this book was a hard read for me in the beginning, but it is dark academia, with magic -which sounds just up my ally. I am starting to wonder if i have out grown ya not because this was bad but because i felt so detached during my read sadly. the initial story was good, and so was the plot and characters. So outside of my mixed reviews I believe it was a 4/5 stars.

4.5 Dark Academy with a great cast and an amazing cover? Yes, please. I related immediately to the main character because she lives in limbo she doesn't belong to one side, but also she is not entirely just magic, I love characters that stand strong and still find a path when they are in "between" worlds. It's well written and the author made me fear the forest and for the safety of the characters. Sad to let go and second chances to do something right.
Great visual horror moments and I was sad for some too.

2.5 stars

Overall, this is a tale about finding yourself, friends, and family. And I do like the Red Stripes.

There are parts that I didn’t like. As well as parts I did like. I like the magic set up a lot.

This book has LQBTQ and autism representation. It’s mostly handled well, even though I think we could have done without the revelation at the end regarding Alex, but only because Alex’s identity as an empath and being autistic and really making an effort to help her friends is already enough. To have a near miraculous change when he comes out as being a boy bothers me. It felt wrong.


I received an ARC via NetGalley.

This was a very exciting and interesting story that unfortunately just left me wanting so much more. I was expecting this magic filled dark academia mystery, but instead this story is more of a mystery with hints of magic. Yes, everyone in this story had magical abilities and were at a magical school, but that part of the story was explored so little that it felt more like magical realism than a true fantasy. I really wish we could have seen some of the classes and see the main characters actually exploring their powers and how to control them. Instead, we really just see that the side characters already pretty much know how to do everything and the main character discovers how to suddenly use her powers to her full ability in the middle of battle. The world-building and magic system could have been developed so much more and I know that the author has the ability to do so, so I'm not sure what happened.

Don't get me wrong--there were so many amazing parts of this story. I loved the commentary on immigration and trying to fit in, especially since it comes from the author's personal experience. The fact that the entire conflict was basically about colonialism and how we reconcile with the repercussions generations afterwards was very smart and well-done. The characters were all endearing and the relationships, both platonic and romantic, were heartwarming. The queer and autistic representation was also well-done and felt like they fit in the story, not just diversity points. Although, again, I do wish Faith's feelings towards Sydney were explored a bit more.

Overall, I think the biggest takeaway from this book was that it had a very strong base in almost every aspect, but it just wasn't developed enough. It was very entertaining and well written, and I very rarely say this, but it needed to be longer in order to explore everything that was brought into the story. Some might think 4 stars is a bit high for my criticisms, but there was nothing bad about this book by any means, just room for improvement.

A girl with magic finds herself moved into a separate group of ostracized students... students who are known for dark magic when her best friend is killed... and she is the only one who got out of the woods alive.... but she awoke something in those woods and now its haunting her. In a magical school hidden off the coast of Washing on an island, is a academy for gifted students known as Ellery West. Faith is a student there and had lived a great life... until she walked into the dangerous forest with her best friend Sydney and only one of them made it out... and it wasn't Sydney. After the incident, everyone blames Faith and the school has marked her as a Red Stripe, with a literal red stripe across her uniform to designate to other students that she is a dangerous one. Faith finds herself suffering from the guilt of being alive, of being ostracized by her classmates and blamed, and of being lonely... yet in her new group of students with other fellow Red Stripes, Faith finds herself a new group of friends who actually care for her. Faith has a secret, she has nightmares of the night that she went into the dark woods with Sydney and did dark magic... but these nightmares are starting to have consequences as more students begin to turn up dead and it looks like Faith awoke something within those woods and now it wants her. Can Faith and her new friends figure out what is happening and how to stop the nightmare before everyone is killed? This was a dark academia story that focuses on loneliness, friendship, and healing. Faith is going through so much and learning to deal with the guilt of losing her best friend while also realizing that she might have loved her as more than a friend. She is also discovering how to open her heart to new friends and trusting new people. It's a interesting read and I definitely think it's a fun one for fans of magical academy stories.

