Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for this ARC Copy! 4.75 Stars

Oh.My.Gosh... This book absolutely blew me away. It was literally everything I was looking for for spooky season. When I received the ARC it was painful to wait but I knew that I needed to wait for the right season to read it and it was absolutely perfect. The mental health rep, the ACE and questioning rep, the troubled boy and the twins who are inseparable all set in an elite boarding school that just happens to be nestled up to a forest.
A boy who writes the most troubling fairytales, and a boy who draws the horrors he sees on the pages find themselves in a battle with the forest that used to be their refuge.

Definitely check your trigger warnings on this one, it has some body horror, but it was so well done and the gothic fairy tail aspect filled with eldritch horrors keeps you hooked from start to finish.

DON'T LET THE FOREST IN is a book i've been longing for my entire life and not a word i could say here will do justice to its sublime beauty. it's a verdant, surreal, and horrifying story of queer love, grief, and rage that made my veins burn as it grew through them and into my heart. it is the story of two boys—andrew perrault and thomas rye—whose fairy tales and monstrous art come to life and threaten the existence of everything they hold dear. it is about what happens when you are pushed to sacrificial depths in the name of the person you love more than any other.

this is a love letter to the act of creation, an ode to feverish obsession, and a desperate prayer for those who feel broken, those who feel like monsters, and those who pour their heart and soul into their work, who channel their pain into art. utterly compelling, gorgeously written, and unapologetically queer (the asexual representation here made my heart sing), DON'T LET THE FOREST IN is one of my favorite novels i've ever read.

i read this book like a person possessed. i could not tear myself away from it and when i was forced to, i thought of it constantly until i could return to it. it is one of those rare novels that holds up a mirror to parts of me i've kept locked safely away. it made me feel loved and it validated all the times i've gotten lost in my head or explored my heart and found them treacherous places to be. there is, after all, no real line that separates love and horror, and DON'T LET THE FOREST IN is the perfect showcase of that. it is not a story i will ever forget, and i am immensely grateful that it exists.

The macabre writings and drawings of Andrew and Thomas have been coming to life at night. The boys face monsters head-on and must battle for their lives and their sanity. Their world spirals further into darkness as the forest creeps into the school.

Don't Let the Forest In is lyrical, destructive, and looming. I was left with a chill in my bones and a shiver down my spine. I wanted to grab these two boys and squeeze them tight, even while the thorns on their bark skin cut into my flesh. Drews is, as always, cutting and vivid in the imagery she creates. The dark forest and obsessive love between Andrew and Thomas combine to create a sumptuous rotting horror of a story. There is a softness here, but it is like the softness of velvet moss covering a sharp knife. It gets in you and infects you with its imagery until it lives inside you forever afterward.

This book was absolutely delicious. I was immediately pulled in by the haunting and gruesome stories that Andrew writes. I’m extremely excited to see the illustrations to go with them in the published book. The descriptions of Thomas’ artwork were grotesque and chilling, and I loved them. My only (minor) gripe with this book is that the final question is unresolved. I read mostly standalones because I like having resolution at the end of my books. That being said, at the end of the book Drews notes, "If you've turned the last page and are now frowning at the wall, everything is as it should be." I was doing exactly that. This is one that needed to ruminate inside me. I’m looking forward to reading this again on release date and diving back in for more clues and horror.

4.5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the eARC of Don't Let the Forest In in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely devoured this book in one night! It was so unique the writing style drew you in and I loved the characters - it was both a coming of age story plus a horror story plus mystery. Just everything was perfect and I am still reeling and thinking about that ending! Will be recommending to everyone I know!

The overall atmospheric feel of this novel was really interesting and totally unlike anything I've ever read before, especially from a YA novel. I think this is the type of writing that needs time to be truly digested (pardon the pun). Everything was so visceral and descriptive and overwhelming -- it was hard to tell what was actually happening and what wasn't.

I will admit upfront that given all the positive reviews, I was not the target audience here. I did think the premise sounded promising.

The book is marketed as a YA horror novel and I suppose it is. For me, it was like watching a car crash--though without having committed to reviewing it, I would have looked away long before the 50% point.

I wanted to empathize with Andrew, the troubled high school senior from whose perspective the story is told, but found him whiny; and the choice to have him and his twin sister be Australian seemed random. Thomas, Andrew's love interest, is a violent mess.

