Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews | Book Review

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Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews
Published by Feiwel & Friends on October 29, 2024
Genres: Horror, YA Fantasy, Romance, LGBT
Pages: 336
Format: Hardback
Source: Purchased

Content Warnings: Death, Self-Harm, Blood & Gore, Bullying, Horror, Disordered Eating, Homophobia, Grief
Rating:

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...

Wow...The cover drew me in, the synopsis solidified my purchase, and for the last 2 months I have patiently waited for this beauty to arrive. When it finally did, I tossed all other books to the side so I could devote all my time and effort to it, and boy oh boy was it worth it!

Don't Let the Forest In is a psychological horror that follows Andrew as he embarks on his senior year at Wickwood Academy while navigating difficult classes, his sexuality, a homophobic bully, a distant twin sister, and his feelings for his best friend Thomas, all while trying to figure out how stop the monsters that are invading the school each night. By the end of the book, you won't be sure what is real and what isn't. While I guessed the major twist early on, nothing prepared me for the ending. I slowly closed the book and just stared at my bed for a good 10 minutes before shaking my head and saying, "What the fuck just happened?!" Days later I am still reeling! Drews does an amazing job giving you just enough information to leave you guessing right to the very end without you feeling completely out of the loop.

The overall story was fast-paced and the world-building was dark, tragic, and at times completely horrifying. Drews does a fantastic job describing the horrors of the forest, so much so I could almost smell the forest around me as it crept into the school and into the boys to wreak havoc on those within.

"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."

Something certainly crept into my room each night, filling my dreams with forests, thorns, princes, and dark crowns. Drews's writing is so poetic it almost hurts. I found myself rereading passages simply because they were so beautifully written. Nothing gets me quite like flowery language that describes situations, objects, emotions, and scenery in ways other words could not. 

Apart from the twists and turns, the characters are all so beautifully written and so full of dimension, especially Andrew and Thomas. Watching their relationship blossom was delightful. As their final year of school slowly advances, Andrew wrestles with his sexuality, coming to terms with the fact that he is ace. His feelings and representation felt genuine and informed many of Andrew's frustrating behaviors and his strained relationship with Thomas, who is bisexual. 

"They were beautiful together; they were magic and monstrous, and they had created a whole vengeful world between them."

And beautiful they shall remain...Andrew's slow descent into madness mirrors the absolute chaos happening around him, making the reader further question what is real and what is not. My only disappointment with the book is we didn't get more monsters and more of Andrew's dark and twisted tales. 

While I may not come back to Don't Let the Forest anytime soon, it will be one I continue to think about and recommend to anyone interested in the macabre. It was lush, evocative, and absolutely tragic in all the best ways. I can't wait to read her upcoming books, which are set to be released at the end of next year!