Release Date: March 25, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Entering her senior year of high school at Ellery West, Faith should be excited to strengthen her magic and graduate with prospects for using her magic in a career. But at the end of the previous school year, she went into the woods with her friend Sydney, and Faith was the only one who came back out. Now under heavy suspicion from her administrators and classmates, Faith is forced to live in a separate dorm with other students on probation, called the Red Stripes, where everyone can keep a close eye on them. When more students begin to disappear in the woods and turn up ill, everyone starts to realize there may be more danger lurking in the woods and Faith and her friends may be the only ones with magic strong enough to stop the attacks.

This was a good book for fans of Ninth House and other Leigh Bardugo books. The book had just the right mix of tension and character building. The characters were as diverse as their magic powers (LGBTQ, various ethnicities, neurodivergent). This book was a great analogy for teens feeling ostracized, targeted, bullied and different from their peers. Faith having a Found Family in the Red Stripes is heartwarming and hopeful. Great magical thriller for teens and adults alike.

*** I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. ***

First and foremost as always thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book. This was an incredibly good read! The story was beautifully written and the characters were flushed out really well! Loved this! Definitely worth the read!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin is a third person-POV YA dark academia fantasy. Faith has spent most of her life convincing her family to let her go to a magical school, even going so far as to move the whole family from the Philippines to Washington state. But when she and her best friend, Sydney, go into the woods behind their school and perform dark magic, it kills Sydney and leaves Faith traumatized and a social pariah. Faith is determined to graduate, but the woods aren’t done with her.

There is a subtle Queer subplot that builds throughout the plot that I could feel coming and was delighted to see come to fruition. Faith doesn’t put a label on herself because she’s still figuring it out. She knows that she has a crush on Sydney, but it was a crush that built on them being friends first and really captures that experience a lot of Sapphics have of a close female friendship becoming their first crush. Since Sydney was Faith’s first ever crush, it’s possible that Faith is Demi but it’s also possible she’s not. It’s very open to interpretation and given that a lot of 18-year-olds are still figuring it out, especially ones coming from Christian or traditional households like Faith is, I’m perfectly happy to have a lead who is still learning who she is by the end of the book. We also have trans rep and Bi rep, so no matter what happens, we know Faith is going to have a Queer family to support her and she will support them in return.

The magic system is very interesting and the worldbuilding felt thought out in terms of how magic schools interact with the real world. Instead of a secondary world, Ellery West is in the real world on Siren Island. The school disguises itself as a private school and hides the societies that have been part of the world since before any textbook can track down, but are essentially hiding in plain sight from mundanes (non-magical humans). Magic also diverges into three types and manifests differently in different people, which I also enjoy seeing.

There are a decent amount of flashback chapters inserted between the main storyline so the reader can learn how we got to Sydney and Faith performing dark magic. The rest of the book is fairly fast-paced, but I would say that the flashback chapters are well-chosen moments that allow for strong character-driven scenes that keep the reader invested. Faith does not have it easy but her determination is present in the main storyline and the flashback chapters, which help make her a compelling lead to follow.

Content warning for mentions of homophobia

I would recommend this to readers of YA who love dark academia and fans of YA fantasy who want a dark academia flare with no romance arc

Dark academia is one of my absolute favorite genres, and Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin delivers everything I crave—atmospheric magic, deep emotional struggles, and a compelling found family dynamic that kept me hooked from beginning to end.

Faith’s journey is one that immediately tugs at the heartstrings. As an immigrant navigating both the mundane and magical worlds, she’s spent her life feeling like an outsider. Now, marked with the dreaded Red Stripe after a mysterious and tragic incident in the forest, she’s more alone than ever. But when strange occurrences begin to shake Ellery West, Faith and her fellow Red Stripes are forced into a reluctant alliance, uncovering secrets that could change everything.

What I absolutely adored about this book is how it weaves personal identity and belonging into a gripping fantasy. The relationships between the Red Stripe students are beautifully written, full of raw moments of trust and camaraderie that made my heart swell. Alex, in particular, is a standout—I wanted to reach through the pages and protect him at all costs! The magic system is also incredibly well-crafted, with each class of magic feeling distinct and purposeful. I only wish we got to see even more of the magical lessons because the glimpses we did get were fascinating.

The pacing is quick, and the mix of past and present storytelling keeps the mystery unraveling in a way that’s both satisfying and suspenseful. While romance is touched upon, I appreciated that the novel prioritizes friendships and self-discovery, proving that love comes in many different forms.

