Thank you for this book. I really enjoyed it. There was always a cold and wet atmosphere, but I couldn't put it down.

A study in Drowning is everything you want for this coming Autumn, so the release is perfect. The book, by the way, is perfect too. Thank you publishers and NetGalley for a review copy.

I have to say, Ava's previous books weren't for me, so this one surprised me. Its haunting, daring, loving and well written. Ava really has improved a bunch and I am severely rooting for them! Its def dark academia vibes and mysterious and soooooooooooo fun!!!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for accepting my request to read and review this book!

A Study in Drowning quickly sucked me in: off the bat I really enjoyed our Protagonist Effy and the atmosphere was really potent. I felt like I could SEE the setting so clearly in my head.

I also adored the elements of the scary fairy king: I wish we got to see more of him and more of the magical side of the world.

The creepy house on the cliffs was also so cool to read about, I could taste the salt on my lips just reading how the sea spray got everywhere and how the ocean was deteriorated everything.

The downfall of this book was that the mystery was very predictable and I guessed the plot twists very early on. Also the plot was quite rushed. I felt like we had only just felt the stakes getting higher before there was a resolution.

I wish the drama was drawn out more.

But overall I thoroughly enjoyed this it was gripping and fast and atmospheric and I will definitely read more from this author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I did enjoy reading this book, as the story was interesting and I thought Effy was a very relatable character. I thought the romance element was well-done. However, I saw the twist coming from pretty early on and I didn't really get drawn into the vibes I think Reid was trying to create with her writing style. The constant mentions of misogyny and sexual harrassment also felt a bit off for me - I think I'd have felt better about it if there were more female characters you saw it happen to so there was more context to it. As it was it felt like every man Effy met tried to abuse her in some way, which felt a bit over the top. But it did create a creeping sense of dread in the novel which was effective.

"A Study in Drowning" by Ava Reid is a captivating novel that seamlessly melds the realms of fantasy and magical realism with a dash of historical charm. Set against a backdrop reminiscent of the 1920s to 1950s, Reid's world-building takes on an abstract quality, with occasional moments of exposition that ground the narrative in reality. This delicate balance between the familiar and the fantastical immerses readers in a world that feels as genuine as our own, albeit peppered with subtle magical elements. Particularly noteworthy is the author's exquisite description of the water and sea, which assumes a character-like presence, enhancing the atmosphere and serving as a metaphorical undercurrent to the story.

The plot of "A Study in Drowning" can be described as a slow-burning delight that thrives on its character-driven nature. While the pacing may occasionally meander, the narrative truly finds its stride around the 60% mark, picking up momentum and delivering a gripping conclusion that leaves readers satisfied. This gradual development not only enhances the connection to the characters but also allows for a deeper exploration of their emotions and motivations. The book deftly straddles the line between cosy fantasy and magical realism, creating a comforting yet intriguing reading experience.

Central to the story are the three main characters who are masterfully developed, a hallmark of Reid's writing. As in their previous novel, Reid presents a love interest with intriguing layers, including a compelling dark side that adds complexity to the romance. One of the highlights is the execution of the academic rivals-to-lovers trope, which is treated with a delicate touch and unfolds into a blossoming relationship that warms the heart. Each character is endowed with distinct traits, making them relatable and endearing, while also allowing readers to explore their flaws and growth throughout the narrative.

While "A Study in Drowning" excels in most aspects, a minor drawback arises in the form of a mild deus ex machina towards the end of the book. This plot device could have been more thoroughly foreshadowed to maintain a consistent narrative flow. Nonetheless, this minor hiccup does not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment of the story.

In conclusion, "A Study in Drowning" is a splendid blend of historical charm, magical realism, and character-driven storytelling. Ava Reid weaves a world that balances the cusp of the familiar and the enchanting, with characters that evolve and capture the reader's heart. The slow-paced plot gains momentum to deliver a satisfying conclusion, and while a hint of more foreshadowing would have been appreciated, the novel remains a captivating read. With its magnetic world-building, endearing characters, and cosy fantasy atmosphere, "A Study in Drowning" sets the stage for an enthralling autumn read. A solid 4.5-star rating is a testament to its allure and promise.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Study in Drowning is Ava Reid’s debut into the world of YA and she truly delivers a dark academia fantasy that brims with magic, faerie, dark power, love, loss and a truly inspiring coming of age journey.

Effy Sayre is a girl whose life is haunted by life, abuse, misogyny and her upbringing, and labelled a changeling child. She survives with the aid of medicinal help, and avoidance of confrontation, doing her best to keep afloat and not frown. Her only comfort is the book ‘Angharad’, the renowned work of now deceased author, Emrys Myrddin. ‘Angharad’ tells the story of a young girl, stolen by the Fairy King to be his wife.

