Y'know what? As much as I disliked Effy at first, she had some surprisingly strong character development.

A Study in Drowning is a NA fantasy novel that has heavy dark academia aesthetics. I've seen some people call it YA, but it does contain a very small intimate scene, so I'm classifying it as New Adult instead. The worldbuilding was fairly interesting; I liked the depiction of the Fae Folk myths and the idea of "Drownings" that felt like a mix of biblical imagery (great flood) and current events (sea levels rising).
When Effy is given the opportunity to redesign the house of her favorite author, she leaps at the chance to prove her merit since she isn't allowed to enroll in the literature college. The only issue? Her rival student, Preston Héloury, is also investigating Emrys Myrddin's house...but he wants to prove that Myrddin was a fraud. The first half of the book was pretty slow, in my opinion. It might have been the business of the end of the semester, but I just didn't get engrossed in the story until the second half. I did enjoy the mystery aspect of it all; I know it's "dark academia" but I didn't expect it would actually be that dark. I managed to call the plot twist, but not until right before it happened...and it was mainly because I missed a certain detail in the beginning. I did enjoy the plot twist, though, and I thought the tension in the climax was well-written, although rather short-lived. Overall, I thought the mystery aspect of the plot was the strongest, and I think the section from about 50%-85% was the strongest.
I think the characters were also what initially prevented me from enjoying the story completely. I have really mixed feelings on Effy; on one hand, I found her annoying and hypocritical at the beginning, but I also think the struggles she faced were realistic and relatable to many, and she experienced a lot of character growth (I think, at least). My main issue is that she initially hates Preston only because of his nationality, and she never really apologizes for it. I think I'm leaning toward liking her as a character with her arc, but not necessarily as a person. I thought Preston was fun, if a bit flat. He didn't seem to experience much growth at all, and the only changes we really see with him involve the way Effy views him. Ianto was creepy...and they're like the only three characters, so there wasn't much of an escape from Effy at times.
A Study in Drowning is perfect for readers who love dark academia, fae folk mythology, and mysteries set in ominous mansions.

3.75/5