I really struggled with deciding my star rating for this book.

In the technical sense, it’s very good. The writing is atmospheric and flowery, the characters are vivid, and it’s difficult to not be sucked in. For this alone, I’d probably give it a 4 or 5.

What made reading this not a good experience, was my own taste I think. This is a dark, heavy book; and that’s not a problem for me—I often seek out books with dark themes. But the “problem” for me, comes from the fact that (without giving too much away) there is essentially no brevity from this darkness. SLIGHT SPOILERS: I never felt like there was any hope of anything ending well, and it didn’t seem like the characters did either. It has the same tone of hopeless all throughout, and I never necessarily felt that the characters were working towards anything tangible. Again, this was the authors goal, to “haunt” the reader. But it made me borderline miserable for the entire book.

I know that there will be a large readership out there for this book—clearly, a lot of people already love it. Unfortunately, it was just too emotionally draining for me to feel the same.

Okay so chapter one was very confusing and weird and I can see people DNFing it there because it’s so confusing and I’ve seen someone DNF after one paragraph. I honestly thought this wasn’t going to be for me but I decided to give it a few chapters. I’m really glad I did because then I got to see that it was intentional. The writing style was brilliantly done for this book. I honestly barely found any typos.

I will say that I did predict the twist a bit, but not in a way that was ruined for me. I thought the monsters were a symbolism for something and was very pleasantly surprised.

I will admit that I want/need an epilogue chapter to explain the ending a bit more, but I really loved it overall.

This book was about a high school senior and his best friend fighting monsters, but it’s way more than just that. I do wish this book came with spoiler warnings. I think many will love it for spooky Halloween time!!! The book was very well written and explored a lot of important themes but to share what those are would spoil this one. I hope to see this book at many bookstores this fall!!! Thanks so much for letting me read this ARC!

<i> Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC!</i>

(Slightly above a 4). This book will haunt me. That's all.

Don't Let The Forest In is an absolutely chilling, beautiful, and creepy novel that focuses on what should be a positive: "What happens if your imagination comes to life?" Instead, it's a terror ridden haunted house of horrifying monsters and curses... and that's what makes it so great. This book focuses on Thomas and Andrew, two high school students at an elite boarding school. It's a familiar setup, the two misfits, the "weird kids", bond over their isolation. However, they begin to realize that their art (Thomas's paintings/drawings and Andrew's written stories) is coming to life and they must protect Wickwood Academy and everyone they know from the monstrous hold.

This book is so richly descriptive, I easily got lost in it. Normally, I don't highlight or note in books, and I found myself highlighting so many quotes for their beauty. It definitely is <b>heavy</b> on the body horror and nightmarish visions, and despite being YA, it definitely leans older in tone. The character ages are really all that makes it YA for me, you still get the stomach turning visuals of adult horror. What keeps this book from being a full 5 for me comes down to two things - the characterization and the tropes. Thomas and Andrew are meant to be two sides of the same coin, both boys who are plagued by dark thoughts and wild imaginations. For the first few chapters, the way the narration twists between them is confusing. Even as we get deeper into the book, there are times where it's hard to distinguish the two. I think this was on purpose but it was hard to follow. Secondly, it relies a lot on tropes around mental health, family struggles, and the tortured artist. I want the horror genre to let go of the "main characters must have mental health issues" trope so so badly. It's belittling and wasn't needed for the story. The plot itself also takes a while to get going.

Either way - I commend Drews for this book. It beautifully depicts the dark side of friendship, obsession, and idolization of those you love. It has great diverse representation and an openly asexual main character (something we don't see often even though we should). This is the kind of book I didn't want to end, and would happily read more set in this twisted world.

“Everyone’s first instinct was to go inside and hide under the covers. As if monsters couldn’t open doors and crawl into bed with you.”

The amount of lines I highlighted in this story just proves how beautiful the prose is. Some of these will stick me long after putting the book down.

The characters were fleshed out so well and the interior monologues of Andrew felt visceral. Although, he’s wrong about Tim Tams. They are delicious and he needs to respect that!

The codependent relationship between Thomas and Andrew will feel constricting and toxic, but it’s meant to be. These boys NEED each other and that need is present in each word of this story. It bleeds from the page and you want these boys to win. You want to fight with them and heal them and make things better. The horror is that you can’t. My goodness, what a thrill this story was. Taking that ultimate human want of needing someone to love you despite anything you may have done and not wanting to be alone, and then twisting it until it becomes a thing that festers and grows inside you. Until eventually, it no longer fits inside you. That’s what this story does. What it FEELS like.