The author does introduce Andrew as asexual and with an eating disorder, but then never resolves or even explores either issue very deeply. The twist at the end only makes matters more confusing. I have no idea what happened at the end or really what the point of the book was--so ended up being unable to care about what happens with Andrew and Thomas.

The book is unrelievedly grim and violent and all the characters are miserable throughout.

The author raises important issues, like asexuality and an eating disorder, but these are mostly unexplored and left unresolved at the end. What happened in the previous term? The author leaving this info till the end of the book to me seemed manipulative rather than clever. I found the writing repetitive and the tone set to a numbing level of constant angst. There is no build--and the confusing ending left me sorry I had read this. I do realize that I am in the minority.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Review posted to StoryGraph and Goodreads on 10/28/2024. Review will be posted to Amazon on release date.

A dark and twisty journey through what’s supposed to be Andrew, Dove, and Thomas’s senior year at their boarding school. Things seem to be starting off on the wrong foot for Andrew when his twin, Dove, can’t wait to get away from him and his best friend, Thomas, is being questioned by police. As the weeks start to pass by Andrew begins to realize that something truly wrong is happening at his boarding school and it involves the forest.
This was such a quick, interesting read. The entire read I found myself thinking “something isn’t quite right…something isn’t adding up” which made the twist towards the end even more impactful. This was such a thoughtful and tender exploration of grief and the ways it sinks into us.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Children's for letting me read an advanced copy of this forest rot, dark academia YA horror.

Andrew struggles with anxiety and Thomas is his comfort person. What Andrew lacks in confidence, Thomas makes up for in spades. The two of them are an inseparable pair, with Andrew writing dark fairy tales and Thomas illustrating them. This year as their senior year starts, Andrew notices something is off with Thomas and when he follows him into the woods he discovers more is wrong than he expected.

YA books haven't been hitting for me this year, and I had all but decided I was just too old for them but thought I would finish out this last one. I am so glad I did, this book had me gripped. I flew through it. The writing is highly consumable, with lovely prose that just flows into the gothic haunted vibes of the story. Following Andrew and being concerned for his health, his sanity, and his safety was quite a ride. He is such an unreliable narrator that piecing things together was a fun challenge and the moment you get it, before it's revealed is a true stare at the wall moment. I appreciated the pacing and how things were not hand fed to the reader but also not hidden in a "there's a secret we aren't telling you" way. I very much loved that Thomas and Andrew were deeply flawed and frustrating, as it felt very true to the genre.

I think the ending was a touch rushed, I would have liked a little more. But given the dark fairy tale vibes, I feel like it works for the story.

A story of love, loneliness, and the monsters within us. Don't Let the Forest In is equal parts mesmerizing and horrifying. It blends poetic writing, fantasy, and horror to create a chilling tale with a stunning, gothic feel to it. This story has impacted me in a profound way. There are no words to accurately describe how powerful and devastating this book is.

Don’t Let The Forest In is a novel steeped in vivid imagery, and a single glance at the author’s aesthetic reveals the obsessive detail that brings these pages to life. The prose is intense, brought to reality through Andrew's storytelling and Thomas's illustrations, which add a tangible quality to the narrative as their creations leap from the page.

Andrew is introduced as an unreliable narrator, with subtle yet disturbing hints about past events affecting those around him—though he remains oblivious. His complex obsessions and inconsistencies are depicted through his codependent relationships with Dove and Thomas, which deepen as the story unfolds.

Andrew and Thomas’s struggle against their self-created monsters mirrors the confusion and yearning they feel toward each other. Their inability to express these feelings creates a sense of angst and miscommunication. While some readers may find the tension and unresolved romance frustrating, these aspects enhance the realism of Andrew and Thomas's journey of self-discovery. The queer and asexual representation, while polarizing for some, feels purposefully woven into the story, grounding the characters' vulnerabilities and identity exploration.

Plot twists reveal trauma and hint at the forest as a possible metaphor, culminating in an unsettling ending that invites readers to question what is real. This ambiguity is part of the novel's charm, allowing readers to interpret their own meaning, especially regarding the powerful love that anchors the story. The "roots" of this love appear metaphorically and literally, representing the deep, visceral need underlying Andrew and Thomas’s relationship, set against the self-discovery, denial, and doubt typical of teenage life.

