Don't Let the Forest in

By C.G. Drews

Book Overview

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...

Also by CG Drews
Hazelthorn

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250895669
• ISBN13: 9781250895660
• Release Date: October 2024
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.7" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 13 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Amazing Book

I absolutely loved this book. If you’re reading the reviews please know AP is wrong, just because a character is queer does not mean that’s all the character is and represents. The MC is struggling with anxiety and has panic attacks, why are they not saying it portrays everyone with anxiety as a monster? Why not say all boys, or twins, or Australians are monsters? Because that would be ridiculous. There is no such thing as perfect representation when it comes to people because we’re all multifaceted and messy. This character is not without fault and that’s part of what makes the story so compelling and hard to put down. I would not say he is the villain, but I would argue he’s selfish and doesn’t realize his own role in the situation until well too late out of sheer refusal to look. Again though, people are messy and emotional. I find it overall to be a perfect one shot balancing horror, romance and angst. If you’ve ever watched Jennifer’s Body and declared it a sapphic story, or spent time with video essays about queer love/relationships portrayed through horror you will enjoy this book. If part of you finds something romantic in obsessive codependency veering on desperation the limited amount of ff around this story will haunt you as much as the book itself. If you want characters that aren’t “creepy” maybe don’t read a horror. AP if you ever read this know you’re wrong and I would bet money you didn’t find any of the drama or angst of Twilight annoying or unnecessary, yet there’s WAY more. Maybe stick to Beautiful Disaster, that seems more your speed Pigeon

Horrible Representation

There's a right way to write representation and then there's this...without giving too much away, the main character is the antagonist and checks many boxes for representation. If you're going to write representation into your books, don't write it into the villains of the story and don't make them creepy, because you're telling your audience representation is creepy. Not to mention nothing happens in the first 100 pages of the book. Every sentence is dripping with annoying drama and teenage angst to create a mood that doesn't need to be there because nothing is actually happening until you get about 100 pages in. I will say I loved the illustrations, but the old maxim holds true--don't judge a book by its cover--because it touts representation and recasts it into monstrosity.

I let the forest in, and I don't regret it

Andrew and Thomas are inseparable best friends who bring out the best and worst in each other. They attend a prestigious boarding school, and only have themselves to rely on. Dove, Andrew's twin sister, has always been a grounding influence, but during their senior year, her devotion and care can't hold off what lurks in the forest... and eventually in their hearts and minds. The imagination is always the scariest place to visit, and I loved every minute of it! This book is disturbing in all the best ways, and dark and moody, and difficult and confusing. I couldn't put it down. I finished it months ago, and I am still haunted by the ending. The stories Andrew writes, the drawings Thomas creates, and all the mystery and mayhem make this book a gripping must-read.