Things that go bump in the night, monsters that’ll haunt your dreams, a creepy forest that is always watching, and a sense of grief and pain that blankets it all are all things you can find in this story.

I am very much looking forward to this author’s next book!

Beautifully dark. Drews's wordsmithing is such that I would stop everyone around me and read passages out loud. "They didn't need two hearts. They could share Andrew's, even if it was a bruised and sorrowful thing. Their rib bones would twine together in a lattice to protect them from the worst of the world, and they would always be together; they should never be apart." A psychological horror that makes you question what is real. Andrew Perrault writes beautifully twisted fairytales. Thomas Rye beautifully paints them. Things are not as they should be at Wickwood Academy. The boys are faced with their creations in the off-limit forest and must defeat them every night to protect the rest of the students.

Andrew is a beautifully unreliable narrator. Yes, there is a lot of beauty in the darkness. Each version of darkness holds a truth that Andrew must work out or he will completely lose himself and any scrap of reality.

VERDICT- Must add to teen libraries that serve readers of thrillers.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc of this YA horror. I did enjoy it however there were a few reasons I didn't go all the way to five stars for it. Let me hit those first 1. The prose in the beginning is a bit hard to get into and Andrew (our point of view character) has so much on page anxiety that the prose begins to circle (more on that in a bit) 2. That beautiful prose really felt much more like I was seeing the author and not the characters who are 17-18 year old boys and even as an author of wicked fairy tales as Andrew is, this felt way too flowery (or maybe that's just the gender biases I carry with me growing up in the era that I did) 3.the ending (more on that later too without spoilers)

Andrew and his twin sister, Dove, are Australians going to a wealthy boarding school in the states. Dove is your quintessential over achieving academic. Andrew is a bundle of mental health issues (consider this your content warning) He has some sexuality worries (he's learning that he's ACE), huge anxiety issues especially social anxiety and later develops anorexia. Andrew worries what a lot of people with mental health issues do (speaking as one of the group) that his issues are too much for people. In his case, they are. Andrew is exhausting.

Andrew's one friend is THomas Rye, a very talented artistic young man, the abused and neglected son of two artistic parents, the boy who hates everyone but Andrew (and Dove) Apparently he and Dove had a blow out at the end of the school year and are not talking now. She's barely talking to Andrew and he has to rely on her roommate, the always ready to fight Lana Lang (whose name drove me up the wall since there wasn't at least one Superman reference to her name in the book)

The new school year opens with Thomas under suspicion of hurting his parents who disappeared and there is blood in the house. Worse, things are happening in the forbidden woods outside of the school. Monsters straight out of fair tales (like Andrew writes), straight out of Thomas's art (which they twig onto immediately) are attacking and if Thomas doesn't beat them every night, they attack the school.

The boys are left trying to find a way to defeat the monsters once and for all while not dying or failing out of school. We have nice supportive art teachers and on the other hand we have the bullies, one is the calculus professor and the other is Bryce, typical rich kid who is going to get away with it because teachers/admin love him. He and the teacher Clemmons are SO bad you're rooting for the monsters.

For Andrew the fight between Thomas and Dove, the monsters, school, Bryce and all of it are becoming too much, especially talk about what he did at the end of the last school year that left him with scars. Andrew develops an eating disorder (too full of the forest to eat is how he describes it) and his anxiety over his relationship with Thomas deepens (as he fears rejection if Thomas a) wants Dove b) wants him but only if sex is part of it)

It takes them a lot longer to figure out what is causing the monsters than I did (which is good because it would have been a short story and not a novel if they picked up on it that fast). And as much as I like Andrew, Thomas and even Lana, the ending disappointed me because (without spoilers) it relied on a trope I don't like (and one I know enrages a lot of people) and worse if this is how it plays out then every adult and several of his friends have really let Andrew and his mental health down. Still overall, it was an engaging psychological horror.

oh my god. this book is EVERYTHING. From the atmosphere to the two main characters, I was hooked the whole time.

The way the forest was described was creepy, atmospheric, and the perfect mix of moldy and gross, making it a living thing that was breathing down the necks of the main characters the entire time. The monsters were absolutely horrifying and made the whole forest so much scarier.

