This book was stated as dark academia but it definitely wasn’t. Its setting was only in a college. After that the mystery dragged on and was dull. Had to DNF.

I read and loved Hazel Barkworth's previous novel and I adored it so I was very keen to read her new one, and I'm so pleased to say that I loved it. The writing feels somewhat dreamlike to me, I can't think of a better way of describing it. We follow Serena in the past and present as we see her as a young teenager and later as a young woman through her swimming career and her starting Uni. We learn that in the present there has been an injury that has curtailed her swimming, and in the past we see how much swimming in an enormous part of her life so you immediately have empathy for her. I could feel her loneliness and the sense of loss she was feeling, it emanates off the page. The novel is an exploration of how women are viewed, judged and treated, and there is a focus on how women were treated historically during the witch trials. This novel always feels like it's building to something huge but you're not sure exactly where it's going so it made me feel claustrophobic but I couldn't put this book down. I was compelled to keep turning the pages all the way to the end. This is a novel that will stay with me and I highly,highly recommend it!

"The Drownings" by Hazel Barkworth is a haunting and atmospheric novel that masterfully blends psychological suspense with an exploration of deep, lingering emotions. Barkworth’s prose is both lyrical and unsettling, drawing readers into a story where the tension builds with every page. The novel delves into the impact of a mysterious tragedy on a close-knit community, unraveling the secrets and lies that surface in its wake. The characters are intricately developed, each grappling with guilt, fear, and the weight of the past. "The Drownings" is a compelling and evocative read, perfect for those who enjoy stories that linger in the mind long after the final page is turned, with an eerie, immersive atmosphere that keeps you hooked until the very end.

A dark and dismal read with lots of somewhat overly long descriptive passages. I could feel much interest in the characters and I was bored of all the water and swimming sections.

This novel took me a little while to get into but once I did I thought it was very good. Compelling, dark and filled with female rage, it definitely absorbed me. I’m

I received this book from NetGalley and Headline | Headline Review in exchange for a free and honest review.

This book follows Serena, who is recovering from a devastating injury that ended her professional swimming ambitions. She decides to go to university in order to find a new normal and whilst there she experiences many firsts denied to her by her vigorous training schedule in her youth. She meets Jane, a professor with a sinister air about her. Jane influences Serena and others to protest the University's lack of action in protecting students from abuse, she encourages them to participate in more extreme acts of protest leading to an explosive finish. Overall, a very interesting and gripping book studying the relationships between mentor and mentee, and how trust can be used to influence the mentee either negatively or positively. I would recommend.

The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth

This is a fascinating read from Hazel Barkworth, capturing so much about the times we’re in while also exploring themes of identity, use of social media and modern day witch-hunts. Serena was born to swim. Her body is honed by years of training to be the best. When she thinks about her body, she imagines it sleek and pointed like an arrow shooting through the water. Her trainer Nico thinks she can go as far as the Olympics and within the family her winning streak makes her the centre of attention. Then one day it all goes wrong, because despite her training, focus and visualising the win, she loses. She can’t fathom why or what went wrong, but to add to her shock she then slips in the changing area and damages her knee. Now she’s on crutches and cannot swim at all. She knows she will not be ready to meet the next Olympics and the disappointment is crushing. Even worse, within her family, attention shifts to her cousin Zara. Zara has always had issues with her body image, but started an Instagram account promoting body positivity. Her curated Insta in shades of peach, teal and gold, is gathering momentum. She is blossoming in her success and has enough followers for companies to start sending her free products in the hope she might promote them. Just as Zara is making peace with her body and finding success, Serena has no idea who she is. With most of her time previously taken up with diet, exercise, warm-ups and time-splits, she doesn’t recognise herself. Her body only had one purpose and now it’s let her down. How can she be Serena, when the Serena she knew doesn’t even exist any more?

