It’s better if you go into this book without a lot of knowledge, so before I dive into anything more specific let me just say that this is an unexpected gem of a book. It’s queer as hell with an emphasis on asexuality, and it’s the perfect little campus horror novel. While I have a few critiques from a craft perspective, I think emotionally this book hits all the right beats. It’s so creative and unique and even though I can think of a couple great comps to entice you into reading it, just know that it’s unlike almost anything I’ve ever read before. It deals with asexuality in such a real way, and I really appreciated that we got an ace main character who isn’t necessarily aromantic. All in all, maybe not a totally perfect execution but I think the dreamlike quality of the story really smooths over a lot of my main critiques - it ripped me to shreds and I will be thinking about the ending for a very long time. Cannot recommend this enough!!!!

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If you need a little push to get going, let me tell you that this book feels like if Oliver and James from If We Were Villains were combined with Nick and Charlie from Heartstopper and they happened to end up in a world where Stranger Things and Annihilation morphed together.

Okaaaaaaaaay. Lots to say here. There are a lot of ways to spoil this book, so I'm sorry if I accidentally do.

This book has some good, but it's kind of a slog through some of the lesser stuff.

At the heart of this story is grief. Andrew and his twin sister Dove have been friends with Thomas since they started at their boarding school, several years ago. As they return for their senior year, we get some very deliberate foreshadowing about an incident that happened last year. (Don't worry, you find out what it is toward the end of the book.) Apparently, this incident has driven a wedge into their group dynamic because Dove is refusing to talk to Thomas. She is steely and strong in all of the ways that Andrew is weak. He has severe anxiety that co-relates to his general teenage angst. He's also coming to terms with his asexuality despite his intense attraction to Thomas.

Andrew and Thomas are a strange duo. Andrew is a storyteller, but he only tells what can be likened to horror fairy tales. Thomas, inspired by Andrew's tales, creates beautifully detailed drawings of the monsters in Andrew's stories. The "argument" between Thomas and Dove has essentially pushed her ALL the way away from the boys and she delves into studying hard constantly. Andrew believes that Dove and Thomas were involved in a relationship of some sort, and that Thomas possibly said or did something to break Dove's heart.

Unfortunately, he doesn't get a conclusive answer about what their feud is because suddenly, for some unknown reason, Thomas shuts him out too. Things are difficult for the boys as they try to make their complicated, messy, violently co-dependent relationship functional. But stuff takes a turn when Thomas's drawings start coming to life.

*****THERE BE SPOILERS BELOW*



*The Bad*
First things first, the romantic relationship at the core of the story is problematic. Andrew and Thomas have a terribly unhealthy dynamic. I get that in YA lit, it's one of those tropes that is intended to "show their devotion" to one another. Unfortunately, those of us who have been in all-consuming relationships like that KNOW how scary it can be to feel that way. My take is, if you intentionally write for teenagers, and you normalize these borderline abusive relationships, teenagers who don't have enough life experience are unable to automatically notice how unhealthy the romance is. Which is irresponsible. Now, the unhealthy dynamic between the boys is essential to the plot - I understand that much. But... damn.

There are two very rapid twists at the end of the story which are deliberately contradictory. I don't see the point of the first twist, because we're absolved of it very quickly by the second twist. While I did predict the big reveal, it was fairly late in the story. I'm sure that less astute readers may not come to the same conclusion beforehand.

Andrew's stories fucking suck. They're super emo and sound exactly like the sort of shit that artsy, "troubled" boys write. Andrew's shtick is that there are no happy endings, so all of his stories end in despair. But there's no real plot to drive the stories and at a certain point you realize that the connection between the book's plot and Andrew's stories is tenuous at best.

The body horror is... eh? I felt like most of that was connected to the monsters, but eventually it found its way to Andrew and Thomas.

After learning what was going on with Andrew, it seems ridiculously callous for him to be attending school without more oversight. It's pretty obvious that he's messed up and the ending seems inevitable.

Why the hell can they not tell the people at the school about the monsters? Because no one will believe them? Well, it's a good thing that you stood back and said nothing. It sure made a difference.



