This is a fabulously atmospheric queer dark academia YA horror. It's got so much, from the ace/gay representation of the MC to truly terrifying monsters and botanical horror that will leave you scratching your skin sympathetically. The narrative voice is quite propulsive too, as is the plot.

Honestly I come here with no plan on what to say. I sit here staring at a wall thinking about what I read just like the author said they hoped for. I have un answered questions but I do believe that is the point. This book has some of the most incredible, descriptive writing I have ever seen. Writing that I would stop, highlight and just stare at going holy shit… that is beautiful. Writing that’s disturbing, gut wrenching and even relatable. This story speaks on the importance of mental health and has asexual and other lgbt representation. While I didn’t agree on everything for the asexual representation there are plenty of people who have this type of asexuality and don’t know that it’s completely normal. It’s a story of finding yourself, of fighting battles. Falling in love and the deepest.. types of grief. It’s filled with monsters both the ones inside and the ones that rake claws along the trees you walk beside at night. Watching and waiting for you to show weakness. It has intense battles that send your heart racing and an ending that as you on the edge of your seat asking more
And more questions before leaving you changed forever.

I will say as someone who doesn’t read horror because I find the beginning too slow this one can be slow like what is so common in these types of books. However I bed of you. If you got stuck anywhere 30-50% done. Push through. Even one page at a time because it does pick up. And it’s so worth it.

I loved so many things about this book! It was angsty and atmospheric, a great blend of eerie forests and dark academia. The creepy monsters and internal struggles were portrayed with poetic prose that was lyrical without being too over the top. I feel like YA horror can be a tough genre to get right, but this book did it well. The romance felt believable, and I also appreciated the asexual representation. The plot twists were done very well, I didn’t guess them right off the bat, but the foreshadowing is all there, and I can’t wait to highlight and tab a physical copy, it will be so satisfying for this read. Bonus points for a beautiful cover, I’ll be picking up a copy when this comes out. Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the ARC!

This book is all gorgeous gorgeous prose, disturbing horror imagery, and devastating plot twists. Drews’ talent for luscious and vividly immersive prose make the monsters and body horror in this book legitimately scary! The anthropomorphic forest and botanical horror was also really unique. I love an intense and obsessive queer friends-to-lovers plot, and Andrew and Thomas are the most precious little twisted misfits. Andrew’s journey of recognizing his asexuality was very realistic and sweet, as was Thomas’ easy acceptance, even amidst all the horror and trauma around them. I loved that this was a YA story set in a high school where the characters actually felt like teenagers, messy emotions and all. It’s also been a long time since a plot twist got me so good, and then got me again. Drews’ masterful manipulation of the reader gave me emotional whiplash and had me yelling at the characters out loud! Highly recommend, but expect to be a little fucked up afterward.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐/ 5 ⭐

C.G. Drews' haunting debut, "Don't Let the Forest In," is a masterclass in weaving psychological horror with the raw vulnerability of adolescence. Set against a backdrop of brooding forest and a prestigious school with secrets of its own, the novel delves into the murky depths of loss, fear, obsession, and the lengths we go to protect those we love.

The narrative centers around Andrew, a young man wrestling with anxieties and a burgeoning sexuality he barely understands. When Thomas arrives, a twisted codependency forms between them. Their bond thrives in art and the unsettling shadows cast by the omnipresent forest. As the darkness deepens, the lines between artistic expression and monstrous reality begin to blur. Drews masterfully crafts a dark academia atmosphere. The prose is both lyrical and unsettling, with vivid descriptions that heighten the tension and draw the reader into the suffocating embrace of the narrative.

The horror in "Don't Let the Forest In" isn't just external. It's the exploration of the monsters we create from our fears and the lengths we'll go to in their name. The scares are subtle, a slow burn that creeps under your skin. The true terror lies in the exploration of emotional wounds and mental health. Drews confronts themes of grief, guilt, and the desperate lengths we go to in order to protect those we love, even if it means succumbing to the darkness ourselves. What truly elevates the novel is the exploration of love and sacrifice. Andrew's devotion to Thomas transcends reason, forcing him to confront his demons and the manipulative power the forest holds. Though flawed and intense, their bond becomes a beacon of hope in the encroaching darkness.

