A review by kateships
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

4.5

I really enjoyed this. When I was about halfway through i described it as “old creepy house, ghosts and local superstitions, suspicious guy, potential monsters, mystery to solve.”

I don’t really read much YA (typically it doesn’t appeal to me), but sometimes a story catches my eye like this one, and I really enjoyed Juniper & Thorn by the same author, so I gave it a shot. I found Effy a bit annoying at first because she’s a grown woman but very emotional and stubborn, but as you learn more about her and she grows along the way, I didn’t mind this as much. The romance was a bit quick, but very sweet. 

The story was less of a shocking and exciting tale with a big reveal, but more like we were given puzzle pieces and by the end we knew what the picture was, and the climax was confirming what you already felt was true.  

I found it gorgeous and atmospheric. I loved the mythical fairytale aspect to it, and since there’s apparently a sequel coming next year, I hope we get to learn more about the actual world they live in. 

This book is very much it’s own story, but it fell into the same bucket as Divine Rivals and One Dark Window for me (I loved both duologies).  Otherworldly forces at play, a sweet/light young (but adult) romance, a unique fantastical but familiar world, and a feeling that we learned along the way with the characters rather than having huge action-packed stories.