Book Review: Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews (YA Horror)

Don't Let the Forest In
CG Drews
Hachette
2024
327
Paperback
YA Horror
Bought Copy

'No one would want a heart like his. But he'd still cut it out and given it away.'

On the first day back at boarding school, Andrew can't wait to find refuge in the twisted fairy tales that he writes for Thomas - the boy with hair like autumn leaves.

But Thomas' parents have vanished, and he has blood on his sleeve. Stranger still, Thomas won't talk to Andrew, even though he's always loved sketching the monstrous creatures from Andrew's stories.

Desperate to discover the truth, Andrew follows Thomas into the forest and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster - his drawings have come to life.

To ensure no one else dies, the boys must battle the creatures every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew fears the only way to stop them might be to destroy their creator. 

Don't Let the Forest In was a book I had mixed feelings about, so let me start with the positives. It was an atmospheric work with an intriguing idea behind it and excellent LGBT rep. The twist near did end did take me by surprise, which was also a plus as it's boring if you can anticipate everything in advance. I think there were two things that didn't quite work for me. The first was that I never actually felt worried about any of the characters or their fates if the monsters got them. Despite it being a horror, that aspect never deeply touched me. And that ties in with the second point which is that I never felt deeply invested in the characters and their situation; I only ever had a surface interest. Horror, and YA horror in particular, is not a genre I read much. I picked up this book only because I had seen it around so much as it sounded different and interesting. Therefore, it is likely that the book just wasn't 100% a good fit for me, even though I liked certain aspects of it. I am giving it 3.5 stars. However, I would say that score reflects my personal preference rather than any major issues with the book. If you are a fan or YA horror and LGBT tales, then this book is certainly worth a look.