I had been looking forward to reading this book as the reviews were amazing and the plot looked so interesting. However, this one was a miss for me. I could not connect with the characters, and the story just felt all over the place.

The writing style was interesting and as so many others loved the haunting and disturbing style, I personally found it too much at times almost contrived. Andrew’s writing was fantastic, as well as the description of Thomas art. I do understand what the author was trying to convey especially how the book ended yet for me it didn’t work.

The plot also felt so forced; the setting is a high-end, elite & wealthy boarding school, yet there is absolutely no security, or actual care of adult supervision. The same bully’s with no consequences. The kids are sick, mentally unstable, physically injured yet no one notices? This is just too OTT. I understand it’s fantasy reading but for me I need some plausibility.

There are tons of great reviews so I could be odd girl out

I would like to to thank NetGalley, the Publisher, as well as the C.G. Drews for the ARC, I truly appreciate the opportunity of reading and sharing my thoughts on this work.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This had me hooked from the start ! Nothing I can say will do this book justice. Just read this book!

THIS BOOK! I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I read it. It was a delight from start to finish--great characters, great plot, and especially haunting worldbuilding. I can't wait to read it again and again.

From the first line, I was hooked. Andrew's voice grips you instantly and refuses to let go. This is such a delightfully weird book with characters you can't help but root for, even though you know they're unreliable. The way Andrew's mental health and his exploration of his sexuality was portrayed felt incredibly relatable and authentic.

This is a story that stays with you, haunting your thoughts long after you've finished reading.

Don't Let the Forest In is a YA psychological horror that is heartbreakingly beautiful. It takes place at a boarding school that is surrounded by a mysterious forest that the students aren't allowed in, starting this year. Our main character Andrew and his best friend are both creatives: Andrew writes harrowing short stories, and Thomas draws the creatures. Suddenly, these monsters are coming straight from his sketchbook to real life and the boys have to figure out why and stop them from harming everyone at the school.

I really really enjoyed this book!! This is the type of YA that you can read as an adult and still enjoy and relate to the characters. I loved that both of them were creatives, it made their relationship so much more. Andrew was such a well rounded character, I felt like I was inside his head and experiencing all of the crazy things happening to him. My only fault with this book was I felt that Thomas couldve been a little more flushed out from the beginning besides just being the "bad boy". But the side characters were really well done as well, the high school dynamic was created perfectly.

Let me tell you, this book was creepy!! The monsters and other scary imagery was awesome, pretty much everything was based on nature which is my favorite type of horror!! The writing style was one of my favorites too, very poetic but macabre at the same time. Basically every sentence was written beautifully and each emotion conveyed through physical similes. Drews really hit the nail on the head for how it feels to struggle with anxiety.

The characters relationships were pretty realistic as well, I loved Andrews struggle with coming out and coming to terms with who he is. It felt very real and raw. His love for Thomas was so sweet, but also "touch him and die" vibes. I was just rooting for them the whole time!!

If you love chilling stories with unexpected twists in a dark academia setting, this book is for you!! This story had me so emotional, I could not put it down, and as soon as I finished it I wanted to read it again.

I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early e-copy of this book. My first ARC ever!!

This book was gory and gruesome but so beautiful and magical. I ADORED Andrew and Thomas and I loved the parallels between them as the poet and the prince. I have never read a book like this where I was madly in love with the writing but felt partially scared. Andrew's anxiety felt so incredibly real and I could feel the words come alive off the page in the descriptions. Andrew's description of his NEED for Thomas was so beautiful and poetic but also terrifying. This book was magic and the ending was just.....incredible. Still pondering it multiple days after finishing it. A MUST-read for lovers of queer young adult gothic/horror stories with enchanting writing.

Once I started this one, I simply couldn't put it down. No review I can give will ever do it justice. Don't Let the Forest In is a tale with love, monsters, and incredible heartache that will take root in your mind and never let go. Thomas and Andrew's story will haunt me forever - and I'll be all the better for it.

This book is a perfect dark read for its autumn release. Skip the Halloween party and settle in with this beauty!

I received an advanced copy to read in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the publishers - and thank you CG Drews for a new favorite! Never stop telling stories!