She decides to take up a place at university, at Leysham Hall, where her cousin already has a place. Here they both fall under the spell of feminist tutor Jane. Serena meets her entirely by accident when walking the grounds one night. She sees a young woman poised by the edge of the river, that rushes downstream at this point. When the girl falls in, Serena rushes forward to help her. There is no hesitation when she realises the girl isn’t a strong swimmer and is in serious trouble. She leaps in and then Jane appears, just in time to help Serena bring the girl up to the surface and out. She doesn’t notice much about her that night, but she does end up in Jane’s tutorial group and from that point on she feels drawn to the academic. It’s not a sexual attraction, she doesn’t want to be with her but does want to be like her. She loves the unfussy but stylish way that Jane dresses. She admires the knowledge and passion she has about her subject. Totally at odds with her dress sense, Jane’s tutorial room is a riot of colour turning the functional and boring space into something cozy and colourful. There are so many mementoes of places she’s been, feminist posters, colourful rugs and cushions. Mostly, I felt Serena is drawn to the fact that Jane seems to be so entirely sure of who she is.

A few of my reads this year have touched on a couple of very specific themes and when I thought about why, I could see that this is a product of the times we’re in. There’s the theme of witches and the witch hunting of the 17th Century which grew rife due to the obsession of James I /James VI of Scotland. The second was the influence and power gained by becoming part of all-male, elite, private school gangs like the Bullingdon Club, a club in which David Cameron, Boris Johnson and George Osborne were all members. The club carried out ‘pranks’ such as trashing the restaurant they met in and simply fixing the problem with family money. They burned ten and twenty pound notes in front of homeless people. I also believe this club may have been the source of the Infamous David Cameron and pig story. At Serena’s college it’s the Carnforth Club, named after their school founder and robed from head to foot to keep their identities secret.

As far as witches go, the words witch-hunt are being co-opted by men in powerful positions who don’t like it when their actions have consequences. We have seen it in the aftermath of the #MeToo movement, where men who are finally facing courts of law after years of abuse and sexual assault allegations, are claiming they are victims. The most recent is Russel Brand who has used his YouTube channel to protest his innocence, but has the tried to rehabilitate himself by becoming ‘born again’ and hiding within the Trump family, of all places. These and other men like Prince Andrew. Kevin Spacey, Jeffrey Epstein and Harvey Weinstein have all used the excuse that the media want to take them down. However, it’s not a witch-hunt when you’re one of the most privileged demographics of the world. If you’re moaning about witch-hunts you must genuinely be a victim and since most of these men are always punching down, I think we’re being gaslit. The original witch-hunts were brutal and targeted mainly women. Jane tells them that witch trials took place where they now study and in fact, the place where Serena had jumped in to rescue a student was where witches were ducked. After a brutal interrogation that included torture, coercion and violation, suspected witches were taken to a river and ‘ducked’. If they drowned they were innocent but if they lived they were declared a witch and burned alive. Jane places this within a feminist framework. We know that ‘witches’ were usually women who lived alone, earned their own living from medical and herbal knowledge, often helped deliver babies in their area and helped other women. By offering advice on things like fertility, preventing pregnancy and helping girls in trouble, local ‘wise women’ gave the women around them some control and autonomy when it came to their own bodies. A woman like his is a threat to men and to the teachings of the established church. No wonder James I worked to the edict ‘ thou shalt not suffer a witch to live’. Working as a counsellor and in chronic pain management for years I can count quite a few women who might come under suspicion from the witch finders.

Both Serena and Zara are dazzled by Jane, Serena has even wondered if Jane and Zara may be attracted to each other. Using Zara’s quite considerable social media platform, they encourage young women in the college to speak out about any sexist and misogynistic treatment they’ve suffered there, particularly if linked to the Carnforth Club. They are soon inundated with messages alleging everything from online abuse to sexual assault. Their anger comes to a head one night at a rally where both Zara and Jane will speak to any of the students who will turn up. Round a campfire they start to share their stories, with the evening rounded off with a call to arms. They must campaign for change. At the crucial moment, Zara is expecting the megaphone to be passed over, but instead Jane chooses to hand it to Serena. Fired up by the atmosphere Serena dives in and starts to rally the women and she is inspired. The night ends as Serena starts to lead a ritualistic dance and before she knows it she’s the leader, whipping up the women into a frenzy as they take off their clothes and follow her. Next day Serena is a little bemused at what happened, but it felt right at the time and she went with it. Even as she goes to sleep, someone is sharing a photograph of her naked and marching in the light from the campfire. It’s sent to the whole college. In the aftermath, Jane wants them to keep up the momentum and break into the hall, where a portrait of the college founder and instigator of the Carnforth Club has pride of place. While most of the group are happy to break in and cause mischief, Jane is considering something much darker and more dangerous. Will everyone go along with her plan? Since the rally, Serena has noticed that Zara is not herself. She seems to have lost some of her audience and her confidence seems to be following. Now that Serena is finding herself, it seems that Zara is losing herself.

