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Lovely Dark and Deep
From author Elisa A. Bonnin comes Lovely Dark and Deep, a YA dark academia novel exploring magic, loneliness, and the power of found family.
Hidden off the coast of Washington, veiled in mist, there is an island that does not appear on any map. And on that island is Ellery West.
Ellery West has always been home for Faith. After an international move and a childhood spent adjusting to a new culture and a new language, the acclaimed school for magic feels like the only place she can be herself. That is, until Faith and another student walk into the forest, and only Faith walks out.
Marked with the red stripe across her uniform that designates all students deemed too dangerous to attend regular classes, Faith becomes a social pariah, an exile of Ellery West. But all she has to do is keep her head down for one more year to graduate, and she gets to keep her magic. Because when students fail out of Ellery West, they have their magic taken away. Forever. And Faith can't let that happen.
Except terrifying things are still happening to students, and the dark magic that was unleashed in the forest still seems to be at work. To stop it, Faith and the other Red Stripes will have to work together, risking expulsion from the magical world altogether.
Hidden off the coast of Washington, veiled in mist, there is an island that does not appear on any map. And on that island is Ellery West.
Ellery West has always been home for Faith. After an international move and a childhood spent adjusting to a new culture and a new language, the acclaimed school for magic feels like the only place she can be herself. That is, until Faith and another student walk into the forest, and only Faith walks out.
Marked with the red stripe across her uniform that designates all students deemed too dangerous to attend regular classes, Faith becomes a social pariah, an exile of Ellery West. But all she has to do is keep her head down for one more year to graduate, and she gets to keep her magic. Because when students fail out of Ellery West, they have their magic taken away. Forever. And Faith can't let that happen.
Except terrifying things are still happening to students, and the dark magic that was unleashed in the forest still seems to be at work. To stop it, Faith and the other Red Stripes will have to work together, risking expulsion from the magical world altogether.
396 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2025
38 people are currently reading
9474 people want to read
About the author
Elisa A. Bonnin
8 books153 followersElisa A. Bonnin was born and raised in the Philippines, then moved to the United States to study chemistry and later oceanography. After completing her doctorate, she moved to Germany, where she now works as a scientific writer. A lifelong learner, Elisa is always convinced that she should “maybe take a class in something” and as a result, has amassed an eclectic collection of hobbies. But writing will always be her true love. Publishing a book had been her dream since she was eight years old, and she is thrilled to finally be sharing her epic fantasy stories. She is the author of Dauntless, Stolen City, Lovely Dark and Deep, and her forthcoming novel, The Night King’s Court.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
September 4, 2025
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!
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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!
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April 7, 2025
3.5⭐️Rounded up
"Lovely Dark and Deep" is a young adult dark academia book featuring a found family and an engaging magical system. It reminded of Harry Potter, and I enjoyed it from the start.
Faith finds herself at Ellery West, a magical school hidden away on an island invisible to outsiders. After a tragic incident, she is forced to join the Red Stripes, an ostracized group on the brink of losing their power. However, something in the woods continues to claim lives, and the Red Stripes risk losing their power to uncover the truth.
I enjoyed the storyline and the magic system, and I was intrigued by what was really happening at the school and in the woods. However, the pacing could have been better as it felt rushed and yet slow in parts. The friendship between Faith and Sydney could have been expanded upon prior to the incident, and the relationships with Red Stripes could have been more developed. This was a fun YA story with a lot of potential, but it felt like it fell a little flat. There were too many social issues included just to seem relevant, and a trans character thrown in unexpectedly. It seemed to detract from the story rather than enhancing it.
Thank, NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
"Lovely Dark and Deep" is a young adult dark academia book featuring a found family and an engaging magical system. It reminded of Harry Potter, and I enjoyed it from the start.
Faith finds herself at Ellery West, a magical school hidden away on an island invisible to outsiders. After a tragic incident, she is forced to join the Red Stripes, an ostracized group on the brink of losing their power. However, something in the woods continues to claim lives, and the Red Stripes risk losing their power to uncover the truth.
I enjoyed the storyline and the magic system, and I was intrigued by what was really happening at the school and in the woods. However, the pacing could have been better as it felt rushed and yet slow in parts. The friendship between Faith and Sydney could have been expanded upon prior to the incident, and the relationships with Red Stripes could have been more developed. This was a fun YA story with a lot of potential, but it felt like it fell a little flat. There were too many social issues included just to seem relevant, and a trans character thrown in unexpectedly. It seemed to detract from the story rather than enhancing it.
Thank, NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 14, 2025
I’m so happy to be able to partake in the book tour hosted by Lonely Pages for Elisa A. Bonnin’s new, upcoming YA fantasy standalone! Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Out 03/25/2025!
I’ve had my eyes set on this book because not only is Elisa A. Bonnin is Filipino, but because the synopsis was so exciting. And it truly did not disappoint! Lovely Dark and Deep is a dark and action-filled novel down to its very last page, with a subtle hint of sapphic romance. It’s such a thrilling addition to the YA genre, with its unique elemental-based magic system that is also woven with Filipino folklore and culture, seeing as our FMC Maria Faith (very Filipino name actually) and her family are immigrants from Iloilo (yes, I’ve been there lots of times I live for four hours away from when I was in the Philippines). Not only that, but she discusses detachment and losing the language, which is honestly unspoken of around immigrant children, a great addition to this novel. Moreover, she is perfectly flawed, impulsive, and stubborn, but we see grow from a girl who still carries guilt from her best friend’s death to one who embraces her fears and moves forward. Furthermore, this book is extremely diverse with powerful people of color, has amazing queer representation, and the autism rep is spot on! Lastly, it has the endearing cliché of the tight-knit found family trope that made this book more engaging to me because of the charming banter. Perfect for fans of Don’t Let The Forest In and The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents!
I’ve had my eyes set on this book because not only is Elisa A. Bonnin is Filipino, but because the synopsis was so exciting. And it truly did not disappoint! Lovely Dark and Deep is a dark and action-filled novel down to its very last page, with a subtle hint of sapphic romance. It’s such a thrilling addition to the YA genre, with its unique elemental-based magic system that is also woven with Filipino folklore and culture, seeing as our FMC Maria Faith (very Filipino name actually) and her family are immigrants from Iloilo (yes, I’ve been there lots of times I live for four hours away from when I was in the Philippines). Not only that, but she discusses detachment and losing the language, which is honestly unspoken of around immigrant children, a great addition to this novel. Moreover, she is perfectly flawed, impulsive, and stubborn, but we see grow from a girl who still carries guilt from her best friend’s death to one who embraces her fears and moves forward. Furthermore, this book is extremely diverse with powerful people of color, has amazing queer representation, and the autism rep is spot on! Lastly, it has the endearing cliché of the tight-knit found family trope that made this book more engaging to me because of the charming banter. Perfect for fans of Don’t Let The Forest In and The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents!
