A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

      Fantasy was the genre that I was initially drawn to when I started reading. I love the high-stakes, action-packed, fast-paced nature of fantasy novels, and even more than that, I love the badass female leads who are on a mission to take over the world. This book, although it was fantasy, was not like that. Like, at all. Maybe the synopsis should’ve clued me into the fact that A Study in Drowning was not going to be the passionate fantasy I wanted, but I grabbed the book anyway. I had to fight my subconscious to keep reading this book. At every turn, I felt bored out of my mind and even contemplated DNF-ing this book (a rarity for me). Only in the last few chapters did I get a glimpse of the action I so deeply wanted.

      Aside from the long and treacherous chapters, none of the characters really spoke to me. Effy felt rather lifeless, and nothing about her character made me want to root for her. I understand that her trauma was supposed to make her more likable and relatable, or at least her actions more forgivable, but she still felt so shallow to me. Her character lacked a lot of depth, and her main characteristic was her rough past. Her love interest Preston was much of the same. I didn’t really know anything about him, and their banter was lackluster. I think Reid was aiming for an academic rivals to lovers moment, but it didn’t resonate with me. Overall, the characterization and relationships in this novel left a lot to be desired. This, coupled with the slow plot, made for an extremely boring book with nothing to look forward to. 

      One thing I appreciated about A Study in Drowning was that it examined the sexism present in academia, and although this takes place in a different, fantastical reality from our own, a lot of the challenges Effy faces are accurate to our society. I appreciated the way Reid explored this side of the story, but I wish that she had written other facets of this story with the same passion. Despite my opinion, I understand why some people may like A Study in Drowning. If you enjoy a more relaxed novel with a dark academia aesthetic, I think you would love this book.

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Published March 3rd