*The Good*
The depiction of Andrew's panic attacks was a very real reminder of how overwhelming those can be.

Andrew's attempts at untangling his own mess of emotions were kind of heartbreaking. You could really see some depth in his character that was well below the surface.

The monsters were definitely scary. Some of the imagery is going to be in my brain for a while.

I really was unable to determine if the monsters actually were real or if they were hallucinations/ justifications for erratic behavior.

The ending is brutal. As it should be.


*****SPOILERS ABOVE*****

Overall, the book was okay. It has a lot of tropey vibes that don't necessarily pan out as expected, which is nice. However, the lack of a healthy relationship dynamic at the center of the book makes it a less than stellar choice for impressionable minds.

Once again, thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was genuinely one of the most haunting, tragic books that I’ve ever had the privilege of reading. From the prose, imagery, and representation, to the horror, the compelling dynamic of our protagonists, and the general unhinged-ness of the plot, all of these elements genuinely deserve those 5 stars! I don't normally read pure horror books, but this book had enough going on the psychological side of things to sinks its claws into me. I love the asexual representation in the form of Andrew, and while the discussions of asexuality were a bit jarring in the context of the novel, I appreciate that they were there (us aces deserve some love)! I love Andrew, Thomas, and Lana, and while discussions of Andrew's psyche bordered on "edgy" and repetitive, it wasn't enough to knock down my rating of the book significantly. I accidentally spoiled one of the plot twists of the book for myself, in hindsight, it actually made my experience of reading the novel that much more exciting, because I could properly analyze the foreshadowing and attention to detail that Drews laid out. Overall, this was a wonderful book to start out 2024 with, and I hope it bring other people the same joy that it did for me! The full review comes out on Tumblr, so be sure to keep an eye out for it when it drops!

This book struck every chord. I held my breath through many sections, and was amazed at how the author balances tenderness with the suspense of the story. Really very well done!

This book left me in utter shock. Haunting and lyrically grotesque in the best of ways, "Don’t Let the Forest In" is a masterfully woven suspenseful horror story about desperate boys and the monsters threatening to consume them inside and out

I also loved Andrew and Thomas as characters. Their dynamic is fascinating—two boys with minds filled with monsters, clinging to each other in a clearly codependent relationship. They desperately hold onto each other for better or worse, often worse. My favorite part of the novel is the ending. Without giving anything away, I love its ambiguity. I think that ending will stick in my head for a long time and eat away at me.

I feel conflicted about the scene where Andrew discusses being asexual with Lana and Chloe. One reason I picked up this book was for the ace representation, and I love seeing such scenes portrayed in a novel because they mean so much to me personally. However, I felt it didn’t quite meld with the tone of the rest of the story. In contrast, his coming out to Thomas flowed more naturally with the narrative and wasn’t as jarring.

Overall, I loved this book and would highly recommend it.

REVIEW
Don’t Let The Forest In by C.G Drews- 5/5
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Thanks to NetGalley for another great ARC! In my reading journey, Dark Academia has become my personal favorite genre, and this book was no exception. I was pleasantly surprised with this book considering its falling into the realm of YA fiction, which I have found to be a hit or a miss depending on the author. This book adds horror and fantasy to the genre, going from heartfelt to straight up gut reaching. If my review of this book doesn’t get you to give it a read, then I hope this quote from the author’s acknowledgments will.
“And to you, dear reader, thank you. May this one haunt you.”

#whatjillsreading #netgalley #kindleread #bookstagram

This a story laced with teeth. Which is fitting as it plays out like a dark fairytale. Infused with dark art and the types of tales that are full of metaphors and violent imagery. I loved the way it uses those aspects. There’s also just something so intruguing about relationships that are obsessive/ boderline harmful. Love that gets twisted. The writing itself is a treat, immersive and well crafted. An ode to all my favorite things, broken boys, spooky forests, monsters, and unreliable narrators. It twists and turns in an incredibly satisfying if not upsetting way. With a lush academic setting surrounded by a seemingly innocuous forest.