Effy, unable to study literature at university, accepts second best and studies architecture. Not something she adores but, in doing so wins the opportunity to design a house to commemorate the deceased author. However, when she arrives, she finds things are joy what she expected and her story takes a mist dark, magical and mysterious turn.

At the author’s decayed and decrepit home, Effy meets another student, Preston who studies literature at the university and is there to catalogue the author’s diaries and letters.

Ava Reid conjures up a gothic, dark and magical atmosphere in this book that transports you to the decayed Manor House and makes you fell through dank, swampy, turgid atmosphere so much that at times it feels like you are drowning. Her prose is so encompassing and powerful that you can feel the sensation and truly empathise with Effy, and feel het r panic and mental exhaustion.

Reid also weaves a multi-layered plot that gradually intensifies until the dramatic end, and does not deny her protagonist Effy a truly gratifying character arc that will have you cheering in your seat!

Reid does include misogyny, sexual assault, abuse, grooming, coercion and similar dark themes that may be hard for some. However if you love magic, dark fairy tales, dark academia, a slow burn romance, fantasy and loads of atmospheric definitely pick up A Study in Drowning.

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey and NetGalley for the arc of A Stidy in Drowning by Ava Reid in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

4.5 stars.

This book was such a DELIGHT. This book gave me all the Folklore album vibes, mixed with a bit of whimsy and spooky. It is perfect to pick up when that autumn mood is just beginning to settle in. The story was great, the characters were well fleshed-out, but the vibe is just immaculate. I can highly recommend this!

Fantastic, sweeping story about stories (the best kind!) and who gets remembered as the storyteller. A perfect mix of the real and fantastical.

This book was so beautifully written and the words were magic. Effy was an amazing character to follow and I loved seeing her progress with her own learning about basically everything. Now Preston took me a minute to adore, but once we got to see more of him and watch him open up I fell in love. Preston was adorable and I want more from him! This book took me on a journey, I thought I knew what would happen, but honestly, this book shook me. It was dramatic and magical and it was everything I wanted and more. If you are a fan of Reid you will love this one, it is her writing at it's best.

I think that this book will be a hit on dark-academia booktok. It made me want to wear corduroy pants and wool sweaters (despite the 40°C outside while I was reading), and read latin in an old house on a cliff.

This book turned out to be a disappointment for myself but I am sure it will find a home with the majority of the readers❤ It felt a bit self indulgent to me and not enough mystery.

The main plot of A Study in Drowning is actually quite simple - two students are looking for the truth about the authorship of a recently deceased national author. But really, the story is about a young woman and her attempts to build the life she deserves.

At the start of the novel Effy’s dream is to study her favourite author, Myrddin; but women are not admitted to the Literature School. She has therefore settled for Architecture, where she is the only female student. She is close to failing her classes when she wins a competition to design a house honouring Myrddin - and is invited to the crumbling family manor to work on her blueprints. This is where she meets literature student Preston, who is suspicious of the legacy of the author and asks Effy for her help investigating him.

There were times where the book was frustrating to read. The answer to the authorship question is telegraphed early, and so seeing the students flailing around with their assumptions feels like more of a waste of time rather than any kind of commentary on those assumptions. There is also a rather Nancy Drew effect that every time they go looking for information they immediately find a clue marked 'Clue'. As a mystery novel, it is not really successful.

As an atmospheric coming-of-age story, however, it excels. Effy's personal journey is powerful, as she fights for her own agency. At the start of the book she is a very cowed person, who has suffered neglect and abuse and blames herself for her experiences. She feels haunted by the Fairy King of her favourite book, and has been told all her life that he is not real, to the point that her mother pressures her to take medication every time she has a vision.

Journeying to Hiraeth Manor and working to discover the truth about Myrddin and herself is cathartic for her. Effy makes active decisions and starts to push back when underestimated. At many times she takes the lead in the investigation and makes deductions Preston cannot, and throughout the book her confidence in herself grows.

It was refreshing to read a book that deals with the unfair treatment of women without resorting to gratuitous sexual violence. Effy's worst experiences are in the past, and the writing is sensitive as she reflects and comes to terms with what has happened to her. The book examines issues around consent and trauma without being misery porn. On the contrary, Effy's emotional journey is gently heartwarming as she learns to accept her own feelings and be kind to herself.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher. This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion of this book. This post contains advertising and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.

Of course, is this only my personal opinion of the book and just because I give this rating to the book doesn’t mean, that everyone will have that opinion.

It was my first book by Ava Reid, and I have to say: I am in love.

