Deephaven: A Gothic Middle Grade Novel of Secrets, Shadows, and Unraveling Darkness at Deephaven Academy

Deephaven Mystery #1

by Ethan M. Aldridge

From Ethan M. Aldridge, bestselling creator of Estranged, comes a gothic middle grade prose novel that follows a nonbinary student who is drawn to their boarding school’s forbidden east wing, where something stalks the shadowy corridors. Perfect for fans of A.J. White and Mary Downing Hahn!

When Guinevere "Nev" Tallow receives an acceptance letter to the exclusive Deephaven Academy, they know it’s the fresh start that they’ve been looking for.

But things are strange from the moment they arrive—the house itself seems to breathe, students whisper secrets in dark corridors, and the entire east wing of the academy is locked away for reasons no one wants to explain. And Nev knows something ragged stalks the shadowy corridors, something that sobs quietly and scratches at the walls, waiting to be released.

With the help of another first-year student, Nev takes it upon themselves to unravel the mysteries hidden in Deephaven's halls. But will they risk their fresh start to bring the academy’s secret to light?

Genres: Middle Grade, Horror, Fantasy, Mystery, LGBT, Queer, Graphic Novels

285 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Ethan M. Aldridge is a bestselling author and illustrator. He is the creator of the fantasy graphic novel ESTRANGED (a Junior Library Guild selection, Indie Bestseller, and YALSA Great Graphic Novel For Teens), and its follow up THE CHANGELING KING.

Ethan was raised in a small town in Utah. Growing up, Ethan’s favorite things to draw were monsters and whatever dinosaur he liked that week. He now does more or less the same thing for a living. Ethan lives in New York City with his husband, Matthew, and their dog, Kitsune.

Ethan has had the pleasure to create work for HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Random House, and EA Games.

Reviews

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected book! I'm not sure what I expected based on the cover, but this definitely was different! 3.5 Stars CW: bullying, parental figure with financial issues, some violence (due to paranormal creature)

Deephaven is a middle grade fantasy/mystery that many will closely relate to dark academia. It follows Guinevere "Nev" Tallow who receives an acceptance letter to Deephaven Academy that will give them the opportunity to restart their life after having to live under the shadow of their fathers poorly made financial decisions. When they arrive, everything seems like a dream come true until they come across the mysterious East Wing.

What Worked: I'm not typically a "vibe" person when reading a book, but the vibes of this one worked well. It was dark and spooky, and having the historical fiction (this takes place during the Depression era) element made the book even more appealing. I appreciated that Aldridge crafted a character that was anything but perfect. Readers quickly learn that Nev is a kleptomaniac and how it specifically ties into their character development. The reveal of the mystery related to the East Wing was interesting and not what I expected. It led nicely into the development of a side character and their behavior throughout the course of the novel.

What Didn't Work: This could have afforded to be just a tad bit longer. Readers don't learn much about the development or history of Deephaven. So much time is spent on the characters that the world building suffers a bit. Also, while there is magic in this book, readers shouldn't expect to see it until closer to the end. I wish that it was introduced sooner and woven into the story in a more seamless manner.

This was a solid read and I'm hoping that we see more world and magic system development during the second novel.

[Mimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Queer dark academia but make it middle grade we love to see it

[Lilly]

This book was recommended to me by a good friend and I'm so glad I picked it up! Deephaven is a YA (middle grade) dark academia fantasy horror novel that takes place at an academy for uniquely talented students. When Nev discovers some dark secrets lying within the academy, they must work to solve the mysteries lying within Deephaven.

This story features a non-binary main character, as well as nonbinary and queer secondary characters and is filled with themes of suspense, mystery, and found family. I also really enjoyed the beautiful illustrations featured at the end of each of the chapters.

While this book is technically targeted toward a younger demographic, I found the plot and characters to be very well-developed and think this story would be enjoyable for fantasy lovers of all ages.

