Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the ARC

This book follows Serena and a group of Leysham University student rise up against the university's shadowy past and present.

I found this book to be so beautifully and emotively written. The female rage is palpable.

The ending lost me a little bit. It shows rage perfectly, but it shows it going out of control which feels juxtaposed to what I thought the message of the novel was. I would have liked there to be more to the ending, like did they achieve what they wanted, or did it achieve nothing but unnecessary destruction? But I guess leaving it vague could be to spur the reader to action, to never settle.

I like how it followed the ebb and flow of Serena's career, her confidence and power; the way how she always seems to be manipulated by authority figures who appear to have her best interests. Her swimming coach brought her to new heights, helped her find that inner commanding voice, but in the same breath there's some creepy allusions made to manipulation. It shows how cleverly it's written though as it foreshadows later on in the novel, and how it doesn't matter how strong you think you are you can be manipulated, so have your whits about you, be true to you kind of thing.


I think the structure of the first part of the book worked particularly well, the flicking between past and present. I think it allowed us to appreciate the strengths and changes of Serena. It also showed the pressure of expectations amazingly.

Overall this was a very engaging read, and I feel there's so much in it that could be picked up on in academic manner, a bit like a handmaids tale. If you enjoy feminist fiction, or books about feminine rage, injustice and empowerment this is for you.

This is a book about female rage, and I love that. It's well written and engaging, and I didn't want to put it down. However, it sort of just petered out toward the end, which was enough of a disappointment to drop it down to 3 stars. I don't want to post spoilers, but it just didn't come together for me and I'm not really sure what message the author was even going for. I was absolutely loving it up until about the 85% mark and it just lost me.

Thank you to the publishers for the arc.

I'm not quite sure what to make of The Drownings, there were times when I expected this to be a queer book and it was not. At other times I thought that it was a supernatural book but it wasn't either. I'm not entirely sure what The Drownings was supposed to be or what message it wanted to send, especially in regards to its feminism. I enjoyed it more than it didn't so it's a solid three star book for me but I feel like it could have done with a more coherent vision. I also didn't find the protagonist engaging to the point where after finishing the book I couldn't even remember what she was called.

This is a very difficult review to write. Simultaneously enraging, spellbinding and 'wait what just happened' confusion-inducing, THE DROWNINGS is a book I think I'll return to in a few years and appreciate more.

Tapping into the witcherature trend of the hour, the novel sees Serena and a group of Leysham University students rise up against a modern day tide of spikings and a historical legacy of violence against women.

Serena is also a former competitive swimmer and, as I share her background, this was my primary reason for requesting this book and I didn't expect that it would fall into sub-plot territory so swiftly as it was overtaken by the activism narrative.

I'm also not convinced that this is a story of obsession and betrayal, as the synopsis suggests. Jealousy, anger, identity, competition and a desire for change - these for me are the themes that bleed from the pages.

There are some passages in here that will stick with me for a very long time. We all are witches, after all.

I read a review which called this book “a dark and propulsive campus novel with witchy undercurrents”. This was when I knew I had to request an ARC. Oh it did not disappoint.

I am a big fan of dark academia books - when they are done well. Done poorly they are cliched, lacking any intrigue or inspiration. However this was far from lacking.

The scene was immediately set with the first chapter. Without being too explicit in its wording, it still revealed the loss and isolation felt due to Serena’s injury. The lack of reference almost made her loss feel more real.

The developing relationship with Jane felt so tangible, highlighting the places people will go for those who have influence over them. The desire to do as they want, to be who they want to be, and be cared for because of it.

The multiple time points was well managed, allowing us to better understand Serena’s motivation.

This is a fantastic book, with a thread of magic running throughout it. The use of water is beautiful and the introduction of fire is exciting and the perfect juxtaposition.

The writing style is very accessible and makes it an easy read, so while the plot is slower, it keeps you hooked. I could vividly picture the setting through the description and it reminded me of several places I have visited myself.

The characters are complex, with their obsessions and flaws drawing you in.

Overall, a brilliant book.