If you love dark academia that isn’t just about aesthetics but also dives deep into the complexities of academia itself—especially for students who don’t always feel welcome in those spaces—this book is a must-read. Lovely Dark and Deep is thrilling, thought-provoking, and full of heart. I’ll be thinking about these characters for a long time!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for providing me with an ARC of this intriguing novel in exchange for my honest thoughts!

It was such a fun and exciting read! The story takes place at a magical school on a hidden island in Washington, and it follows Faith, a student who gets marked as a “Red Stripe” after a strange incident in the forest. This marks her as dangerous and gets her kicked out of normal classes, making her a social outcast. All Faith wants is to graduate and keep her magic, but dark things start happening at the school, and she realizes she has to work with the other Red Stripes to stop it.

I really enjoyed this book! The world-building is amazing, and the magic system is so interesting. The tension builds up throughout the story, and it kept me hooked, especially as Faith’s struggles with being an outcast while dealing with these dark forces. The other Red Stripes were an awesome addition to the story too — they each have their own stories, and it’s cool seeing how they all come together.

Even though the beginning felt a bit slow, once the action picks up, I couldn’t put it down. I loved the mix of mystery, magic, and the pressure of keeping her powers. Overall, it was such a good read, and I definitely recommend reading it if you're a fan of drak academia books!

Reading Lovely, Dark & Deep brought me back to the days of devouring Harry Potter and Percy Jackson—stories filled with magic, adventure, and, best of all, the journey of finding yourself and true friends.

At first glance, this might seem like a typical YA fantasy: a magical school, a heroine facing an overwhelming darkness, and a battle she somehow has to win despite the odds. And yes, Lovely, Dark & Deep has all of that—but what truly stood out to me was something different.

Faith, our main character, doesn’t blindly throw herself into sacrifice just because the world expects it of her. She stands her ground, knowing her worth and refusing to suffer for someone else’s mistakes. She doesn’t say “no” out of selfishness—she says it because she understands that there has to be another way. And I absolutely loved that. Good on our girl Faith!

This was a good book. It was fun and easy to read. I enjoyed the description of the different magical branches and how the story begins with an incident that has already taken place. It gave me a Harry Potter Vibes. I enjoyed learning about every one of the different magic abilities. I have mixed feelings about the endings and wish there was an explanation for what the secret society does that invited Faith.

This is perfect for readers who love magic & magical Academies & found family.

I thought the location and the magic system in this novel were fantastic, and the premise was incredibly intriguing. Nevertheless, I believe there were some pacing problems; the first half of the book flowed poorly at points, and flashback chapters made it difficult for me to follow up. Additionally, it seemed like the novel attempted to address too many societal concerns and themes, which at the end made some of them seem a little implausible and out of place.

I stopped reading this book about 20% through it. It's not that it was a bad book I just wasn't really engaged in the characters at all of the story. It was going a bit too fast for me and I wish we had more of an opportunity at the beginning of the book to get to know the characters compared to later on when it's too late. I thought they became friends a bit too fast which I think is unrealistic, I think there should've been some warrant to them becoming friends. I think it's a great premise but I've read other books that are similar and I don't really think that there's much about this book that's unique or special.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an e-arc of this book.

📖BOOK TOUR BOOK REVIEW📖

LOVELY DARK AND DEEP by Elisa A. Bonnin
Available 3/25/2025

Thank you to @lonelypagesbooktours for including me in this tour! Thank you to @macmillanusa (Feiwel and Friends) and the author for the gifted copy!

💭BLURB💭

Faith holds fire within her hands. Can she and her newfound friend group of misfits save her best friend, the student body, and the school from the dark magic in the forest?

📖REVIEW📖

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Magical school, dark forest, different magic houses, chosen one, found family, LGBTQ+ representation, Austism spectrum representation, immigrant representation, filipino representation, honestly, this book has it all.

Fans (or former fans) of Harry Potter I have your next read. This book is the magic school, dark academia we all deserved to have while growing up and didn't get. It is modernized and still atmospheric while being a touching coming of age story and the power of friendship.

You don't want to skip this one.

