Thank you NetGalley for the eARC.
3/5 stars.
**WARNING** This review contains a very minor spoiler.
The story-line was great. It is a YA dark academia book with a cool magic system and a sentient forest/island. There was great discussion throughout in regards to self-worth, accepting oneself, moving homes, hardships of immigration, familial issues, autism, finding your place in the world, and found family. The big issue that I have is the randomness of one of the characters coming out as trans at the end of the book. It felt completely out of left field and SO forced. There was ZERO foreshadowing or hints of this "revelation" or that this was even something on the character's mind. It felt like the author just wanted to be "relevant" and include a trans character, so wrote literally one scene and stuck it at the end of the book with no ties with the rest of the book/story. Aside from that, the story was a fun read.

Thanks to NetGalley & Feiwel & Friends for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a thrilling book! This is a dark academia book mixed with thriller, mystery, and fantasy. The strange combination works so well!

I will say it's a pretty fast-paced YA book, the protagonist becomes fast friends with the found family of outcast misfits in 5 minutes but I didn't mind it too much because the side characters were very sweet. Especially Alex.

I loved the back-and-forth flashbacks that lead to the drama that led Faith to becoming ostracized from the magic school in the first place.

Though the book cover is really cool and all, but I feel like it doesn't fit very well. I would've gone with a drawing of the Red Stripe "dorm" with vines surrounding it. And Faith in front of the dorm with fire in her hands. I think that would have made it less generic and show that this is a thriller/fantasy book.

I was very satisfied with the ending, too.

Magical school books are a dime a dozen, but for some reason they always start at the beginning. A young person discovering their magic for the first time, and uncovering the complexities of a magical world they're like a fish out of water in.

In Faith's story, we're dropped in in media res. Her senior year after losing her best friend (and maybe more) in a tragic accident she gets the blame for. Plus she's been punished with what's basically magical In-School-Suspension. She's a red stripe, and now she has to learn how to handle being one of the schools pariahs and navigate the horrifying nightmare's she's having about her dead best friend in the forest.

Faith's story captured me from page one. I was invested in what she had to do, what he next move was, and waiting for her to discover things that were totally obvious to me as the reader, but not to her as a character. Overall it was a fun story, and I hope we get dropped into another part of Faith's story again soon.

I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. I kept thinking that there was another book that came before this one even though it is a one-off book. That really took me out of the narrative a lot. As a reader I just felt like I was missing a huge chunk of the story, and I don’t personally enjoy that. I did enjoy Faith’s journey in forging new friendships and realizing that labels don’t always mean we are the person associated with them. The ending was okay, but overall, this was a hard book for me.
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the ARC. I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, it was not as dark academia as I expected. But I did like the mystery aspect of figuring out what was going on. However, the pacing was quite awkward with random parts slow and random parts fast. I wanted to like the friendship between the Red Stripes; maybe I'm too cynical, but it felt forced how quickly they bonded together.

2.5

This book took me a little bit to get into but once I did I was hooked! The story itself was incredibly interesting to read about and see where everything was going. But the real star of this book was the characters. I was invested in every single one and didn’t have any that I didn’t really care about. I’m always a huge sucker for found family and this really hit the spot for me. There was quite a bit of representation within the friend circle with queer, trans, neurodivergent, bipoc, etc characters! One character in particular really stole my heart and that’s Alex. I would honestly LOVE a sequel to this focused on Alex!

Overall, I really thoroughly enjoyed this and would highly recommend!

I’m so happy to be able to partake in the book tour hosted by Lonely Pages for this novel! Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC. FULL RTC! 💟

After putting this book down in December because I wasn’t in the right mood for it, I went back in and started it again and absolutely loved it this time around. I can always tell when I’m not loving a book just because of my mood and this was one of those times. I’m so glad I gave this another shot.

You had me at dark academia, as per usual! An extremely poignant novel about the current state of the world mixed with magic and a host of fabulous characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy!! I adore a good dark academia novel, especially when it includes magic. This is a good dark academia book with a great explanation of how magic works and different types of magic. All the characters are well thought out and fleshed out. Some of the side characters you think will get lost in the shuffle, but Elisa brings them in and gives them their moment. It's also wonderfully emotional. I won't tell you to read this, but you will read this. Yes, that is a threat.

A school story fantasy set in my home state? Sold. I loved the concept of the red stripe, especially considering the scarlet letter reference. Bonnin did a great job leaving readers guessing until the last moments about what actually happened in the forest. Very compelling.

Thanks to Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends for the ARC! While a little predictable, this was an enjoyable read. Definitely has sequel potential!

really loved how atmospheric the writing was. the academy lore was interesting and all the characters were so endearing 🥹

"She would always be the girl who played with fire until the world burned down."
At Ellery West, the school for kids with magic, Faith left her best friend to die. Now, she's spending her senior year marked as a Red Stripe, those who have broken the rules or is deemed too dangerous to attend classes with the normal students. However, something is wrong on Siren Island. Something inside the forest where Faith lost her best friend is coming for the school, and no one cares enough to investigate-- except for the Red Stripes. LOVELY DARK AND DEEP is a YA dark academia novel filled with found family, adventure, and learning when and how to stand your ground.
I love the found family trope and this book FED MY SOUL. Faith, Nicholas, Cari, Yvonne, and especially Alex carried this book so hard, though the plot was also insanely addictive. It's written in flashbacks between chapters set in the current timeline and you were always left with a feeling of almost breaking through to the answer but not being quite there yet. I couldn't put this book down. The magic system was so cool and the little hint of romance in the end was the most adorable, perfect conclusion. Elisa wrapped this book up beautifully and I'm definitely reading more of her works. The way the romance was only a hint, a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers at the very end, is so refreshing in a world where romance is a focus and yet feels forced/rushed. I loved Faith's relationship with Alex, it was so sweet and guiding. I'm so entranced by Elisa's writing.
Specific Rating: 4.5/5

Wow. Every so often I stumble across a truly incredible book that takes me completely off guard, and Lovely Dark and Deep was one of those. There are a lot of magic school books, and a lot of those feature diverse characters, but this story hits exactly right in a way that feels incredibly validating and beautiful instead of lapsing into preachy territory. Perhaps most importantly, this isn’t a book about a magic school for the fun setting; it’s a book about a magic school that dissects the inequity, colonialism, and lies in that same system, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. Hands-down, this will be one of my favorite reads of the year.

