YOU BELONG TO ME

Girls like Bean don’t get invited to Deep gatherings.

Faculty kid Frances Bean Ellis stands out from the crowd at her elite Manhattan-area private high school, Talentum. Bean is shocked when she’s invited to an event put on by Deep, a global wellness company run by the mother of her crush, Julia Patterson. This party, for Deep’s Femme line for girls, is exclusive and secretive, requiring attendees to wear all white—a drastic change for Bean, who prefers a Victorian goth look. But Bean yearns to spend time with Julia, so she accepts. The gatherings allow Bean to step into the world of Deep, immersing herself in subjects like spiritual emanation, clean skin care products, and life force energy. But is everything really as holistic and wonderful as it appears on Instagram? What secrets are hidden in the depths of the Pattersons’ mansion? Intrigue abounds in this story that’s full of thrills and atmosphere—the Deep parties feel ethereal and mystical. Bean’s character arc stands out: from her painfully insecure attempts at asserting individualism at the beginning of the novel, she eventually finds new confidence in herself. Unfortunately, the romance that develops between Bean and Julia is disappointingly shallow, and lackluster prose holds back the otherwise interesting story. Bean and Julia present white.

A dizzying if unevenly developed trip into the depths of wellness culture.