Thank you to the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this!  I really missed reading dark academia, and this ticked all my boxes: sentient forest, magic school, different magical branches (descriptions ☝️), and my fave tropes found family and chosen one!  It had all kinds of representation as well! (queer, learning disability, race, culture)  I also loved Faith as an MC, who ironically doesn't have main character energy (she's actually a wallflower) yet was forced to be one.  And I loved how she's always third wheeling😅 Like I've never met an MC so unassuming and fearful😅  I just hope that in the next installment (there's gotta be a next one, right?) she could exhibit a little more courage and bravery as she graduates and moves on to the career stage of her magical life.  I'm especially curious about the various societies they can work for and I hope that aspect can be fully explained soon.  If you are a Potterhead like me, I highly encourage you to pick up this book🙂

Rounded to a 4, but gave it a 3.5. I liked the premise and the magic system. I think this is a good book, but definitely has a bit of pacing issue. However, I am a sucker for found family trope and this one definitely hit that trope well for me. I feel like if you like dark academia, this would be your cup of tea more than it was mine.

3.5/5

Thank you to Feiwel and Friends publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub day is March 25, 2025✨

Faith attends Ellery West, a magical school on a hidden island that is invisible to the mundane. During her junior year, tragedy strikes when her and her best friend walk into the woods and only Faith comes out. Ostracized by her peers, she is forced to join the other Red Stripes in their secluded dorm. But dark magic in the forest is still claiming students, and it’s up to Faith and her fellow Red Stripes to get to the bottom of it.

The first half of the book I really loved and it had me fully invested. I loved the school setting and the different element groups, gave me lots of Harry Potter vibes! Faith had a very obvious case of survivor’s guilt. But then things started to feel a little out of place. Like how Ms. Birch introduced a character by saying, “Don’t let [character] eat her”, and it ended up being very anticlimactic. I was expecting some kind of initial conflict with that kind of statement, but there was nothing🤷🏻‍♀️ Also how relationship progressions didn’t feel earned and didn’t feel that deep. And there wasn’t much of a backstory for any of the characters. It happened too quickly. And although I thought the representation was great, some of it seemed to be out of nowhere. Almost like adding it just to say it was included, so it left it feeling not as impactful.

Overall, it was a fun and easy read and gave me modern Harry Potter vibes. Definitely give it a try if you like a Harry Potter-esque setting (but make it the PNW) and found family tropes.

4.5 stars

This was such a beautiful story of self-discovery, healing and found family. I loved following Faith’s journey throughout the story; my heart really broke for her at the beginning of the book. Throughout Lovely Dark and Deep we hear about how isolated Faith felt for most of her life. First by her extended family in the Philippines, then the kids at her “mundane” school once they move to the states, and at Ellery West in the aftermath of what happened the year before in the forest with Sydney. So much of being a teenager is wanting to find a place to belong, and it can be so hard, especially when you’re a person of color and an immigrant. Understandably so, Faith had really guarded herself from everyone else and just retreated into herself and it was so wonderful to see her slowly start to trust the other members of the Red Stripes and to trust herself as the story goes on.

I think that this may be my favorite cast of characters that Bonnin has written so far. I LOVE the Red Stripes and felt such a connection to them from the very start. Honestly, I would protect them (especially Alex) with my life. I just adored them and the way that they welcomed Faith into the Red Stripes and always made sure to remind her and each other that they have one another’s backs. While there are discussions of romance and the discovery of sexuality, I do really love that the focus of this story is Faith’s journey (which does include the realization of her sexuality) and the secrets of Ellery West. There’s nothing wrong with romance, I love a good romance, but I think that platonic relationships are just as important and I liked that there was more of a focus on the platonic relationships over the romantic ones.

As always, Bonnin’s world building is fantastic. I loved the descriptions and explanations of the different magic classes — Naturalist, Artificer, and Luminaries — and how each person would have different abilities within their class. She posted a bunch of amazing info cards about the lore on her Instagram, which I highly recommend checking out. Reading them before reading the book was really cool as well since I felt like I was already immersed in the world because I understood the magic system — though I would’ve understood even without the lore cards because Bonnin’s writing is very detailed and specific. I love how alive the Ellery West campus felt; it made me feel like I was there and part of the school and environment.

If you’re looking for a great YA fantasy with dark academia, found family and great discussions of what it means to belong, then you must check out Lovely Dark and Deep!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

Cool premise and intriguing magic system. I did feel the plot and pacing had room for growth though, and perhaps a heavier handed editor would have helped. There was a bit too much going on to sink your teeth in.