September 30, 2024
Actual rating: 3.5
I received an eARC of this book through the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book had a bit of a rough start for me since there were some character moments that came too early and don't feel quite earned. There were also some emotional moments that felt spoonfed. However, upon finishing the book I found myself attached to the main cast of characters as a group because of how endearing they were individually and how much they unquestioningly cared for one another. I haven't read much dark academia before, but I did find myself wishing there was more world-building, particularly in terms of the school setting which seemed interesting but never really got the full exposure it could have had. I did like how everything wrapped together at the end though and how the themes this book was trying to tackle were explored. There's also some great autistic and queer rep here.
I received an eARC of this book through the author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book had a bit of a rough start for me since there were some character moments that came too early and don't feel quite earned. There were also some emotional moments that felt spoonfed. However, upon finishing the book I found myself attached to the main cast of characters as a group because of how endearing they were individually and how much they unquestioningly cared for one another. I haven't read much dark academia before, but I did find myself wishing there was more world-building, particularly in terms of the school setting which seemed interesting but never really got the full exposure it could have had. I did like how everything wrapped together at the end though and how the themes this book was trying to tackle were explored. There's also some great autistic and queer rep here.
September 22, 2025
What a fun mystery solving found family little book this was! A boarding school where the worst student get red striped uniforms and stay off campus together. Their powers unstable or they can't control their magic or just get in trouble. This bad of misfits team together to solve the mystery of the forest on their island!
I loved Faith and her fire powers! Her emotions and the way she questions the people around her before learning she can trust others.
The end was way too dull? Ambiguous? The forest wanted her fire power I thought? So idk why it's happy in the end. Nor do we get to see if the forest lets [REDACTED] go at all! It felt like a half thought out ending when knowing more would've been better. It's not even enough for a cliffhanger it's just like forgotten about.
I loved Faith and her fire powers! Her emotions and the way she questions the people around her before learning she can trust others.
The end was way too dull? Ambiguous? The forest wanted her fire power I thought? So idk why it's happy in the end. Nor do we get to see if the forest lets [REDACTED] go at all! It felt like a half thought out ending when knowing more would've been better. It's not even enough for a cliffhanger it's just like forgotten about.
March 23, 2025
I like the magic set up a lot. The world was interesting. But there were things I didn’t like about this book.
This is a tale about finding yourself, friends, and family. And I do like the Red Stripes. But there was something in the narrative that was off putting with all the social issues that took away from the found family vibes.
This book has LQBTQ and autism representation. It’s mostly handled well. I say mostly because it could have done without the revelation at the end regarding Alex. Alex’s identity as an empath and being autistic and really making an effort to help her friends is already enough. She was a terrific character to until this big reveal. (She comes out as a boy and has a miraculous change.) It felt wrong. Coming out as trans will not fix your problems. It will not cure autism. It felt like such a slap in the face.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.
This is a tale about finding yourself, friends, and family. And I do like the Red Stripes. But there was something in the narrative that was off putting with all the social issues that took away from the found family vibes.
This book has LQBTQ and autism representation. It’s mostly handled well. I say mostly because it could have done without the revelation at the end regarding Alex. Alex’s identity as an empath and being autistic and really making an effort to help her friends is already enough. She was a terrific character to until this big reveal. (She comes out as a boy and has a miraculous change.) It felt wrong. Coming out as trans will not fix your problems. It will not cure autism. It felt like such a slap in the face.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2025
*3.5*
I need to review this in two parts for the rating to make sense.
characters and rep: I absolutely adored this, it was such a diverse set of characters (lesbians, bisexuals, autistic, trans and immigrant characters) who I think were all represented in really well thought out ways. I loved their growth and development, the way they fit into the friendship group like a perfect little found family. them getting solace with each other when the rest of the world is scary and awful- the characters were definitely my fav part of this book.
the plot: it started out really interesting, I was intrigued by the dark academia elements meeting the gothic magic (reminded me of don’t let the forest in) but there was a bit of an issue with pacing. I feel like the story dragged out with very little development and then when it did all get revealed, you only got three chapters before we got to the epilogue where everything was somehow … fine? I would’ve liked a clearer progression rather than a story with such highs and lows of development.
overall I think this is a good YA book with diverse characters and can definitely see this appealing to different readers, I just think I focus so much on plot as a point (probably bc I’m a fantasy reader) that I was a little let down in some areas
I need to review this in two parts for the rating to make sense.
characters and rep: I absolutely adored this, it was such a diverse set of characters (lesbians, bisexuals, autistic, trans and immigrant characters) who I think were all represented in really well thought out ways. I loved their growth and development, the way they fit into the friendship group like a perfect little found family. them getting solace with each other when the rest of the world is scary and awful- the characters were definitely my fav part of this book.
the plot: it started out really interesting, I was intrigued by the dark academia elements meeting the gothic magic (reminded me of don’t let the forest in) but there was a bit of an issue with pacing. I feel like the story dragged out with very little development and then when it did all get revealed, you only got three chapters before we got to the epilogue where everything was somehow … fine? I would’ve liked a clearer progression rather than a story with such highs and lows of development.
overall I think this is a good YA book with diverse characters and can definitely see this appealing to different readers, I just think I focus so much on plot as a point (probably bc I’m a fantasy reader) that I was a little let down in some areas
October 30, 2024
this book was a lot better than I expected!! I wasn’t super psyched by the synopsis but ended up falling in love with every single side character. There’s a lgbtq+ and autistic character I really related to. If you like horror forest vibes, found family friend groups, diverse cast of characters, school setting and unique magic abilities, I’d recommend!
March 29, 2025
3.5/5 stars
A charming and atmospheric YA gothic contemporary fantasy that does the found family trope so incredibly well. With a beautifully eerie setting that practically breathes on its own, this book nails the dark academia aesthetic while still feeling unique and heartfelt.
One of my absolute favorite things about this book is its diverse and genuinely well-done representation. The inclusion of LGBTQIA+, autistic (nonverbal), and Filipino culture feels authentic, and I loved how it touched on cultural differences and the complexities of growing up between identities. While this is a gothic story filled with shadowy forests and whispered dangers, at its core, it’s a coming-of-age tale—one that celebrates differences rather than erasing them.
The found family aspect is fantastic—this is the kind of friend squad I desperately wanted as a teen. Their dynamic, their struggles, and the way they band together despite being branded as outcasts? Amazing. The mystery kept me engaged, the magic system was fun, and while the darker aspects could have been explored with more depth, I still adored the overall vibe of this book.
That said, this does read on the younger end of YA, so some of the more complex themes don’t get as much focus as I’d have liked. But honestly? That’s a small critique for what is ultimately an almost cozy gothic story. If you’re looking for a book that wraps you in a spooky, misty atmosphere while leaving you with a warm, satisfied feeling by the end, Lovely Dark and Deep can be that for you.
Thanks so much to TBR and Beyond Book Tours, the author, and the publisher for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
A charming and atmospheric YA gothic contemporary fantasy that does the found family trope so incredibly well. With a beautifully eerie setting that practically breathes on its own, this book nails the dark academia aesthetic while still feeling unique and heartfelt.
One of my absolute favorite things about this book is its diverse and genuinely well-done representation. The inclusion of LGBTQIA+, autistic (nonverbal), and Filipino culture feels authentic, and I loved how it touched on cultural differences and the complexities of growing up between identities. While this is a gothic story filled with shadowy forests and whispered dangers, at its core, it’s a coming-of-age tale—one that celebrates differences rather than erasing them.
