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.

This is going to appeal to so many people who love this theme of books. It was dark and written well! The characters had me in the edge of my seat.

Ellery is my spirit animal I love her. The cover is also stunning. I'm super happy I came across this book, and it was a great book to read during commutes and fill time. Thank you net galley for the arc!

Elisa Bonnin’s LOVELY DARK AND DEEP has everything a dark academia literary fan could desire. The plot moves at a fast clip, and the mystery of what’s hiding in the forest and haunting the students at Ellery West is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. If you like books about magic schools with supernatural horror themes, this is for you!

This book was so eerie and spooky with a lot of mystery and thrill mixed in as well. I can't wait to see what else the author comes out with.

In Lovely Dark and Deep, my favorite element has to be the found family. I am a sucker for a good story about friends which come together and support us. To witness how it feels when we find people who see us, who will support us, and listen to us. For Faith after being ostracized, she hasn't felt what it feels to have friends. To have people in our corner, who care where we sneak off to at night.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.