While I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read this book, I fear it’s been a DNF for me. I struggled greatly to push through the first few chapters, and while I think the prose is beautiful and the pitch compelling, I think this book is simply just one that doesn’t vibe well with me. It’s a stunning cover and the author is incredibly talented! I really really wanted to like this one but something stopped me from getting more than three chapters in. I was dragging my feet to keep reading.

I would like to give it another go though when it comes out! I think this would be a great autumn read, and I think it might just have been timing with what I’m reading currently and writing myself!

Amazing book. 10000 percent reccomend. LOved the characters and the plot. Finished this in like 5 hours. I couldn't put it down.

Thank you so much to CG Drews, MTMC Tours, and Macmillians Childrens Publishing Group—Fiewel & Friends, for the advance digital copy of DON'T LET THE FOREST IN. This review is entirely my own thoughts and opinions based on the early copy I read.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

DON'T LET THE FOREST IN is an eerie psychological queer YA folk horror set at a boarding school for rich kids that is a heart-pounding nightmare wrapped in rotted leaves, thorny vines, and ancient forest horrors.

Andrew's senior year has begun and it's already starting off in the worst way possible. His twin sister, Dove, is ignoring and avoiding him, and his best friend, Thomas, is acting strange and jumpy. When he attempts to follow Thomas in order to find out what is going on with him, he ends up in the forest and catches his best friend fighting off a monster. Thomas reveals that whatever he draws, comes to life in the forest and creeps into the school to destroy anyone close to Thomas. To ensure the monsters harm no one but them, their nights become filled with desperate attempts to keep the horrors of the forest at bay. But as their obsession with each other becomes deeper, the fights become harder, and the forest closes in faster—and Andrew fears the only way to stop them will break his heart.

If you're a fan of:

☆ Anxiety Rep
☆ Asexual Rep
☆ Dark Academia
☆ Eerie, Gothic Atmosphere
☆ Folk Horror
☆ Eldrich creatures
☆ Twisted Fairytales

Then this book is absolutely for you. But please note: this is a DARK story, so please proceed with caution.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

This book is... stunning. CG Drews has penned this tale in the most poetic of prose, full of eerie descriptions that keep the scent of dirt and rotted leaves in your nose and the feel of bark and twigs against your skin. Their writing is tragic and haunting. It sinks into your mind and burrows itself deep, keeping your thoughts on the tale, even after you've put the book down. It's delightfully creepy and kept me breathless with every turn of the page. My e-book is filled with highlighted sentences that just showcase what masterful skill CG Drews has in writing gorgeous, creepy, forest-haunted prose. I'm 100% a fan.

Their phenomenal writing skills aside, they did a fantastic job tackling representation in both mental health and in sexual identity. Andrew suffers from Anxiety and is Asexual— both are representations that I also fall under. In regards to the anxiety, CG Drews nailed representing it so utterly perfectly. I struggle with describing how anxiety feels so next time anyone asks, I'mma just hand this book over because it's spot on. The asexuality representation is also completely on point. Asexuality is already confusing. It gets more confusing when you have feelings for another person but all you want to do is kiss and melt into their skin and just exist happily with them and just skip all the other intimate things. CG Drews apparently just rifled around in my head and dug out my exact thoughts and feelings and confusions and worries and splayed them out in poetic writing, that is how on the nose the ace representation is. It's gorgeous, it's beautiful, it's so well-done. It makes me incredibly happy to be able to say that this book represents me.

The story and plot is so twisty and turn-y. Thanks to me highlighting (cuz stunning prose was stunning) and taking my time reading this ARC, I actually managed to catch onto clues that had me asking the right questions that led me to figuring out the big reveals. But it still wasn't easy. CG Drews definitely knows how to make sure you're second guessing yourself every step of the way. All in all, this story is beautiful. It's dark and gothic, just the right about of eerie and creepy, and absolutely thrilling. I highly recommend this book!

I don't give out 5 stars to books frequently, but if you can make me cry and feel what the characters are feeling, you've earned it, and boy, CG Drews deserves those 5 stars. "Don't Let the Forest In" was both magical and terrifying -- the way that the monsters within the book come to life through Drews's words is an impressive feat that kept me sucked in. I read this book in one sitting, unable to tear myself away from Andrew and Thomas during their descent into madness.