The found family aspect is fantastic—this is the kind of friend squad I desperately wanted as a teen. Their dynamic, their struggles, and the way they band together despite being branded as outcasts? Amazing. The mystery kept me engaged, the magic system was fun, and while the darker aspects could have been explored with more depth, I still adored the overall vibe of this book.
That said, this does read on the younger end of YA, so some of the more complex themes don’t get as much focus as I’d have liked. But honestly? That’s a small critique for what is ultimately an almost cozy gothic story. If you’re looking for a book that wraps you in a spooky, misty atmosphere while leaving you with a warm, satisfied feeling by the end, Lovely Dark and Deep can be that for you.
Thanks so much to TBR and Beyond Book Tours, the author, and the publisher for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.
March 12, 2025
ARC from the publisher
Faith, who comes from the mundane, was once a promising student at Ellery West—a hidden school of magic. Now, as she enters her senior year, she’s marked as a Red Stripe. Why? Because at the end of junior year, she and her friend Sydney ventured into the forest together… and only Faith walked out.
At Ellery West, students with red stripes on their uniforms are either rule-breakers or possess magic deemed too dangerous. If they break the rules three times, their magic can be taken away. Faith is determined to keep her magic and lay low until graduation. But whatever she and Sydney unleashed in the forest is now threatening the school, and it’s up to the Red Stripe students to solve the mystery even at the risk of getting expelled.
Lovely Dark and Deep is a YA dark academia novel with a mix of fantasy and mystery, but it also explores deeper themes. It highlights the struggles of immigrant families, the challenges of moving to an unfamiliar country, gender identity, and racial inequality. There’s something about Bonnin’s storytelling that really resonated with me, it made me feel and understand the characters' struggles even more.
I loved the magic system in this book as well. It’s cool, easy to understand, and really well thought out. That said, I wish we got more glimpses of how magic classes work. The little bits we did see were super interesting, and I wanted more! I also really liked how the book used flashbacks to build up to the accident. It gave us a deeper look at Faith and Sydney’s friendship and how it developed over the years.
The relationships among the Red Stripe students were another highlight. They always had each other’s backs, and refused to leave anyone behind.
Overall, Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa Bonnin is a great read and definitely one to add to your TBR if you love YA dark academia. Out on March 25, 2025!
Faith, who comes from the mundane, was once a promising student at Ellery West—a hidden school of magic. Now, as she enters her senior year, she’s marked as a Red Stripe. Why? Because at the end of junior year, she and her friend Sydney ventured into the forest together… and only Faith walked out.
At Ellery West, students with red stripes on their uniforms are either rule-breakers or possess magic deemed too dangerous. If they break the rules three times, their magic can be taken away. Faith is determined to keep her magic and lay low until graduation. But whatever she and Sydney unleashed in the forest is now threatening the school, and it’s up to the Red Stripe students to solve the mystery even at the risk of getting expelled.
Lovely Dark and Deep is a YA dark academia novel with a mix of fantasy and mystery, but it also explores deeper themes. It highlights the struggles of immigrant families, the challenges of moving to an unfamiliar country, gender identity, and racial inequality. There’s something about Bonnin’s storytelling that really resonated with me, it made me feel and understand the characters' struggles even more.
I loved the magic system in this book as well. It’s cool, easy to understand, and really well thought out. That said, I wish we got more glimpses of how magic classes work. The little bits we did see were super interesting, and I wanted more! I also really liked how the book used flashbacks to build up to the accident. It gave us a deeper look at Faith and Sydney’s friendship and how it developed over the years.
The relationships among the Red Stripe students were another highlight. They always had each other’s backs, and refused to leave anyone behind.
Overall, Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa Bonnin is a great read and definitely one to add to your TBR if you love YA dark academia. Out on March 25, 2025!
June 7, 2025
I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book has so much going for it. I love anything with a magical school in it. But I struggled to get into it and felt like I was forcing myself to read it and that's just not what I want for my hobby activity. I might give it another try if my library ends up getting the audiobook though.
DNF at 29%
UPDATE
I gave this book a second chance once my library got the audiobook. I agree with the other reviews this book VERY young. Given how slow the pace is, that’s not a good combination. Two things bothered me a lot of this book though. First, the ending is incomplete and this is a standalone I believe. Second, the character who is supposed to be on the spectrum just so happens to be a powerful empath and the most interpersonally/perspective taking skilled character in the entire book. Just because a person uses written language instead of spoken language does not mean they have autism. Just because a teenager storms off after their friends don’t listen to them doesn’t mean they have autism. Just because person doesn’t want to be hugged by literal strangers doesn’t mean they have autism. And just because you want to be inclusive doesn’t mean this character needed to come out as trans in like the last chapter.
This book has so much going for it. I love anything with a magical school in it. But I struggled to get into it and felt like I was forcing myself to read it and that's just not what I want for my hobby activity. I might give it another try if my library ends up getting the audiobook though.
DNF at 29%
UPDATE
I gave this book a second chance once my library got the audiobook. I agree with the other reviews this book VERY young. Given how slow the pace is, that’s not a good combination. Two things bothered me a lot of this book though. First, the ending is incomplete and this is a standalone I believe. Second, the character who is supposed to be on the spectrum just so happens to be a powerful empath and the most interpersonally/perspective taking skilled character in the entire book. Just because a person uses written language instead of spoken language does not mean they have autism. Just because a teenager storms off after their friends don’t listen to them doesn’t mean they have autism. Just because person doesn’t want to be hugged by literal strangers doesn’t mean they have autism. And just because you want to be inclusive doesn’t mean this character needed to come out as trans in like the last chapter.
Want to read
June 4, 2024ohhhhh gimme gimme gimme
March 15, 2025
This book had a really interesting premise, I really liked the setting and the magic system. That being said I think there were some pacing issues, flash back chapters broke up the overall flow of the first half of the book which had me struggling to stay invested at times. It also felt like the book tried to tackle too many social issues and inclusions making some of them feel out of left field and a bit disingenuous toward the end.
March 25, 2025
Oh no….I was so excited for this one and I hate giving critical reviews ☹ Despite it being well written from a grammar and mechanics standpoint, I DNF’d it at around the 80% mark.
I think this book had a lot of potential. I was very interested in the group of misfits, aka the Red Stripes, and I loved the mysterious forest and all of the background we got on broken promises and malicious deals between the founder of the university and the forest. However, I felt the characters were lacking a lot of depth. All of the characters had so much potential to be these incredible characters (hello! They had different magics and they couldn’t have been any different from one another), but I ultimately felt that everyone just fell short. I wish the story would have had a deeper focused lens on the characters themselves. For example, if there would have been more time focused on them actually getting to be friends so their personalities could shine, I feel that would have helped me connect more with them.
Thank you to NetGalley, Feiwel & Friends, and Elisa A. Bonnin for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
I think this book had a lot of potential. I was very interested in the group of misfits, aka the Red Stripes, and I loved the mysterious forest and all of the background we got on broken promises and malicious deals between the founder of the university and the forest. However, I felt the characters were lacking a lot of depth. All of the characters had so much potential to be these incredible characters (hello! They had different magics and they couldn’t have been any different from one another), but I ultimately felt that everyone just fell short. I wish the story would have had a deeper focused lens on the characters themselves. For example, if there would have been more time focused on them actually getting to be friends so their personalities could shine, I feel that would have helped me connect more with them.
