Scrimshaw

Deephaven Mystery #2

by Ethan M. Aldridge

Ethan M. Aldridge, bestselling creator of Estranged, returns to the eerie world of Deephaven Academy, where a creepy new artifact discovered in the depths of the basement could have disastrous effects on the school. A perfect read for fans of J. A. White and Mary Downing Hahn!

After a chaotic semester, Guinevere “Nev” Tallow is looking forward to a quiet winter break at Deephaven Academy. But when they discover a strange artifact—a scrimshaw—hidden away deep in the under-basement of the school, they can’t resist the urge to investigate further.

This scrimshaw seems to be the skull of the school’s founder, Malachi Haven. Each of the skull’s few remaining teeth is engraved with a tiny image that foretells disaster. Nev quickly becomes obsessed with this mystery—not even their best friend, Danny, can distract them. And after something begins striking down students, Nev and Danny wonder if the images etched into the ancient teeth are actually warnings.

Can Nev protect the school from the coming doom foreseen by the scrimshaw, or are they on a collision course with fate?

Genres: Middle Grade, Horror, Fantasy, Fiction, Queer, Mystery, LGBT

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 3, 2024

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

[Annie Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost, the opening paragraph of this book is so insanely strong and pulled me into the underbasement right along with Nev.
Both Nev and Danny are wonderful, well-developed characters anyone would be lucky to get to know, and they’ve quickly become a new favorite literary duo. I feel like this book developed them extremely well and I really enjoyed learning more about Danny! I also love Patience, and I am nervous to find out what she’s been up to this whole time. I know it can’t be good.

One of the strongest aspects of this series is the illustrations, which do so much to help the reader be fully immersed in the story. I’m not always the best as visualizing in books, so having such a strong visual correlation adds so much for me, and it’s so cool to know that the author did the illustrations as well. I know that this book will get shelved in the young readers section, but the writing is of such a quality that it really and truly can and should be enjoyed by all ages.

On a more personal note, having trained in human osteology throughout my bachelors and masters, I really appreciated the bones and teeth in this story 🖤

~I was given an early digital review copy of the book by the author for being a bookseller willing to give an honest review~

[Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scrimshaw is the second book in the Deephaven Mystery series and I think I may have enjoyed it even more than the first book!

Nev is a student at Deephaven Academy staying at the school over winter break because they have nowhere else to go. After exploring the school’s basement and uncovering a scrimshaw, a skull with various carvings engraved in the teeth, Nev learns that the skull belonged to Deephaven’s founder, Malachi Haven… and each image on the teeth is a warning of impending danger. As disaster begins to unfold at Deephaven, Nev must try to solve the mystery surrounding the scrimshaw and protect the school and its students from anymore harm.

Aldridge does a fantastic job at writing well-developed characters and crafting a plot that will have you unable to put the book down. I loved the friendship between Nev and Danny and found myself fully immersed in the story, especially with the accompanying illustrations at the end of each chapter. I also really enjoyed that this story was a little scarier than that of the first book. While these books are middle grade, I really do feel like this story is for readers of all ages—especially if you are a fan of haunted, dark academia vibes. I loved getting to revisit the halls of Deephaven once again.

Thank you so much to the author for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 4 out of 5]

