Don’t Let the Forest In is a stunning YA horror. The writing is poetic, and the story is captivating but dark and twisted, like one of Andrew’s fairytales. I found it hard to put down.

This novel blends the creepy, gore and macabre with excellent prose, perfect pacing and complex characters. There are detailed descriptions of the horrific forest creatures, but also school life and classes. Those two worlds are completely separate at the beginning, and the scenes where the forest seems to reach into the ordinary world, bringing chaos and rot, were my favourites. What I loved about this novel is that I was never sure what was real.

Also, I loved the characters- from somewhat fragile Andrew and angry Thomas to the side characters, like Lana, who are as detailed and essential. It was easy to root for them, and I was emotionally invested in their story. The novel touches on teenage mental health, identity, abuse, bullying and grief, making it a worthwhile read.

It’s a rather scary read filled with botanical horrors but also a wonderful story about love and friendship. I will keep an eye out for the author’s future releases.

𝘖𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘶𝘱𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, 𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘯𝘰 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘢 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘸 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘓𝘪𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘮.

This was the perfect autumn read, with spooky vibes and eloquent writing. I absolutely loved the story; Andrew loves to write stories, dark stories and finds solace in his writing. His best friend Thomas is an artist, who is inspired by Andrew's stories. However, as they return to school at the beginning of the year, something is wrong. Thomas seems different and his parents have mysteriously disappeared. Andrew is desperate to figure out what's going on and follows him into the forest near the school. He sees Thomas fighting a nightmarish monster and discovers that Thomas' drawings are coming to life. As they figure it out together, things unravel and secrets are uncovered. The relationship between Thomas and Andrew was so well written and I loved the whole atmosphere. A perfect spooky read!

The prose here is absolutely stunning. This is my first time reading something by C.G. Drews, so I'm not familiar with their writing style and whether this eloquent flowery prose is typical or intended, given the main character's penchant for writing - writing that comes alive. At times I found this prose excessive, however the imagery was quite haunting and beautiful. The haunting imagery, the body horror, and the progressive closing in of the forest monsters was all really well done. I thought the characters' conversations and internal dialogue related to their struggles within the LGBTQIA+ community were also very well done and thoughtful.

I found the lack of response by teachers at the school to one of the character's extreme weight loss to be concerning. I also have a hard time with this being marketed as YA horror. The main set of characters are seniors in high school, so from that perspective I can understand it being tagged YA. However, the body horror is on full display and the themes are quite mature. That all being said, I really enjoyed this and plan to read more of C.G. Drews writing as soon as possible.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

HUH?

That double plot twist broke my brain for a second there. This book is generally kind of slow, but it picks up 3/4th of the way through. I loved the aesthetic of it and I think the ship was my favorite part. It was about to break me of he wasn’t real😭. I should’ve picked up on the plot twist earlier, because they mentioned how she always did his schoolwork and then the office said he hadn’t done schoolwork the whole semester. I was so confused why he wasn’t talking to her for half the semester and why they wouldn’t just FUCKING SAY why she was mad at him. I felt weird about that whole thing and it was honestly pretty annoying to read, but other parts of the story made up for it. I feel like this book had some parts that could definitely be improved in the authors second book.

🌿Don’t Let the Forest In🌿

Dark. Atmospheric. Imaginative. Lyrical.

“It was strange, Andrew thought, how when something moved in the dark, 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.
——————————————————————-
“I’m scared of everything except the dark.”
——————————————————————-

I have found yet another book to obsess about!
This book was fascinating, I adored Andrew’s dark stories and I only wish I could’ve seen Thomas’ drawings of them, they would be magnificent!
As a massive introvert I could relate to Andrew many times. I don’t think I’ve ever read about a character quite like him and I felt so seen.

——————————————————————-
“‘You just have to find the people who love you for you. I’m lucky to have those.’
‘It’s shitty that it has to be luck to be loved as you are’” - I can’t even explain the way this hits me…🥺
——————————————————————-

This is a very beautiful and dark story about identity, love, loss, being accepted as you are, and fighting inner monsters ( alongside fighting real monsters ofc). The story pulled at my heartstrings in a major way and I am still processing it.

If any of this sounds good to you then give this book a try, it might just burrow into your heart and stay there. 🖤

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️ rounded to 5⭐️

I started reading this book but couldn’t get very far into the story. So I switched to the Audiobook and found that helped keep my interest.
I must admit I’m not a huge horror fan. And there were some descriptions that had me shuddering and saying ewww out loud. Which people who didn’t realize I was listening to a book probably wondered about.
It was very nice to have a book with an ACE main character. My daughter is an aroace and even though this representation is far from perfect it’s definitely a step in the right direction of recognizing not everyone needs or wants sexual relationships.
I would say a solid 3.5/5. Just because the ick factor got me.