Thank you to NetGalley, Feiwel & Friends, and Elisa A. Bonnin for the opportunity to read this book. The thoughts and opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
November 23, 2024
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! :>
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! :>
February 23, 2025
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher!
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!
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!
April 29, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
Lovely Dark and Deep takes place in a magical high school on an island with 3 schools of magic and lots of representation including autism, POC, immigrant, and queer. It follows a group of outcast students, called the Red Stripes, who are close to being expelled for either breaking rules or being too "powerful." If they get expelled they lose their magic forever; otherwise they get a magical license. The book's plot revolves around investigating the island's forest, looking into the disappearance/deaths of a few students including Syndey who is Faith's (FMC) best friend and the reason she got Red Striped, and what happened to the school when it was founded by Ellery. The world reminded me of Harry Potter. For example, magical people whose parents are nonmagical are called mundanes. However, I think it had better world building for what mages can do after graduation.
There is a lot of representation and I think it was all handled well. Faith is a baby gay and an immigrant who came to America from the Philippines when she was a child. I loved that there was one romantic relationship in the book, and it was between two of Faith's friends. The non-verbal autism representation was excellent. Alex writes everything she wants to say in a notebook for others to read, her friends are all considerate about her differences, and they handled her meltdown really well.
I hope this book has a sequel. I'm not ready to leave this world, and I want to see what comes next for this found family. I would love for Cari to find her sister and explore more what it means to lose your magic forever.
Thanks Netgalley for the arc!
Notes
magic high school for magical kids on the west coast, 3 schools of magic
filipino FMC with fire powers who came to america as a child
4 other red stripes - black girl, autistic nonverbal white girl who writes what she wants to say in a notebook for others to read, tanned redhead girl, and half asian boy (italian mother). latter 2 dating
called her powers save scumming - love the game reference
magical society has old families who’ve been around since the beginning
magical pots and pans make food for them
good queer, autism, poc, immigrant rep
flash backs to the past
baby queer - she notices when she’s close to Sydney, realizes she might have feelings for sydney, cari bi
non magical world called mundane
didn’t they leave alex’s notebook by katie
gaming and discord mentioned
messages disappeared so i guess they’re supernatural texts
sydney has weak magic and wanted to become stronger since she’s from an old magical family, becomes a wood “person”
cari and nicolas make a great couple and it’s refreshing not having the romance focus on the MC
investigate what’s going on in the forest and happened to the school when it was founded by Ellery. Disappearances/deaths of Priscilla and Sidney
story is so fast paced
meltdown handled really well as yvonne sticks up for alex and Faith always tries to put her needs first even if it’s different than established social norms
fire, wind, lighting, passive empath who can read feelings/emotions, feel people’s locations, and see dreams, and time travel powers on objects only
quite a few references to “cari” playing video games and about video games
rose was also sydney’s friend and hates fait
more world building about what mages can do outside after graduation than HP
struggles of being magical with nonmagical family and moving to another country because her relatives don’t understand
red stripes who are deemed too powerful get a “homeschooled” education and don’t go to classes so no one knows they exist
rose manipulates emotions
magic works based on the users emotions and will
artificers have a material, naturalists have an element
thought alex might be trans when faith feels how she feels about her body, glad it was confirmed, and suspected rose might be into girls
Hope there’s a book 2! ends on a hopeful note about the future of the island/school and their red stripes/rose’s future/college
found family
Would love to see more in this world
Lovely Dark and Deep takes place in a magical high school on an island with 3 schools of magic and lots of representation including autism, POC, immigrant, and queer. It follows a group of outcast students, called the Red Stripes, who are close to being expelled for either breaking rules or being too "powerful." If they get expelled they lose their magic forever; otherwise they get a magical license. The book's plot revolves around investigating the island's forest, looking into the disappearance/deaths of a few students including Syndey who is Faith's (FMC) best friend and the reason she got Red Striped, and what happened to the school when it was founded by Ellery. The world reminded me of Harry Potter. For example, magical people whose parents are nonmagical are called mundanes. However, I think it had better world building for what mages can do after graduation.
There is a lot of representation and I think it was all handled well. Faith is a baby gay and an immigrant who came to America from the Philippines when she was a child. I loved that there was one romantic relationship in the book, and it was between two of Faith's friends. The non-verbal autism representation was excellent. Alex writes everything she wants to say in a notebook for others to read, her friends are all considerate about her differences, and they handled her meltdown really well.
I hope this book has a sequel. I'm not ready to leave this world, and I want to see what comes next for this found family. I would love for Cari to find her sister and explore more what it means to lose your magic forever.
Thanks Netgalley for the arc!
Notes
magic high school for magical kids on the west coast, 3 schools of magic
filipino FMC with fire powers who came to america as a child
4 other red stripes - black girl, autistic nonverbal white girl who writes what she wants to say in a notebook for others to read, tanned redhead girl, and half asian boy (italian mother). latter 2 dating
called her powers save scumming - love the game reference
magical society has old families who’ve been around since the beginning
magical pots and pans make food for them
good queer, autism, poc, immigrant rep
flash backs to the past
baby queer - she notices when she’s close to Sydney, realizes she might have feelings for sydney, cari bi
non magical world called mundane
didn’t they leave alex’s notebook by katie
gaming and discord mentioned
messages disappeared so i guess they’re supernatural texts
sydney has weak magic and wanted to become stronger since she’s from an old magical family, becomes a wood “person”
cari and nicolas make a great couple and it’s refreshing not having the romance focus on the MC
investigate what’s going on in the forest and happened to the school when it was founded by Ellery. Disappearances/deaths of Priscilla and Sidney
story is so fast paced
meltdown handled really well as yvonne sticks up for alex and Faith always tries to put her needs first even if it’s different than established social norms
fire, wind, lighting, passive empath who can read feelings/emotions, feel people’s locations, and see dreams, and time travel powers on objects only
quite a few references to “cari” playing video games and about video games
rose was also sydney’s friend and hates fait
more world building about what mages can do outside after graduation than HP
struggles of being magical with nonmagical family and moving to another country because her relatives don’t understand
red stripes who are deemed too powerful get a “homeschooled” education and don’t go to classes so no one knows they exist
rose manipulates emotions
magic works based on the users emotions and will
artificers have a material, naturalists have an element
thought alex might be trans when faith feels how she feels about her body, glad it was confirmed, and suspected rose might be into girls
Hope there’s a book 2! ends on a hopeful note about the future of the island/school and their red stripes/rose’s future/college
found family
Would love to see more in this world
![Profile Image for lexactuallyreads [surviving off vibes ftm].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1718587936i%2F139940672._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 2, 2025
Hidden off the coast of Washington, veiled in mist, there is an island that does not appear on any map. And on that island is Ellery West.
"We can't wait to help you grow your own unique brand of magic, which you'll use for the rest of your life in the magical world."