E ARC provided by the author

It's winter break at Deephaven, and Nev Tallow is staying at the school, since they have nowhere else to go. Prefect Patience Sleepwell is also there, and the two have settled into an uneasy rhythm. Nev has promised to wait for Danny to get back to school before they delve deeper into Deephaven't secrets, but... it's boring with no one around!. In the underbasement, Ned finds very old documents, including the will of Malachi Haven... and his skull! Haven had been a monk in the chapel that was one of the first buildings at Deephaven, but was a highly disturbing figure in the 1820s, wondering around telling people how they would meet their ends. The skull has small icons and scenes etched on the teeth... scrimshaw. They know they shouldn't have the skull, especially since Patience is determined to get them in trouble. When one of the students has an allergic reaction to food, and later the shelves fall over in the library, Nev knows that it is Haven't work, but Principal Blanchely is sure it is Nev's fault! Danny, who is afraid of small spaces, doesn't want to go back with Nev to return the skull, and also has his fencing to worry about. The two do find that Haven was found dead in 1824 in a manner befitting how vampires were dispatched, giving them even more cause for concern. Later, at a fencing match, Nev has a bad feeling. Haven shows up (not that anyone else can see him), and when Nev yells at Danny to be careful, he slips and is injured. Nev is sure that they are a danger to their best friend and to the school, especially when a horrible blizzard hits Deephaven, stranding everyone at the school. Further research sheds more light on why Haven has a hold over the school, but when the robed, headless figure attacks Nev yet again, Nev stabs it with a screwdriver. A fire starts in the school, and everyone has to be evacuated into the cold. Students, led by Nev, eventually put it out with snow. Blanchley is sure that New started the fire, because one of their tools was found in the gas line. Danny and Nev, who finally talk and discuss why they have been avoiding each other, decide that in order to put Haven to rest, they need to reunite his skull with his body, which is buried in a sarcophagus on the school grounds. Of course, this isn't easy, and the coffin is a puzzle box. Even if they manage to open it, can the two friends manage to put Haven to rest without imperiling themselves?
Strengths: Nev suspected that there was a more harrowing story behind all of Deephaven's mysteries, and there certainly was. The historical look at Malachi Haven and his odd life is made even creepier by an engraved skull that sets Nev dead center of the swirling malevolence unleashed when Haven't remains are disturbed. There's a good balance between Nev's delving into the history and fighting with the hooded figure and having to navigate his friendship with Danny and deal with other members of the school, like Patience and Principal Blanchley. The skull, with it's odd etching and generally frightening mien, was a great choice for the cover. Aldridge's full page illustrations at the end of this cover are fantastic, and definitely add to the appeal of this series. Whille the story wraps up the developments with Haven nicely, and could be the end of the series, there is also room for another book. A great title to add to any middle grade list of academy tales.
Weaknesses: I was vaguely curious about Nev's father, and thought he might resurface, but nothing happened there. To be very nit picky, there is an account of a woman in the 1820s being harangued by Haven's ramblings of Doom at the "grocery store", which seemed anachronistic. Perhaps this will be changed in the final version.
What I really think: Boarding school tales are always popular, and this has a creepy, Steampunk feel to it that will appeal to fans of Alexander's Gallowgate, MacHale's The Curse of the Boggin, or Terry's graphic novel Graveyard Shakes. Who knows? Maybe young readers will even be motivated by one of the teachers, whose name is Bellairs, to pick up the classic The House with a Clock in It's Walls.

[Anna]

So I was just looking at other reviews and apparently there are illustrations at the end of chapters in this book. I listen to the audiobooks so I missed out on that but I'm tempted to get physical copies just to see the artwork.

I was really glad to revisit Nev and the academy and this book is a little bit scarier than the first. I feel like the ending of the first book really toned down the spookiness of it and this book stays spooky throughout. It's fantastic read for people who like dark academia. I loved the friendship between Nev Danny and just the way that all this is written to be a continuing series. Like I could see tons of books in this series with little adventures that they go on every time and I would devour every single one. It's such a fun series and I really like them.

[Kel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking love this series 🤍

[Devon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sequel to Deephaven by Ethan M. Aldridge titled Scrimshaw sees Nev scaring up more trouble when they trot down to the forbidden sub-basement and, amongst troves of decades’ worth of contraband, discover a skull tucked away in a trunk. The skull has scrimshaw on the teeth (that is to say, engravings) and Nev soon discovers that they are warnings to doom soon to come. When Nev is at the centre of each incident, the blame soon falls on them, and they have to work to both stop terrible things from occurring as well as avoid being expelled.

I didn’t like this one as much as I did its predecessor; I think I wanted more Danny working with Nev. It makes sense why he was absent, as Nev is so wound up in the skull that it turns into a revelation at the end, but still! It was good, spooky fun, however, and the drawings are enjoyable.

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for providing an early pdf of this book!

Scrimshaw, the second book in the Deephaven Mysteries, dives right in during winter break, where we meet Nev once again snooping the halls to uncover more arcane secrets. I was so glad to be met with the same eerie way the house creaks its feelings as more mysteries were pulled into the light.

I am a big fan of Aldridge's graphic novels and the illustrations helped drive home the dark and ancient feelings of living at Deephaven Academy.

It was exciting to see a curse impact Nev so directly this time around, as it gave some extra tension between Nev and Danny. I had hoped to see Nev start to trust Danny more, as he has a lot of confidence and advice to give. Nev gets quite stuck in their own head like I do, and it's a good thing to make sure you know that there are others who can help. I'm glad that both characters had that trust build up better over the course of this second semester and I'm excited to see Nev rely on their friend in any future volumes. Overall, I felt like this second volume had good pacing similar to the first. It didn't start too slowly and with all the scrimshaw predictions happening throughout, there was always an element of excited dread for what was to come next.

