Highschooler Andrew Perrault finds solace in the twisted fairy tales he writes, and his closest friend, Thomas Rye, brings his stories to life by illustrating them.

Literally.

Their lives are uprooted when they make the horrifying discovery that their creations are coming to life. Now the boys find a way to destroy the source of the monsters before they kill everyone they love.

Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews weaves a modern-day fairytale filled with achingly beautiful prose and thorns. Honestly, the writing is biting and had me hooked from the first page to the very last.

All in all, if you enjoy books filled with angst, longing, and tight-bonds (in the vein of The Raven Boys or Your Blood, My Bones), I cannot recommend this book enough.

Reading the synopsis for this book had me really interested to request this. When I was accepted, I immediately began reading.

The plot interested me so much that I could not stop reading until I had finished in a few hours. I absolutely love the representation in this book. I love the characters in the story and how they flushed out together.

I will definitely read more from this author. They are amazing at keeping someone hooked.

Thank you Net Galley and Publishers for letting me read an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

What a wonderfully macabre and sad story. It was dark and twisted and I loved it. It really had me guessing how the boys were going to save the day and come out alive. I was not expecting that ending, but now that I've read it I want to reread this story and see all the clues and foreshadowing that was left behind. This book did a great job explaining being ace and mental health/panic attacks. But if you're looking for a happy story you won't find it here. It's all around beautifully sad and dark.

-4 Stars-

Wow, wow, wow! This book was scary, heartbreaking, beautiful, and so much more. I listened to the audiobook after its release, and it just sounded so magical. I felt so immersed in the world, and I felt like I was right there at school with Andrew and Thomas. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

-Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC-

The premise of this book had immense potential—a mix of eerie fairytales, dark secrets, and complex friendships. However, despite its intriguing setup, I couldn't push through to the end.

The narrative felt weighed down by overly poetic prose, which often distracted from the unfolding events and slowed the pacing to a crawl. While Andrew and Thomas’s dynamic held emotional weight, their connection lacked clarity and development. The mysterious elements, like the living drawings and monstrous creations, were fascinating in concept but felt underexplored or poorly integrated into the main plot.

Additionally, the constant melodrama overshadowed any moments of real tension, making it difficult to stay invested. Though I appreciate the gothic atmosphere and themes of love and loyalty, the execution left me frustrated.

This book might resonate better with readers who enjoy atmospheric, character-driven tales over tightly plotted ones. For me, it was too slow and meandering to hold my interest.

Uhhhh! devoured this. it was phenomenal! prose was so lush and the descriptions of rot and filth and dirt and forest were enough to make me feel sick (affectionate). calling this book a brain worm feels too accurate given the context. but i truly couldn’t put this down.

and andrew/thomas were wonderfully complicated messy children going through something unimaginable and handled it badly. which makes sense because. they are children. so anyone complaining that the main characters choices were frustrating??? yeah they’re 17. duh.

also new fear unlocked: vines planting a seed in my ear??? hello???

thank you Netgalley for the ARC and a newfound phobia of trees !

Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel and Friends for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Don't Let the Forest In was definitely an emotional rollercoaster of a story, covering some very dark subject matter in a unique way. Andrew, his twin sister Dove, and his best friend and roommate Thomas are studying at Wickwood Academy, and it's their senior year. We learn that there was some type of altercation between Dove and Thomas, which puts a rift in their friend group and Andrew, who is not confrontational and dealing with demons of his own, in an awkward position. Meanwhile, Thomas is accused of murdering his family and starts pushing Andrew away. One night, Andrew notices that Thomas is missing, and he finds him in the forbidden woods surrounding the school - fighting literal monsters - which had come to life from his drawings. Andrew and Thomas have to fight these monsters to save their friends and loved ones - and come to terms with how much their relationship really means to one another.

First of all - the writing in this story was absolutely beautiful. The imagery in the descriptions was like watching a movie. It was very well done. Additionally, I loved how many difficult topics were covered - the representation of mental health and dealing with grief was so impactful and raw. I am a lot less familiar with asexuality, but I really liked that there was representation for that as well. I think in the last year, I've only read one other story containing a main character who identifies as asexual, and I've read my fair share of LGBTQIA+ stories this year, so that was refreshing. There were also depictions of disordered eating and self-harm, along with bullying - all topics that young adults are faced with, in one form or another (or exposed to) when they are coming of age and finding themselves. I noticed some reviews criticized how these topics may have been handled, saying it was "glorified," however I didn't see it that way. I saw these experiences that the characters were having as a reflection of what they were going through at that point in their lives and actually comes together in the end in a way that makes a lot of sense. Not every ending to every story needs to be tied up in a pretty bow with rainbows and butterflies, which makes this story a bit bleaker/darker than most young adult fiction.

