A really enjoyable middle grade mystery! And excellent enby rep! Nev’s identity was woven through wonderfully without attaching too much retroactively.

Nev is a new student at the mysterious boarding school, Deephaven. They never applied, but the admission letter came nevertheless just when they needed it. But this isn't just your regular boarding school, Deephaven has secrets and Nev is going to figure them out. If Naomi died in a collapse of the old dorms, why is there no structural damage? And what's the deal with the beast wandering its halls? With the prefects scheming and the principal threatening Nev with expulsion, it would be easy to give up on this school, but Nev has nowhere to go. Their mother is gone, and Nev can't keep saving their father from himself. It's time Nev fights for a new home.

This was a fabulously dark magical boarding school story with characters that I couldn't help but love. I can't wait for what comes next!!

A super intriguing, mysterious middle grade read! It was an easy read for an adult but I can definitely see kids being absolutely enthralled by DEEPHAVEN.

Deephaven
Written by Ethan M. Aldridge
288 pages
Release Date: September 5, 2023 by Quill Tree Books
4/5 Stars
*An ARC of this title was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Receiving a copy in no way influenced my review*
If you got a chance to start over, re-create yourself from your current life, would you? That is the question that Nev faced after receiving a letter from Deephaven Academy. The academy offered a full scholarship ride to attend and meant Nev could leave their life and start fresh, but could they? And did the Academy make a mistake? And could they make friends there and would the people notice their odd habits of picking things up and sticking those things in their pockets. And then, when they arrive, what about the weird noises coming from the East Wing and how odd the students sometimes act…
I had never read anything by Aldridge before, but now I want to. His storytelling and crafting of a scene are amazing, with just a little added art to the book to help the reader see what he sees in his mind. Nev is a great character, with enough background sprinkled throughout the story to help explain the important choices they face and why they make the choices they make. While the villain(s) (if you read the book, you will get why I wrote it that way) are interesting, the character that most drove me for the book was Danny, another new kid to the school and who seemed the most interesting. His growth and background helped push Nev towards who they needed to be and showed them more of what they could become.
The reason this is not a perfect book is two-fold. First, while it is fast-paced and a quick read (which is great), too early I was able to figure out the villain(s) behind the plot and see the connections. Second, the choice for the main character the author makes. While it is great to see a someone such as a nonbinary being represented in the book, other than the use of “them” and “they”, it has absolutely no impact on the story. In fact, at times it was confusing as others automatically use those pronouns for them, with no real clue how these people would know to do that as the characters had just met. There is no connection to how Nev feels in dealing with the issue that someone at their age would feel and showing how to deal with it, which is important. It is through reading we understand how to deal with the larger issues in the world.
Other than those issues, this is a strong, fast read and I definitely hope to see more of Nev and their adventures in Deephaven Academy in the future.

This was a quick story that was strange, spooky, and mysterious. For a middle grade, the mysteries were actually intriguing and held my interest. Our detective was very clever!

Fun, spooky, and full of mystery. This was so entertaining, even for an adult, and I can see how fun and captivating it would be for a middle grader. The detective work was clever and interesting; the mysteries were compelling and intriguing. There was strangeness at ever turn the added a new level to the story at every turn. My favorite part? That Nev identified as nonbinary. Awesome representation.

When Guinevere “Nev” Tallow receives an acceptance to the exlusive Deephaven Academy, they know this is the chance at a new beginning... but strange things await them at this academy and a dark secret is waiting to be solved! Nev has lived a difficult life, trying to just get by but the last straw is when their father is arrested again and Nev is determined to start over for themself and finally make a new home. Nev has spent most of their time making toys and so when they get a full scholarship with room and board at an exlusive academy, they take it. At Deephaven Academy strangeness is afoot, from students with secrets, a mysterious creature lurking in the east wing, and magic.... Nev has their work cut out for them to try and figure out what is going on and if they can save their new friends. This was such a fun and spooky read, I had a blast with it and definitely think its got great spooky vibes!

*Thanks Netgalley and HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*