4/5 stars! Thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and pacing, and would love to see some characters rely on each other more in the future!

[Teresa Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

The adventures of Deephaven continue when Nev explores the secret basement of the school. Nev stumbles upon a chest AND a creepy skull. There are odd symbols on the skull's teeth. Could they mean anything? A few days after discovering the skull, accidents begin to happen - falling book shelves, injuries during classes, and even a fire. Nev fears that they are the cause of these dangers, but with the help of their best friend, Danny, the two friends realize that there is a terrifying presence at work. Can the two stop the dark force from the grave or will Nev fall victim to its power?
This is a quick read and though not spectacular, it's a decent story. What slows down the story's momentum is the "they" pronoun usage. It is good to have inclusive books and characters, but "they" can get confusing. Often it is hard to know if "they" means Nev alone, or Nev and Danny, or Nev and the creature. To avoid some of this confusion, the author reverts to just saying "Nev" instead of the pronoun so even in small paragraphs the character's name is used several times, which isn't typical in most books. I asked several students to review this book for me, but the confusion wasn't worth it for any of them and they gave the book a pass. That being said, students identifying as non-gender or nonbinary might appreciate a relatable character.

[Mindy Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

as nev continues digging into both the history and the physical bowels of the academy itself, they discover a dreadful relic covered in cryptic clues which seem to predict dangers that will befall the students; nev, in classic nev fashion, foregoes enlisting the help of any adults and dives headfirst into the case on their own. i loved this! like the first book in the series, this didn't shy away from nasty, delicious horror imagery, didn't talk down to the characters or the reader, and was beautifully written. again there was absolutely zero comment within the book on the protag's pronouns, they simply ~were, and i know i gushed about that last time, but it's so lovely to see and so, so necessary for kids to be able to see characters who, not only might they feel represented by, but also who represent kids who might be very different from them, depicted in a matter of fact way like this. there was some separation and misunderstanding between nev and their best friend danny in this, and i thought the sadness and alienation and frustration of the situation were portrayed flawlessly. if you or a kid in your life are into whimsical, magical realism mysteries with a heavy dose of genuine horror i absolutely recommend this series. 5/5.

[SOYAMRG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nev’s exploration of Deephaven, a school for the privileged and magical, takes them to a basement, where they find a skull with strange images carved into its teeth. Nev works hard with their friend Danny to decipher the symbols, but it isn’t until strange and terrible accidents start befalling their fellow students that it becomes clear that the skull is predicting all the terrible events. But why is Nev always at the scene of the tragedies? And why can’t they sleep without having vivid nightmares? This creepy mystery is the 2nd installation of the Deephaven Mystery series and will be sure to delight and send shivers down the spine of its readers.

The plot, mystery, and characters are all clearly outlined with Nev being a stand out representation of a non-binary main character. While you can enjoy the novel without having read the first, it would be helpful to be familiar with the universe before beginning this book.

Recommended for purchase for any library serving children in grades 5th through 9th that already own the first book in the series.

M.S.
Children's Librarian

[Miss Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nev’s exploration of Deephaven, a school for the privileged and magical, takes them to a basement, where they find a skull with strange images carved into its teeth. Nev works hard with their friend Danny to decipher the symbols, but it isn’t until strange and terrible accidents start befalling their fellow students that it becomes clear that the skull is predicting all the terrible events. But why is Nev always at the scene of the tragedies? And why can’t they sleep without having vivid nightmares? This creepy mystery is the 2nd installation of the Deephaven Mystery series and will be sure to delight and send shivers down the spine of its readers. The plot, mystery, and characters are all clearly outlined with Nev being a stand out representation of a non-binary main character. While you can enjoy the novel without having read the first, it would be helpful to be familiar with the universe before beginning this book. Recommended for purchase for any library serving children in grades 5th through 9th that already own the first book in the series.

[Gianni Pratico · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed book 2 of the Deephaven mysteries. Though not as chilling or scary as the first book, there were still plenty of moments of suspense that left me itching to read more. It feels like Aldridge has barely scratched the surface of this world. The foreshadowing was heavy in this book, giving away plot details that I think I would have preferred as true reveals. It became pretty obvious what the "mystery/villan/monster" was emulating, but I still enjoyed the procedural steps to the end. Like with most prophesy based stories, nothing the characters do will prevent the future from happening, but the meanings behind the ambigous puctures in the scrimshaw as they were revealed was still entertaining. And of course, arguably the best part is with Aldridge's illustrations. I couldn't wait for every chapter ending to see what scene was illustrated. Superb talent. Overall, I look forward to my next jump into Deephaven.