I truly cannot believe this is CG Drews's debut novel because of the way that the words flowed, and how the raw pain poured from their characters gave off the feeling of someone who has been publishing novels alongside the likes of Stephen King or Shirley Jackson. Much like the monsters that peeled away from the trees in the forest to come to life, Andrew and Thomas did much the same from the pages of this book. Top all of it off with a plot that is a near-perfect metaphor for the feeling of being closeted and you've got a winner.

I highly recommend this book to anyone willing to experience the horror & trauma of Andrew and Thomas' journey.

Such a hauntingly beautiful book. I already preordered my copy and I cannot believe how much I loved this! LGBTQIA+ themes and a shocking twist ending.

I really loved this book. It had me all in my feels from start to finish. Andrew and Thomas's dynamic is so well written. I would read anything CG Drews puts out, her writing style is just smooth and draws in the reader. I wanted to know how it ended and kept turning the pages. Thomas pain broke my heart, but I loved how they were able to fight off his demons together. The cover art is what caught my attention on Netgalley first, then I started following CG Drews on Instagram and now I want to read her other horror book, which is more adult than YA. I can't wait for more from her! This book is for you if you like YA Horror, LGBTQIA+ and emotion, lots of emotion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC copy of this book!

I really liked the premise of this book. I really liked the characters and the relationship between Andrew and Thomas. While not fully romantic until nearing the end, I liked how codependent they were on each other. It really showed in how quickly Thomas was willing to defend Andrew and how far Andrew was willing to go for him.

What I didn’t like so much was how abrupt the ending felt as well as the big twist. It answered maybe one question and left me with a million more. It would have 100% been a 5 star if that ending stuck the landing, but for me, it didn’t. It was too vague to be a really ending that I would enjoy. I’m not even sure what happened in the end given several factors or what really started everything given that Dove’s death began the curse. Why was Andrew’s stories what drove everything if Dove was the one who died? That just made no sense to me.

Ending aside, I really liked the writing. It was the kind of flowing, perfectly written horror that let me envision exactly what they were up against. The descriptions were so vivid, I felt inclined to walk into the woods outside my house to smell it, if not for the unease the story left me with at the idea.

Overall, I do recommend this book. I enjoyed it a lot and I look forward to more from the author!

4/5 stars

T0 Publisher:

at LOC 747, there is a line that says "too many kids sneaked out." I feel it should be "snuck out".

Don't Let the Forest in is a haunting tale that follows Andrew and Thomas, two boys that attend the same boarding school and have been best friends for quite some time. However, when they return to school for a new term, rumors surround Thomas. His parents have gone missing and Thomas won't speak about them. As the mystery unfolds, their relationship grows and the horror creeps in, making this a gripping tale of love, infatuation, and the monsters we create.

I thought that the character work in this novel was incredibly strong. Both Thomas and Andrew were very complex characters and I felt Drews gave a very strong sense of their relationship. as the story unfolded. The skills of drawing and storytelling Thomas and Andrew possessed also gave the book a very fairytale feeling, with a dark twist- which I really enjoyed tone-wise!

I also loved the more horror-based elements of the story and felt myself gaping at the descriptions of the monsters in this tale. Drews has a fantastic skill for description and it was definitely very prevalent here!

Overall, I would absolutely recommend Don't Let the Forest In, especially to horror fans!

I went into reading this book totally blind, knowing nothing of the plot or the author, aside from having seen CG Drews's atmospheric and memorable TikTok's. I'm so glad that I picked this one up.

Although the first third of the book was slower paced, I felt that CG did a wonderful job building up the tension that led to the ultimate first confrontation. The ending was satisfying, with a twist that (albeit I saw coming) was satisfying. The characters? Oh gosh, I just want to give them a big hug. Thomas and Andrew certainly now hold a small part of my own twisted little heart.

Eerie, dark and haunting, Don't Let the Forest In will be the tick tick tick in the back of your head, begging to be read any time you put it down.