It’s an autumn lovers dream. And one I highly recommend be at the top of any fall list, an essential really.

One that will haunt you.

Thanks for the e-arc MTMC Tours!

I wish I could bottle the atmosphere of Don’t Let The Forest In. We follow mainly two boys at their prestigious boarding school during their senior year. Tensions are running high because our main character indirectly confessed his love to his best friend the last day before summer and since the start of the new semester something has undeniable been…off. We follow them as they battle inner demons but also external ones as the off-limits forest surrounding the school starts to creep closer to campus. Love, grief, anger, loss, thorns, dirt, and detention all swirl into a devastatingly beautiful story.

The book gave off strong feeling of the Raven Cycle with a cursed forest in Virginia, boys who bottle up their feelings to devastating effects, and battling monsters in broad daylight, but it also stood very strongly on its own. I loved the discussion of asexuality and basically everything that our main character struggled with throughout the story.

My only qualms with the book was that the repetition of certain descriptions got a little annoying - namely the use of ‘thorns’ in the first 30% - and that the ending was somehow so anxiety-inducing and fast paced, but also a little anticlimactic. Perhaps if we stayed a bit longer unpacking the plot twist it would have hit harder, but the pacing of the last 40 pages or so was so fast that you almost didn’t realized what happened until you finished the book.

Overall though, a stunning little book that will stay with me for quite a while!

I usually do not delve into horror/thriller books, so as a beginner to this genre, I thought it was good. A good introduction to the genre. I really loved the aspect of psychological horror where we could really see Andrew slowly start to lose his sense of reality. The end also hits you with so many twists that I didn't know what was reality and what was lies.

The prose in this story is gorgeous, truly. I love the spooky vibes, the creepy atmosphere. It is very lyrical. I could see myself rereading based on that alone.

I will say, however, that the dynamics could have used more work. Andrew is a very introspective character; he spends most of the book in his head, and, as a result, his relationships (specifically the one he has with Thomas) are more 'tell' than 'show.' But this makes narrative sense given the plot twist at the end.

Justice for Thomas Rye! He was my favorite. He deserved more empathy than he got.

The author says if you finish this book and are staring at a wall then they did their job. 100% the case. The atmosphere of this book was everything I wanted it to be, complete with botanical horror and moody characters. The whiplash the last part of the book gave me was real and I loved it. I'm still not certain what was real, if any of it! Love that! Loved it!

This book surprised me! A YA queer dark fantasy, this book follows two boys who develop a deep friendship rooted in camaraderie and darkness. Andrew is a writer who like writing fairytales with a dark twist, and Thomas is his best friend who makes these stories lifelike through their drawings, It is a story about the growing love between two boys but also the darkness of codependency. Overall, I found this book to be both fresh but haunting. It is definitely a page-turner and is great for fans of Dark Fantasy,

Andrew goes back to boarding school for his senior year. His two friends at school are his twin sister Dove and his roommate, Thomas. Dove and Thomas seem to be fighting, both of them seem to be pulling away from him and he thinks they're spending time in the out of bounds forest. Suddenly odd things start happening to Andrew, things that seem to be coming from the forest. Thomas reveals that the monsters that he draws are coming out of the forest and Andrew is determined to help Thomas kill them, despite his constant anxiety. Thomas and Andrew come up with ways to destroy Thomas' drawings, hoping once all the monster drawings are destroyed, the monsters will stop. Meanwhile Dove is becoming more and more avoidant of Andrew. But the monsters seem to be getting worse no matter what Andrew and Thomas do, will they manage to keep themselves and their school safe?
Honestly, this had a plot twist I was not expecting, and I'm typically really good about predicting plot twists. This book took me a little while to get into but it was quite good once it got rolling. I really enjoyed how creative it was.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC copy of this book!

I enjoyed this book even more than I expected to, it is dark and haunting in the best ways. To me I feel like if T. Kingfisher's What Moves the Dead, Holly Black's Elfhame and Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Cycle series had a book baby it would be something like this. A haunting sentient forest, dark fairy tales and art come to life all wrapped up in a boarding school setting. I loved having Andrew's stories sprinkled throughout the book I found it really added to the whole atmosphere as well as depth to his character.