I want to start by saying check the trigger warnings when you read this. Since there's no standard for them that I know of yet, you can find them on the copyright page, which might make them a bit harder to find. Quite honestly I think they deserve their own page because they really are quite severe in this, to the point where even things that don't normally bother me did.

This really is an excellent horror book. It starts off strong and just grows from there, using both the traditional monster jump scares and a growing sense of horror as it goes on. I do want to say I'm a fan of Andrew Joseph White's books, and this is not like his at all. White's books (the ya ones anyways) are promised to have everyone as okay as they can be in the end, and at no point does this book have that. I think that CG Drews was determined to traumatize their characters as much as possible, but it works for this story.

The main thing I did not like and major reason for starting loss here is how codependent Andrew and Thomas are. I know that this is intentional for the book, but it is seriously toxic and maybe I'm just too old for ya now but I wonder why no one intervened.

There is ace rep in this book as a last note. I think it was very good, though it also describes ace as not getting crushes either, which isn't right and I believe falls more under aro. Otherwise, it's very good, especially considering how hard it is to find ace mlm books, in my own experience.

I fell in love with this YA fantasy-Horror book quite unexpectedly, it was as beautiful as it was haunting, and I loved every minute of it. Andrew is an awkward teen who is driven to write dark stories full of monsters with unhappy endings. Thomas is an artist who sketches the monsters in Andrew's stories. Once upon a time Andrew ripped out his heart and gave it to Thomas, not sure if he would understand or feel the same. But what Andrew doesn't know is that Thomas will do anything for him, protect, even kill for him. But when Thomas's parents go missing, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve, rumors begin to take hold that Thomas is responsible for his parent's death. When Thomas begins changing, looking disheveled, tired, and losing interest in his art, Andrew is determined to help his friend even if it means gong into the dark forest to find him fighting off a nightmarish monster. Thomas's drawings have come to life and are killing those close to him. The boys try to protect the other's Thomas and Andrew battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters and Andrew fears the only way to truly stop them is to destroy their creator.
This book will be one that stands out in my mind for a while to come. It was beautifully written, gripping, heartbreaking and terrifying all in one, a must read for 2024.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley for early access to this book.

If you are terrified of what lurks in the forest or wish Doodlebob was allowed to be murderous, this book is for you.
"Don't Let the Forest In" made my skin crawl and heart race. I tried to figure out what was causing all the insane things to happen and every time I thought I was right, I was wrong. CG Drews crafts a story that is creepy, beautiful and haunting. It is simultaneously a coming-of-age story and a ghost story to be told around a campfire.
Andrew and Thomas are characters that I loved, despite their glaring flaws. I felt at any moment they may shatter under the pressure they placed on themselves while also recognizing how strong they were as two teenage boys taking on the world together. I wondered what was real and who was telling the truth as I quickly turned each page to soak in what was coming next. The characters simultaneously process who they are and who they want to be while determining the best way to battle supernatural forces.
Anyone who loves the idea of mutant forest creatures escaping from a sketchbook, not quite knowing what to believe and teenagers sorting their weird teen emotions will devour this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s publishing for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have extremely mixed feelings when it comes to this book. Starting with the positive, I loved the concept of this story and it a lot of creative elements that made it very enjoyable, like the descriptions of the monsters and the forest growing inside of characters. The writing in general was also a highlight, there were a few quotes that I even decided to highlight which isn’t something I often do. There were a lot of forest and woodsy metaphors that really helped to create the atmosphere and I liked that as well. I also enjoyed the incorporation of the main characters stories throughout the book and I loved the obsessive nature of the main relationship.

In terms of things that I didn’t like so much, the psychological aspect to the horror would have to be one. It only really appeared close to the end and for a few moments, at which point they were well done , and so I would have liked to see it appear more throughout. In general the horror part of the story seemed to be overshadowed by the romance and theme of finding your identity, and while I liked that, I wished it would have taken a backseat and let the horror be the focus because that was really when the story worked the most for me. It might not bother others as much if they are able to connect with the main character and therefore have more investment in those elements, which was something I wasn’t able to do. I thought his anxiety was well written but aside from that I had very little investment and interest in his character.

