firstly because of the atmosphere. The book is labeled as gothic and that's exactly the vibe we're getting. Old houses, family secrets, mysteries and a lot of doubt whether or not there is something supernatural going on. If you wanna know if there is, I'd say read the book. The not knowing is part of the experience. The doubt is part of the experience. The wondering and not wanting to know at the same time is part of the experience.

On top of that the characters, the themes and the plot were all amazing. It's all connected. Once you catch the theme, it's not hard to guess the plot and once you guess the plot you somehow get to know the characters better. It's the kind of book where everything works because it's all influencing each other. Nothing happens without a reason. No scene is written down without a purpose. No conversation is leading nowhere. The finale was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.

I don't think Ava Reid's other two books will stay on the shelves unread for long.

(3.5 rounded up to 4.0)

Euphemia (Effy) Sayre is an average architectural student, and is not happy in her studies. Her first love has always been literature, particularly the author Emrys Myrddin and his work 'Angharad'. She knows it back to front, and can recite it when she needs to. Of course, being a female, she was not allowed to enrol in the literature college.

When Myrddin's family announce a competition to (re-)design the late author's home, Effy jumps at the chance to enter. She's been haunted by visions of the Fairy King since she was a child, and hopes with all her heart to get to see where Myrddin wrote 'Angharad'. To her great surprise, she picked as the winner, however, on arrival she's shocked at the dilapidated state of Hiraeth Manor.

When Effy meets Preston Héloury, a literature student, they are at serious tangents. He is all-out to prove Myrddin as a fraud. He lives everything she craves, but is not allowed to have. I felt there wasn't much of a world outwit the Manor, but I suppose that's (sort of) to be expected, as virtually the whole 'world' of this tale is in the Manor itself. The concept of the Sleepers, the beloved authors believed to provide magical protection for their country - I wanted more.

I did love Effy as she was like me as a youngster. Imperfect, naive, assaulted, anxious, clever, mental illness, didn't fit in, all in a time where women were not taken seriously.

The writing is beautifully descriptive, culminating in an atmospherically haunting and emotional gothic novel. However, as I read the ending, I didn't feel completely fulfilled. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed this work, but - emotionally - I wanted something that I didn't get. Perhaps this says more about me than the book itself? I'll read it again in the future. I may change my mind. It's definitely a book to be re-read and to pick up things you missed the first time around.

I chose an ARC of this work which I voluntarily and honestly read and reviewed. All opinions are my own. My thanks to NetGalley, the publishers, and the author.

I've only read one of Ava Reid's books before, 'The Wolf and the Woodsman', and while I enjoyed certain elements of that book, overall I was never overly invested in its plot, romance or protagonists. However I really enjoyed 'A Study in Drowning'.

I love gothic novels, so the premise was an easy sell for me, but I was surprised by how much I liked Effy, and seeing her growth throughout the novel. The central mystery at the heart of the plot is pretty easy to work out, but Reid was still great at building suspense and keeping me interested in the book.

Overall I loved this book, I finished in it about a day, and would definitely recommend to fans of gothic novels or coming of age stories!

(I will say that this book contains things that could be triggering for many readers, such as sexual abuse).

I expected I would enjoy this book when I read the blurb and requested it on Netgalley. I knew I would love it after reading the first chapter.
What I didn’t know was how completely overwhelmed and shaken I would be after finishing this book.

This books had gothic, dark academia, romance, faerie lore, but most of all, it had a special kind of grits that makes me wish everyone would read it. This book is about women being silenced in academia and literature, it’s about abuse survivors, it’s about girls and women being treated as either temptresses or silly people who can’t be taken seriously and should defer to men because they know better. It’s about taking back your name and taking back your voice.

I can’t get over this book and I can’t let go of the female characters’ stories. This is not a classic book hangover where all I want is to go back to the universe and the characters and I just want to now more about everything. This is a real-life impact and it’s not often that a book makes me feel that way.

Effy is not a badass heroine in the traditional sense. She has severe anxiety, she’s unsure of herself, she doubts herself and her feelings, because surely, if other people thought she wanted something, it means she really did. My heart utterly broke for her but I was still filled with pride at the strength she displayed.

I loved the way the line between fantasy and reality was blurred, the atmosphere was exactly right to constantly make us feel as unsettled and ill-at-ease as Effy, trying to navigate this story where you just know that a lot of thing are wrong, even though you can’t put your finger on it yet.

And just when you think you have everything figured out, you read that last page. My mind is blown away and my heart is full to the brim, my eyes still tearing up. I can’t recommend this book enough.