The perfect Fall season read. Featuring obsession, yearning, ace rep, monster hunting, and thrilling/haunting atmospheres

I was so excited for this book because of its promise of a dark, gritty tale. While yes, it is very dark, haunting, and at times disturbing, I had a hard time getting into it. It looks like I'm in the minority here because so many were consumed by this book, but it took me weeks to finish because I kept wanting to do/read other things.

The dark, academic setting was beautifully imagined and I loved those creepy moments that were woven into the story. The horror scenes are what kept me reading, because they are done devastatingly well in this book. However, I found the writing style to be a bit much at times, and I struggled to find depth in the characters. Overall, it was a decent read, but left me a little disappointed in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for allowing me access to this book. This book was everything and more.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ • 5

Don’t Let the Forest In is undoubtedly one of the best books I’ll have read for the entire year. I went into it with very few expectations because I hadn’t read any of CG Drews’ other works, but after having finished this I can say that I definitely intend to read others in the future.

The book was really emotion-provoking in that it felt very raw, as the story is told through the perspective of the main character who becomes increasingly more and more unsettled… Which has devastating affects on both his life and the relationships he has with other characters.

I will say that the ending is somewhat open-ended and can be left up to interpretation as it’s not 100% clear as to what actually happened. It does seem that—that was the author’s intention, but it could potentially leave the reader feeling like things were unresolved or that the characters didn’t get a real closure. For me personally, I tend to dislike books that don’t have a definitive end that wrap up everything without leaving things ambiguously but… I didn’t mind the open ending in this, and thought it did suit the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC for review!

4*

Creepy and queer, Drews had me by the throat from the first page.

From the unsettled expectations of Andrew's return to Wickwood Academy, to the play of art and fairy tales and monsters come to life, Drews weaves a story of tragedy, love, and the the eeriness of horror that was difficult to put down.

This was fucking FANTASTIC.

THIS is how you do a YA horror, how you do gay representation, yet balance both and do each well enough that they both get attention and don’t feel left out.

This was just something special, perhaps.

I am not asexual, nor bisexual (just simply gay) but I think both were done tenderly and with enough respect given that both the reader can understand, and the book can make it feel IMPORTANT, which matters the most.

I also think the horror is done amazingly well (“Pleasure. Horror. Lovely. Horror.”) and given so much creep factor and so much…reverence, that you are sucked into the book and sent on a whirlwind that makes you feel caught up and just as insane as the ending.

And SPEAKINF OF THR ENDING, WHAT THE FUCK?? OH MY GOD??? TEN OUT OF TEN WHAT WAS THAT.

Andrew has it hard enough handling the bullies at his boarding school, a confusing crush on his best friend, and a twin sister pulling apart from him for reasons he doesn't know. But all of that falls aside when he discovers his best friend, Thomas, battling monsters of rot and decay in the forest. A twisting, gothic tale of what it means to be a monster and the obsession of two boys. Overall I found it a fun and quick read that kept me hooked.
The flowery language works well with the story and in my opinion elevates the horror. I really appreciated the way Andrew struggles with his queerness and there are a couple scenes that I felt a lot of comfort in. I absolutely adored the way the forest and rot and monsters are written, it really makes you feel the decay in it all. The twist felt appropriate though I didn't see it coming.
At times I found Andrew to be annoying and yes, rather whiny. Though I don't think it lowered my enjoyment all that much, it still irked me. There was a moment that I thought it was going to go in a direction that really would've ruined it for me, and while I'm glad they didn't, it bothered me to even include that fakeout. The twist itself I don't know if I quite liked it, it felt a bit low stakes for that far into the book.
I'd recommend this to fans of gothic horror, dark academia, queer horror, or who wants a quick but solid YA horror. It isn't groundbreaking but it's entertaining.

This book was a fun ride!

I didn't have any preconceived notions going into this book and I'm really glad that I came in basically blind.

It's hard to articulate the great things about this book. The way the author handles mental illness and the panic attacks of our main character shows how much they care.

I think this also a good introduction to body horror.

I definitely think people should give this book a chance.

Thank you to Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC.