"Don't Let the Forest In" is a disturbing and thought-provoking read that lingers long after turning the last page. This is a must-read for those who crave a story that explores the human condition in all its darkness. It's a testament to the power of friendship, the burden of unaddressed fears, and the chilling beauty of a world where the line between reality and nightmare is frighteningly thin.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First, I would like to thank NetGalley, CG Drews, and Feiwel & Friends Publishing for the Arc. Now here is my honest review.

When I started, I wanted to rate this higher, but it ended at a solid 2.5 for me. I’m going to try and keep this concise because there were SO many things I loved about this book and so many things that just DID NOT land for me.

Writing/Prose:
We’ll talk about the good first. The writing. Beautiful. It was descriptive, atmospheric, and everything you need to tell an engaging story. So many times, did I squirm in my seat at the visceral horror descriptions. The monsters were terrifying. I could see them. I could smell them. I could feel their rot climbing up my skin. The body horror was mind-numbing in such a good way. The imagery was so vivid that I couldn’t help but fawn over the author’s ability to write such descriptive, horrifying prose. 10/10 when it comes to the writing itself.

But then there’s the rest of the book.

Characters:
I will be honest. The only character that I liked was Thomas. He felt like an actual person on the page, but everyone else felt like a one-dimensional archetype. The bully. The eccentric art teacher. The smart Asian girl. The condescending teacher who has it out for the main character because the plot needs it. Each side character had no true purpose in the story other than to torture our main character or try and give him some development. They felt so unnaturally cut in that it was often jarring when they were in the scene. Their connection to the main character felt quite literally like: “I need a character to cement this plot point.” I honestly forgot about all of them until they appeared on the page and then I had to quickly rack my brain to remember them.

Also, how are ANY of these teachers employed? Is no one paying attention to what’s happening at all? They wait until nearly the end of the school year to talk to Andrew when he’s clearly deteriorating. They don’t notice at all the cuts and bruises on Thomas. Also, this is supposed to be a prestigious private school in the middle of nowhere, where are the outside security cameras, or maybe even school security to catch these boys sneaking out every night? It’s as if all the teachers conveniently had blinders on them when it mattered.

And then there’s our main character, Andrew. Oh boy. While his crippling anxiety made sense for the “plot twist” in the end, it got to the point that it just became frustrating to read. I did not like him. I thought he was endearing at first. I thought his anxiety was understandable. But I was so frustrated by his lack of character growth (which there still could have been room for even in this tangled plot) and inaction and cruelty that I couldn’t wait to be done with this book. I know everyone reacts to anxiety differently. That’s okay. That’s understandable. But for this book, the way it was handled just did not land right for me.

Plot:
I don’t…I can’t describe how predictable this plot was. I guessed everything so far in advance that it was laughable. I don’t want to leave massive spoilers for those who may still read it, but the beginning is slow, the middle strong-ish, and then the ending simply falls apart and becomes nonsensical. Nothing about how this is happening is explained. Entire subplots are dropped and forgotten. It just throws the ending at you and hopes you put it together. I think under different circumstances it would have worked, but it didn’t feel like there was enough foreshadowing and red herrings to be mind-blowing or satisfying in the end.

Sexuality:
This is my biggest gripe with the book. As a reader on the ace spectrum, I was SO excited to see an ace character represented. Even better, to see a discussion about asexuality as Andrew figured himself out. But all the discussions about sexuality felt out of place. Every time it was brought up it felt like the AUTHOR speaking, not the characters, and I hated that. There was so much room and potential to have meaningful conversations but between Andrew’s anxiety, and the whole psychological horror aspect of the book there was no time to develop these portions.

