Lovely, Dark, and Deep written by Justina Chen, reviewed by Bethany Bratney

Summary: Viola Chen has her entire life planned out. After graduating high school she will attend an acclaimed journalism program in Abu Dhabi where she will become a foreign correspondent in order to help draw attention to the causes about which she feels passionate. She spends her free time organizing bake sales for a cause, in which she peddles her delicious homemade treats along with information about the cause that will benefit from the sale. She meets handsome Josh at one of these bake sales just as she begins to feel faint. He helps get her medical attention which leads to a lengthy diagnosis of an extreme form of photosensitivity (solar urticaria with polymorphous light eruption) that has no cure. Viola’s parents, both crisis managers by trade, swoop in to help her manage her new health development through SPF protectant clothing, limitations on outdoor activities and a decrease in blue light exposure. Viola finds herself facing difficulties with a potential new relationship with Josh and the future life she has worked so hard for just as her health is making her feel more vulnerable and less capable than ever. 

Straight Talk for Librarians: Books featuring realistic depictions of teens dealing with disabilities and medical conditions are still dramatically under-represented which makes Lovely, Dark and Deep a really exciting find. Despite the extremely rare nature of Viola’s condition, watching her realize that she cannot continue moving through the world in the same way will feel very familiar to any reader who has experienced a major life change, health-related or otherwise. This book shines in its highlighting of a newly diagnosed health condition, the confusion and stigma it brings, and the message that the diagnosis doesn't have to be as limiting as it may originally feel. We see Viola go through the phases of grief over her old life, moving into a place of acceptance and even optimism as she begins to realize that she can still strive for her dreams. Viola’s relationship with Josh, while often frustrating to the reader, was a realistic depiction of teen feelings and the often confusing communication that comes with those feelings. Though Viola has greater problem-solving skills than most teens I know, the powerful and uplifting message of this novel is that even difficult situations can be overcome with creativity, a positive attitude and a strong support system. Recommended for all high schools.