“I am always very interested in the deconstruction of fairy tales, the relationship between folklore and nationalism, and the role of stories in shaping identity on both the personal and political level. If The Wolf and the Woodsman is about the pain of being excluded from the narrative, and Juniper & Thorn is about the pain of being forced into a narrative against your will, then A Study in Drowning is about crafting an intricate, epic narrative of your own, in order to protect yourself from the pain of life’s daily, banal cruelties.” ― Ava Reid, Interview, Books Forward
What booksellers are saying about A Study in Drowning
- What’s more dangerous—a sinking mansion full of secrets, a vicious and enthralling Fairy King, or the forces that have historically silenced and subjugated young women in academia? Fans of Mexican Gothic and The Hazel Wood, this Welsh folklore-infused dark academia fantasy will sweep you under and leave you drowning in all its lush and eerie, mysterious and romantic, utterly immersive, gothic splendor.
― Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia | Buy from Underground Books
- Ava Reid’s YA debut will surely be one of my favorite reads of 2023. Reid’s work is steeped in literary and folkloric reference, worth countless re-reads and further dissection. Their prose is unmatched; dark, delicious, and dreamy all at once. Reid is a remarkable talent—I will read anything they write.
― Reviewed by Isabel Agajanian, Oxford Exchange in Tampa, Florida | Buy from Oxford Exchange
- A haunting story full of magic and heart. I was hooked from the very beginning. I loved falling so completely into the world Ava Reid created.
― Rayna Nielsen, Blue Cypress Books in New Orleans, Louisiana | Buy from Blue Cypress Books
About Ava Reid
Ava Reid was born in Manhattan and raised right across the Hudson River in Hoboken but currently lives in Palo Alto. She has a degree in political science from Barnard College, focusing on religion and ethnonationalism.