[blok sera szwajcarskiego · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐️

I would love this book to stay with me a bit longer, as three hundred pages is not that much, but if author ever comes with an idea of a sequel or related story, I will so gladly read it. Deephaven was wonderful – spooky, queer, perfectly spaced. A good horror and great characters, what's there more to wish for?

[Pam · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Children—middle grade— age 8-12. The use of “they” when referring to one person when there is more than one person in the scene is totally confusing to me. The English language needs new pronouns to refer to those who are non-binary.

[Rowen H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this book had existed when I was thirteen, it would have almost certainly become a core pillar of my personality.

[julia 🪱 · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am weak to the joys and whimsy of children’s literature

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down for the last 2/3rds of the book. Loved our main character, loved all the side characters. Great mystery. Was pretty intense toward the end. I loved the general atmosphere of the book, the found family elements, and I am very VERY much looking forward to more. Recommending this to all my mystery-loving buddies. Even though its technically a middle grade book, I really found that this reads well for all ages. Fantastic work.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

a kleptomaniac and a dickensian-orphan-turned-unhappy-rich-kid solve eldritch horror mysteries at a school that potentially (although im really unclear on this) teaches magic. short and sweet - wish this sort of book had been around when i was a kid

[Carolyn]

DNF page 47 - 16%

I just wasn’t in the mood for this, and to be completely honest I struggled reading the they/them pronouns.

[Emily Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little reminiscent of a certain young adult series that also involves magic, a child with a troubled past, a forbidden area inside a special school, and a principal that knows lots but refuses to relay information to their students and thus allows them to meddle…

Though in this story, “magic” appears so late in the game, it feels like the author had to whip up something for the climax to be solved. I found myself asking where everything was going, and why. Relationships between characters felt very surface level, and mostly focused how their lives weren’t great outside of this school (but even the school didn’t seem welcoming?).

The horror/mystery aspect was intriguing at first but the resolution had me bored. Yes, this is an all-ages read but it felt like the solution to this horror’s problem came out of nowhere (kind of literally) and plainly stated, when all I really wanted was to be on this journey with Nev to figure out the mysteries.

Spoilers below.

Nev’s thievery was building up to something but it all fizzled out and left me unimpressed. To me it felt like they were just a klepto stuck in a couple situations rather than possessing a “talent” that required thought and skill.

The relationship between Ruth and Naomi felt out of left field. If Ruth were in love with Naomi, why didn’t she take matters into her own hands when Patience gave up? Why would Ruth not go seek help from the principal when the principal herself locked Naomi in the space?
Alternatively, why didn’t the professors or principal do ANYTHING? They know of the magic Nev ended up using but refused to help Naomi out and thought it best to lock her up and starve? (Again… how does this school feel like home to Nev when there is no deep bond within it?)

Thaddeus’s involvement with the room and Ruth telling him to meet her there still has me perplexed— why did he need to show up at the end? I understand the drama element with Nev working their spell/summoning but again, felt out of left field. (Nev did this summoning only one other time but was instantly able to do it without issues on their own?)

Danny felt a little unnecessary beyond the wielding of the sword. I can see the attempt at a love interest between him and Nev but with only their dire childhoods as their bond, it doesn’t feel like a solid relationship I can set sail on.

The book left me with more questions than answers. It’s a fast read, so if you’re looking for something “scary” for a tween/middle schooler, have them give it a try.

The art was what originally sold me and I wish this had more of a graphic novel approach— I think the author has strong storytelling skills in their visual art and I’d like to see more of that.

[Mandy Kool · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can the only problem be with a book that it was too short?

My goodness, I loved this. I loved the world. I loved the main character. It was so refreshing to read a book with a nonbinary character that just was there. Doing their thing. Living their life and in a Dark Academia setting.

This gave me the vibes of Wednesday and other magical boarding school places. I definitely want to read more in this world and am happy to say I see that it’s a series.

A shout out to A Room of One’s Own Bookstore in Madison, WI for having this as a recommendation on their store website. They have such amazing book offerings.

[Katina · Rating 4 out of 5]

wholesome/10

[Abbey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, spooky read.

[Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. Middle grade horror is not a sub-genre I expected to enjoy as much as Horror in general, but this was good. Some of the parts genuinely had me concerned for the protagonist. I love Nev, they were such a fun protagonist to follow around, and I like their habit of having to fiddle with things.

I also adore the illustrations for this book. I wasn’t expecting each chapter to have a scene that was fully illustrated. Looking forward to seeing what else this author publishes.

[Cory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have pretty mixed feelings about this latest work from Ethan M Aldridge. I absolutely loved the bleak and dreary setting of Deephaven, the characters were strong and diverse (nonbinary lead!), and the art was fantastic, but I felt the plot quite lacking. Perhaps I went in expecting too much from a very middle-grade novel, but not much happened in the book. There was a lot of ornamental language that was reused ("mechanical mind" must have been said at least two or three times) to pad the runtime seemingly. I really enjoyed the action when it happened, but it was fleeting. My favorite thing about Deephaven was definitely the art. Aldridge is a good writer but a great artist! He kind of parallels Junji Ito in this distinction, while I would argue Aldridge tells better stories than Ito. I'm hoping there may be a graphic novel edition of Deephaven as I want more art of these wonderful characters, this wonderfully gloomy setting, and more meat versus internal ornamentation. I enjoyed my time with this book, I was just expecting too much.

P.S. I find some of the reviews of this book criticizing the main character's they/them pronouns very harmful. It was not hard at all to keep up with these pronouns, so I would argue that the folks complaining just have some deep seated disregard for non-binary and trans people.

[Dan · Rating 2 out of 5]

If Gallowgate and The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane had a disappointing baby. It read a lot like a debut novel, and I might be more forgiving if that were the case, but the author has written other things before.

Middle grade dark academia, so it should have been my scene, but there were a number of distracting tics (constant references to Nev’s “mechanical mind” and things being tucked into corners or pockets every other page, it seemed) and the story itself didn’t make much sense.

Nev accepted getting told off for going into the east wing without telling the principal they were locked in by a prefect. It was set during the Depression, but there seems to be no reason for this, given everyone read like modern teenagers, and it didn’t add anything to the story beyond the lack of electricity. The reveal of Deephaven secretly being a magic school fell flat. Nothing about the story meshed into a fluid whole is what it really comes down to.

(Also, I struggle with singular they and often had to go back to clarify whether Nev alone was doing something or if the person Nev was with was also included, but that’s more of a me problem.)

It wasn’t offensive or boring enough to get only one star, but nothing about it particularly impressed me.

[Can Dragons Read? · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderfully spooky middle grade that genuinely gave me goosebumps. This was dark academia, queer, horror, mystery but made for middle grade and I loved that. The vibes were on point, the characters went from lovable to eerie to sus, so they were well fleshed out. This was easy to devour and so much fun.

[ColleenIsBooked · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this queer middle grade mystery set in a boarding school. Nev is a flawed character but you can’t help but feel for them and want them to succeed. I also love their best friend Danny who is very brave and enjoys making others feel comfortable. I felt like there was enough intrigue and creep factor to keep my attention. I am excited to see where the series heads in the next book!

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I initially gave this 4 stars because I listened to the audio book, which was great, but after ordering a physical copy and seeing the gorgeous illustrations I'm bumping it to 5. I'm really looking forward to getting the sequel whenever it drops

[Cakesaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

My spook-obsessed child self would have loved this and my spook-obsessed adult self is so, so glad to get to love it now.

(Also, anyone complaining about the use of they/them in the year of our lord 2023/24/25 is weak and won‘t survive the winter, good riddance.)

[Sarah Laudenbach · Rating 3 out of 5]

"This helped. This had always helped. Nev's magpie heart sought and gathered the misplaced, broken parts of the world around them, and their mechanical mind shaped it into something new. In Nev's hands, everything had a use. Everything a fit. Everything belonged exactly where it was."

A solid 3.5 rounded down to a 3.