The relationships between the characters are superb. Whether it’s the complicated connections between Faith and Sydney and Rose, or the truly caring bonds that develop with the other Red Stripes, every relationship in this book has a special uniqueness that feels wholly guided by the personalities and emotions of the characters at hand. I particularly loved Faith’s relationship with Alex, but I could say that of any of the connections in this book: the vibrant authenticity to each of them makes this book into a web as powerful and unknowable as the forest’s magic.

Bonnin truly tackles so much in this book—ostracization, colonialism, immigration, queer and trans identity, found family, and more—and yet its smooth feel disguises this fantastic complexity so deftly it appears all but effortless. I honestly just feel so lucky that Bonnin wrote a book so beautiful and powerful, and I know I’ll be checking out her previous novels very soon.

Highly recommended!

Thank you Feiwel & Friends and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I enjoyed this book so much! Faith has magic, she’s what they call a Naturalist and has the ability to control and create fire. There are two other branches of magic Luminaries and Artificers. Though there are three branches each individual that belongs to a branch experiences magic in their own way. That’s why there are academies to help young people learn to control their magic and for the magical community to determine if an individual can be trusted with their magic or if it needs to be taken away. Ellery West is the academy that Faith attends on a remote Island that can’t be found on any map. Some students are legacies, magic runs in their family, others, like Faith, have non-magical families. Faith’s family moved to the United States from the Philippines because of her power and others fear of it. She was doing well in school up until last year, when her and her friend Sydney went into the forest, and only Faith came back. Students aren’t allowed in the forest and as punishment she is on probation becoming a Red Stripe, students who have broken rules and are considered dangerous or students who’s Magic is considered to dangerous to mix with the rest of the students. Red Stripes are one step away from losing their magic for good. Faith just has to complete her senior year. She can last one year right? Except the nightmares she’s having of Sydney and the forest are very vivid. And as other students become affected she’ll have no choice but to work with the other Red Stripes to find out what is going on. To make things more complicated Faith is trying to understand the complicated feelings she had for Sydney and what that could mean for her already confusing life. Will they be able to figure it out? Or is Faith about to lose her magic? Fast paced and so engrossing! I couldn’t put it down and I loved the magic system! Loved the idea of the magic societies as well and the investigative one Evan and Morgan are in sounds so intriguing! I loved the Red Stripes as a whole! Thrilling with plenty of cutesy found family moments and so queer! A stunning read!

Good book for those looking for a YA dark academia vibe, magical academia, stories about immigrant teenagers, stories about Filipino teenagers, stories with neurodivergent characters, and stories with LGBTQ+ characters. Three stars due to: Pacing - some scenes felt drawn out while others were too fast, and long spaces between events were briefly mentioned where they could have been left out. Repeated beats - main character kept going off alone into danger, repeated instances where others would have to rescue them. Jarring scene placement - a scene exploring gender identify feels thrown in, occurring immediately after the main conflict without a strong explanation of the timing. Positives of the story include a well-done atmosphere, interesting magic system, school and society, complex main character, developed secondary characters, good exploration of friendships, and good exploration of identifying when guilt is misplaced.

3.5 stars
The book had a bit of a slow start for me, with some character moments feeling a little premature and not entirely earned. Additionally, some emotional scenes came across as a bit too heavy-handed. However, by the end, I found myself really attached to the main cast. Each character was so endearing on their own, and the way they cared for each other without question was genuinely touching. I haven’t read much dark academia before, but I did wish the school setting had been explored more deeply—there was a lot of potential there that wasn’t fully realized. That said, I appreciated how everything came together in the end and how the themes of the book were thoughtfully explored. Plus, there’s excellent representation of both autistic and queer characters.

Lovely Dark and Deep is a heavily character driven book, which suits it as the characters, relationships, and found family are the standout elements.
The time and thought put into each character certainly showed, the diverse group of friends was really special. Great queer and neurodivergence rep that I loved reading. The main character is angry and actually has a good reason for it, and some good development and growth.
There's a good bit of light horror which I really enjoyed! The forest and Desdemona house were really good atmospheric settings.
The worldbuilding and overarching plot were a little weak, underdeveloped, and the inspiration felt a bit unoriginal, but I think it was well suited to the target audience and well worth the read for YA readers.

3.5/5 rounded up. Thank you Fierce Reads and NetGalley for the ARC!

After allegedly murdering her best friend, Faith has been tagged as a Red Stripe—an outcast. For this school year, on top of mundane college applications, Faith has to uncover the truth about her best friend and, possibly, save the school and magical world while at it.

Magical school, forest setting, queer rep, diverse cast? I’ve been sat for this book since its announcement. The found family was adorable and so special. I honestly felt like there’s a bit of a struggle with balancing the character-driven and plot-driven aspects of the story as well as keeping up with the vibes and worldbuilding. Still, everyone’s character arc was done beautifully. Elisa’s strength truly lies in character building. The ending was especially satisfying and heartfelt as well.

Also, Maria Faith Castillo is such a Filipino name I love it so much — plus the Ilonggo and Hiligaynon rep? SLAY.

Thank you to Elisa Bonnin for the early copy! :>