Another thing that bothered me was the fact that the author constantly stated that Andrew didn’t want physical relationships, at all. That he wasn’t interested. Period. But then he would have intense fantasies of physical desire completely contradicting everything previously stated. While it could have worked if we ever got a chance to properly acknowledge it, it felt like the author didn’t WANT Andrew to be completely ace, but they worked themselves into a corner and felt they had to keep him that way. (Never mind that sexuality is a fluid thing and can change at any time). I was just overall disappointed with this aspect of the book.
Final verdict:

Overall, I’m torn. There are so many good things that happen in this book that I love. But so many things fall flat that it makes it a disappointing read. I don’t want to give up on this author though. I will pick up another book to see if there will be improvements with time, but this book just wasn’t it for me.

Once again thank you NetGalley, CG Drews, and Feiwel & Friends Publishing for the Arc.

HOLY SHIT! This could easily be the best book i read this year! I fell in love with Andrew and Thomas and finishing this book was fulfilling as much as it was heart wrenching. You will not want to put this book down, and honestly i wish i could read this for the first time again. I can't express how beautiful this book was. 10/10 recommend.
I can not wait for this book to be out in the world for everyone to read, it is truly one of the most beautiful books i have ever read. I have not read a book by CG Drews before this and oh boy am I about to binge read the rest of their books. If you don't already add this to your want to reads NOW you won't regret it truly.
Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read an early copy of this book!!

I really enjoyed the atmosphere with this book, it gave you the nice creepy vibes and otherworldy feels.
My only issue, which for me is a big one for me, I was just not into the writing style itself, I just did not mesh well with it and it made it difficult to read for me personally.

This is a beautiful book but also terrifying and my brain is confused and sad! Sad that the story is over, sad at the book. The book consumed me. I had to keep reading. But true to the end I am just staring at the wall wondering what I read. The writing is heartbreaking. I love the way feelings and anxiety were described, how as the reader I knew something was up but couldn't quite guess what it was. I guess it is still up to me and my imagination! I usually hate endings like that but in this book I liked it.

I’m not entirely sure how to gather my thoughts on this. I find myself just wanting to scream about Don’t Let the Forest In. From the first sentence, I was hooked and by the end of the first chapter I was recommending it to my goddaughter. It’s so beautifully written that it’s practically poetry. This book was hard to put down. When I had no choice but to put it down, because reality called for it, my thoughts were completely consumed by Andrew and Thomas and of what could’ve possibly happened between Thomas and Dove.

I laughed and I cried and I didn’t want it to end. Don’t Let the Forest In is going be a book I think about for years and will most definitely be my favorite read of 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc and to CG Drews for writing such a wonderful story. I can’t wait to discuss this book with more people.

Oh wow. Anything I say about this book will never do it justice. It was so good and creepy.

This is not my typical kind of read, but I devoured this book. The characters were written so well. Thomas became my favorite. Andrew was such an interesting character. His thoughts during the story were chilling, but added to the overall ominous atmosphere.

The story was just so intriguing, it was so much more than I expected. It was well developed and the author has such a beautiful writing style. This book easily became one of my top reads for year.

Overall, I think this book will invade my mind for years. I could not recommend this enough. Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In CG Drews' spooky debut book, "Don't Let the Forest In," high school senior, Andrew, writes creepy fairytales for his friend, Thomas, who's dealing with some dark secrets. Thomas' drawings start coming alive and attacking people, so the boys team up to fight them off. But as they get closer, Andrew worries they might have to stop Thomas himself to save everyone.

What initially caught my attention with this book were the poetic lines in the blurb I read, and they continued to be evident and beautifully written throughout the book. The characters were well-developed, each with their distinct traits and motivations. The story kept me engaged from the start, and I never felt like I had to force myself to continue. The pacing was good overall, but the ending felt too abrupt.

This book is suitable for young adults, with just the right amount of scariness and innocent love. The writing is simple yet profound, though some descriptions were confusing due to the mix of fantasy and reality. Overall, a highly enjoyable read with minor flaws like repetitive language and a short conclusion. Still, I recommend it to any fans of horror, YA fantasy, and books with LGBTQ+ themes.

