Holy shit, C.G. Drews writes so fucking poetically. They spun such an atmospheric tale that made me want to savor this book like a good glass of wine. I really enjoy Andrew as a narrator, and I love that his narration wasn’t always accurate.

It didn’t consistently quicken pace until around 70% of the book. There were great moments before that, but they were spaced in between really slow plot moments. However, everything started happening at that 70% mark. The love declaration gave me Bridgerton level monologue-ing, which I LIVE FOR. The monsters hit their peak, with the author writing their descriptions so damn perfectly that it felt like a damn movie. I also love the unique way Andrew defeats the monsters- so cool!

AND THAT FREAKING TWIST! I should have guessed it, then didn’t! Ugh!

P.S- If you like books with happy endings, don’t read this book.

A haunting and beautiful tale about two boys who must learn to cope when the art they use to escape becomes the monster that they must fight at night. The prose is magnificent and immersive and helps to build a world where the forest feels alive. and the monsters in it are both terrifying and magnificent.

The characters are intriguing and their reactions feel real. Andrew and Thomas are delightful and the reader can't help hoping they get a happy ending. Lana and Chole are amazing and they keep the story grounded in a sense of reality. The bullies feel real and it makes the plight of their victims realistic.

The story is a haunting mystery where the reader slowly learns the answers and slowly learns to fear what could be lurking in the forest. The language is captivating and I could imagine the feeling of the forest growing. I loved the glimpses of fairy tales that Andrew is writing, and the story will haunt readers long after the book is finished.

I had really high expectations going into Don't Let the Forest In, and while I wasn’t let down by any means, it also wasn’t quite the story I thought it was going to be.

The writing is EXTREMELY flowery, to the point where I did get a bit annoyed, but to its credit, the writing is extremely consistent throughout - it never pretends to be unpretentious and unpoetic, but I do think the plot occasionally suffers for the art of an alright turn of phrase. The horror elements are absent for the first third or so of the book, but once they come in, they come in so strong that I was honestly a bit queasy at times. I also found the twist to be predictable (guessable from the first chapter), but the end itself was completely indecipherable - I think it’s meant to be ominous and open ended, but I honestly could not tell you what happens at all. That said, I love the weird forest monsters. They’re so creative, and gave me a similar feeling I had reading The Spiderwick Chronicles as a kid, and I have the sinking feeling that some of the more body horror-y imagery will stick with me until I die. Chills.

I’m always impressed when teenage characters actually act their age in genre fiction, and I think these guys definitely seem accurately 17. Even so, I had a really hard time connecting with the main characters, both Andrew and Thomas. I found Andrew to be a bit annoying, and I couldn’t figure out what about Thomas made Andrew love him so much. However, there were plenty of very sweet moments that I genuinely enjoyed a lot, and even though I wasn’t able to 100% buy into the world, I also couldn’t put the book down - I read the book in two sittings, and I stayed up until at least 3 am to finish it.

All in all, this book is a really solid 3.5 stars to me. It’s weird and overwritten and deeply queer and absolutely haunting, and I know so many people who will absolutely love it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of Don’t Let the Forest In in exchange for my honest review.

I usually find flowery language to be a bit obnoxious and difficult to read after the first couple of chapters. However, that was not the case with the writing in this book. It added so much to the atmosphere and plot that I was immediately sucked into it.

I wanted to wrap Andrew and Thomas in a giant warm blanket and protect them from all the monsters in the woods.

What a wildly wicked and mysterious book. CG Drews is incredibly talented at writing so much life into each page. The poetic imagery is immaculate. This was a perfect addition for Pride Month reading, as it is very LGBTQ+ positive.

You’re catapulted into Andrew Perrault’s story at a private boarding school, where you’re very quickly told something ominous happened the year before. But that mystery doesn’t come to light until the very end…Well, unless you’re a 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ detective like me. A story filled with monsters, murder, and complete mental health devastation. An absolute phenomenal story that I can’t wait for my friends to be able to read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for sharing this amazing book's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Don’t Let The Forest In is a YA Psychological Horror novel that was just wow. The prose was stunning, the setting was so atmospheric it took on a life of its own, and the characters were heartbreaking in all the best ways.

I did not see the plot twist coming and I’m not fully convinced I understand what really happened from the ending, but that’s okay! I still loved this story and the experience that was reading this incredibly beautiful and, at times, gruesome writing.

Andrew finds solace in writing twisted fairytales. His best friend and secret crush, Thomas, draws them. But senior year is off to a weird start as Thomas puts distance between them and walks the halls with a haunted expression. Andrew sneaks into the off-limits forest to find out what’s troubling Thomas only to discover him fighting a nightmarish monster.

The terrifying monsters from Thomas’s drawings are coming to life and they’re after blood.

Just in time for Halloween, you should definitely add this haunting, atmospheric read to your tbr!

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.