The tension really builds here as the author takes us into final third of this thriller and I was fascinated to see how it turned out. I felt for Serena who seems to have found confidence and a sense of what kind of woman she wants to be, but is it real? She struck me as one of those children who’ve been pushed into specialising too early in life with no back-up plan. In all those dark, early mornings at the pool and the times she had to say no to social occasions to train, there’s someone who isn’t allowed to explore who she is and what she enjoys. Her time is so limited and she doesn’t form any meaningful friendships either. How do we know what we love in life if we’ve never tried anything else? She also has a very distant relationship with her own body that’s merely an athletic instrument. She’s used to ignoring aches and pains, divorcing her mind from how far she’s pushing her growing body and never seeing her body as a source of pleasure. Then suddenly she’s surplus to requirements and has no plan b. Placed into the chaos of fresher’s week and meeting so many different and strong characters must be bewildering. When people ask about herself, who is she? She’s also vulnerable, used to obeying authority figures and having them control everything down to her food. Zara seems equally fragile though, growing up in the shadow of a cousin who might go to the Olympics is not easy. She’s so proud of her influencer award and in a way, her Insta has been as much about her own validation and acceptance of her body, as it has about inspiring others. Once her star begins to fade, Zara’s confidence plummets and she becomes desperate to make her mark. The author shows us how fragile today’s young women can be with misogyny seemingly rife and the added pressure of a global audience on social media. I wasn’t sure how far either of these girls might go to impress their tutor and display who they are. That’s if this is who they are. This was a brilliant contemporary thriller that asks serious questions about how the authentic self forms within this confusing and dangerous world.

I devoured this book over the course of an evening. It is dark academia at its finest with just a hint of magical realism thrown in. The book follows the story of Serena, who has just had to walk away from what would have been a potentially very successful swimming career. We encounter her in the aftermath, just after moving to Leysham for university where she has to not only learn how to navigate her life post swimming but also how to deal with Leysham itself. Through-out the story her life is held in juxtaposition to her cousin Zara's who is now a moderately successful body positive influencer in the same university.

After Serena saves a drugged young woman from drowning in the river, Serena learns more about Leysham's history, pulled in by the enigmatic professor Jane, who assisted her with the rescue. She and her friends become central pieces to a movement that wants to force the college to address it's history, one that takes full advantage of her cousin's platform.

The story itself is a powerful modern narrative as to what it means to command power, and what happens when peoples motivations are not what they seem. A powerful light is shined on what it is to be a young woman on the cusp of adulthood. "The Drownings" is a heady, atmospheric story that is cleverly told and at times remarkably insightful.

This felt like a read of two halves that has kept me pondering ever since I finished it. The descriptions of Serena as a swimmer were atmospheric and captivating: as a parent who used to take her son to competitive swimming sessions, this part of the novel was totally believable. Serena’s loss of her sport and direction were also well written and interesting. I was not expecting the novel to take such a dark turn and so quickly. A modern look at witchcraft under the guise of a #metoo movement was truly inspirational!

I am not sure about the character of Jane, who was sinister and calculating: it felt like she was grooming her victims to help her avenge a sin of old from the very beginning. Jane had her own agenda and the competitiveness between Serena and Zara helped her achieve her goal.
A dark coming-of-age novel with many contrasting aspects which are woven together in an accomplished and masterful way: the traditions of academia; modern social media interaction; grooming and #metoo; competitiveness in so many different ways! Don’t’ miss this compelling read that will keep you thinking!

Heatstroke by Hazel Barkworth was a great read, which I really enjoyed, and this is just as good!

This is a story for the readers who love feminine rage especially when it’s justified. I loved the witch references and how it was woven into the story, it felt very natural and elevated the context of what was happening at the university. It felt like a merging of the past and present, women are targeted and enough is enough. This story is about repercussions and what women will no longer stand for.