I really enjoyed this story, and it did remind me of a few other books/series, so if you enjoyed those, you will enjoy this one. This first reminded me of the creativity and uniqueness of The Neverending Story by Michael Ende - and how Sebastian went into the world in the book he found. Instead of going into a story, the characters of Don't Let the Forest In had to battle monsters brought to life from stories and drawings. Another book series this reminded me of that I absolutely loved as a child was Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising sequence. It's been years since I've read that one, but the relationships and the good versus evil parallels were definitely similar between these stories. The final series this book reminds me of (which I know will upset a lot of people by mentioning this) is the Harry Potter series, although without witches and wizards. Don't Let the Forest In is also very supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community, unlike JK Rowling has been. However, both have the dark academia setting, the coming-of-age aspect, fighting literal monsters, and good versus evil. If you are a millennial and grew up loving the HP series before the nastiness of Rowling was exposed, then you will feel that sort of nostalgia reading this one as well.

This book was fantastic and heartbreaking. I highly recommend it!

Andrew, a boy trapped inside the fence of his own mind, struggling with social anxiety, and his sexuality. At the boarding school where he and his roommate and best friend and love interest- Thomas goes, the forest lingers out of bounds waiting to claim the souls of students. Thomas and Andrew return from summer break, with police waiting to speak to Thomas about his missing parents and the crime scene left at his house. They descend into romance, and a mystical eldritch chaos.

This was a wonderful and horrifying glimpse into the mind of a tortured young man, who battles human and non human monsters, finding himself throughout the madness.

Don't let the Forest in was so dark, twisty, and enveloping. I couldn't put it down despite the creepy imagery and eerie vibe. I highly recommend this for folks who love both dark academia and horror!

**4.5/5 Stars**
*Don't Let the Forest In* by C.G. Drews is a hauntingly lyrical story that weaves together raw emotion and eerie atmosphere. Drews' prose is as captivating as it is poignant, immersing readers in a world of creeping shadows and fragile hope. The characters are deeply flawed yet achingly human, their struggles tugging at your heartstrings. While the slow pace might not suit everyone, it perfectly mirrors the tension and quiet dread of the story. A beautifully crafted tale that lingers long after the final page.

GREAT book! Great queer representation. Felt haunting in the beet way! Great story and plot, moved really well! Didn’t drag at all.

Don’t Let the Forest In is one of the most beautifully written and atmospheric YA novels I’ve read in a while, but wow, it hit me hard. The story follows Andrew, his twin Dove, and their friend Thomas at a prestigious boarding school, diving into Andrew’s love for Thomas, the fallout between Dove and Thomas, and the eerie horror of monsters stalking the campus. The themes are heavy—grief, co-dependency, mental health, self-harm—and Andrew’s anxious, self-doubting perspective is both relatable and gut-wrenching. I loved the characterization and gothic atmosphere, though the high school setting didn’t always feel like the right fit for these mature themes. And the open-ended conclusion? It’s haunting me—I need to know what happens next. As a teenager, I know I would have felt deeply seen by these characters and their struggles, but reading it as an adult is tough. I just wanted to pull Andrew aside and tell him (and my teenage self) that life really does get better. It’s a stunning, heart-wrenching story, but it left me with so many feelings I still can’t put into words.

I was and am still so beyond happy to have been given the opportunity to read this title before its release date! I inhaled this book! The forest did in fact get into my head because I could not stop reading! I think it was well written and the descriptions of the creatures and scenes were very well done! I think the concept was also quite original and I couldn’t figure out the end twist until I was there. Truly a good read, I can tell this book is going to make a mark with its twisted tale!

4.5
This may be one of my most chaotic reviews yet. So many feelings I still can’t put words to even after a day. Buckle up y’all.

Andrew and his twin Dove have been attending a prestigious boarding school since they were twelve. They befriended a reckless boy named Thomas their first year and were then inseparable. Until this year. Dove and Thomas had a fight before summer break and now they aren’t speaking. Andrew absolutely needs them to make up. But he’s also afraid their fight was because maybe Thomas had feelings for Dove or vice versa. But Andrew is in love with Thomas, he’d do anything for him. Thomas is beautiful and reckless and brings Andrews stories alive with his drawings. Then Thomas’ parents go missing and Thomas is the number one suspect. He’s also sneaking out in the middle of the night and then there’s the monster’s following Andrew all over campus.

The writing is gorgeous, the atmosphere is spot on and the MC’s characterization hit me where it hurts. Side characters had enough personality to stand out. The horror aspect was written really well. I felt like I was in the forest, like I was being hunted by monsters in the corridors. Minor grievance: when the high school setting was focused on it kind of threw off any of the really strong gothic atmosphere feelings I was having.

First off, I recognize I'm not the intended audience for this novel. I graduated high school 18 years ago but I was an Andrew. YA novels tend to fall on a varied spectrum. This one is on the older end. It's also one I would have enjoyed to its fullest if the characters were college seniors or in their 30s. These topics and relationships are more believable (in my personal opinion) when they aren't seventeen year olds. Especially how co-dependent Thomas and Andrew are with each other. Andrew and Dove make sense, they’re twins.
There's some heavy, heavy stuff here: dealing with grief, co-dependent relationships, mental health, murder and self harm are the ones that stand out the most.

