Name: Don't Let The Forest In
Rating: 4.027777777777778 (36 reviews)
ISBN: 9783737375658

C. G. Drews

Don't Let The Forest In

Cassidy Nolan

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

Andrew had written about it later in spidery lines from a sharp pen—a story about a boy who took a knife to his chest and carved himself open, showing ribs like mossy tree roots, his heart a bruised and wretched thing beneath. No one would want a heart like this. But he’d still cut it out and given it away.

Because here was the truth about his friendship with Thomas Rye:

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.

If they stood any closer together, they could fit into each other’s skin.

“I want you to say it.” Thomas’s voice steadied. He could pin Andrew to the wall with the way he shaped those words.

Sometimes Andrew thought Dove and Thomas were in the midst of their own three-act play: first friends, then enemies, and then—

Andrew was sure of one bitter truth: He’d rather have his lungs punctured than watch Dove and Thomas fall in love.

Sometimes he’d lie awake at night and unpack all his feelings about this boy-shaped hurricane named Thomas Rye. He didn’t know if he wanted to 

 Thomas—reckless and uncontainable—or if he wanted to kiss him.

Thomas’s work, unmistakably. A stark winter forest, every tree burned with white frost. A boy with horns and roses grown from his eyes held a knife, and he was midway through carving the heart out of another boy with moth wings who knelt in the leaves, his face tilted upward in supplication. Vines blossomed around them, tangled and unruly.

But he didn’t know what part of himself was safe to hold on to.

Their story had begun in the forest, a collision both violent and beautiful.

“He won’t touch you again,” he said.

Andrew could hardly breathe. “You’ll be in trouble.”

The light in Thomas’s eyes was bold and ferocious. “But he won’t touch you again.”

“I think someday you’ll hate me.” Thomas’s voice stretched with a loneliness Andrew had never heard before. “You’ll cut me open and find a garden of rot where my heart should be.”

Andrew let the silence sharpen between them, waited until Thomas’s breath caught in quiet anguish from being made to wait.

“When I cut you open,” Andrew finally said, “all I’ll find is that we match.”

But his ribs were a cage for monsters and they cut their teeth on his bones.

Thomas left the darkening shade of the oak, his sketchbook dangling from his hand, charcoal smudged near his mouth. It was painful how Andrew noticed Thomas’s mouth like that. The dying afternoon light turned the tips of his auburn curls to simmering fire and oh, there was a wildness about him, this boy made of angular frowns and thorny words. He was brilliant and terrible and unmanageable.

For a vicious moment, Andrew thought about slipping his fingers into Thomas’s cut. Taking hold of his rib and 

 Pulling the soft crumbling bone from his chest and sewing it into his own. They’d be forever together, rib against rib, fused in gore and bone and adoration.

Andrew thought about curling up beside him and seeing if their bodies fit together like they’d been carved from the same oak.

They stood for a moment in the dark, before Thomas said, “I like how you are. There’s an entire world of ink and magic stuffed inside your head, and I think it’s beautiful. I just wish everything didn’t hurt you so much.”

There was an explosion happening in Andrew’s chest, a thousand flowered vines growing around his heart. Thomas never talked like this, soft and vulnerable. Maybe it was easier to whisper sweet and aching things in the dark.

“What’s in your backpack? Snacks? I need snacks. Sugar, specifically.”

Thomas slumped his forehead against Andrew’s shoulder. “I need to be treated softly, like a delicate egg.”

He was liked by the boy who liked no one at all, and he wanted it to stay that way so much it hurt.

But when Thomas looked at Andrew’s sharp edges, he thought them dangerous and beautiful—not weak.

He could cut me to bloody pieces if he wanted.

Andrew hated the way he loved those words.

Thomas flashed a wicked smile like a feral changeling, a creature you’d bargain your heart to and not even mind.

C.G. Drews

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...

Don't Let the Forest In

LeeSa Geelhood

I have no idea what happened in this. I thought I did until about 80% in. If you read it and understand it, please share. I wish I had DNF'd this.

