Book Review: Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

Official Synopsis: 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.

This book is not like my usual reads and I absolutely loved it. It felt me feeling a bit confused, and terrified of trees, but I think that was the intent (at least based on the author's note at the end). Speaking of the author, this book is really well written. The prose is beautiful which somehow makes parts of the story even creepier.

This book is scary in a way that feels like its crawling into your skin. Andrew is an unreliable narrator, who is dealing with loss and darkness around him, to the point he can't tell what is real. Thomas is scared of losing Andrew, but also himself as the monsters from their drawings and stories come to life in the forest behind their school. The darkness seems to just slip throughout the book and make a place within your heart as the boys try to fight the monsters around them.

There are many body-horror scenes, so do be sure to check triggers to make sure those things won't effect you. There is a lot of blood, bullying and confusion about one's self throughout this book, along with mentions of loss and others triggers I would definitely check out. There is also a lot left to think about at the end of the book. You don't know how much of what has happened is true, for either of the boys, or if everything is just made up.

I liked the idea of the stories Andrew wrote, and the drawings Thomas did with these stories, being the monsters that haunt the boys and the school. Though you soon realize no one else sees the monsters, leading the boys to be treated poorly by their fellow students.

This book is a great addition to anyone's spooky shelf, and I'm shocked by how much I loved it when I usually don't read horror.

I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars!

Don't Let the Forest In comes out Oct 29, 2024!

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