CALLING ALL LOVERS OF:
- Gothic Atmosphere
- Dark Academic Settings
- Queer Rep in Middle Grade
- Horror-Mystery Genre Blends

This gothic middle grade—the first in a newer series—is perfect for those looking for spooky atmospheric reads with the classic boarding school setting! Our protagonist is a nonbinary student named Guinevere “Nev” Tallow. Almost as soon as they arrive at the highly-esteemed, exclusive Deephaven Academy, Nev is warned to steer clear of the boarding school’s forbidden east wing...A dark creature with sharp claws stalks the corridors. And it wants out.

I loved how casual Nev’s nonbinary identity was for the adults and fellow classmates they interacted with. Nev certainly faces internal and external conflicts within this narrative, but their identity isn’t one of them, and it was so refreshing! I also appreciated Nev’s backstory, taking care of themselves alone and in need of a fresh start. I enjoyed rooting for them to make new friends and find a place for them to call home, all while they investigated the east wing and the creature trapped within it.

My criticisms lie in the inclusion of a romantic coupling between two middle grade-aged characters. It doesn’t take up much space on the page, and the romance is obviously not physical. I just found it unnecessary when deep love between two characters at that age could have been friendship. I imagine the inclusion was to depict additional forms of queer identity, but these kids do not need to be in love to be queer. I also wanted the explanation for the creature in the forbidden corridor to be more in depth, regarding its connection to certain supernatural activities performed by other residents at the academy. I would still 100% recommend this to any middle grade dark academia lover!!

Actual Rating: 3.5 stars / NetGalley Rating: 4 stars
Original Pub Date: 5 September 2023
Reading Format: ebook paired with the audio

Thank you NetGalley and Quill Tree Books for an E-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review!