Thank you again, NetGalley, for the ARC! Comes out October 29th!! 4.50/5.00 stars!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Don't Let the Forest in is a YA queer, horror novel that follows our protagonist Andrew, and his best friend Thomas, through their senior year at a prep school. We are dropped into a bit of a mystery, with the year before ending in some kind of event that has left both Andrew and Thomas in the eye of the school's student body. When Thomas shows up to the first day almost late, with blood on his sleeve, Andrew knows something is wrong. Full of gore, nature based terror, and horrifying monsters, Don't Let the Forest in certainly does not disappoint.

As I was reading, I could not get over the prose. C.G. Drews is incredibly talented, and I cannot get over some of the lines in this book. The way words are spun is so captivating and brilliant. The only (and I mean ONLY) issue that I have is that it almost gets to feeling a bit pretentious coming from the mouth of a teen boy, but at the same time, I feel like that's part of the point. Andrew is not exactly the most normal of kids, and we love him more for that.

Speaking of Andrew, I absolutely love the representation in this book. There's a really deep understanding of asexuality in this book, which I really do love. It's not something I see very much of. His and Thomas' relationship is such a great slow burn, and I really found myself enjoying it in a way I haven't enjoyed YA romance in a while. Him and Thomas are both such compelling and beautiful characters.

I think that this is one that's going to stick with me for quite a while. I can't wait to get a hold of a physical copy of this when it's out.

This book has me in it's grasp, and it is not letting go anytime soon!

C.G. Drews is arguably one of my favorite authors, which says a lot, because up until Don't Let the Forest In, I had only previously read their title The Boy Who Steals Houses. Drews has a way of capturing my attention absolutely and completely. Of wrapping twine around my heart and pulling it tight.

Don't Let the Forest In has been my favorite read of the year this far, and I wager it'll continue to be my favorite throughout the rest of the year. It is haunting, beautiful, terrible, perfect, and it owns me.

I am obsessed with the imagery and attention to detail. The storytelling is masterful. Drews weaves these flawed beautiful characters into your heart, and stitches them there with vines and thorns. And then has the audacity to let them bloom. I wanted nothing more than to hold these broken boys and protect them at all costs.

This book made me feel seen. The representation is handled so hauntingly and beautifully. My heart broke so many times, only to be put back together, and pulled apart again.

I truly do not have the words to describe how much I love this book. It is an all consuming carnivorous forest that threatens my very existence, and I think my soul belongs to these trees.

thank you netgalley for my first arc!!! i am so excited to read and review this.

This review will contain spoilers

wow that was a very good read, it drew me in from the second that i picked it up. they characters were great and i think the plot was very thought out and original. I love great LGTBQIA representation in book especially in a setting of boarding school.

I knew something was up with Dove when Andrew was dropped off by himself to school and she just randomly appeared. at first i thought she was thomas's twin but then it clicked that she was andrew's and i was like hmmm strange the author never mentioned her in the car. the ending added it up, though. I do think that it is wild that no one told him what was happening especially when he was always asking thomas to talk to dove and work it out and kept mentioning conversations with dove.

I like the idea of their stories and art coming to life, i have not read a book about that yet and it was amazing. the plot was something that drew you in and made to play detective with andrew and thomas to figure out why this was all happening.

there are two reasons why it is not a five star read for me;

one is that i felt the story line of the monsters coming to life and the love story between thomas and andrew were constantly fighting for center stage. if the book was longer i do not think it would bother me, but because of how short the book is it felt like those two story lines were constantly overshadowing each other. i loved them both but i wanted more of each and more explanation.

two is that at some points it felt like the personification and the metaphors were way to strong for the book. i did like them but it felt at points that the author was putting intense figures of speech to make the book seem creepier than it was. I would have loved more descriptive paragraphs to really show me what the school and the monsters looked like. that would have added more to the creepy factor, but for a YA book i felt that the author did a great job of painting that creepy, gothic, horror look they were going for.

