Don’t Let The Forest In by CG Drews is a fantastical and lyrical horror story that follows two teen boys as they battle monsters at their elite boarding school. It is a psychological tale that is both beautiful and quite disturbing, dealing with terrifying monsters, mental illness, and sexuality in a way that is as alarming as it is moving.
Andrew Perrault is severely anxious, barely holding himself together at the start of a new school year. His only emotional tether is his best friend and roommate, Thomas Rye. Thomas is struggling too, his abusive parents went missing right before the start of the school year, and although they have no evidence, the police and all the other students think Thomas is the killer. He’s rebellious, has a history of acting out, and has no other friends besides Andrew and his twin sister Dove. He’s an obvious suspect.
But what no one else knows is that Thomas has been going to the forest, which is strictly forbidden to students, to battle monsters every night. These monsters are ripped straight from the pages of Thomas’ drawings, inspired by the stories that Andrew writes.
Andrew and Thomas are both reckoning with these monsters and with their own sexualities, as well as their feelings for each other. Thomas is bisexual, while Andrew is asexual. They are both compelling characters, pushed to their absolute limits by their tragic circumstances. Andrew spends the story on the brink of a mental breakdown, while Thomas is fiercely fighting to keep his best friend safe.
The author sets the tone in Don’t Let The Forest In with visceral horror elements from the very beginning. There are several classic horror tropes throughout the book but told in a way that completely reimagines them.
While this is a YA horror novel, it is not for the faint of heart. It is violent and chilling down to the bone. There is a great deal of body horror, truly scary imagery, and dark themes that the characters are struggling with. This book is heavier than the usual Nora Theory fare — it will make you think. You will have to parse it out carefully.
This book is confusing at many key moments, but it felt intentional. The author wanted their readers off-kilter and questioning everything. It’s also quite melodramatic, but that was also almost certainly intentional, mirroring teenage overblown emotional instability, amplifying it to draw attention to it.
The plot in this book has moments that are not so much twists as they are a yanking pull, dragging the reader to the missing pieces of the story. It feels harsh but perfectly fits the tone of the story. The final ‘twist’ is devastating, leaving the reader with unanswered questions. If you like your stories wrapped up in a bow at the end, this book is not for you. It made me cry, and upon finishing this book, I needed to touch grass, far away from any dark forests, and reacquaint myself with reality.
Writing: 4
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