First of all, can we talk about how both, the UK and the US, cover slaps? I love both covers and that they are unique but also similar in their way. They both fit the story very well. I love the dark green of the UK Version, and I can’t wait to add it to my shelf.

But more important is the story itself. This story is perfect for autumn and rainy days. It’s a bit spooky, and I loved it. If you enjoyed books like „Gallant“, „The Last Tale of the Flower Bride“, „House of Salt and Sorrows“ and „Mexican Gothic“, you should get „A Study in Drowning“.

The writing was a bit different than the usual style I tend to gravitate to, and I had a few little starting problems while getting a grip on the world, but after a while, it vanished. I read this book in one go. I can’t wait to reread it when the weather fits the book better.

The story itself was really interesting. I didn’t know what was real or not, but I enjoyed that. I like it when the reader is kinda of in the dark about reality and has to decide for themselves.

The characters were interesting. I could relate to Effy in some things and it hurt a bit. I didn’t feel the love story completely, but I think that the focus of the book is more the fantasy / dark academia aspect and not the love story, so I was okay with it.

Overall the story was so well in itself and just really a vibe that I was craving for a long time that I decided to give this book five stars, even tho there were some minor stuff that I didn’t like.

Conclusion
If you enjoyed books like „Gallant“, „The Last Tale of the Flower Bride“, „House of Salt and Sorrows“ and „Mexican Gothic“, you should get „A Study in Drowning“.

I hate to leave this review. I desperately wanted to like this book as much as everyone else. I just found it so slow. It became a chore to read. I dnfd at 75% I really tried. However, I’d still buy this book for one of my friends cause she’d love it!

It didn’t truly feel like a dark academia book, but more gothic/fairytale.

The female MC was just awful. She was whiny, entitled, racist, and just annoying. The male MC, the poor guy, was reprimanded by the fmc just for breathing half the damn book. And the side character hates him for no reason. I don’t even know what the whole point of this book was.




*spoilers*






Effy is the only female in an architecture school but she wants to be in the literature school. She can’t cause they don’t let girls in. She’s been branded a whore because one of her teachers took advantage. So that’s brought up a lot. She then goes to her favorite authors house after he dies because there was a competition for a student to rebuild the house. The son is a creeper peeper. She keeps seeing the fairy king. Idk man. Book was weird.

Ava Reid really never disappoints. This book is captivating. Every chapter I was just compelled to keep reading. It is truly a beautiful example of dark academia. I haven't fully formulated all my thoughts yet but I know I had a fantastic time with this book.

Have you ever felt like a book was written for just for you? When the characters, themes or setting resonate deeply with you? I have loved all of Ava Reid's work but A Study in Drowing felt like my soul book. This book is a love letter to stories, the power can have - to give hope and comfort and be a safe harbour for readers. Ava weaves a magical story within a fascinating analogue for Wales and England, inspired by Welsh and Celtic folklore. I was so grateful to be sent an arc of this and it was everything I hoped it would be. Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey Uk for this ARC.

Effy has been plagued by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, a sinister figure who lurks at the periphery of her reality. To escape, she buries herself in the pages of her favourite novel, Angharad, about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, written by the enigmatic Emrys Myrddin. She dreams of attending the prestigious college of Llyr but, as a woman, is barred from studying literature and must satisfy herself with studying architecture. When she wins a competition to redesign the late author Myrddin’s estate, she is eager to get a glimpse at the life of the man whose story has provided her with so much solace. But things at the crumbling Hiraeth manor are not as she expected. Here she finds Preston, a smug literature student determined to prove Myrddin as a fraud, and Ianto, Myrddin’s volatile son. As Effy and Preston form an unsteady alliance and begin to dig into the foundation of Myrddin’s origins, dark truths that have long been buried begin to emerge.

The lore and world-building was entirely immersive with excerpts at the start of each chapter through which little hints can be gleaned about Angharad, both about the author and the woman at the heart of it. While the world feels fully realised and takes place against the context of wider political tensions between Llyr and it’s neighbour, Argant, the decrepit manor house nestled in the briny cliffside felt like a bell jar, isolated from everyday noise and suffused with the promise of magic - fairy creatures, changelings and monsters. It is here that Effy’s grasp on reality is challenged as the boundaries between the fae and real world are blurred thinly. Away from the pressure and scrutiny of society, Effy grows as her own preconceptions of academia are challenged. I didn’t want to leave this dreamscape and wanted to stay submerged in the world reading about Effy, the folklore and people of Llyr.