I think this is going to be a favorite of people not only from the representation that it has but due to the twins, turns, and extremely likeable characters. I am so lucky to have been given an arc.

This book was extended to me as arc from Netgalley.

As an adult reader I love both fantasy and horror. From horror I really require a twist I don't see coming and Don't Let the Forest in Delivered that for me.

Set just a state away from where I live currently, the forests of this book came to life within the author's words. The monsters crawled out of not only the characters' imaginations, but also into mine. This book was beautifully written with layers of love, grief, and mental illness all twisting together and it took me awhile to figure out what was real and that makes for a good horror book.

The main character, Andrew, at the surface level could've been just any teenager - filled with dread, anxiety, and a crush he believes to be unrequited. Except the author dug deeper than that into what caused those things and did it on a beautiful backdrop of fantasy/horror.

I definitely look forward to discovering other books by this author.

C.G Drews does not miss!! I'm a huge fan of her previous books and although Don't Let the Forest In couldn't be more different in terms of genre and setting, Drews is consistent with her beautiful writing and books filled with suffering boys.

This book was all the best parts aftg and wicker king with an extra bit of horror and gore to bring it to the next level.

Don't Let the Forest In follows Andrew - autistic, mentally ill, traumatized- who is obsessed with his roommate and best friend Thomas - artistic, obsessive, delinquent. Monsters that Thomas has drawn start to come alive in the woods outside their boarding school, Thomas and Andrew must band together to stop the monsters from entering the school and murdering everyone.

I zoomed through this book, the writing kept on drawing me in and kept me hooked. If you like dark academia with fae gothic like horror this is the book for you!

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for this ARC!

Absolutely loved it!
Haunting and beautiful. Its dark and twisted but oh so enticing , so unique, delicate.
I fell in love with the anger, the sadness, the slow burn love.
I did not see the ending coming at all, it hit me "right in the feels."
The words jump out at you, the imagery does too. The monsters come alive.
You get to KNOW the main characters so well, feel what they are feeling. Connect to them.
A beautiful nightmare with an unexpected ending.

Um. genuinely not even from the synopsis did I know what I was getting myself into fully but this was absolutely insane! I felt like even from the beginning this started off strong and just progressed more and more as it went on. We get Introduced to Andrew who’s demure and riddled with anxiety and his type A twin sister dove as the embark on their new semester at wickwood academy. Then we get introduced to Andrew’s best friend Thomas head strong fiercely protective, and oh! His parents are missing leaving a puddle of blood in his wake and he’s the prime suspect. Then we get sucked into a world of coming of age, sexual identity and monsters that seem to come alive from the pages of Thomas’ sketch book that are just as beautiful as they are cruel and intense. These two boys grapple with their feelings for each other, their severing trio with Dove who they both adore as they risk their lives every night to keep these vicious things at bay.

I literally adored this wholeheartedly, I loved how fierce Thomas was for Andrew and how Andrew was literally just a boy trying to be strong when he was suffering from things not even he understood (he would love taylor swift). I 1000% need this to be adapted into like a mini series or something because this felt like watching a movie I could genuinely picture everything in my head but I would love to see the things I couldn’t wrap my head around on screen.

This had me reading the last pages over and over to understand the ending and I’m still not sure but honestly that’s ok.

I will say tho only negatives:

-Sometimes the dialogue felt wonky and awkward.

- I do wish Andrew had been written just slightly better. Stronger. He just felt like an extension of Thomas and even Dove rather than his own being.

- The ending did feel abrupt which made it a little more confusing (though if that’s the intent then ok.)

- More clarification on the end events.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and Macmillan publishing group for the arc!

The spectrum of representation in this book is awesome to see! Themes of identity, mental health etc were touched on in this book. That being said, I had a difficult time relating to some of the characters. Which does not happen often and I real a lot of YA. Not being able to connect with the characters was almost a deal breaker for me as I had no reason really to continue the story other than just being curious how it would end.

The cover art of this book is 100% what drew me to this book. Unfortunately, what was between the covers was not as captivating.

2.75 stars out of 5. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC.