[Review] Lovely Dark and Deep by Elisa A. Bonnin

An intriguing dark academia story about magic, friendships, and claiming identity. This book explores the misdeeds of our forefathers, and how the choices they made in the past can have a lasting impact, even generations later.

Lots of dark vibes and a good amount of mystery. I particularly liked the diversity of characters in this one. The MC is an immigrant from the Philippines. And among the sundry characters, there are racially diverse, queer, autistic, and trans individuals, making this a very inclusive book.

I will say that the pacing of some parts felt slow. There were also a few aspects of the story that felt forced (ie, there was no foreshadowing or natural progression). And the forest, which played such a huge roll in the story, felt rather stifled and underdeveloped.

An enjoyable read with some good potential.

Note: I received this book as an ARC. It is scheduled to be released March 25, 2025.

3 stars