A review by ditten
Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“All my stories are about you. They will always be about you.”

WHAT. A. BOOK! Don't Let the Forest In is beautifully haunting and unhinged. It's got queer angst and toxic codependency, and it had me feeling unsettled with my head spinning throughout! The book is gorgeously written and it left a lasting impression that still has me feeling on edge! 

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

Don't Let the Forest In has a killer opening line, and I was immediately hooked! Reading it gave me a sense of unease, that something's not quite right, that eerie, angsty, "what's happening?" feeling that I love. Andrew and Thomas are two toxically codependent boys at boarding school where something is so clearly wrong but neither they nor you know exactly what that something is. It has you feeling unmoored, questioning reality, your own mind, and wondering if the monsters of your nightmares might be real. 

"If the trees belonged to Thomas, midnight was in love with Andrew. It made him braver somehow, invisible, hiding his delicate edges and leaving behind a lean and hungry shadow. In the dark, no one could see his hollow and empty places. Instead he looked like he could have teeth."

The book reminded me of The Wicker King, Summer Sons, and These Violent Delights, and if you love those vibes, you'll love Don't Let The Forest In! The book also gets bonus points for excellent ace rep in the mc Andrew.

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

Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews // ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks to Macmillan for the ARC. Don't Let the Forest In is out October 29