A haunted forest ripe with monsters that can only come from fairytales, an old academy nestled beside it, and two boys who must fight those monsters they’ve created set the scene for “Don’t Let the Forest In” by CG Drews.

Andrew and Dove Perrault and Thomas Rye have been best friends since they were twelve-years old at Wickwood Academy. An academy that boasts students of the elite in society to feed into ivy-league colleges and prosperous careers. Thomas and the Perrault twins come from wealthy families but also from homes that are not the happiest, sparking their camaraderie. While Dove is well liked and popular, the two boys have always struggled to fit in and with being bullied. The twin’s broken home leaves them a mostly absent father whose career is more important and Andrew with extreme anxiety. His only coping mechanisms are to put pen to paper and spin his feelings into dark tales of princes and poets, of monsters made of the forest who demand a blood tithe and Thomas Rye, the autumn boy with paint on his shirt and charcoal on his hands. With Thomas’ parents’ eccentric personalities and art careers, he is the tortured artist of the school. Taking Andrew’s macabre stories and bringing them to life.

It is their senior year at Wickwood Academy and Andrew hasn’t talked to Thomas all summer. Upon arriving at school things are tense between the three friends. Andrew’s anxieties are at full throttle. Dove and Thomas are not talking, and Andrew doesn’t know why. Thomas is taken into questioning by police and the principal for the disappearance of his parents and Andrew could have sworn he saw blood on Thomas’ sleeve. As the school year delves on, it is clear to Andrew that Thomas is keeping something from him. Something that is haunting him and keeping him up at night, going into the out of bounds forest. When Andrew follows Thomas into the forest one night, the grim and terrible truth of Thomas’ secret is revealed. Leaving them with no choice but to try to stop what they’ve created or die trying.

I absolutely was taken with this book from the first few chapters. I honestly had no idea or theories of what was truly going on or happening until the last couple of chapters. Drews’ writing is poetic, dark and all around atmospheric. I highlighted so many twisted but beautiful, dark but enlightening passages and lines that had me enthralled. Some of the things that I truly appreciated were the queer and asexual representation throughout and mental health representation. This book has all the vibes that I love- elements of a dark fairytale type setting, creepy, gory elements of horror, and the intriguing pull of a good mystery. This is a horror, psychological thriller with a kind of fantasy element woven within. There are dark concepts, elements of self-harm, thoughts on self-harm and harm to others. It is a story of dependance, of irrevocable love that explores all facets of what that love means- the dark parts, the bad and the good. It is a story of two boys who would do anything to protect each other. Even if that means to lie and to kill but mostly to destroy the monsters of their own souls. I will definitely be picking up any books by this author moving forward.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

Well, this was something else.

I loooved the forest and how creepy it was. The story was good, the characters were realistic, the writing was fantastic, and the imagery was great. It was a bit slow in the beginning with a semi aimless path to the plot, but it really picked up and sucked me in. It didn't really feel like a YA novel at times with the horror aspect. In a good way, I enjoyed it. I'm not one to go out of my way to read a lgbq book, but I think the plot was worth a recommendation.

I'm not sure how to feel about the ending, I'll just say I was not expecting that. Now I'm going to go stare at a wall and digest.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me a copy to read and review honestly.

* Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. *

"Everyone's first instinct was to go inside and hide under their covers. As if monsters couldn't open doors and crawl into bed with you."

Don't Let the Forest In is about Thomas and Andrew, best friends who attend Wickwood Academy together, and protect each other from the world. Only, upon return for their senior year, Thomas is acting weird, and Andrew will do anything to find out what's going on. When he follows him into the forest one night, he discovers Thomas fighting monsters that look suspiciously like the monsters in Andrew's stories, and Thomas's drawings.

Objectively, this is a beautiful story. I think the plot is there, the mystery aspect kept me guessing along the way, and while I did not like all the characters, they were well written and convincing. I think in some ways, though, this was just not for me specifically. I found myself wanting to skim some of the lyrical/poetic descriptions, and was regularly fed up with the lack of real communication and the riddles everyone kept speaking in. That said, I read the book in one sitting and enjoyed a lot of it, so I still recommend it.

If you're a fan of gothic, dark academia about forests and monsters, this book will be perfect for you.