Thank you, Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends, for this ARC to review! <3
Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin
"She remembered her mother telling her, long ago, that the things that lived in the dark would come out if she invited them.”
What a fantastic and magical queer story! Elisa A. Bonnin just gets it. This is such an incredible fantasy novel - there is so much action, just enough air of romance and the magical elements are so refreshing and new. I was on my toes constantly, and was left thinking of the characters and story during my breaks (which, unfortunately, were long and plentiful) Readers will be left turning pages on the edge of their seats. You will feel immersed in this world of mysterious magic.
"The students of Ellery West feared the Red Stripe class. That was an unwritten rule. Red Stripe students were dangerous, unpredictable, a step away from expulsion. Who knew what they would be willing to do?"
“The forest was a place where magic had been allowed to grow stagnant. It had pooled in the heart of the woods, instead of flowing freely like it did in the rest of the world. Like water in a swamp, things grew in places where magic pooled. Heavier, darker, dangerous things.”
Bonnin builds the image of Ellery West with creative imagery. You are able to visualize the forest, see the dorms and imagine the horror. Creating a class of Red Stripes with an indicator on the uniforms akin to that of the Scarlet Letter is absolute genius. The beauty of the school, coupled with the eerie dark academia vibe, with a cast of inclusive characters that possess different degrees of magical inclination makes this a fully rounded story. I felt at home with the bisexual FMC and the overwhelmed empath. I am a huge, huge fan.
Lovely Dark and Deep also has other influences and vital points to reference:
- PTSD: Faith's trauma regarding losing a friend and the fear of it happening again.
- Grief: piggybacking off of Faith's PTSD and trauma, she feels an overwhelming sense of grief due to the loss of her friend and the thought of what could have been.
“She was a curse, and if letting the forest have her would break it, then maybe that was what she deserved.”
- Generational/Familial Trauma: both Faith and Alex having issues with self-esteem and self-worth due to the lack of support and abuse from their families.
“Who was she kidding? Magic or not, she would never live a normal life. She would always be the girl who played with fire until the world burned down.”
- Found Family: most likely the most important point to reference. The Red Stripes connection and comradery is one of the most heartwarming and crucial points of this story.
“Maybe belonging was a decision. Maybe it wasn’t simply being offered a place as it was taking that place. The other Red Stripes had offered Faith a place to belong, but none of that mattered if Faith didn’t actively try to be one of them.”
-Coming of Age: Multiple characters experience tremendous arcs and growth. Faith learning to navigate through her fear and anxieties and reclaiming her agency are things I'm walking away with, personally.
“She wasn’t the girl standing with the others in a dome of flames, she was the fire. This was her magic.”
"We can't wait to help you grow your own unique brand of magic, which you'll use for the rest of your life in the magical world."
Thank you, Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends, for this ARC to review! <3
Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin
"She remembered her mother telling her, long ago, that the things that lived in the dark would come out if she invited them.”
What a fantastic and magical queer story! Elisa A. Bonnin just gets it. This is such an incredible fantasy novel - there is so much action, just enough air of romance and the magical elements are so refreshing and new. I was on my toes constantly, and was left thinking of the characters and story during my breaks (which, unfortunately, were long and plentiful) Readers will be left turning pages on the edge of their seats. You will feel immersed in this world of mysterious magic.
"The students of Ellery West feared the Red Stripe class. That was an unwritten rule. Red Stripe students were dangerous, unpredictable, a step away from expulsion. Who knew what they would be willing to do?"
“The forest was a place where magic had been allowed to grow stagnant. It had pooled in the heart of the woods, instead of flowing freely like it did in the rest of the world. Like water in a swamp, things grew in places where magic pooled. Heavier, darker, dangerous things.”
Bonnin builds the image of Ellery West with creative imagery. You are able to visualize the forest, see the dorms and imagine the horror. Creating a class of Red Stripes with an indicator on the uniforms akin to that of the Scarlet Letter is absolute genius. The beauty of the school, coupled with the eerie dark academia vibe, with a cast of inclusive characters that possess different degrees of magical inclination makes this a fully rounded story. I felt at home with the bisexual FMC and the overwhelmed empath. I am a huge, huge fan.
Lovely Dark and Deep also has other influences and vital points to reference:
- PTSD: Faith's trauma regarding losing a friend and the fear of it happening again.
- Grief: piggybacking off of Faith's PTSD and trauma, she feels an overwhelming sense of grief due to the loss of her friend and the thought of what could have been.
“She was a curse, and if letting the forest have her would break it, then maybe that was what she deserved.”
- Generational/Familial Trauma: both Faith and Alex having issues with self-esteem and self-worth due to the lack of support and abuse from their families.
“Who was she kidding? Magic or not, she would never live a normal life. She would always be the girl who played with fire until the world burned down.”
- Found Family: most likely the most important point to reference. The Red Stripes connection and comradery is one of the most heartwarming and crucial points of this story.
“Maybe belonging was a decision. Maybe it wasn’t simply being offered a place as it was taking that place. The other Red Stripes had offered Faith a place to belong, but none of that mattered if Faith didn’t actively try to be one of them.”
-Coming of Age: Multiple characters experience tremendous arcs and growth. Faith learning to navigate through her fear and anxieties and reclaiming her agency are things I'm walking away with, personally.
“She wasn’t the girl standing with the others in a dome of flames, she was the fire. This was her magic.”
March 22, 2025
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
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
November 3, 2025
I have never heard of this book, but it popped up on my recommended list on Kindle Unlimited. After reading the blurb, I knew I had to dive in, and I’m so glad I did. This book is amazing and was perfect for the reading mood I was in.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep gave a blend of magic, found family, acceptance, mystery, adventure, and self discovery. It was all so beautifully written and created a captivating story. Not to mention there are also multiple forms of representation: autism, Filipino FMC, pronoun change, sexuality discovery, and more! I loved how the author was able to blend important topics into this book flawlessly.
Our FMC, Faith, is absolutely amazing. Even after all she has been through, she continues to fight and help others. She has endured a lot with family and in school, but she didn’t shut out the world afterwards. Instead, she unknowingly found friends that would do anything for her and became her family. I admire her resilience and determination throughout this book.
Overall, I loved every second of this story. I was on the edge of my seat to see if all the different issues would be resolved, if everyone would be okay, and if we’d see Faith get her HEA. I highly recommend this read and am so delighted I picked it up randomly.
Lovely, Dark, and Deep gave a blend of magic, found family, acceptance, mystery, adventure, and self discovery. It was all so beautifully written and created a captivating story. Not to mention there are also multiple forms of representation: autism, Filipino FMC, pronoun change, sexuality discovery, and more! I loved how the author was able to blend important topics into this book flawlessly.
Our FMC, Faith, is absolutely amazing. Even after all she has been through, she continues to fight and help others. She has endured a lot with family and in school, but she didn’t shut out the world afterwards. Instead, she unknowingly found friends that would do anything for her and became her family. I admire her resilience and determination throughout this book.
Overall, I loved every second of this story. I was on the edge of my seat to see if all the different issues would be resolved, if everyone would be okay, and if we’d see Faith get her HEA. I highly recommend this read and am so delighted I picked it up randomly.
