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stevie02's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
After being disappointed by Lady Macbeth last year I was a bit nervous to reenter the world of ASID, but luckily my fears were misplaced.
Overall this was a wonderful addition to the story, especially getting so much from Preston’s POV. I am always struck by how well Ava Reid handles mental illness and its effects on romantic relationships. It feels very true to life, and is very important and refreshing to see represented. The tone was also enthralling, and kept me turning the pages.
My one critique is that since the Sleepers lore still feels a little undefined, the ending was slightly confusing. The line between so much information that you ruin the mysticism and so little information that you don’t know what’s happening is a really hard one to toe, but it was just missed by a bit here. Not so bad that it ruined the whole experience, just enough to pull me out slightly.
But once again, this was a great conclusion! ASID and ATOD are definitely in line to be one of my favorite series.
After being disappointed by Lady Macbeth last year I was a bit nervous to reenter the world of ASID, but luckily my fears were misplaced.
Overall this was a wonderful addition to the story, especially getting so much from Preston’s POV. I am always struck by how well Ava Reid handles mental illness and its effects on romantic relationships. It feels very true to life, and is very important and refreshing to see represented. The tone was also enthralling, and kept me turning the pages.
My one critique is that since the Sleepers lore still feels a little undefined, the ending was slightly confusing. The line between so much information that you ruin the mysticism and so little information that you don’t know what’s happening is a really hard one to toe, but it was just missed by a bit here. Not so bad that it ruined the whole experience, just enough to pull me out slightly.
But once again, this was a great conclusion! ASID and ATOD are definitely in line to be one of my favorite series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child abuse, Incest, Rape, Medical content, Death of parent, War, and Deportation
andisbooks's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was really excited to hear A Study in Drowning was getting a sequel. The premise of Effy learning to navigate the literature college and explore another forgotten female author, along with Preston taking a more significant role, sounded fantastic.
The reality is less exciting. Effy’s story starts out really intriguing but she quickly reverts back to the scared little girl she was at the start of ASiD and spends most of the book lying in bed asleep and depressed. Preston’s storyline was really interesting and kept me wondering what would happen next but I couldn’t help but wonder why he actually cared for Effy. They had none of the chemistry they shared in the first book because they kept lying to each other and withholding information.
I liked the addition of new characters and that friends/teachers/advisers were more involved. It helped make the world seem larger. The political and war storyline was much more prominent and also kept the story interesting.
There are a couple significant trigger warnings I would recommend the publisher warn for, as one of them is casually mentioned multiple times in journal entries.
Overall, I’d probably give this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The reality is less exciting. Effy’s story starts out really intriguing but she quickly reverts back to the scared little girl she was at the start of ASiD and spends most of the book lying in bed asleep and depressed. Preston’s storyline was really interesting and kept me wondering what would happen next but I couldn’t help but wonder why he actually cared for Effy. They had none of the chemistry they shared in the first book because they kept lying to each other and withholding information.
I liked the addition of new characters and that friends/teachers/advisers were more involved. It helped make the world seem larger. The political and war storyline was much more prominent and also kept the story interesting.
There are a couple significant trigger warnings I would recommend the publisher warn for, as one of them is casually mentioned multiple times in journal entries.
Overall, I’d probably give this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Minor: Incest and Rape