Don't Let the Forest In
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Horror
4.4
CG Drews
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!As alluring as it is unsettling, award-winning author CG Drews' debut YA psychological horror will leave readers breathless and hesitant to venture deeper into the woods.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. Kill for him.High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality—Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won't say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork—whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew's wicked stories.Desperate to figure out what's wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster—Thomas's drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator...
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
CG Drews
Pages
336
Publisher
Feiwel & Friends
Published Date
2024-10-29
ISBN
1250895650 9781250895653
Community ReviewsSee all
"I’ll write a review after I pick myself up off the floor and dry off the tears I’m currently drowning in. The ending was DIABOLICAL and I will probably never emotionally recover from that ****. You should definitely read it and feel the same level of devastation! I promise the journey will hook you and refuse to let go. I started this book after 4pm and didn’t get off my couch until I was done.
Don’t Let the Forest In is a beautiful, evocative, and soul crushing reflection on grief. I adored the dark and twisted fairytale aspects of the story. With Andrew as the storyteller and Thomas as the illustrator, there was an added element of vividness to the story. C.G. Drews masterfully wove so many different elements together to create a grotesque and moving story.
There are several instances of body horror in this book so definitely be aware of that going in, but honestly they added so much to the atmosphere. I’m an incredibly squeamish person and was grossed out by lots of the horror, but I still loved the story because it matched the level of toxicity displayed in almost every relationship in the book.
I was constantly guessing what the twists and turns were going to be. Then, I would be convinced I was right only for another reveal to make me second guess my instincts. This back and forth was also something Andrew dealt with throughout the story and made everything feel more real.
It is safe to say I’m OBSESSED with this story and can’t wait to reread it soon. It’s so gay and I was eating up all the pining, suspicions of unrequited love, second guessing, and teenage FEELINGS here. I will be an Andrew and Thomas shipper for life."
A C
Alyssa Czernek
"It’s devastating and beautiful. I’m gonna think about this book for a long time. This book had me hooked from the start and was incredibly difficult to put down it is beautiful and haunting it had me shivering and feeling nauseous at parts it’s a book with descriptions that you will think about for days it’s vividly dark and the relationship we watch develop between Andrew and Thomas is riveting. "
"A suspenseful and atmospheric dark academia. This was a really captivating read- it didn’t take too long to get into the actual thrills, and it was bloody and dark, but in a mystifying way. There was also great foreshadowing, and it felt like everyone had a secret, which was enhanced by the writing style. Plus, it was quite romantic, even if Andrew and Thomas didn’t have the most wholesome relationship, but instead a more passionate one. Plus, the mental health and lgbtq themes were worked in well, and I loved how the story included illustrations and the fairy tales in them, since it’s really unique to have that in YA. But I have one major complaint- the ending. The huge twist only happened so the story could include a theme, and although some will find it emotional, it was done in a way that completely erased everything shocking that happened throughout the story, which was made worse by the fact that it was so captivating. I get if you want to make an impact, but don’t do it in a way where you ignore the horror that the readers came for. Or maybe I’m simply not a fan of unreliable narrators. I don’t know. So yeah, it was ruined by the final twist, but the bulk of it is a developed and intense, romantic story that still proves why I enjoy dark academia so much. "
Similar Books
3.8

4
3.9
3.8
4.4
4.1
4
4.3
4.3
3.3
4.1
4.1
4.1
3.7
3.9
3.8
3.6
3.6
3.1
4.1