March 5, 2025
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.
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.
March 21, 2025
Thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for this eARC and here’s my honest review
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!
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 entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2025
I'm gonna say 3.75 rounded up. The ending was a little bit of a let-down for me because I felt like it was building in a different direction but I overall enjoyed the story. It was nice to be in a magical school system without the shadow of someone ruining it. I liked the magic system and the little found family most of all. It felt like how a true YA magical school book she feel like for the actual target audience which was refreshing. Definitely one I can say I'd easily recommend to teenagers today.
April 14, 2025
maybe the real magic was the friends we made along the way
December 19, 2025
It was indeed everything the title promised. Extra points for autism rep and LGBTQ+ rep.
May 26, 2025
2.5 stars rounded down.
Overall I liked the book, but there was nothing all that special about it. The story was just missing the wow factor I was hoping for, and I foresee myself forgetting about this story soon enough (hence why my rating was rounded down).
I will say though that the story had touching moments and spooky moments that I really liked. I appreciated a lot of the topics that were explored in this book. And I loved the diversity of our main cast of characters. I just didn’t find the story to be all that gripping in the end, and had it not been as short as it is, there’s a good chance I would’ve DNFed just because it felt so uneventful at times. But it’s not a bad book by any means.
I wish this book had more of a dark academia feel to it. Like yes, it takes place at a boarding school. But the “academia” element of the dark academia barely exists—we’re basically just given a paragraph here and there saying our protagonist went to class, then did some spooky investigating once the school day was over. It would’ve been more compelling to see more of the classes—I mean, we’re at a magical boarding school! Getting to see the students learn to control their powers would’ve been so fun and intriguing!
The ending felt anti-climatic, and made 95% of the book feel useless. (I discuss it more in the spoiler section.) It’s honestly a big reason why my rating isn’t higher.
The author is a pretty good writer though. And I can foresee myself reading more of their work in the future.
NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:
Overall I liked the book, but there was nothing all that special about it. The story was just missing the wow factor I was hoping for, and I foresee myself forgetting about this story soon enough (hence why my rating was rounded down).
I will say though that the story had touching moments and spooky moments that I really liked. I appreciated a lot of the topics that were explored in this book. And I loved the diversity of our main cast of characters. I just didn’t find the story to be all that gripping in the end, and had it not been as short as it is, there’s a good chance I would’ve DNFed just because it felt so uneventful at times. But it’s not a bad book by any means.
I wish this book had more of a dark academia feel to it. Like yes, it takes place at a boarding school. But the “academia” element of the dark academia barely exists—we’re basically just given a paragraph here and there saying our protagonist went to class, then did some spooky investigating once the school day was over. It would’ve been more compelling to see more of the classes—I mean, we’re at a magical boarding school! Getting to see the students learn to control their powers would’ve been so fun and intriguing!
The ending felt anti-climatic, and made 95% of the book feel useless. (I discuss it more in the spoiler section.) It’s honestly a big reason why my rating isn’t higher.
The author is a pretty good writer though. And I can foresee myself reading more of their work in the future.
NOTES I TOOK WHILE READING:
February 23, 2025
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
2.5
November 13, 2025
Con la sinopsis tuve cierta expectativa y al leer los primeros capítulos, la afiance: una trama fácil de seguir, con lenguaje sencillo ni trama pesada que me estresara… Elisa A. Binnin planteaba un mundo de magia lo suficientemente sólido para que tuviera sentido y lo suficientemente abierto para que las posibilidades del camino de la trama fueran infinitas.
…Pero la sencillez que me animó a seguir leyendo… al final fue demasiada. Así que Lo recomiendo a gente que no esté buscando tramas enredadas, sino algo para pasar el rato sin criticar lo rápido que se resuelve::
—Es una historia sobre adolescentes que aprenden empoderamiento y a encontrar un grupo que los acepte, pero…
—La novela se centra en los personajes y sus emociones, dejando en segundo plano la magia y su sociedad.
🌼 Mi propio camino amarillo 🌼
Al inicio pensé que era un universo del que quería saber más y lamentaría que fuera autoconclusivo… pero pronto encontré grietas que me hicieron querer terminarlo solo para cerrarlo.
Pero primero, hablemos de lo bueno:
✅❤️—Ellery West
La Academia de Magia Ellery, Campus Oeste, (o Ellery West) es una prestigiosa escuela de magia, ubicada en la Isla Siren, protegida por magia y ubicada en un pliegue del espacio-tiempo, haciéndola invisible e inaccesible para los extraños. En cuatro años, los estudiantes aprenden a dominar su magia, dividida en tres ramas:
Los Naturalista extraen energía de su propio cuerpo e invocan elementos como rayos, fuego, agua, etc.
Los Artificieros manipulan materia física, no la crean. Por ejemplo, pueden mover piedras pero no crearlas.
Y por último, los Luminarias, que tratan con pensamientos, mentes, emociones, con todo lo invisible e intangible.
Así que en la novela vemos de todo: desde controlar fuego, rayos, tierra, hasta manipular el espacio o alterar el tiempo, empáticos e influenciadores de emociones. Nos quedamos deslumbrados con las posibilidades, pues LITERALMENTE la trama puede usar cualquier recurso... Y usa poco ese recurso.
Osea: Faith y Sydney entraron al bosque prohibido para hacer un hechizo ( oscuro). Solo salió Faith y algo se llevó a Sysney… y ESO sigue acechando a los estudiantes, provocando eventos sombríos que Faith y su equipo deben investigar antes de que ESO vaya demasiado lejos y mueran más estudiantes”.
✅❤️—Los estudiantes: igual que sus habilidades mágicas, el equipo protagonista es variopinto. . Me encantó Alex y animaba a Faith a agarrar confianza para crecer, así que hay toda clase de problemas juveniles y adolescentes. Interacciones que deben tener para crecer y aceptarse.
*María Faith Castillo (17 años), o solo Faith, la protagonista, estudiante de 4to año. Y… mató a su mejor amiga Sydney. Es naturalista de fuego. Intenta pasar desapercibida.
Otros miembros de la libertad condicional, los Franjas Rojas:/
*Nicholas. (18 años) Naturalista de Rayo, Cuarto año. Energético y abierto. Cabello oscuro y corto, complexión atlética y alto.
*Carina (16 años). Naturalista de Viento, tercer año. Una chica baja, de piel morena, ojos marrones y cabello corto, cabello rosa neón o vivamente escarlata. Es impulsiva y de personalidad fuerte.
*Yvonne (15 años), segundo año. Artificiera Chica negra con trenzas. Dispuesta a ayudar, estudiosa y tiene un lazo especial con Alexandra.
*Alexandra (14 años), primer año, luminaria sensible. “Las personas, los pensamientos, las emociones, las cosas. No leo la mente. Pero puedo sentir cuando alguien dice la verdad o miente, o cuando está pensando demasiado. Puedo sentir tus malas pesadillas.” . Chica blanca con cabello rubio despeinado, vestida con una sudadera gris demasiado grande y unos jeans. Es autista y no habla verbalmente por lo que usa una libreta para comunicarse. Es tímida y no se abre tan fácil.