The moment I saw the cover for Deephaven at my bookstore, I had to grab a copy of it. I think that illustration is something really under-utilized in horror books in general, and when I paged through and saw some of Aldridge's illustrations in this book, I was in love immediately. Aldridge has the coolest artistic style, and the artwork in this book is simple, but eerie, and captures the tone of Deephaven perfectly.

Between the art style of this book and how I found it to be written, I really think Deephaven would have been a 5-star read if it had been made a graphic novel rather than a chapter book. I found Aldridge's writing style to be a little lacklustre, and some of the descriptions in Deephaven really just dragged on for too long. The pacing with this one was off for me, not only because there were really boring stretches between very interesting moments, but because we get introduced to the monster of Deephaven very, very quickly. Somehow, Deephaven moves both too fast and too slow.

The other thing about this book is, despite the spooky illustrations and premise, Deephaven isn't actually as much of a horror book as I had expected it to be. It's actually more of a dark fantasy mystery story, focusing more on magic and spells than on what goes bump in the night. Granted, the series is called Deephaven Mystery, so I can't exactly be upset that this book was more a mystery-solving thing than a monster-hunting thing.

All of this being said, the two absolute standout parts of Deephaven for me were the artwork, and Nev's characterization. I absolutely adore Nev as a character, not only because it's so refreshing to have nonbinary rep in a middle grade book, but because of Nev's implied neurodivergence. While I've seen many reviewers dismiss Nev as nothing more than a kleptomaniac, it's so clear to me that their penchant for taking things is not only a trauma response to growing up in the Great Depression, but because they need something to do with their hands. There's so many great lines in Deephaven about how Nev's brain works, about how they relate more to math and science and things with definitive answers rather than the loosey-goosey terms of magic. Nev is a puzzle-solver and mechanically-minded, and I absolutely loved to see how they managed to relate their ways of thinking to things that wouldn't make sense to them otherwise. Really, even though Deephaven wasn't the horror monster story I wanted, I would absolutely read the rest of this series just because I love Nev as a character so much.

I would absolutely recommend Deephaven, just not necessarily as a horror book, so much as a dark academia fantasy. Don't be fooled by the spooky cover and illustrations: there may be a monster, but first and foremost, Deephaven is a school full of magic.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deephaven is not a particularly scary story when it comes to middle grade horror, but it was certainly very atmospheric as it takes place at an academy for students with specialized talents and interests with all the usual tropes that goes along with such a setting. However, the plot moved along quickly and the author used those tropes to develop an interesting plot and fun characters,

I thought the plot was well-developed, and the way the author creates a scene is really good. There is this focus on the little things which really enhance the overall enjoyment of the story and also makes you feel like you are there without being overly descriptive for a middle grade novel. The story moved along rather quickly, with an evenly-paced story, and enough twists and turns that made me read this in one sitting. I also enjoyed the illustrations that were included in each chapter as you got to experience what Nev actually saw and I think they added to the whole atmosphere of the story. It was really easy to figure out who were the villains in the story and I think even middle grade readers will have no problem figure it out as well so some of the tension that should have existed was not there because of this. It is really unclear exactly how Deephaven works however, and while there were some hints at magical realism, a lot of it was vague and left you with many unanswered questions.

Nev is a great character and I appreciated having their background story sprinkled throughout the book. And while it was great for the author to have a nonbinary person as a main character, I don't think it had any impact on the story at all. You could have switched any character in that role and you wouldn't have known. Now while the author may have wished to downplay the role, it also made it difficult to really empathize with Nev because there was this barrier, this difficulty to understanding their motivations, no understanding as to how Nev felt as they were becoming this new person, so different from the life they just left, and how confusing it must have been to make that choice. And the other children just accept the pronouns Nev used without a thought in the world. Considering this story is set in the 1940s, I have a hard time accepting there would be little discussion around Nev's choices. However, readers may enjoy this escape from historical transphobia.

The supporting characters were interesting as well, but I especially enjoyed Danny's character, a character who really pushed the others to develop and grow as well as take chances. I love it when the supporting characters are given a chance to shine.