The characters, especially Andrew, were so well made, and I was obsessed. Andrew’s anxiety was so realistic, and I could truly feel as his anxiety got worse. I related so much to his reactions and genuinely he is a masterpiece of a character. The side characters as well, they were all so dimensional and it was easy to love them.

The twist, goddamn the twist. I didn’t see it coming, until one specific scene where I had to put the book down because I realized exactly what I had missed. It truly crept up behind me and shocked me to my core.

This book is absolutely amazing, and I know I will be thinking about it for awhile. I’ve been following the author for a bit now, and when this book was announced I was so excited they’d finally be publishing in America. This book was the perfect choice, and I will absolutely be devouring everything they write from here on out.

(Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC)

“All my stories are about you. They will always be about you.” Excuse me while I reread this stunning ARC. C.G. Drews, you drew me right in and did not stop the ride. Andrew and Thomas are going to live rent free in my head for some time. This was a story that did not disappoint. Twists. Turns. Everything in between. I am still reeling. I am so incredibly lucky that Netgalley allowed for me to read this as an ARC, I will happily refer this book and author to anyone that will listen. RUN. Do not walk. I was not ready for it, and I am going to absolutely be reading this again and again.

Beautiful. Hauntingly, achingly beautiful. This is one that will stay with me for a long while. I read this as an e-ARC from NetGalley, but I will absolutely be buying a physical copy.

I loved this book. The characters are really fleshed out and authentic. The story is dark and twisty. It really threw me for a loop and I was hooked until the very end.

I absolutely loved the codependency and neediness and obsession Andrew and Thomas had for each other. I loved the building of this and the slow reveals of just how far they would really go for one another. You could feel their desperate love for each other, it was definitely a highlight of the story for me. I also really appreciated the asexual representation and thought it was done really well. I really enjoyed having a main character who identified this way. And loved seeing him accept that he was asexual and what that meant for him.

And just the whole vibe of the book was amazing. The writing brought the forest alive and you could feel it creeping inside with every page. I adored the tone and mood this set and just all visual imagery. The eldritch horror style monsters were excellent - I loved that they were causing Andrew and Thomas to slowly decline and go mad almost with the stress. The academy setting was perfect; the connection to the woods, the old style building and moody aesthetics helped build the tone and also gave it an isolated feel.

Whilst the cast at the academy were a little stereotypical I still really liked them all (or hated the ones we’re supposed to hate) - Andrew’s anxiety kept him mostly to himself but I did really like Lana and how she offered her support and friendship in whatever way Andrew could accept.

The ending was wild. It had me doubting everything and then questioning how it left them but I loved it. Very on point for the horror tone. I don’t think it was particularly suspenseful but it felt more like a slow building, creeping kind of horror that burrows itself inside you rather than scary/ high suspense - which I was so here for.

Overall a really enjoyable read and I’ll definitely be reading her next many horror books! Definitely a memorable one and one I’ll recommend.

I'm not quite sure where to start with this, it was as marvellous as I hoped it would be.

The story follows Andrew, desperate to figure out what's wrong with his friend, Thomas- Thomas's drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night in the off-limits forest.

This was dark and atmospheric, perfectly haunting and full of all that angsty slow-burn goodness.

The relationship between the two boys was absolutely mesmerising! Their codependency and almost toxic need to constantly be around each other was addictive to read. The way the story unfolded piece by piece as more information came to light had me completely hooked!

The Eldritch style monsters coupled with the creepy fairytales and the academic setting was so spooky and captivating I couldn't put it down.

The ending of the book was so cleverly done, it leaves you questioning reality and your mind, and left me feeling completely freaked out. I LOVED it.

I've been following this author's book reviews on Goodreads for years, which is how I found out she wrote a book and why I was interested in reading it. Her writing in her reviews can be gorgeous and lyrical at times, and I was hoping that would translate to her novel.

At times, it did, and at other times it didn't. There were moments of beautiful descriptions and lush prose, but sometimes it became too much, and the descriptions felt as if they were meaningless.

My favorite part of the book was the setting: a boarding school with a dark off-limits forest behind it. Unfortunately, most other aspects of the story fell short for me. The main characters seemed almost like caricatures, not fully fleshed out beyond their initial descriptions. The side characters read rather one-dimensional to me and I struggled to connect with any of them. Even now writing this review, about two weeks after I finished the book, I cannot remember any characters' names outside of Andrew and Thomas, the two main boys.

I liked the idea behind Thomas's monster drawings coming to life, but I also don't feel like it really made sense why that was happening. I don't know why I struggled so hard to connect to this book.

Overall, Don't Let the Forest In was fine but unmemorable for me. I don't think young adult novels hit the same for me as they did when I was younger and more in that age bracket, sadly. But if you don't mind YA books and you enjoy psychological horror novels with botanical elements and two boys who toxically yearn for one another, then you will likely enjoy this novel.

Author C.G. Drews’ Don’t Let the Forest In is a compelling, dark academia narrative that explores the underbelly of obsession, sexuality, and friendship. From the very beginning, the story immediately immerses us into the world of Andrew and Thomas, setting up an atmospheric and intoxicating read that compels you to turn the page, determined to unravel what’s happening. But just as all things are not as they seem, neither are the boys, and the more you invest into them, the more harrowing their investment is in one another.

As someone who tends to shy away from young adult narratives, I was drawn in by the way Drews’ paints the world of these boys, using artistic language to reflect the artwork in the stories. As typical of a YA narrative, there were several points that were more easily resolved than others and twists that were both easy to see coming while also pleasantly enjoyable. However, Drews is a wizard, twisting the story at the very end in a way you never see coming. I’d had some hesitance about it as the story unfolded, but placing both faith and trust in the author, I read on, determined to find out what was truly happening. I, like Andrew, was completely caught off-guard and found the hesitance I had was well-crafted foreshadowing. The final descent in the last few pages also left me satisfied as I could find on better way to end such a deliciously horrifying piece.

Thank you to publisher, Feiwel & Friends, as well as author C.G. Drews for the opportunity to read and review early.

This book will be released Oct 29th — just in time for Halloween 🎃

This book was absolutely INSANE. What a rollercoaster ride of emotions and visceral images. I loved this books twists and turns. It was deeply gory without grossing me out completely, which is good, because I tend to pass out when I think about gore too much. I was able to feel squeamish and uncomfortable without passing out, which is a testament almost to the age appropriateness of the gore.

Other than this, I want to really emphasize how much I love the asexual representation in this book. I felt like this book's asexuality is most similar to my own, and I was almost relieved to hear it written about in this sort of way. I am almost obsessive when I form attachments, though sexuality is not part of that. This was one of the first times I felt seen, which is interesting considering the dark nature of these characters and their minds. Maybe I should see a therapist.

Overall, a spectacular read worth picking up.

Don’t let the forest in review.

First of all let me thank both the Author and Netgalley for letting me read a ARC of this book.

This book became something I did not expect both in a good and bad way.

Let’s start here:
The cover is so beautiful it hurts and that is exactly what the aim of this book is.
It screams macabre horror that is going to break you.
It promises themes such as forest core and horror with many representations including mental health, identity and much more… how could you not want to pick this book up?

I loved the over all ideas and plot - it’s is written so well by the author with beautiful prose.

I was thrown into this book expecting a story of two boys who loved each other so much that they brought horrors to life in a unique way.
However, while it delivered on that for the most part, it also felt like it came secondary to the self discovery of the boys themselves.
In truth, at times, I felt like I was reading two stories at once.
This is not a completely bad thing but it could sometimes be confusing and because of this I also felt that occasionally I couldn’t easily distinguish between the main male characters and their mental health issues.

I really enjoyed the creepy parts and the monsters that appeared almost tangible due to the authors skill.
Some of the imagery was so real, it felt like I was the one with dirt in my mouth.

Overall I ended up enjoying the book, and I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future.

Again I want to say thank you to the author for being brave enough to give a little pieces of themselves on the page for us to devour, thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to be a ARC reader of this book.

4.5/5. Incredibly unique and singular. It’s beautiful yet so disturbing and creates this sinister fairy tale that burrows beneath your skin. I quite literally could not stop reading. A perfect read for fall/Halloween.

This is a great autumn read but it felt a little rushed at times. That being said I do plan to pick up the next authors work as I feel like I’ll probably enjoy it more than this one depending on what it’s about.

Don’t Let the Forest In follows Andrew who will do anything to protect Thomas. When Thomas gets accused of murdering his parents Andrew wants to help. However there is something off about Thomas, he seems haunted by something. Turns on there are monsters haunting him and Andrew wants to help him before it’s too late.

This book sounded like it was going to be wild. I did enjoy it for the most part. But some parts of this book didn’t seem very well thought out and felt kind of rushed. I don’t think this is one that I will ever go back and reread. But I was hooked and the story was interesting. This is a great read for spooky season.