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.

“𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘵’—𝘈𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘸’𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥—‘𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘳𝘰𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦.”

4.62🥀's for Dont Let the Forest In by @paperfury

I've been dyyyying to read this since @paperfury first started posting about it and boy oh boy this did not disappoint! Its everything my gritty forest loving gothic heart could ever want!! This book was so beautiful!! Its like poetry and I was highlighting this book like it was university textbook because everything was just so stunning🥹

“𝘏𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘴, 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦.”

Read this if you like:
🌲 LGBTQIA+
🖤 Dark Academia
🥀 Gothic Fantasy
🌲 Forests
🖤 Anxiety & panic attacks rep
🥀 Asexual rep
🌲 MM
🖤 Monsters and the Paranormal

“𝘛𝘰 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘩𝘦’𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘺. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴.”

All I can say is that I adore Andrew and Thomas and my heart has been through the most with this book in the best possible way!

I highly recommend this book to everyone!!!!

This story is beautifully written and makes your heart feel heavy. It is dark, melodic, and sad, tackling many difficult topics while also exploring themes of identity and the challenges of expressing one's thoughts and feelings.

The narrative follows Andrew, his twin sister Dove, and their friend Thomas. The setting includes a boarding school and the surrounding forest. With numerous twists and turns, the plot keeps me engaged until the very end. This is the perfect read for a dark and spooky autumn!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley.

I thought the setting of this book was where it truly got to shine — there was a very distinct tone and vibe around this school and specifically the forest. The narrative itself was also gorgeous — the story flowed really well and the descriptions were superb. I found it a bit difficult to follow at times, but I think that was kind of the point. I didn’t love the ending, but I appreciated it, if that makes sense.

I need CG Drews to write more. Also, this is a joke because no author needs to do anything for us haha. I simply continue to be amazed by CG Drews' talent and I absolutely adored this book. I cannot wait for more people to read this so I can scream about it with them.

Don’t Let The Forest In is a haunting, gut-wrenching story of two best friends returning to their boarding school, only nothing is the same. After tragedy struck during the last term, his twin sister and best friend seem to no long get along, leaving Andrew to struggle to bring the three back together.

Andrew writes devastating stories that Thomas brings to life in his drawings. But when the drawings come to life in the forest, they must keep the monsters at bay so they don’t attack the school.

Andrew deals with his love for his friend, his daunting anxiety, and the dwindling relationship with his sister while dealing with the terrifying monsters of his prose.

I’m still reeling from the end of this book! One of my favorite reads of the year, it’s a book that immediately makes you want to go back and read again. Perfect for fans of dark academia, body horror and haunting prose.

This is the perfect gothic spooky book with all the vibes and all the scares. It is atmospheric, drawing the reader in to every granular detail like the good gothic novels always do. Highly recommend!

Did anyone else feel like they needed to rewatch ROPE after finishing DON'T LET THE FOREST IN? Just me?

Kidding aside, I LOVED THIS BOOK. It's one of my top books of the year and I can't wait to get it in the hands of some library kiddos. CG Drews writes beautifully and I really could have read another 100 pages of Thomas and Andrew's fairytale. I loved them and loved their love for each other, as twisted and unhealthy as it was. Having grown up in circumstances that were not ideal, I related to their (unconscious?) desire to escape reality and make worlds of their own. As dark as DON'T LET THE FOREST IN is, I relate to this kind of story far more than your average teen rom-com or realistic fiction book because it's more realistic to me. I hope kiddos and adults who come from similar backgrounds find CG Drews' lovely, warped story and get as wrapped up in Thomas and Andrew as I did. I can only hope they, like me, have put enough distance between themselves and their past to see how much help Thomas and Andrew needed. As an educator, I was furious at all the adults depicted in the novel because they only intervened to discipline, not advocate or help. Young people like Thomas and Andrew need guidance and support, not abuse and judgment. Grrr!

Enormous thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for my review. Please publish more CG Drews books!

4.5 ⭐️ Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC. This book was so beautifully written! The prose was absolutely gorgeous. I felt like I was inside of a poem. Literally couldn’t get over the writing. This book gave all of the dark academia vibes. I liked how unreliable the narrator was. I genuinely didn’t know if he was losing his mind. I had to sit with the ending of this book for a bit, but the more I think about it, the more I like it.

More like a 3.5 but I really enjoyed the ending so I'll round up.

My biggest struggle with this book was that for the first 20% I could not remember which character was Thomas and which one was Andrew, but once I figured that out this was a really interesting story.

There is so much happening in this story but not in a bad way, Andrew and Thomas return to their boarding school for their senior year but everything is already off to a bad start. Thomas's parents have gone missing and Thomas is the main suspect, he won't talk to anyone about it not even his best friend. His silence leads Andrew to follow him into the newly forbidden forest surrounding the school, where he finds Thomas fighting off monsters straight out of your worst nightmare(or in this case Thomas's drawings). For the rest of the school year, Andrew and Thomas sneak out every night to fight off these monsters to prevent them from harming the other students and teachers.

Under all the horror, there's a really tender love story. I don't think it particularly added a lot of enjoyment for me personally mainly because I wanted to read this for the haunted forest but I do think it will be a plus for a lot of readers!

This was unfortunately a huge disappointment for me. I definitely should have read more reviews of it before actually picking it up. I love this author, I used to follow their blog and I read a different book by them previously and enjoyed it. But unfortunately I did not like the characters and the plot was so depressing to me that I ended up not enjoying it overall.

I absolutely adore this book. This was a page turner that grabbed my attention and wouldn't let go. I figured out the twist about a quarter of the way in, but Drews' writing was so good that I doubted myself until about the 75% mark. The characters felt real and complex with wants and needs that were so very highschool in scope, but far reaching in tone. The atmosphere was dark and oppressive as horror should be, but left room for hope and growth and a life ahead for the main characters. I'm so glad I requested this book and look forward to future works by the author.

The first thing I said when I finished reading this book was “What the heck did I just read?”. This book is like your worst monster nightmare come to life in a book, but yet I could not put the book down and stop reading!

Having the setting of this book be at a prep school definitely gave off some locked room mystery vibes. Add in the drama of a high school, murderous monsters and the jaw dropping twist at the end and it was a wild ride of a read.

However, it was only a fast paced read because you needed to find out what was going to happen next to make sense of a lot of the plot. There was a lot of miscommunication between the characters which slowed things down. Even though there was a twist at the end, the ending was just very disjointed and it was hard to piece everything together.

Overall it was a good one time read, I don’t think it would be a book I would reach for as a re-read.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Genuinely enjoyed this read! I think the teenage angst was a bit hard to empathize with but as an adult I recognize this book will be perfect for the intended audience!