I earlier talked about how good the writing was, and while that is true, the dialogue didn’t measure up to the descriptions of the woodsy things sometimes. There were a couple instances where to me it came off as unnecessarily melodramatic, in a way that made it feel contrived. This was even more annoying since there were already so many instances of the book being very poetic and so in those moments it really felt like it was trying to hard to keep doing that.

The other issue for me was with the ending, and that’s because I can’t really tell you what happened. It was written in an extremely vague way that I felt should have been expanded because as it was it wasn’t only confusing, but super short which made it almost feel abrupt.

Overall while this book definitely had its positives, mainly in the writing area, I would have enjoyed it more had we seen more of the monsters and had a more of a polished up ending. Since it had its ups and downs it ends up being a three star read for me, though I could definitely see this working more for other people.

~Rating: ★ ★ ★ ✰ ✰~

“Don’t Let the Forest In” has got to be one of my favorite reads recently, and maybe one of my favorite of the year. The writing is dark and beautiful and gross, the story incredibly unsettling and tragic and lovely all at once. Andrew and Thomas were very interesting characters, and I had a lot of fun reading their story.

Fantastic read! Thank you NetGalley for an eARC.

This was a phenomenal read from start to finish. It was spooky, whimsy, tense, brilliantly told and just so so good. Definitely add this to your TBRs..

I loved how relatable the characters were despite not having come from the same background/upbringing. There are pieces of the story to collect along the way and at the end I was wrong. But at least my fears didn't come true at the end.

Beautifully told haunting story.

3.75/5 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing for an ARC of this book!
This was quite the intense reading experience, it kept me on the edge of my seat that I had to finish it in three sittings! "Don't Let the Forest In" is a psychological thriller/horror novel that follows the friendship of Andrew, Thomas, and Andrew's twin sister, Dove. The novel takes place at Wickwood Academy, in the beginning of the fall semester. The dynamics of the friend group are tense, Dove is keeping distance from Andrew and Thomas, and Thomas' parents have strangely gone missing prior to his entrance on campus. The novel is a surreal and mind boggling experience.
The pacing of this novel was so fast, that it felt like the chapters were flying by. Right from the first page, the novel was already tense and suspenseful. In some ways, I thought the passing was almost too fast. I would have loved more flashbacks or moments where the reader can first-handedly see the dynamics between Andrew, Thomas, and Dove prior to the tense beginning of the plot.
The ending of the novel was packed with twists and turns. My jaw literally dropped during the last 20% of the novel.
This book has a lot of discussion surrounding gore and violence, so I would suggest caution to any reader. I am not someone who is bothered by this description of gore, but there were some parts in the novel where they violence felt gratuitous, and I needed to take a pause while reading.
Overall this is a perfect book to get anyone out of a reading slump because of its fast paced and innovative plot!

I am absolutely haunted by this book, it will follow me and eat away at me until I pick it up again. I was immediately transported into the world of Don’t Let The Forest In in a way I had never experienced before, it was all playing out in my head with the way CG Drews managed to tell the story.

The foreshadowing, writing style, and something always being a little off all tie together in the end and made my brain implode once I realized what was happening. This book will have you questioning everything you thought was real in the best possible way.

This was a wonderful read and I want it to share it amongst my peers in hopes they’ll feel just as entranced as I did.

E-ARC was generously provided by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and Netgalley, thank you so much!!

There are monsters in the forest, and they are coming for us all.

Don’t Let the Forest In follows Andrew, a boy who writes twisted fairytales for his best friend Thomas who draws them. Monsters who shave the skin off your face and others who have roses for eyes. Their senior year is full of secrets - arguments, feelings, and the monsters in the woods.

By chapter 2, I was hooked and couldn’t come up for air until I saw Andrew through to the end. The relationship between Andrew and Thomas feels like suffocating or plunging into water so deep you can’t come up. There are so many twists and turns to this story, just like being lost in a forest. I feel like I can’t dissect the plot the way I want to without giving things away.