I was absorbed by Hazel Barkworth's thoughtful and atmospheric debut Heatstroke, and The Drownings drew me in equally deeply. Serena is a new student at an ancient British university that is fictional but seems intended to reflect St Andrews, with its far northern coastal setting and its history of witch-trials and weird rituals. While only a year older than her fellow freshers, she feels like she's already lived a lifetime underwater as a competitive swimmer, and is still invisible on land. Meanwhile, her cousin Zara has come out of her shell and is now a body-positive influencer, happily celebrating the curves and armpit hair Serena eschewed when she was competing. Serena attracts the attention of Jane, a history lecturer in her early thirties, when they team up to rescue a girl from drowning, and both are drawn into a wider campus movement to oppose institutional misogyny. Serena is captivated by how Jane links what's happening to women today to the history of witch trials in this remote place - and she begins to believe that she has her own powers.

As in Heatstroke, Barkworth's prose is hypnotic without ever becoming excessive, and I fully believed in Serena as a character and how her own experience of the water made her so painfully relate to the university's history of drownings. The power balance between Serena and Zara is played beautifully, without either cousin becoming simplistically good or bad, and Serena's swimming backstory is fascinating. There's a hint of Tana French's unforgettable The Secret Place in the way she comes to employ magic that may be real or imaginary but is linked to a certain kind of belief in herself that she loses, for better or worse, as she moves towards adulthood. I was a little unsure why Barkworth had chosen to replay the very familiar trope of a female educational authority figure who leads girls astray in the name of feminism, which dates back at least to Lois Duncan's Daughters of Eve of 1979 and, for me, always risks straying into sexism and lesbophobia (Jane is explicitly a lesbian but these figures are often coded queer). However, The Drownings is handled so well that it becomes far more than its cliches, and I look forward to seeing what element Barkworth tackles next.

I always enjoy Dark Academia so I was excited to read this book.
I was immediately gripped by this story. I really enjoyed the dual timeline which alternates between Serena as a young girl, beginning her swimming career and then at Leysham University years later following an accident that means she can no longer swim.
Leysham University has a sordid past of witch trials and drownings coupled with corrupt benefactors. When more frequent female assaults occur and are overlooked by the university, Serena, her cousin Zara, and lecturer friend, Jane, take on the feminist cause and rake up Leysham's sordid and troubled past.
This was a slow burn, character driven story. I wasn't completely sure where the plot was going but I was invested in the characters and I found it an immersive read. If you enjoy atmospheric, dark stories with well written, interesting characters I would recommend this book.

#TheDrownings #NetGalley
Engrossing. 5 ⭐
Serena arrives on campus reeling from the injury that destroyed her champion swimming career. She is lost until she meets Jane, an enigmatic tutor obsessed with the historic witch trials that took place in Leysham's freezing waters. When several young women are assaulted, the university's shadowy legacy becomes inescapable. Those in power turn a blind eye, but Jane urges Serena and her friends to rise up. As their anger builds into an inferno of female rage, Serena takes matters into her own hands. Leysham has reawakened something within her, a dark, impossible power. In the waters, she can see what must be done and the sacrifice it will demand
Loved this one. Can't wait to read more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline Review for giving me an advance copy.

This was a bit too bleak and dark for my taste. It was very slow, and overly descriptive at times, I found it hard to care about the characters or the plot and I felt bored of all the water and swimming talk. Definitely more character focused and loose plot.

Actual rating 3.5/5 stars.

Serena has never felt at home in her own body but all that changed when she entered a body of water. She honed her broad shoulders and thick muscles and achieved greatness. She became a champion swimmer but a knee injury ensured her time both in water and the spotlight were cut short.

Now she attends a university in Leysham and is discovering, for the first time, just what it feels like to be a regular teenage girl. The horrors of it astound her yet, also for the first time, she gets to share her experiences with those around her and live a regular existence.

This was a storyline slow to unravel and I pondered over just where it was heading for much of it. There were twists and reveals peppered throughout but much of the focus was spent detailing the characters lives and the troubles they faced, both individually and collectively.

This was a bleak novel yet not one lacking charm. I was captivated and intrigued throughout and the sinister undertones that never relented ensured this book never left my thoughts for the duration I read it in.