[Misty · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a lot of fun! It was nice to revisit these characters and setting, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first one.

Don’t know if this counts as spoiler territory or not, but I remembered from the first one how the teachers’ lessons often foreshadowed the plot, so with that in mind, that initial biology lesson snippet at the start of the book was a heck of an opening. Well played. Also shoutout to Patience, I don’t know what she’s up to but I support women’s wrongs. Looking forward to the next one!

[Eliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scrimshaw
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5 (3.5/5)

This was a little disappointing. I really enjoyed Deephaven and was hoping that Scrimshaw would be able to follow up in an interesting way. However, Scrimshaw didn't quite hit in the same way for me. Instead of showing growth from the previous book, Nev seems to backpedal deeper into their solitary, self-reliant, independent ways until the very end. The characters were the shining light of the original for me, but we barely learn anything new about them in this book. The ending also felt super rushed. :/

[blackbirds · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good follow-up to Deephaven! I felt for Nev for the entire book and wanted to punt Patience and the principal A LOT (which I think is the intended reaction). I do wish there was more students in this one (it's heavily focused on Nev, Patience, and Danny which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but makes the school feel rather small), but I loved the story a lot. Nev deserves a break! Definitely a good read for spooky chills during the Halloween season!

[Rai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't sure about this one at the start, it took a little while for the plot to feel organic. I found myself frustrated by Nev's insistence on handling things on their own. However, as the mystery deepened I found myself drawn in, wondering where things were going. I think a younger reader might not have been frustrated like I was. Also... wow, that ending! There are some high stakes in this book, and ultimately I thought the mystery was well put together and compelling.

[Melissa Murdock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good! But missing a little something something

[Canyen Heimuli · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!!!

[Izzi Mata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful entry into the world of Deephaven. I love Nev so very much and hope Ethan continues to add to their story.

[ColleenIsBooked · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am loving this series. It's so creepy and a well-done mystery. I love Nev as a main character and I'm so excited to read more in this series!

[Jennifer Kanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit darker than the first. I hope there'll be a third book, and a fourth, and a ....

[Ashley Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this!

[Brenna Gehlen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Blue]

WAY scarier than book one by virtue of Nev ending up having to doubt their own actions. Looking forward to any potential future installments of this series.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick and fun read that set up a potential third book really well! Deephaven is a solid middle grade series.

[Dasha Fuge · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good middle-of-the-road book. I definitely liked Deephaven more but this was still quite enjoyable. I don’t have anything negative to say about it - it was a nice sequel :)

[Andy Karlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another pitch-perfect entry in the Deephaven books. I could go into more detail, but I'll just say that my John Bellairs-reading ten year old ass would have absolutely inhaled these books.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in a series will appeal to middle school readers who enjoy the winning combination of horror, mystery, magic, and fantasy.

Nev (short for Genevieve) survived their first term at Deephaven Academy, a small private boarding school with mysterious vibes. Nev doesn’t have anywhere else to be; Their mom ran away years ago and their dad was recently arrested.

Previously, Nev and new friend Danny experienced magical, paranormal events that the school clearly tries to hide from the students. The two found the secret under-basement below the school which stores mysterious artifacts and other contraband taken from students decades ago. Despite their dangerous adventures last term, Nev is eager to explore more underground.

As a rare student who stayed at Deephaven over winter break, they had time to explore the under-basement and find interesting info about the founder of Deephaven, Malachi Haven. Nev is shocked to find Malachi’s skull and even more surprised to see images etched into the teeth (pictures carved into bone are known as scrimshaw).

When near-fatal accidents start occuring that were predicted by the scrimshaw, Nev knows they have to figure out what’s happening before things turn fatal. Adding to the horror is that Nev keeps seeing a mysterious spectre in a long black cloak roaming the halls and the skull keeps returning to his room–even after being returned underground.

Can Nev figure out how to stop the scrimshaw events from happening before he’s arrested for the tragedies or, even worse, becomes the next victim?

Students will love the scary scenes and action told by a non-binary main character’s point-of-view. I would recommend reading the previous book first, but I think readers can enjoy this one without doing that.