Otros estudiantes
*Sydney Price. Artificiera,manipula madera (cortada y procesada). La chica era hermosa, brillante, de una forma tan natural que hacía que Faith sintiera tanta envidia que quería gritar. Era difícil imaginarla haciendo algo tan embarazoso .
*Rose Quinton. Mejor amiga en Sydney, su fastidio por Faith se convierte en rencor al creer que ella está involucrada en la muerte de Sydney. Luminaria Influencer. Su magia afecta emociones, pensamientos en incluso, puede llegar a doblegar voluntades si está bien entrenada.
*Katie Zhu. Experta en agua. Mejor amiga de Rose Quinton.
🌼 Y nos adentramos en el camino tenebroso 🌼
Pronto aparecen los puntos débiles y la historia se desmenuza:
✅🎯.—Siento que empezamos a leer una historia que ya está avanzada, como si abriéramos el libro a la mitad.
Cuando Faith se une a las Franjas Rojas, la aceptan muy rápido, sin justificación. No del tipo “hola, buenos días, desayunemos juntos y así nos conocemos”. Sino del tipo “una sombra misteriosa te persigue y solo por haber sido incluida en las franjas Rojas, desde AYER, ponemos nuestros poderes y a nosotros mismos en riesgo de muerte, para evitar que te jalen las patas por la noche. Y no te preocupes, obviamente no lo diremos a un adulto responsable, y resolveremos esto por nuestra cuenta”.
✅🎯—La escuela es el escenario y no sabemos nada de ella
La propia escuela, donde ocurre todo, es un fondo pálido. Solo la Sr. Birch, su protectora y aliada, jefa disciplinaria de la escuela y asesora de las Franjas Rojas, quien “les anima a investigar, ser independientes, curiosos y fomentar esa “energía extra””, dice alguillo. Aparte de ella, no hay más adultos con diálogos significativos ni nunca hacemos parte de una clase mágica.
✅🎯—El mundo mágico más allá de la Isla, es un misterio
Sabemos que tras graduarse pueden unirse a sociedades mágicas o trabajar entre mundanos, pero no sabemos más. No sabemos si los mundanos conocen la existencia de la magia. La novela se limita a los sentimientos de los personajes y su crecimiento personal, dejando el universo mágico sin profundidad.
✅🎯—Los personajes son… imprudentes
Tienen 16, 17 y 18, es normal la rebeldía y que se crean inmortales, pero en vez de pedir ayuda a la Sr. Birch o considerar opciones, actúan sin pensar en la muerte. A veces parecen de 14 años.
✅🎯—Los Franjas Rojas no encajan con su descripción
Los franjas Rojas no son parias, son “volátiles, temerarios, peligrosos” y por eso son "aislados", pero, salvo Faith (supuestamente asesinó a Sydney), los demás no encajan. Incluso, que peligro mezclar estudiantes con habilidades poderosas (que no han hecho nada malo) con potenciales delincuentes que los pueden influenciar.
🌼 Conclusión y opiniones finales 🌼
Yo me hice una expectativa con la novela y me decepcionó que la magia y la escuela quedarán en un segundo plano (Desgraciadamente) y la novela se centra en desarrollar a los personajes:
El crecimiento de Faith, su auto aceptación como alguien valioso para querer, la disolución de su culpa y su crecimiento interior, genera ondas en la trama. No es lo mismo ser aceptado que CREER que esa aceptación está bien.
Faith, marcada por el rechazo familiar en Filipinas, por sus tíos, primos y abuelos mundanos, se hace pequeña para no molestar. Con las Franjas Rojas aprende a aceptarse, alzar la voz y entender que no todo lo malo es su culpa.
Y ese entendimiento se expande en otros que también necesitan ayuda: Alex, Sydney y Rose.
La historia también aborda de forma ligera temas "adolescentes" como identidad, género y "salidas del armario".
Este es el punto fuerte de la trama, los jóvenes y sus interacciones y todavía es entretenido.
…Pero la sencillez que me animó a seguir leyendo… al final fue demasiada. Así que Lo recomiendo a gente que no esté buscando tramas enredadas, sino algo para pasar el rato sin criticar lo rápido que se resuelve::
—Es una historia sobre adolescentes que aprenden empoderamiento y a encontrar un grupo que los acepte, pero…
—La novela se centra en los personajes y sus emociones, dejando en segundo plano la magia y su sociedad.
🌼 Mi propio camino amarillo 🌼
Al inicio pensé que era un universo del que quería saber más y lamentaría que fuera autoconclusivo… pero pronto encontré grietas que me hicieron querer terminarlo solo para cerrarlo.
Pero primero, hablemos de lo bueno:
✅❤️—Ellery West
La Academia de Magia Ellery, Campus Oeste, (o Ellery West) es una prestigiosa escuela de magia, ubicada en la Isla Siren, protegida por magia y ubicada en un pliegue del espacio-tiempo, haciéndola invisible e inaccesible para los extraños. En cuatro años, los estudiantes aprenden a dominar su magia, dividida en tres ramas:
Los Naturalista extraen energía de su propio cuerpo e invocan elementos como rayos, fuego, agua, etc.
Los Artificieros manipulan materia física, no la crean. Por ejemplo, pueden mover piedras pero no crearlas.
Y por último, los Luminarias, que tratan con pensamientos, mentes, emociones, con todo lo invisible e intangible.
Así que en la novela vemos de todo: desde controlar fuego, rayos, tierra, hasta manipular el espacio o alterar el tiempo, empáticos e influenciadores de emociones. Nos quedamos deslumbrados con las posibilidades, pues LITERALMENTE la trama puede usar cualquier recurso... Y usa poco ese recurso.
Osea: Faith y Sydney entraron al bosque prohibido para hacer un hechizo ( oscuro). Solo salió Faith y algo se llevó a Sysney… y ESO sigue acechando a los estudiantes, provocando eventos sombríos que Faith y su equipo deben investigar antes de que ESO vaya demasiado lejos y mueran más estudiantes”.
✅❤️—Los estudiantes: igual que sus habilidades mágicas, el equipo protagonista es variopinto. . Me encantó Alex y animaba a Faith a agarrar confianza para crecer, así que hay toda clase de problemas juveniles y adolescentes. Interacciones que deben tener para crecer y aceptarse.
—Sigues aprendiendo. Mejoras cada día. Tu magia se hará más fuerte...
—¿Cuándo, Faith? ¿Cuándo?" ¡Llevo toda la vida esperando! ¡Intentándolo!¡Y no puedo! ¡Estoy atascada con... con cosas de bebé! ¡Madera muerta! ¡Mi madre ya lo había superado en quinto! Puede hacer crecer un bosque con un puñado de semillas, y yo ni siquiera puedo... No lo entiendes. Eres tan fuerte. La única razón por la que te metes en problemas es porque no puedes controlarla
—Mi magia solo puede destruir. No es un don, Syd.
*María Faith Castillo (17 años), o solo Faith, la protagonista, estudiante de 4to año. Y… mató a su mejor amiga Sydney. Es naturalista de fuego. Intenta pasar desapercibida.