So many times lately I have found authors to be a bit ham-fisted with the representation in their stories and it was so refreshing to find a book where it is actually relevant to both the tone and core of the story.

The ending had me staring off into the void going "Hmmm." Usually I wouldn't think that to be a good thing but I honestly cant imagine a better ending for this story. C.G. Drews you have made me a fan and I am already salivating to read Hazlethorn next year!

Andrew has always relied on his twin sister, Dove, and best friend, Thomas, to get him through life at Wickwood Academy. This year, something is different. Dove keeps pushing him away, and there is something terribly wrong with Thomas, but he doesn't know what it is. Struggling to figure out this new normal and get things back to how they were with the three of them together, Andrew discovers what terrors Thomas is dealing with: the nightmarish drawings he has been creating based on Andrew's stories have come to life. Now, it's up to Andrew and Thomas to keep the monsters at bay, figure out a way to stop them from destroying Wickwood Academy and restore the friendship the three of them once had.

This book was beautiful and haunting. From the very first pages, I was pulled in by the lyrical quality of the writing. There was something that both put me at ease and also on edge. There was the familiarity of Wickwood Academy as Andrew returned for his senior year, but the strangeness of how things had changed. This otherworldliness existed immediately and made me wary of what Andrew would find around the corner, deep in the forest, or within his own room.

Another aspect of the story was focused on these feelings of suffocation, but they came across in absolutely beautiful (yet also terrifying and horrific) descriptions and imagery incorporating the forest and plants and earth. Andrew describes someone with the following: " his mouth was crammed full of thorns and lies." Later, he "dreamed of brambles wrapped around his throat and a briar rose resting on his tongue." As the story goes on, the references to the mouth and throat and suffocating are more apparent. To avoid spoiling anything, I won't go into my thoughts on these images and how they helped enrich the story. Just know that this was one of my favorite aspects of this novel.

Finally, I kept guessing how the story would end. I had many theories that changed multiple times. I continued to go back to my original again and again—only to be incorrect! I truly love a story I can't figure out before the ending. I did, at one point, correctly guess what was going on but then dismissed it and moved on. The twists and the uncertainty built in the reader were so well done!

What I liked: Everything! I didn't have one negative note or question.

What I disliked: Nothing. I loved this book, which will stay with me for a while.

If you like earthy, creepy fantasy books set in prep schools with forests that are off-limits and monsters around every corner, then definitely pick up Don't Let the Forest In. Be prepared: You will NEED to finish reading as soon as possible, but dread doing so, knowing the next chapter will only bring more horror for the characters!

“Their story had begun in the forest, a collision both violent and beautiful.”

Something in the forest is harming the children. Thomas thinks it might be his fault. Andrew is willing to do whatever it takes to absolve him. At their private academy, Thomas, Andrew, and Dove stick close together. Thomas is a painter, Andrew is a writer, and Dove has all the brains. They make the perfect team, until the new year begins and the forest unleashes cruel monsters across the campus. Suddenly, their friendship seems to be hanging on by a thread, and dark secrets threaten to tear them apart limb by limb. 🌳

Do you ever want a story that feels like the forest is creeping in, vines and twigs and leaves brushing up against your skin, depositing soil? This book is exactly that. Gothically romantic, fantastically alluring, Don’t Let the Forest In is a YA horror for the tender yet brave at heart. The writing, although heavy handed at times, does a wonderful job at evoking sights and smells, the waft of loam and petrichor. 🌧️

Although I loved the atmosphere, the characters got on my nerves at times. I’m not a fan of miscommunication as a conflict and there was much that could be resolved if these characters just TALKED. The ending is rather ambiguous so expect some brain fodder to mentally munch on. But otherwise, the pacing, vibes, writing are all exquisite. I recommend this to my botanist enthusiasts who aren’t afraid to enter the forest at night. 🌿

Rarely do I experience such a visceral attachment to a book in the way that I have with Don’t Let The Forest In.