The Drownings by Hazel Barkworth tells the story of Serena,from her childhood ,when she enters the world of competitive swimming, to her academic career at Leysham University,alongside a river where witch trials were performed. From the high expectations and borderline abusive expectations and behaviour of her swimming coach and mother Serena gets to Leysham and discovers that young women are being assaulted there with little interest in apprehending,let alone punishing the culprits. With the help of enigmatic lecturer Jane she decides that enough is enough and it's time for action.

This is part coming of age novel,part feminist polemic. Don't let that description put you off,it's also a great story with several important messages and I'd recommend this book for late teens as well as older readers a guide to what it's like too often to be female in our society. The book addresses expectations, choices, sexism, patriarchy ,consent and the good and bad sides of social media amongst several other themes. It's a book that will make you think,possibly make you angry as well. It's very well-written,in particular the characterisation and as I read I felt I really knew the main characters as people rather than fictional figures.

Serena steps onto campus burdened by the shattering blow of a career-ending injury that once defined her as a swimming champion. Adrift in her new reality, she finds an unexpected beacon in Jane, a mysterious tutor consumed by the haunting history of Leysham's chilling witch trials.

But as the university grapples with a string of assaults targeting young women, the ominous specter of Leysham's past looms ever closer. Despite the indifference of those in authority, Jane urges Serena and her circle of friends to confront the injustice head-on. Fuelled by a growing fury born of collective female indignation, Serena resolves to take action herself.

In the heart of Leysham, Serena discovers a latent power stirring within her, something dark and otherworldly. Amidst the icy depths of the waters that once witnessed unspeakable horrors, she glimpses a path forward - one fraught with peril and requiring an unimaginable sacrifice. As the tumult of her emotions converges into a tempest of determination, Serena prepares to heed the call of destiny, knowing that the journey ahead will demand everything she has to give.

This book is a combination of feminism, gothic folklore and revenge. It has everything you need with a touch of obsession and betrayal.

I really loved this book. The mention of witches or witch trials is enough of a hook to get my interest but this was something different. Zara and Serena are cousins. Two years apart. Serena the budding championship swimmer whilst chubby little Zara vies for any attention. Several years later they are both at a university with witch trials and drownings in its history. Zara is now successful and Serena is in her shadow. The story continues around the rivalry between the cousins with the added influence of a history lecturer with her own agenda using her influence on her students to get her revenge. Both characters are very relatable. Both are at times very likeable and at others in need of a good talking to! I'm sure we all have cousins like this.
The story of the drowned witches runs through the book as the man responsible for their deaths was the benefactor of the university and is now revered as such. His misogynistic and cruel attitude and behaviour copied by his acolytes and tolerated by those in power. Anyone brave enough to rise up against them doesn't stand a chance......or do they?
A great read with a brilliant ending. Well worth a 5* review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC

This book follows Serena and a group of Leysham University student rise up against the university's shadowy past and present.

I found this book to be so beautifully and emotively written. The female rage is palpable.

The ending lost me a little bit. It shows rage perfectly, but it shows it going out of control which feels juxtaposed to what I thought the message of the novel was. I would have liked there to be more to the ending, like did they achieve what they wanted, or did it achieve nothing but unnecessary destruction? But I guess leaving it vague could be to spur the reader to action, to never settle.

I like how it followed the ebb and flow of Serena's career, her confidence and power; the way how she always seems to be manipulated by authority figures who appear to have her best interests. Her swimming coach brought her to new heights, helped her find that inner commanding voice, but in the same breath there's some creepy allusions made to manipulation. It shows how cleverly it's written though as it foreshadows later on in the novel, and how it doesn't matter how strong you think you are you can be manipulated, so have your whits about you, be true to you kind of thing.


I think the structure of the first part of the book worked particularly well, the flicking between past and present. I think it allowed us to appreciate the strengths and changes of Serena. It also showed the pressure of expectations amazingly.

Overall this was a very engaging read, and I feel there's so much in it that could be picked up on in academic manner, a bit like a handmaids tale. If you enjoy feminist fiction, or books about feminine rage, injustice and empowerment this is for you.

This is a book about female rage, and I love that. It's well written and engaging, and I didn't want to put it down. However, it sort of just petered out toward the end, which was enough of a disappointment to drop it down to 3 stars. I don't want to post spoilers, but it just didn't come together for me and I'm not really sure what message the author was even going for. I was absolutely loving it up until about the 85% mark and it just lost me.