Andrew is one of the most oblivious characters I've read in a while. He's infuriating and yet I see myself in him. He's terrified and anxious, worried about being a burden, worried he's not good enough for anyone, scared of being in the way or a burden. And in the words of Borat: “wow-whoa-wee-woo.” aka: Boy, can I relate.

The thing is, reading it as an adult is really quite difficult. But even so, it made me feel so many things throughout the entire book. Andrew and Thomas are co-dependent as all get out. I’d even say toxic. Severely depressed, anxious and lonely teen me would have felt so seen and I would have been obsessed with this book. I wanted just one person to feel like I was their whole world and I felt I wasn’t important to anyone. But adult me is annoyed because this KID is seventeen and thinks this is the end all be all. I remember feelings. I wish I could pull him (and teen me) aside and tell him life really will get better. I’m all about some severely damaged sad boys(Andrew Minyard and Neil Josten anyone?) being each other's world but not high school kids. And the ending? I don’t mind open ended endings but this one is bothering me. I want to know what happens next for these guys. I don’t want where my brain went to be their ending, it’s dark. Don’t Let the Forest In is an extremely beautiful and heart wrenching story about growing up, finding who you are and dealing with grief.

I couldn't quite get into this book. I found myself waiting long periods in between picking it up and finally decided that I didn't want to finish it. I didn't connect to the story or the characters after reaching 29%.

CG Andrews describes this genre as “cottagegore”, and I think that a a perfect sub genre description!!

Dark, dangerous, and probably covered in moss. This book will wrap itself around your soul and sink its fangs into it.

I loved Andrew and Thomas. I’m not usually a fan of a truly unreliable narrator but I found myself sucked into the plot instantly and had to finish the whole book in one day. I couldn’t put it down. I’m always a sucker for codependent, fiercely-in-love LGBTQ couples. (And by that I mean it’s my favorite genre.) But I also appreciated the ace representation. As a biromantic ace who has occasional panic attacks myself…. I could see a lot of my childhood in Andrew’s thought spirals and worries. I really wanted to hug him.

I took one star off for the ending. I KNOW it’s meant to be ambiguous but it felt maybe like we were stumbling down a hill in the dark and suddenly the curtains fell. And that was it, shows over. Maybe it’s supposed to feel that way, but I didn’t love it.

For fans of tragic, bloody, muddy, cold forests and quietly whispered angsty love notes, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU! 🖤🥀

a fun, eerie, and heartfelt read

the writing did a good job of raising the tension throughout, and giving the reader crumbs to figure pieces out without making things too obvious. I ended up guessing part of the twists but not all.

think angst & pining, trepidation and eerie happenings, plus an ace MC with a bucketload of self-loathing … these are a few of my favorite things! I think the angsty POV we get from our MC was my favorite part of the read. this poor boy is going through it and I love how much of his anxiety and sadness we get to inhabit.

solid writing, an interesting plot, and an emotionally gripping relationship

This book was incredibly atmospheric with the right mix of horror and suspense. I'm still thinking about the ending, every event of the book leads to an end that seems inevitable but leaves the reader questioning.

Some parts of the book felt slow, but ultimately I think they helped to contrast the more action filled plot.

Reality, fantasy, and horror mix in the best way in this book and I can't wait to read more from Drews.

*It hadn’t hurt, the day he had cut out his own heart.*

This book blew me away! Creepy, twisted, and deliciously dark, *Don’t Let the Forest In* will have you hanging on every word until the very end.
> ❤️ What I loved: Much like the forest, I *devoured* this. For me, this book really delivered in the gothic, dark academia meets horror subgenre. It was eerily unsettling the whole way through and kept you guessing in the best ways about what is real, what is happening, and who you should trust. My heart broke for Andrew as he navigated his complicated feelings for Thomas, it was somehow both so sweet and tragic at the same time.
> 💔 What I didn’t love: The ending is deliciously unsatisfying—be warned.
I’ve been recommending this book to everyone I know who loves horror and paranormal stories. It’s easily one of my favorites I’ve read this year, and I eagerly await more stories from C.G. Drews. 

**Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 (4.5-5)**

**Acknowledgments & Disclaimers** ✨ Thank you to NetGalley, C.G. Drews, and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends, for providing an ARC and the opportunity to share an honest review of this book. ✨ All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. ✨ My reviews and ratings strive to evaluate books within their own age-demographic and genre.

A beautiful, haunting masterpiece

Dark and lovely, this story unravels from the very beginning with terrifying and tender moments that detail the journey between a boy, his friend, and his sister who are tangled together in a tragic fairytale that they may not all survive. Themes of grief, loss, love, sexuality, relationships, emotions, and mental health are told with lyrical prose and stunning imagery that leave the reader gasping.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a YA horror with a queer romance twist.