Steph

Do not read this at night. I repeat. Do not read this at night. <br /><br />

breathtakingly, achingly, beautifully horrific

Ralie Sutton

Finished this book even gave me more questions. I end up take some time to pack my thoughts first after reading it for which thing to believe.

I rarely read a horror genre book but I'm happy I did try this one, anyway, although kind of unfortunate I still classified the horror element as pretty mild maybe because combined with the other plot like identity and romance in this book that might took as much portion in it, or it simply just didn't blend naturally.

I keep making a theories along the way reading this book and it really a exciting experience and the ending just left me short-circuit I literally read the last chapter several times because what. the. heck? I personally love it.

Some people might hate that this book take a point of view from Andrew's but I would say the fact that Andrew's is such an unreliable narrator is also a factor that make this interesting.

Finished this book even gave me more questions. I end up take some time to pack my thoughts first after reading it for which thing to believe.

I rarely read a horror genre book but I'm happy I did try this one, anyway, although kind of unfortunate I still classified the horror element as pretty mild maybe because combined with the other plot like identity and romance in this book that might took as much portion in it, or it simply just didn't blend naturally.

I keep making a theories along the way reading this book and it really a exciting experience and the ending just left me short-circuit I literally read the last chapter several times because what. the. heck? I personally love it.

Some people might hate that this book take a point of view from Andrew's but I would say the fact that Andrew's is such an unreliable narrator is also a factor that make this interesting.

I am sure this has a lot of appeal for a lot of people but for me, personally, it just did not work (and I was really looking forward to reading it!) Perhaps the biggest issue was the disconnect I felt between the plot and the prose - the prose was very purple, tumblr-level purple, but the plot, the monsters that the boys encountered, were quite goofy. I am not even going to start on the dialogue or Andrew's fairytales as they both came off as pretentious but ultimately hollow (the included illustrations were genuinely amazing, though). Add to that the repetitiveness of the plot and the whole novel just feels weirdly paced.

There were a lot of great ideas in there but it just could have used some really thorough, really tight editing work to truly bring it to life. (Think Micah Nemerever's "These Violent Delights".)

I am sure this has a lot of appeal for a lot of people but for me, personally, it just did not work (and I was really looking forward to reading it!) Perhaps the biggest issue was the disconnect I felt between the plot and the prose - the prose was very purple, tumblr-level purple, but the plot, the monsters that the boys encountered, were quite goofy. I am not even going to start on the dialogue or Andrew's fairytales as they both came off as pretentious but ultimately hollow (the included illustrations were genuinely amazing, though). Add to that the repetitiveness of the plot and the whole novel just feels weirdly paced.

There were a lot of great ideas in there but it just could have used some really thorough, really tight editing work to truly bring it to life. (Think Micah Nemerever's "These Violent Delights".)

the vision is there. however the vision is something i've already seen in countless tumblr web weaves, and like them, it fails to develop into anything concrete. style prioritised over substance to the point where it is repetitive. i'm getting too old for this. much love to tumblr web weaves though

kemi

this book was fantastic, the art alongside some of the chapters was so dark and unexpectedly beautiful. books that deal with queer horror in response to grief is my fav sub genre EVER and this one was a beautiful example of why i love them. the anxious ace mc, wanting to crawl into the love interest, be cradled amongst his bones and become one? yeah thats my kinda romance. devoured.

I do not usually enjoy books with angsty teen protagonists, but this one was good.  I had empathy for the characters, and the horror aspect was definitely creative.  There wee also a couple of plot twists that were fantastic.  

shellybn

Hannah Bateman

wow, who would've thought a horror book would be 

ash (smokedshelves)

wow, who would've thought a horror book would be the most romantic book ever™️

it took me a few chapters to get into the story but once i did i couldn’t put it down… pleasantly unsettling

Cris

had a high expectations with this one. it was still a good read

so fucking good. a creative star bc it was so fresh to read. but that ending. i was sobbing. the storyline of thomas and andrew the whole way through ? peppered with so many punches to the heart. phenomenal 

tommie

Overall, I think this was a well done YA gothic academia. The prose leaned toward purple, but that’s never bothered me if done correctly. I like that sexuality, mental health, and eating disorders are addressed. However, some of these weren’t addressed the way I would’ve preferred them to be.