Ava excels at tackling difficult themes within her narratives. In ASID this includes themes of sexual assault, grooming, women’s agency, the misogyny that runs rife in academia, family trauma and mental illness which are all addressed in a careful, considered and compassionate manner. Effy has had to grapple with the stigma against her mental illness all her life and this has resulted in a deep sense of shame and a lack of confidence in herself. She is determined and passionate yet scared and anxious. While I see a lot of myself in Preston’s cynicism and precision, it is Effy’s softness and femininity that resonated with me, qualities that many women bury, qualities that society views as a weakness. She is now my favourite of Ava’s heroines and I love her story and journey deeply. The mystery at the heart of the novel was not a great surprise (not that I think it was supposed to be) but the slow unraveling of the truth by Effy and Preston as they learn and grow was the rewarding and satisfying element.

This is a story about survival and passion and ownership over a narrative. “To Effy, books are a lighthouse, shining over the dark water, giving her ship a safe harbour. I hope that this book is that book for some you you.” This was definitely that book for me and I know I will be rereading this one many times.

<i>“You don’t have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery too”</i>

Thank you Ava Reid, I’ve felt seen.

I am truly impressed with this book, it was very different and had much more depth than I was expecting.

<i>”It was an eternal feeling, this sense of being unwelcome. No matter where she was, Effy was always afraid she was not wanted.”</i>

I entered into <b>A Study in Drowning</b> expecting a fantasy novel based on folklore and mid 20th century England/ Wales, happening in a dark academia setting with a bit of mystery to move the story forward.
We’ve get all this, and it is great. However, what I feel this books accomplishes best, is describing and validating experiences of abuse (sexual and parental abuse) and panic, dealing with trauma, misogyny and sexism, and finding agency and a new sense of self.

The prose is expertly crafted, giving a murky feeling to the story, and easily showing what I imagine to be the feeling of drowning. My senses were overwhelmed with the descriptions from the start until the end.

I’ve felt the romance was a bit rushed, especially given the circumstances. However, I believe it was an important piece of the healing process and I wouldn’t change the length of the book.

As a fantasy, I wished we had a bit more worldbuilding and context regarding the hate, war and the drownings. A map would have been nice as well, I don’t know if the final version has it or not.

I enjoyed it and I wish I had the opportunity to read something like this when I was younger.
I wish Effy was less relatable and that her experiences were conscripted to the past. However, this is still an accurate reality, fairytale beauty or not.

I’m glad this is going to be on Illumicrate box and that I get to have a pretty Edition of it.

<i>I would like to thanks The Fairy King, Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

TW - sexual harassment, sexual and parental abuse, panic attacks, mental illness, sexism, misogyny, death of a parent

I got the chance to read an early copy of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid! This is Ava Reid's YA debut and a dark academia fantasy. This is my first Ava Reid book so I was looking forward to it! I've only heard good things about her writing so I was excited to get the chance to read her new book!

Effy Sayre’s life is a blur of fairy tales and reality. Haunted by the Fairy King since she was a child, Effy found peace in the pages of ‘Angharad’, Emrys Myrddin’s most famous book. When she gets an opportunity to visit and work on Myrddin’s mansion, Hiraeth Manor, she jumps at the chance. Tasked with working with the smug scholar Preston Heloury, Effy tries to navigate this world of secrets and magic without drowning in the plot that threatens to unravel her whole world.

It took me a second to really get into this book. I do love the college vibe that was initially present, and Effy being the only girl in the college gave me Wattpad vibes hehe. But it did get more interesting as it went along and I began to appreciate it more the further into the book I was. I enjoyed Reid’s writing style and I found her writing to be incredibly atmospheric. I could really picture the decrepit manor and I was really taken away with the sweeping feeling of drowning as Reid described the manor and Effy’s general state of mind. I enjoyed Effy’s character progression a lot because initially, I disliked the character but in the end, I think she really came into her own and became such a confident and empowered figure.

Overall, I enjoyed this experience! The last quarter was really interesting and when everything really picked up, and it was a very tense journey getting to the end! It also tackled heavy topics like misogyny and sexual assault so I would keep that in mind before reading it. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys dark academia, a subtle romance, fantasy elements and a beautifully atmospheric writing style!

4/5⭐️’s

A Study in Drowning will be published in the UK on the 19th September 2023.

Thank you to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this eARC in return for a fair and honest review 🤍

With very good world building, this book perfectly fits the dark, eerie vibe that the blurb promised. I enjoyed the plot and the characters.

Unfortunately, I really struggle with Ava Reid's writing style. It's an issue I had with her last book too and seems to be something that I can't get past! Others really like it though so definitely give this book a shot.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This books was such a deep and immersive reading experience, I loved the gothic, dreamy atmosphere and read the book in one sitting. It was the perfect combination of mystery/academia and dark fairytale. Definitely going to be one of my top books of the year, I am obsessed, I just wish Angharad was a real book, I would love to read it!