A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid: A Must-Read Gothic Fantasy

Before I started reading A Study in Drowning, I saw some misconceptions online that I have to believe come from people who haven't finished the book. I personally was dissuaded for a long time by people who said the magic is in the MC Effy's head. SPOILER: (in my reading comprehension at least) it's confirmed in the end that it has not been in Effy's head at all. She simply has been made to believe during her life that she is an unreliable narrator. If you finish this book and believe still that she is unreliable, I fear you've missed the point. This is a feminist story about believing women instead of brushing them off as hysterical the way doctors and other professionals historically have done.

But enough of my issues with some of the reviews online. What is this book about? Two trigger warnings before we start. Sexual harassment and assault is discussed as is medication for mental health. Now that that's out of the way, LFG. A Study in Drowning follows Effy Sayre, a first-year architecture student at university in a fictionalized version of Wales (I got this from the fact that Lake Bala, a lake in Wales, is mentioned numerous times and Llyr, the name of the university in the book, is from Welsh mythology, though I imagine other parts of the book might be taken from different parts of Celtic myth). When a context arises with the chance to design new build plans for the estate of Effy's favorite and newly dead author, Effy submits her plans and WINS. Once she attends the estate, however, she is quickly faced with the realization that the author of her favorite stories, the stories that helped her stay sane her entire life, might be a fraud. This book marries dark academia with gothic fantasy in a way that feels completely natural. One might say it is a match made in heaven.

If you like modern gothic fantasy, say Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz, you should love this. It has nature that reflects the emotional turmoil of the story, supernatural elements, mystery, omens, and a sense of being haunted. It is truly gothic (step aside Charlotte Brönte, Ava Reid is coming for you) in a way that is hard to find. It also has a great romantic interest to boot. Give this book a try, especially sicne the sequel's coming out soon!