My only negative is that some descriptions became repetitive after a point, but I don’t think it detracts from the story. If you like dark, twisted stories set at a boarding school next to a forest full of secrets, then you will like this book. The magical realism is done well and just adds to the layers in the story. The horror in this reminds me of Mexican Gothic but done a million times better which is impressive since this is YA, and I find that YA usually holds back q but more.

I was surprised how much this story gripped me and definitely recommend checking it out when it releases this October! It would definitely be a perfect fall read.

*will be posting this review on Instagram closer to the release date

3.75

Got as an eARC from Netgalley. There was a lot I liked about this book. The characters were all endearing. I love an enchanted forest, even when it’s beyond creepy. I nailed down the plot twist about halfway through but it wasn’t so obvious that it was ridiculous that our main character didn’t know.

I feel conflicted about the ending as it’s vague and not many questions were solidly answered. There was also a fakeout that happens near the end that almost soured my whole reading experience. But, overall I enjoyed reading Don’t Let the Forest In and think it’s a really good October read.

Shy, anxious, neurotic Andrew Perrault's senior year at Wickwood Academy begins unhappily: his pragmatic, studious twin sister Dove is avoiding him, and his fiery best friend, Thomas Rye, is under suspicion for murdering his parents. When Andrew starts seeing grotesque monsters around campus, he and Thomas discover the sinister consequences of their penchant for dark fairytales.

Don't Let the Forest In is yet another title in the recent spate of YA horror releases. Drews's sharp, savage, evocative writing creates a dark, dangerous setting and vulnerable characters who realistically struggle to cope with their newfound burden and stressors. In particular, the horror action scenes are especially tense and fraught, and the descriptions of the monsters are delightfully nightmarish. However, Drews's writing veered into overdramatic too often for my tastes. The book filled with sentences that are atmospheric and pretty, but are ultimately incoherent: "But his ribs were a cage for monsters and they cut their teeth on his bones." This dramatic writing style also leads to more telling than showing; it is especially noticeable in the paragraphs that describe the relationship between Thomas and Dove, who don't interact for over half of the book, and then behave inconsistently from what the reader was previously told.

Don't Let the Forest In isn't a bad book, per se. There's a particular type of teen who is going to love the lush, vicious descriptions and become absolutely enchanted with Andrew and Thomas's slow burn romance. But for general readers, good diction isn't enough to distract from the shallow plot.

I'd like to thank CG Drews, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was brilliant. I wish there was more, the ended had me gasping for air as if my lungs were being wrapped in vines. This YA Psychological Horror was absolutely breath taking.

Our story takes place at Wickwood Academy, a school for rich kids to send their kids, and its surrounded by a forest. Andrew, our main character, loves to write macabre stories, beautiful and sad with a twist to turn them dark. Andrew's twin sister Dove is an academic, and this year she's upset with him and giving him the cold shoulder. Thomas is Andrew's best friend, he's fiery and protective and violent, but he's withholding something from Andrew. Andrew has secrets too, he's in love with Thomas, but he's asexual and not sure how to approach the idea of a romantic relationship. Besides the usual teenage angst there's something going on with the forest, monsters are trying to get into the school, and the only ones who can stop them are Andrew and Thomas, their creators.

This book was the epitome of gothic literature with fantastical dark academia. Filled with wild fantasy creatures with a thirst for blood, and body horror with an angsty queer love story. I wish there was more, I ache for it. The ending left me staring at my ceiling, wondering what I'm supposed to do with my life now that I've finished this book.

Trigger Warnings I've Collected: Disordered eating, body horror, homophobia, bullying, child death

WOW WOW WOW.....THIS BOOK WAS SO DAMN GOOD.

I.
Have.
No.
Words.

I did not see it any of it coming. As I sit here, staring at the wall and absorbing the last few chapters... this book will indeed haunt me.

What a beautiful story of loss.

This is a perfect spooky season read that is just more than your average story.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the opportunity to read this eARC.

This was the most painstakingly beautiful read of the entire month and then some. If you’re ready for poetic angst and STUNNING representation, you should most definitely check this one out. I really enjoyed the characters and the writing brought them to life almost. The horror aspect sold me but this book is so much more and it really takes you on a journey.