The fantasy-horror arc of monsters expands beyond Andrew and Thomas’s personal struggle to include their school environment, creating a surreal, sometimes ambiguous narrative. Some plot points remain intentionally unresolved, which may not appeal to readers who prefer clear-cut endings, but it’s part of the book’s abstract and unsettling design.

This book was so unexpectedly good, and not from my usual genres that I am struggling to even describe it.

Plot: We have Andrew and Thomas who attend a boarding school together and are very codependent on each other. Something is happening at the school but neither of them can figure it out. This book really made you think about your own nightmares and if they could come to life. This book includes horror, romance, angst, queer rep, etc. It honestly has it all.

Thoughts: I have never been the type to highlight books or write down quotes but this book was so beautifully written I found myself wanting to do so. This book was creepy, unhinged, and toxic. I loved it. I loved the representation in this book. All around it was so well written, I was just shocked. I haven't read anything like it before and it really has turned me on to read more like it.

READ THIS BOOK!

He spends his days escaping into the fairytales he's written and hiding his crush on his best friend, with the only other person he lets in being his twin... except with the new school year she's kept a cold distance and strange things have begun to happen... and terrible monsters have begun to appear. Andrew Perrault has severe anxiety and finds refuge in the twisted fairytales he writes. Andrew is in love with his best friend, Thomas Rye, a boy who is a talented artist but has an abusive household... and who is accused of murdering his own parents. Andrew has a twin, Dove, who he has gotten into an argument with and is now keeping him shut out. Andrew begins to notice strange things about Thomas and how Thomas seems to be haunted by something.... and when the nightmarish monsters in the school's off limits forest begin to appear... monsters that resemble Thomas's drawings, Andrew begins to question how well he truly knows his best friend. As Thomas and Andrew grow closer as they try and fight the monsters, their obsession with each other grows. Can they find a way to stop the monsters for good or will they die trying? This was a very atmospheric and twisty romance, especially since Andrew is an unreliable narrator and the "horror" moments were rther just kind of soft gothic horror vibes rather than out right horror. It's a slow build story and one that has an interesting ending. I definitely think it would make a good atmospheric read.

Release Date: October 29,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This book was heartbreaking and depressing and beautiful. Not only is this a story about overcoming monsters, it is a story about overcoming your past and your inner demons, and to find a way forward when everything seems hopeless. I absolutely loved the characters in this story; the representation of anxiety, depression and asexuality were amazing. The relationship between Andrew and Thomas is incredible as well and I was rooting for them so hard the entire time. There wasn’t a big cast of characters, and I enjoyed that because I felt like I really got to know the ones who we did see. Lana and Chloe were more of my favorites, and I wish we had gotten to see more of them.

The atmosphere in this story is so bleak and spooky, and I felt like I was really there during the scenes out in the forest and in the grounds of the school. There is a mystery slowly unfolding throughout the book, and the plot twist is very well done. I was so excited when I figured it out before it was explicitly stated. The ending had me staring at a wall for a while just to process what the heck had just happened.

Overall I enjoyed this book immensely and will definitely pick up anything I see from this author from now on. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I’m not going to lie: this one takes a bit to get into. The writing is atmospheric and enchanting, but I wasn’t yet invested in Andrew and Thomas, nor their past. Andrew writes stories and Thomas illustrates them … but what he draws has a strange knack for being absolutely horrifying. They’re the two outcasts at school, bonded by their love of the macabre but separated by … something. Something happened last year between Andrew, Thomas, and Andrew’s twin, Dawn, but Andrew just can’t quite remember what. And therein lies what slowed my immersion: we follow a boy who’s following Thomas—admittedly a somewhat unlikable character towards the beginning—even though the boy has no idea why he should care about whatever’s going on with Thomas.

I am glad I pushed through, though. The story is entirely different from anything you’ve ever read, and yet I found so many echoes of other queer works I’ve loved. The first comparison is to Andrew Joseph White’s The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, which is one of the highest compliments I can give. The main characters of both would get along, and the gory, visceral writing packs a complementary punch. I also saw fading whispered of Simon Snow from Rainbow Rowell’s Carry On in Andrew, despite the two stories being tonal opposites. Overall, a really pleasing books that stands on its own pages amongst recent queer “greats.” A must read for anyone who loves monster in the woods vibes.

