Review by Jasmine Sov, 13

Lovely, Dark, and Deep By Justina Chen

Lovely, Dark, and Deep is the tale of Viola Wynne Li, a girl who’s hosted bake sales for about a thousand different causes. With two best friends and ambitions for becoming a foreign correspondent, life couldn’t be better. But when Viola suddenly develops a sudden and extreme case of photosensitivity— an allergy to sunlight— her world becomes anything but normal. Thanks to Lee & Li, her crisis-manager, power couple parents, Viola is subjected to a life without a single ray of sunshine— or even any light. Despite all this, she still wants to live a normal life, especially after she meets Josh, a cute and funny guy who has his own mysterious grief. Through all this, Viola must find a way to live a life she can truly live. Though somewhat predictable, Lovely, Dark, and Deep was quite an enjoyable read. Viola is a beautifully fleshed-out protagonist, conveying emotion in a clear and at times witty way. Although Viola and Josh’s relationship was cliché, the beauty of teen love knows no bounds in this book. Lovely, Dark, and Deep is the kind of book one reads in order to get inspired. Overall, Lovely, Dark, and Deep is a lively comfort read that left me feeling refreshed and satisfied. 5/5 stars


Find this book in our catalog: Title

Catalog Number: YA FIC CHEN, J

334 pages