Otros miembros de la libertad condicional, los Franjas Rojas:/
*Nicholas. (18 años) Naturalista de Rayo, Cuarto año. Energético y abierto. Cabello oscuro y corto, complexión atlética y alto.
*Carina (16 años). Naturalista de Viento, tercer año. Una chica baja, de piel morena, ojos marrones y cabello corto, cabello rosa neón o vivamente escarlata. Es impulsiva y de personalidad fuerte.
*Yvonne (15 años), segundo año. Artificiera Chica negra con trenzas. Dispuesta a ayudar, estudiosa y tiene un lazo especial con Alexandra.
*Alexandra (14 años), primer año, luminaria sensible. “Las personas, los pensamientos, las emociones, las cosas. No leo la mente. Pero puedo sentir cuando alguien dice la verdad o miente, o cuando está pensando demasiado. Puedo sentir tus malas pesadillas.” . Chica blanca con cabello rubio despeinado, vestida con una sudadera gris demasiado grande y unos jeans. Es autista y no habla verbalmente por lo que usa una libreta para comunicarse. Es tímida y no se abre tan fácil.
Otros estudiantes
*Sydney Price. Artificiera,manipula madera (cortada y procesada). La chica era hermosa, brillante, de una forma tan natural que hacía que Faith sintiera tanta envidia que quería gritar. Era difícil imaginarla haciendo algo tan embarazoso .
*Rose Quinton. Mejor amiga en Sydney, su fastidio por Faith se convierte en rencor al creer que ella está involucrada en la muerte de Sydney. Luminaria Influencer. Su magia afecta emociones, pensamientos en incluso, puede llegar a doblegar voluntades si está bien entrenada.
*Katie Zhu. Experta en agua. Mejor amiga de Rose Quinton.
🌼 Y nos adentramos en el camino tenebroso 🌼
Y Faith se dio cuenta de que pronto dejarían Ellery West. Pronto, sería hora de volver a la realidad.
Y Ellery West no había sido la escuela de magia perfecta, el escape místico con el que había soñado de niña, pero había sido algo. En su momento, la amó.
Pronto aparecen los puntos débiles y la historia se desmenuza:
✅🎯.—Siento que empezamos a leer una historia que ya está avanzada, como si abriéramos el libro a la mitad.
Cuando Faith se une a las Franjas Rojas, la aceptan muy rápido, sin justificación. No del tipo “hola, buenos días, desayunemos juntos y así nos conocemos”. Sino del tipo “una sombra misteriosa te persigue y solo por haber sido incluida en las franjas Rojas, desde AYER, ponemos nuestros poderes y a nosotros mismos en riesgo de muerte, para evitar que te jalen las patas por la noche. Y no te preocupes, obviamente no lo diremos a un adulto responsable, y resolveremos esto por nuestra cuenta”.
✅🎯—La escuela es el escenario y no sabemos nada de ella
La propia escuela, donde ocurre todo, es un fondo pálido. Solo la Sr. Birch, su protectora y aliada, jefa disciplinaria de la escuela y asesora de las Franjas Rojas, quien “les anima a investigar, ser independientes, curiosos y fomentar esa “energía extra””, dice alguillo. Aparte de ella, no hay más adultos con diálogos significativos ni nunca hacemos parte de una clase mágica.
—“Estamos en la clase en libertad condicional porque rompimos las reglas. Pero también es una clase para personas cuyas habilidades se consideran demasiado peligrosas para tener cerca de los demás estudiantes.
—“¿Pierden su magia si rompen reglas como nosotros?”
Nicholas asintió.
—“Pero la fuerza es lo que todas las sociedades buscan. ¿Por qué Ellery West les quitaría eso?”
—“Ya conoces a las sociedades. Solo quieren la fuerza que puedan controlar.”
✅🎯—El mundo mágico más allá de la Isla, es un misterio
Sabemos que tras graduarse pueden unirse a sociedades mágicas o trabajar entre mundanos, pero no sabemos más. No sabemos si los mundanos conocen la existencia de la magia. La novela se limita a los sentimientos de los personajes y su crecimiento personal, dejando el universo mágico sin profundidad.
✅🎯—Los personajes son… imprudentes
Tienen 16, 17 y 18, es normal la rebeldía y que se crean inmortales, pero en vez de pedir ayuda a la Sr. Birch o considerar opciones, actúan sin pensar en la muerte. A veces parecen de 14 años.
✅🎯—Los Franjas Rojas no encajan con su descripción
Los franjas Rojas no son parias, son “volátiles, temerarios, peligrosos” y por eso son "aislados", pero, salvo Faith (supuestamente asesinó a Sydney), los demás no encajan. Incluso, que peligro mezclar estudiantes con habilidades poderosas (que no han hecho nada malo) con potenciales delincuentes que los pueden influenciar.
🌼 Conclusión y opiniones finales 🌼
Yo me hice una expectativa con la novela y me decepcionó que la magia y la escuela quedarán en un segundo plano (Desgraciadamente) y la novela se centra en desarrollar a los personajes:
El crecimiento de Faith, su auto aceptación como alguien valioso para querer, la disolución de su culpa y su crecimiento interior, genera ondas en la trama. No es lo mismo ser aceptado que CREER que esa aceptación está bien.
“Un año más”. Un año más, y podría dejar todo eso atrás.
Tendría su magia, podría vivir su vida y, tal vez, dejaría de sentirse como si hubiera escapado del castigo por un asesinato.
Tal vez dejaría de dolerle respirar.
¿A quién intentaba engañar?
Con o sin magia, nunca llevaría una vida normal.
Siempre sería la chica que jugó con fuego hasta que el mundo se incendió.
Faith, marcada por el rechazo familiar en Filipinas, por sus tíos, primos y abuelos mundanos, se hace pequeña para no molestar. Con las Franjas Rojas aprende a aceptarse, alzar la voz y entender que no todo lo malo es su culpa.
Y ese entendimiento se expande en otros que también necesitan ayuda: Alex, Sydney y Rose.
Deseaba con todas sus fuerzas enfurecerse por sus propias heridas, gritar hasta ser escuchada porque había pasado gran parte de su vida en silencio.
La historia también aborda de forma ligera temas "adolescentes" como identidad, género y "salidas del armario".
Este es el punto fuerte de la trama, los jóvenes y sus interacciones y todavía es entretenido.
February 25, 2025
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 Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.
August 4, 2025
I managed to get an ARC copy of this book. I enjoyed the story, but I really feel like this should have been the second or third book in the series instead of the first.
The world building in the story I also felt was lacking a bit. I really felt like I wish I had more information and more backstory of the characters. I hope she writes a Novella that takes place in the years before so that you can really see and get a feel for the bond that Sydney and Faith had prior to this book. I don’t think there was enough shared about their friendship and dynamic.
I did think this book was an enjoyable read overall. I would recommend to those who enjoy reading YA Dark Academia.
The world building in the story I also felt was lacking a bit. I really felt like I wish I had more information and more backstory of the characters. I hope she writes a Novella that takes place in the years before so that you can really see and get a feel for the bond that Sydney and Faith had prior to this book. I don’t think there was enough shared about their friendship and dynamic.
I did think this book was an enjoyable read overall. I would recommend to those who enjoy reading YA Dark Academia.
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