I was provided a free e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

i was reminded me so much of bridge to terabithia while reading but with a beautiful queer storyline and gut wrenching horror elements. i rly enjoyed the author’s lyrical prose and how the romance was a perfect blend of soul crushing angst and fated soulmates.

some of the descriptive phrasing got a bit repetitive so i found myself skimming more than i’d like especially given how truly stunning the author’s prose is. some of the plot got a bit muddled from this so i was confused with how things ended but still content with the characterization and some of the twisty moments incorporated.

tw: eating disorder, gore

Once, Thomas, Andrew, and Dove were an inseparable trio. But something happened last semester to break that trust. Only, Andrew can't seem to remember what that SOMETHING was.

You know I'm loving a book when I'm recommending it at 33% - and that is exactly what happened with Don't Let the Forest In.
I had an amazing time reading this! It's weird and creepy with just the right balance of lyrical to concrete description to make it an easy, compulsive read. The characters felt so deeply real in a very specific way - the very specific late teenage, uncomfortably obsessive queer relationship is featured so masterfully in this book, at once realistic and relatable while also being amped up to 11. And the inclusion of an asexual spectrum character is just *mwah* chef's kiss. I really ate this book up, especially in the end.

I made a Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater comparison when I first started this book, and I certainly stand by that. This has a bit more concreteness to it, though, and it's much more of a horror novel than magical realism. But I would certainly recommend this to anyone looking for a darker version of that series. And, really, to any dark academia fan who loves horror.
There's some pretty gruesome stuff in this book, while still being just this edge of YA appropriate. I really loved that this book didn't pull any punches horror-wise. It really dug its teeth (pun intended) into the scary weirdness of nature-inspired horror. While I understand and appreciate the market for that, I know there's a strong subset of older teen readers who want a bit more blood and guts, and this book will certainly fill that gap!

This book makes me so incredibly excited to read more from Drews, especially their recently announced upcoming books in a similar horror vein!

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I'm being so freaking serious when I say that Don't Let the Forest In is my favorite read on 2024; I don't care that the we still have two months left. This is haunting, terrifying, creepy, eerie, heart-wrenching, and life changing. I'm not typically a fan of horror, but C.G. Drews drew me in with their phenomenal and heartbreaking writing. I annotated more of this book than any other book I've read. I can't stop thinking about it. It haunts me in a way very few other books have.

Starting with the characters, Andrew is completely, achingly, brokenly obsessed with his best friend Thomas. He writes twisted fairytales full of dark and dreary monsters, and Thomas draws those monsters in his sketch book. They're messy, chaotic teenagers experiencing the worst parts of teenage-hood and making bad decision after bad decision. I love them both so much for that. Teenagers, especially queer teenagers, should get to exist as they are without having to be the perfect representation at every waking moment. I love these two toxic boys with all my heart.

They are fighting off the physical manifestations of the fictional monsters they've created. The haunted forest surrounding the campus is destroying them piece by piece. Andrew's asexuality is a huge part of the plot, because he's so terrified that he will never loved. He's also dealing with all of his feelings for Thomas and what it means to be in love with his best friend, especially as they are fighting with each other, because nobody can hurt you worse than the person that knows you the best. The plot is so easy to get hooked into (even scaredy cat me wanted to keep reading).

The person I was before reading DLTFI was a husk. I will never be the same.

This was the queer dark academia of my dreams. Almost like a young adult These Violent delights. I loved the boarding school setting, the budding romance, and the coming of age aspects so much. Can’t wait for release day!

“May this one haunt you.”

Whoa.

This was dark and tragic and insidious and incredibly captivating. I couldn’t put it down.

I have no words but I feel like this captures the visceral, eerie tone of the book pretty well:

“For a vicious moment, Andrew thought about slipping his fingers into Thomas’s cut. Taking hold of his rib and breaking it. Pulling the soft crumbling bone from his chest and sewing it into his own. They’d be forever together, rib against rib, fused in gore and bone and adoration.”

Great October read.

Thanks to Macmillan Children’s for providing an advanced digital copy through NetGalley for me to review!

The entire book is angst and panic and monsters and forest. The horror elements in this story are so beautifully grotesque, and at the same time I don't think any other book has so thoroughly emotionally wrecked me. I cried my eyes out. As soon as I finished the book, I wanted to start rereading it. It's an unhinged review, but Andrew wrapped himself in my heartstrings, and I loved this story so much I don't really have coherent words.

Angst. Panic. Monsters. Forest.
I loved it.