ocean-soaked (un)reality

Side note before I even truly begin: the alternate covers for this novel are absolutely gorgeous! Not that this one isn't super cool, but wow, the other ones match the overall atmospheric and haunting vibe this entire book creates so much better.
The entirety of my review latches onto those two words, actually: atmospheric and haunting. I really think that the writing style and strength of description is this book's strongest quality. I felt like I could walk through every room, see every tree and stone in the forest around Hiraeth Manor, and smell the scent of the briny ocean that touched truly everything in this novel. I was bound to like this book at least a little, given its inextricable connection to the sea and its sublime qualities. 
Though I had my moments of confusion (how exactly does the Fairy King possess people, and when?) and feel the ending is a bit more "telly" than "showy," I really enjoyed following along behind Effy in all her complicatedness. I love an unreliable narrator (though this book is technically written in the 3rd person), and Effy is quite a charming one. Whether she likes it or not, she is faced with the possibility of the supernatural leaking into her reality. Despite these dangers, she seeks to find glimpses of magic in everyday life; this perception of the world is one I can sympathize with. I think she's a very brave as well as very relatable young woman. She embodies beautiful aspects of being a woman with feminine power, but also allows room for the representation of feminine power being abused by men to make women feel misplaced shame (enter Master Corbenic, Ianto, the Fairy King, etc.). Sometimes the commentary on this subject felt a little on the nose to me (some of Effy's interactions with random side characters at the university, for example), but overall I think the plot of this book is able to sustain the whimsy of its ocean-related setting and the heavier concepts of female autonomy. 
I also really appreciate how this book approaches the idea of female voices being erased, covered up, or plagiarized. I felt righteous anger, a desire for justice, and sweet relief all in turn. Without spoiling anything, I really appreciated the twist ending concerning the true authorship of the novel Angharad, and all the implications of that true authorship. It was a twist that actually caught me by surprise! 
From my understanding, there's a second book connected to this first. I think I'll be checking it out.



Some of my favorite quotes from A Study in Drowning:

"What's the point in studying literature if you don't want to tell stories?"

"'What's the point,' he began, as they climbed back into the car, 'of drinking coffee if you're going to dilute it to that degree?'
Effy took a long, savoring sip. 'What's the point of drinking coffee that doesn't taste good?'"

"Why was it always girls whose forms could not be trusted? Everything could be taken away from them in an instant."

"Perhaps a romance is a story with no end at all; where the end is but a wardrobe with a false back, leading to stranger and more merciful worlds."

"And changing your mind isn't foolish. It just means you've learned something new."

"You took away all the other wanting from me."

"He kissed her, or she kissed him---it mattered only as much as it mattered whether the house was sinking or the sea was rising. Once their lips touched, Effy could think of nothing else."

"How terrible, to navigate the world without a story to comfort you."

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