A dark and gothic dark academia horror; filled with prose as lush and as biting as a poisonous flower. The cover for this book is gorgeous and really sets the reader’s expectations for the kind of story lurking inside.

We follow Andrew and Thomas who creatively feed off of each other: Andrew’s dark faerie tale stories provide the inspiration for Thomas’s macabre artwork. They’re both students at a prestigious boarding school who are feeling the pressures of an intense senior year, but things are about to get more intense for the both of them when they realize their art may be coming to life….and may be coming for them both.

It’s still (unfortunately) rare to find asexual representation in books, much less in a main character. I loved what that added to this specific story, and how Andrew was not only wrestling with dangerous forest demons but accepting himself. Andrew was a frustrating protagonist at times. Lack of communication as a plot point is really frustrating to me as a reader but I understood his motivations, even if I didn’t agree with them, and it comes clear towards the end why communication with certain characters were the way they were.

The beginning of the book was interesting; where it chose to start and what information it gave really had me feeling like I was missing either a prologue or a few chapters of context. I don’t mind being thrown into a story and left for myself to figure things out, but this book asks you to buy into deep relationships early on and there wasn’t enough initial character development for one to do that. This book felt repetitive at times with the to and fro from one location to another, and perhaps that was intentional to showcase Wickwood’s suffocation of the boys?

Those notes aside, I had a good time with this one overall. This book is dark and furious and a great example of YA dark academia! I will be following this author’s career with interest!

This book left me absolutely speechless. So beautiful. The cover art is stunning, the storyline is so tender and raw. Andrew and Thomas are incredible characters.

I really liked this one! It's the first book I read by this author, and I loved the lyrical writing. The ending had my jaw on the floor, I didn't expect it at all. I loved the asexual rep too! I've never read a book that showed my version of being ace before, and it was so nice to see it on paper. I loved the couple, and I thought they were amazing for each other.

Ugh I loved this so much. The obsession and body horror. The forest and creatures described. The writing is absolutely beautiful. It reminded me of The Wicker King by K. Ancrum which I loved as well. I don't normally buy YA books anymore but I cannot wait to have this on my shelves.

Andrew, Thomas, and Dove, Andrew’s twin sister, were three main characters who all felt so real. I don’t know how Drews did it but it worked so so well. The characters, along with the atmosphere of the setting, allowed me to feel as if I were right there along with them; going to school with them, battling the monsters in the forest with them. Even though Dove featured less than the boys you still got a feeling for her personality, how much she loved her brother, had a confusing relationship with Thomas. I loved how codependent the boys were. It made me think of The Wicker King by K. Ancrum – another book I loved. Andrew and Thomas wanted to be near each other, had to be near each other. Even if it sometimes seemed to be a bad thing, their relying on each other. That they both had this innate need to be near each other. I drank it all in so much.

Thomas with his “I hate everyone but you” attitude (a microtrope I do love). Andrew with his near-obsession with Thomas. Dove pulling away from her brother and Thomas even though she was close before. I couldn’t pull myself away from any of it. I did think their school was a bit weird/unbelievable for not being more present in their lives. But also I’ll choose to believe that either they had no idea how to deal with everything or the school was (dealing with it) and the characters just refused to listen. I think with another writer I would’ve gotten annoyed at how many times Andrew went on about Thomas, how almost all of his thoughts and (nearly) his whole world revolved around him; but I never got that with Drews. I think that spoke of how good their writing was.

The plot was interestingly weird and there was a definite focus on the characters rather than the plot. Even so, the plot was still excellent. it balanced whatever weird things were happening in the woods with their lives and glimpses into their schooling. Obviously the focus wasn’t meant to be on their classes, it never was. Only what they were going through that day, how it made them feel. The book did something I love (specifically in horror movies) where things seem to be fine… until they aren’t. Until odd things start happening, keep rising until they’re so visible. It’s one way to get me into a story and to keep me there.

The writing was so good. I easily fell into the world and the descriptions of Andrew’s writing and Thomas’s drawings were so well-written they came alive. Also the physical books have illustrations (I think maybe the normal ones not just special editions). Now I know what to look forward to for Drews’ backlist books and their new releases (the cover for Hazelthorn just released and it is absolutely excellent). It’s magical and stunning and I thoroughly recommend it to you all!