If there is anything I can promise you, it’s that Don’t Let the Forest In will haunt the walls of my flesh prison for centuries to come. CG Drews outdid themselves with this one.

I will admit that I did, in fact, request this book simply from the cover alone. Luckily, “hauntingly macabre” and “distinctly emotional” are just the first words that come to mind.

I loved the characters. I felt a true sense of unease as the story progressed. CGD is a master of pacing and a warlock with words.

What are you doing? Preorder this book immediately.

“𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙞𝙨. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚’𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮.
𝘽𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘼 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣.
𝘼𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙬 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙮.”

This is one of those situation where I definitely did judge a book by its cover. I mean, it’s gorgeous. The blurb is capturing. And I’m so honored to have receive an arc of this book!

“Don’t Let The Forest In” is a single POV based around Andrew and his best friend, Thomas. Andrew, his sister Dove, and Thomas have been the three amigos since attending boarding school. After an argument between Thomas and Dove the year before causes a summer of silencer, Andrew doesn’t see his best friend til after summer vacation. But now Thomas is acting strange, avoiding Andrew, and also shows up to school with blood on his sleeve.

Andrew and Thomas have this deep connection with feelings of being an outcast and unwanted. They connected through their share of horror. Andrew writes stories unlike any kid his age should, and Thomas illustrates them in exquisite detail. But what happens when those drawings come to life and now haunting the forest? Is this really happening or is it all made up in Andrew’s head as he battles who he is and his feelings for Thomas?

I don’t read much YA, but this story is so unique and intriguing. I found myself unable to put it down and needed to figure out the mystery that is the forest. This book makes you think and even after finishing it, I’m still left pondering the ending. I honestly loved this read. The book reads like poetry and the detailed descriptions make you feel like you’re right along with the characters. You’ll be second guessing yourself til the very end and then some.

“All my stories are about you. They will always be about you.”

WHAT. A. BOOK! Don't Let the Forest In is beautifully haunting and unhinged. It's got queer angst and toxic codependency, and it had me feeling unsettled with my head spinning throughout! The book is gorgeously written and it left a lasting impression that still has me feeling on edge!

"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."

Don't Let the Forest In has a killer opening line, and I was immediately hooked! Reading it gave me a sense of unease, that something's not quite right, that eerie, angsty, "what's happening?" feeling that I love. Andrew and Thomas are two toxically codependent boys at boarding school where something is so clearly wrong but neither they nor you know exactly what that something is. It has you feeling unmoored, questioning reality, your own mind, and wondering if the monsters of your nightmares might be real.

"If the trees belonged to Thomas, midnight was in love with Andrew. It made him braver somehow, invisible, hiding his delicate edges and leaving behind a lean and hungry shadow. In the dark, no one could see his hollow and empty places. Instead he looked like he could have teeth."

The book reminded me of The Wicker King, Summer Sons, and These Violent Delights, and if you love those vibes, you'll love Don't Let The Forest In! The book also gets bonus points for excellent ace rep in the mc Andrew.

"They were beautiful together; they were magic and monstrous, and they had created a whole vengeful world between them."

Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews // ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to Macmillan for the ARC. Don't Let the Forest In is out October 29

A twisted and heart-wrenching horror, this YA debut is a strong and terrifying start for C.G. Drews. Not once did I figure out where things were going, but once the reveal happened all the clever clues floated up to the forefront of my mind. Rarely, if ever, did the tension ease up, and that kept me glued to the story the whole time. I don’t seek out YA these days, but I am so glad I gave this one a chance. The ages of the characters and the prestigious boarding school setting added to the plot and tension, rather than detracting due to frustrating hand-waving of rules and exaggerated understandings of teenagers. The monsters were genuinely horrifying, but equally so were the adults failing a student - a child - who needed help over and over again. A sad truth grounded in reality that the story desperately needed.

I do feel like the ending left some pretty important questions unanswered and had a fairly loose idea of consequences. As a reader who appreciates realism even in her horror, this frustrated me a bit. I will be asking “why” and “how” every time I think about this book, and I will be thinking about it. In the acknowledgements the author tells readers “I hope this one haunts you” and I am happy to report that it already has.