Deephaven was a fun, somewhat spooky read, one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It moved quickly, had interesting characters, and a story line that was engaging, but also gave me hope will continue into a sequel as so many things were left unanswered at the end, even if the ending was satisfying. This is definitely a book that many middle graders will enjoy.

[Wolfie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm not used to needing help."
"Of course you are. We all need help. You're just not used to getting it."

What to Expect -
- found family
- relatable and likeable characters
- predictable ending, but satisfying
- gothic/eerie castle
- diverse rep!

I found this was a quick read, since it is a middle grade novel after all, but I honestly kind of adored it.

This was essentially a queer dark academia read, but make it middle grade. I was SO here for it. The vibes were definitely spooky and the fact that this was set during the Depression era definitely adds a sense of urgency eerieness as well. The characters were so loveable and relatable - Nev is such a cool character and I connected with them right from the start. They are a bit of a kleptomaniac (Aldridge describes them as having a "magpie mind" at one point!). Not only did this flaw play into a big part of the plot, but it just made them more realistic as well. The rest of the characters were also really well written, with different flaws and talent. I also appreciated the diverse representation - not only do we have a NB (implied to be autistic!) MC, but a black best friend and a sapphic relationship!

I do think that this could have been a bit longer - I would have loved to hear more about the history of Deephaven. So much time is spent on the characters, that the world building feels a little bit lackluster? However, I know there is a sequel so fingers crossed it delves deeper into that side of things! I also got the pieces of the puzzle put together before it was stated so it was a predictable, but satisfying, ending.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It wasn't "scary", but it definitely had an eerie vibe. Nev was such a great narrator and I just wanna wrap them up in a huge hug. I can't wait to read the sequel!

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book may be able to scratch a very specific "poor young protagonist with no reliable family receives a letter inviting them to attend a mysterious school where they make friends for the first time" kind of itch. Only the protagonist is non-binary, so that also conveys a certain message if you know what I mean.

While it's almost impossible not to draw some parallels with other books, this is very much its own story. I'm not entirely sure I know how old Nev is supposed to be, but I'd guess around 14 or 15 at most. It's not particularly scary, but it is quite exciting when it gets into the action, and I found it very atmospheric. If you're looking for dark academia books for spooky season but don't usually like horror, this is likely something you'll enjoy. Just creepy enough for the aesthetic, but I don't think it would give anyone nightmares.

I was hoping for even more illustrations, but we get two per chapter, and I really enjoy Aldridge's style. I read the ebook in conjunction with the audiobook, and it was a delightful experience.

[Anna]

So I went on a little bit of a hunt into trans books that I hadn't read so that I could contribute to a top trans books of 2024 poll and the sequel to this was on that list so obviously I had to read the first one. This is a boarding school with some spooky elements. Main character is non-binary and they end up at this boarding school that has seemingly very few adults besides an uptight principle and a nurse. There is something living in this school that is not human and I'm going to admit that even though I am almost 30 years old this was a little creepy for me. I do think it all works out and I really liked it but I was like in my little head listening to this at work and one of my coworkers came up behind me and scared the shit out of me. So even though I am a scaredy cat I do feel like this leans towards older middle grade unless you have a middle grade kid who loves horror and spooky things. It is still age appropriate for that 8 to 12 age range but just be mindful.

[Elizabeth Mellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s for this MG dark academia!

Following a non-binary MC, Nev, into a weird school that seems to have a scary problem, this was easy to read. I loved the illustrations, they helped add to the spooky vibe. The magic system was confusing for me, I would’ve liked it to either be more explained or less (poof, we found a spell!), but otherwise I really enjoyed it.

[Canyen Heimuli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very very very good! Check it out!!!

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Moody, spooky, Harry potter-esque, cinderella-esque.

I wanted more background on the school.

[GraceInSpace · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful spooky middle grade read! I enjoyed my time with Deephaven quite a bit, and I look forward to reading more in the series!