Delayed in posting this, but devoured this book. The representation, the pining, all mixed in with the perfect amount of horror. Right up my alley. Thanks for the opportunity to read this book!

4.5 stars

i hate to admit this but i read this book literally months ago, i got an arc and was meaning to write a great review but... i forgot haha

but i can at least say now that this book is so so so good!! its definitely something you need to read even if you don't like horror. I never read horror bc its not my fav but this was soo good, its so bingeable i read it in one sitting. im gonna have to reread it one day for sure!

*Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

What do you get when you combine a boarding school, a haunted forest, horror themes, an unreliable narrator, and two queer boys who love to draw and write, respectively? Well, for one, you get a constant internal monologue of, "do I ACTUALLY know what on Earth is going on in this story?" The answer... varies.

Overall I quite enjoyed this novel. The horror/fantasy themes reminded me a lot of "House of Hollow" by Krystal Sutherland. Though the level of horror/gore-y imagery did have me wondering at times how this was a YA novel. The premise of a mythical forest full of monsters brought to life by drawings was so interesting but at times was a little too reminiscent of "Ink Heart".

I think this book would have been a 5 star read for me because I did love the characterization and I thought that Drews wrote the unreliable narrator very well. But I am not a fan of open endings and so the end really fell flat for me. If that's something you don't mind or even enjoy, I can see this being your next favorite read. 4/5 Stars.

***Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

I was immediately intrigued by Don't Let the Forest In and never wanted to put it down. From the beginning, I could tell something wasn't quite right with the main character, Andrew. The mystery of it sucked me in, and the delightfully grotesque monsters were the icing on the cake. The premise of the monsters coming to life from the art of the characters was really interesting. I appreciated how well it was executed.

The relationship of Andrew and Thomas in Don't Let the Forest In was obsessive to the extreme. They were the textbook definition of codependency, and I completely ate up the mutual pining between the two of them. Andrew experienced a lot of anxiety, and following his character felt like slowly descending deeper and deeper into madness. He was also asexual, and I liked that the author took time to include information about it. I just wish it had been explored a bit more. I also wanted Thomas to be a little more fleshed out, especially considering how much Andrew obsessed over him.

The plot of Don't Let the Forest In was interesting and kept me on my toes. I do wish some elements, such as the fate of Thomas's parents, had more of a concrete resolution, though. I really liked how the story explored the expression of pain and trauma through art and creative endeavors. It was really inventive and smart. I don't want to say anything else about the plot/themes because I want to avoid spoiling anything. Just know that I enjoyed it overall even if I was hoping for stronger dark academia vibes.

Overall, Don't Let the Forest In was a great read that I never wanted to put down. If you are looking for a best friends to lovers story that has lots of mutual pining, this might be the book for you as long as you don't mind some monsters along with it. The premise was unique and kept me engaged even in the slower moments. Therefore, I rate Don't Let the Forest In 4.5 out of 5 stars.

This was a truly interesting YA fantasy/horror book. It takes place in a boarding school that borders a forest. Something happened in that forest last year, the school has forbidden the students from entering the forest. What happened? And what’s going on with the forest now?

Don't Let the Forest In is a wildly imaginative, gruesome, and whimsical ride. The writing is absolutely captivating. CG Drews has perfectly paired horror with fantastical elements in this book. I am so intrigued by the world they have created and really would like to revisit it one day!

I have yet to find a nice way to say “YOU DIDNT NEED TO RIP MY HEART OUT TOO”
Amazing book. Instant favorite.

This definitely felt like a nightmarish/ fairytale type of novel and it was good and conflicting for me. The whole idea of this plot was definitely a plot twist and I was wowed at the end. It definitely talks about mental illness, death, & self inflicted trauma. It was a good read and lots of symbolism in the book.

I ... am not sure how to rate this. I'm settling on four stars, but like ... I'm also a mess? And kind of annoyed? But not sure if I'm annoyed with the author or with myself because the author definitely warned me, and I just ... didn't listen. Because I am a naive, gullible little idiot, I guess. I just want to curl up with a blanket and not talk to anyone for a while.
I came for the ace rep and left weeping. The ace rep was done well. Like. I kind of wish the ace horror had been leaned into a little more, but what bites we got was DELICIOUS and I was so here for it. But also I feel like, while I love this author and their work, I also get kind of triggered by their writing. It's so gutting and honest and real and just ... baby steps are required for me to make it through the book without coming apart. So definitely check the content warnings on this one, friends. But also ... read if you want sad, panicked, frantic gays hunting monsters and being angsty? Might come back with more coherent thoughts later. Who tf knows with this one.