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A review by alexalala
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Effy Sayre is a failing architecture student who dreams of being in the literature college that is for men only. When she gets the opportunity to help rebuild her favorite late author's estate, she jumps at the chance. But she has to deal with a broody literature student trying to tear down the author's legacy, and the author's strange son in a falling apart house in this gothic/dark academia setting. The house is not all it seems and Effy will have to figure out what is real and what is in her imagination.
The good: I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. The themes of feminism, gothic lit, discrimination, fairy tales, and mental health were strong throughout the book. Effy was a relatable character (I, too, want to cry at every small and large inconvenience) who went through many struggles in her world. This is very character-driven, and Effy stands out as a realistic heroine. The writing was beautiful and the setting very haunting.
The meh: This did feel relatively YA which isn't my favorite. I would've loved an adult take on this book. At the end, it felt like there was a lot of explaining and telling which was a lost opportunity for the pair to do some more detective work and figure things out for themselves. Instead, we're told the entire mystery's resolution in a few pages.
The verdict: You will like this book if you like gothic settings, mental health and medicine taking rep, YA, literature and dark academia, and light enemies to lovers romance.
Effy Sayre is a failing architecture student who dreams of being in the literature college that is for men only. When she gets the opportunity to help rebuild her favorite late author's estate, she jumps at the chance. But she has to deal with a broody literature student trying to tear down the author's legacy, and the author's strange son in a falling apart house in this gothic/dark academia setting. The house is not all it seems and Effy will have to figure out what is real and what is in her imagination.
The good: I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. The themes of feminism, gothic lit, discrimination, fairy tales, and mental health were strong throughout the book. Effy was a relatable character (I, too, want to cry at every small and large inconvenience) who went through many struggles in her world. This is very character-driven, and Effy stands out as a realistic heroine. The writing was beautiful and the setting very haunting.
The meh: This did feel relatively YA which isn't my favorite. I would've loved an adult take on this book. At the end, it felt like there was a lot of explaining and telling which was a lost opportunity for the pair to do some more detective work and figure things out for themselves. Instead, we're told the entire mystery's resolution in a few pages.
The verdict: You will like this book if you like gothic settings, mental health and medicine taking rep, YA, literature and dark academia, and light enemies to lovers romance.