Don't Let the Forest In

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

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.

Absolutely gripping, from start to finish. This was a “stare into space and reflect after the last page” kind of book. I thought I was starting to lose it myself for a while.

Two things about this book that I am still not over. The way the forest was characterised. It had emotions, it moved and it breathed. It was like nothing I have read before - so gripping. Secondly, Andrew’s description of his love for Thomas. If you want a unique representation of love through horror, this is a masterclass. I can’t even begin to describe how horrifically stunning some of the imagery was.

The story was definitely a page turner however, I felt like I was left with more questions than answers which although it was clear that was what the author intended, I would have liked a little less ambiguity than I felt.

Overall, this was an absolutely gripping read, with a completely unique portrayal of relationships through gore and horror, a gorgeously unsettling personification of nature and a plot that keeps you leaves you wanting answers until the very last page.

Ouch

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

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

hauntingly beautiful

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!!

oh ya horror you will always have such a special place in my heart.... this is so gorgeously dark and haunting and if you love body horror and all things creepy boarding school you're going to love this book

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.