steep cliffs. salt-encrusted rocks. a drowning house. hidden rooms. dusty crevices. iron doors. dark green. azure. the gray of overcast skies. heavy clouds. perpetual rain. headlights cutting through fog. a bone crown. leafing through books. hazy memories. memories that slice like a knife. memories that flood, one slow drip at a time. blonde hair tied back with a black ribbon. a boy with wiry glasses. a gentle, unfurling love.
ava reid does it again with a study in drowning!
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what a beautiful, haunting, atmospheric book full of themes of transformation (both gentle and violent), uncertainty, women’s agency, and the myths we make around myths themselves. the book tells the story of effy, an architecture student who travels to the estate of renowned author emrys myrddin — balanced at the edge of the sea, complete with creaky floors, waterlogged grounds, ominous art, and hidden passageways. there, she must contend with his eccentric son and preston, a student looking for proof to discount the very book effy holds dear.
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effy is the kind of female protagonist i enjoy reading about. underestimated by nearly everyone she comes across, her strength comes through a stubbornness, a quiet inner light that tells her to keep going. her love of stories keeps her rooted to solid ground, despite roiling forces that threaten to drag her under: “She wondered if you could love something out of ruination, reverse that drowning process, make it all new again.”
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effy and preston together absolutely have my heart. preston is captivated by effy, gently supporting her and never once doubting her intelligence or stories, no matter how far-fetched they may appear to a scholar rooted in hard facts. i’ve said it before, and i’ll say it again: what i love about ava reid’s books is the continuous thread of storytelling — and who gets to tell stories and interpret and own them.
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if you love quiet protagonists, soft, gentle love interests, and haunting tales, do yourself a favor, and SPRINT to the nearest bookstore to pick up a copy of a study in drowning!