A Study in Drowning is a stunning book in every way. From one phenomenal book to another, Ava Reid is an author I am obsessed with. Their work has this dreamlike quality to it, yet is still so impactful and remains with me long after the final page. A Study in Drowning continues this trend with a searing examination of the corruption and predatory behaviour sometimes enshrined in the heart of academia. This is a deeply Gothic and atmospheric novel with flourishes of magic, mayhem, and murder but it is also one deeply rooted in reality.
Reid’s writing is like watching a moment become crystallised in time. It has a keen sense of preservation and a depth of detail that is so immersive and enrapturing. For me, it has this softly lyrical quality to it that likens it to a fairy tale narrative. It is like sitting at the feet of a great storyteller. However, there is an undercurrent of steel and strength that weaves its way through. These are stories with bite and backbone, unafraid to go into the darkest depths of humanity. A Study in Drowning contains the best aspects of all of this. It is a thorn amongst roses and a rose amongst thorns at the same time. There is a beautiful and poignant romance at its heart, where Reid pulls all of the best romantic tropes and gleefully combines them into a heart-warming narrative. You have enemies to lovers, one bed, hate to love and academic rivals just to start with.
However, this is also very much a romance of Effy’s own. It is a journey of self-discovery and acceptance, where she begins to love herself once more. A key thread of this book is a beautiful love letter to taking back control of one’s narrative. Effy epitomises that in her grappling with her own trauma and the way that intersects with the wider narrative. The book meditates a lot on authorship, bringing to mind some of the most infamous debates in this sector, and Effy is learning to craft her own story. Along with this comes challenges to her own beliefs, many of which have been carefully crafted over time. Effy was a character that stole my heart instantaneously. She had a verve and wit to her dialogue that endeared me to her, as well as her clear passion for the things she loved. In a world that wants to stifle her, she persists in wanting to thrive. That tenacity and intelligence, combined with an unrepentant femininity at times, makes for an incredible role model. She defies the Dark Academia pigeonholing often applied to female characters and breaks the mould. Alongside and often against her is Preston, who also embarks on his own journey of discovery. He equally captured my heart, albeit a little slower. Beneath the wall of stark intellect is a deeply caring and soft person that just wants to know the truth. Their ideological clashes made for incredibly entertaining reading, especially with an undercurrent of romantic tension creeping in.
This book is also an ode to the beauty of writing. It is a love letter to the very act of storytelling. Stories are modes of escape, flights of fantasy that transport us out of our lives and into those of someone else. They create their own form of faith, a belief in the power of imagination. That core idea of belief and faith is one that truly struck a chord with me throughout this book. Reid examines changing faiths as the story progresses, developing the ideas associated with it. Within that, this is a book steeped in the Dark Academia and Gothic genres. Reid plays with the associated tropes of both perfectly. There is a clear reverence and respect, drawing on past influences, but also a subtle reshaping into something entirely bold and new. The atmosphere and setting of this book is chilling. That inevitability of destruction and the unsteady swaying above the sea adds that clairvoyant chiming of death on the horizon. Nothing can or will end well in this place.
A Study in Drowning is a masterclass in pacing, characterisation and tension, with a beautiful meditation on stories and who gets to have an authorial voice.
A Study in Drowning is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Waterstones, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 19th.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Effy has always believed in fairy tales. She’s had no choice. Since childhood, she’s been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She’s found solace only in the pages of Angharad – a beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him.
Effy’s tattered copy is all that’s keeping her afloat through her stifling first term at her prestigious architecture college. So when the late author’s family announces a contest to design his house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny.
But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task: a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn’t the only one who’s made a temporary home there. Preston Heloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin’s papers and is determined to prove her favourite author is a fraud.
As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author’s legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house’s foundation isn’t the only thing that can’t be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them – and the truth may bring them both to ruin.