My biggest gripe with it is that I didn’t like being in Andrew’s head most of the time, so the fact that we see the world from his perspective made certain parts hard to get through. Sometimes, his perpetual insecurity and anxiety annoyed me.

I think this is a good YA novel. It was atmospheric, had good writing, and was full of angst. Some of the plots and twists were predictable but like I said … it’s YA.

Nik ✨

Overall, I think this was a well done YA gothic academia. The prose leaned toward purple, but that’s never bothered me if done correctly. I like that sexuality, mental health, and eating disorders are addressed. However, some of these weren’t addressed the way I would’ve preferred them to be.

My biggest gripe with it is that I didn’t like being in Andrew’s head most of the time, so the fact that we see the world from his perspective made certain parts hard to get through. Sometimes, his perpetual insecurity and anxiety annoyed me.

I think this is a good YA novel. It was atmospheric, had good writing, and was full of angst. Some of the plots and twists were predictable but like I said … it’s YA.

I loved this book; it was fun! I wanted to learn a bit more about Thomas because he seemed so interesting but I found it fitting we got to see him how Andrew views him. And I didn't expect the mc to be asexual so this was a very pleasant surprise!!

blue

CG Drews

bucky

This took me a month to read. I think that in April, just about every one of my booktwt mutuals (with the exception of my best friend, apparently) was suffering through a pretty severe reading slump. Anyway, it’s April 30th at 10:11 pm, and I’ve just finished my ARC of C.G. Drews’ Don’t Let the Forest In, and I keep saying, “C.G. Drews when I get my hands on you… when I get my hands on you, C.G. Drews.”
What I mean by that is: what the FUCK. I say this for many reasons.
One. Why I didn’t finish this book sooner is beyond me. I remember early in April, when I started reading this, I told a few friends that I was pretty positive I had found another 5-star read of the year. I wasn’t entirely sure because, like, things can change based on whatever the hell happens in the rest of the book, right? I was almost expecting it to because I’ve been let down before, but… holy shit. Hooooly shit.
Two. Drews. Why would you do this to me? The last time I felt this violently autistic about a book was when I read Lucien Burr’s The Teras Trials and felt like I needed to be sedated. This book felt like a fever dream and I just need to know: how do you feel about me chewing on your brain? Because I feel like I need to. Strange, yes, but Christ alive; I think that this book is going to be engraved into my brain for the rest of my life.
Anyway, there are more reasons for my what the fuck moment, but you’ll have to read the book to find out. Drews has written an incredible book that is perfect for anyone who loved Lee Mandelo’s Summer Sons, Micah Nemerever’s These Violent Delights, and even K. Ancrum’s The Wicker King. The diversity in this novel was beautiful, featuring characters of color, asexual representation, bisexual representation, and a lot of mental health rep.
Drews has the sort of writing style that makes a book feel “unputdownable” (I hate that word, but I don’t know what else to use, man), and I can understand entirely why this was so easy for me to devour. The characters are beautiful, the prose is out of this world stunning, and it really did become something I felt myself ready to scream (/pos) over the entirety of this novel. It’s going to be all I think about for the next month.
C.G. Drews… when I get my hands on you… when I get my hands on you, C.G. Drews…
Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group (Feiwel & Friends) for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow. Anything I say about this book will never do it justice. It was so good and creepy.

This is not my typical kind of read, but I devoured this book. The characters were written so well. Thomas became my favorite. Andrew was such an interesting character. His thoughts during the story were chilling, but added to the overall ominous atmosphere. 

The story was just so intriguing, it was so much more than I expected. It was well developed and the author has such a beautiful writing style. This book easily became one of my top reads for year.

Overall, I think this book will invade my mind for years. I could not recommend this enough. Thank you NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Don't Let The Forest In

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