C.G. Drews’ Don’t Let the Forest In is a haunting novel focused on friendship, obsession, and identity cloaked in spooky twisted horror. The plot follows Andrew and his best friend Thomas, whose dark illustrations come to terrifying life, the story plunges readers into a nightmare where monsters aren’t just metaphors—they’re hunting down everything Andrew loves.
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Don’t Let the Forest In Summary
Don’t Let the Forest In is a book that lures you in with a promise of horror but keeps you hooked with something darker—obsession. Andrew, a high school senior with more than enough trauma to keep things interesting, returns to boarding school hoping for some sense of normalcy.
Not likely. His twin sister Dove has mysteriously iced him out, and his best friend Thomas? Well, Thomas isn’t exactly screaming “stable” these days. His family has mysteriously vanished, and he’s shown up with suspiciously bloody sleeves. What’s going on with Thomas? Oh, just casual, horrifying things, like creatures crawling out of his drawings and mauling people. Sound concerning? Andrew thinks so too.
The terror doesn’t stop with Thomas’s new hobbies in summoning nightmarish creatures. For Andrew, things get stranger and bloodier—vines creeping around his insides, moss clogging his throat. Food? Meh. It’s overrated when the forest itself seems to be feeding off you. Andrew’s life becomes a blur of late-night monster fights, and by fights, I mean desperately dodging claws and trying not to lose his last nerve.
And while the gore is vividly written, don’t expect this book to stick to straight horror. Sure, it has more than enough nightmare fuel to haunt your dreams, but at its core, this is a story about a friendship so intense it’s both touching and unsettling. Romantic? Maybe. Haunting? Absolutely.
Now, let’s talk about Andrew’s fixation on Thomas. I mean, the boy is obsessed, to the point where it almost becomes a full-time job. You’ll read pages and pages of Andrew waxing poetic (and sometimes desperate) about Thomas, and while it’s beautiful, there’s also a moment when you might wonder, “Does Andrew have any hobbies outside of stalking Thomas?” Is it sweet or borderline terrifying? Who’s to say? It’s almost as if Thomas is both the prince in Andrew’s fairytale and the very monster under his bed. And doesn’t that make you just a little curious where things are headed?
Book Review: Don’t Let the Forest by C.G. Drews
Ultimately, this book is like a dark, twisted fairy tale with horror, characters who are haunted (sometimes literally), and prose that’s as beautiful as it is chilling, this debut horror novel might just pull you in. And while the pacing does get a bit sluggish between big plot twists, Drews’ writing has this haunting quality that pulls you back in, just when you think you’ve escaped.
But here’s the twist: Don’t Let the Forest In is marketed as horror, yet most of the story revolves around Andrew and Thomas’s complicated dynamic, Drews gives us a rare asexual main character, complete with on-page labels and honest discussions about identity. Representation like this is powerful, and Drews handles these sensitive topics (like disordered eating and self-harm) with care, even when exploring the monstrous ways they creep into Andrew’s life.
The prose is atmospheric, and at times overwhelmingly focused on Andrew’s fixation with Thomas, adding tension. While some readers might find the romance and introspective focus overshadow the horror and fantasy, Perfect for readers seeking a chilling, queer, and emotionally raw exploration of fear.
Rating of Don't Let the Forest by C.G. Drews - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4
Don’t Let the Forest by C.G. Drews Characters:
- Andrew: A high school senior, struggling with his identity.
- Thomas: A sensitive, intense artist whose dark creations break free.
- Dove: Andrew’s distant twin sister, whose coldness hides a deep care for her brother.
- The Forest (not a charcter obv.): An ominous, sentient force that weaves itself into Andrew.
Quotes from Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
“All my stories are about you. They will always be about you.”
“They were beautiful together; they were magic and monstrous, and they had created a whole vengeful world between them.”
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FAQs
Don’t Let the Forest In Trigger warning?
However, fair warning—some readers might find the body horror, death, disordered eating, grief, homophobia, self-harm, and violence. However Romance and identity elements overshadow the horror. You may find yourself mid-way through, thinking, “When are we getting back to the actual monsters?”
Don’t Let the Forest In Summary age rating?
The book rating is generally 13-18 but according to my views, the appropriate rating would be 15+ regarding various hard hitting scenes in the novel.
About the Author:
CG Drews is an author and novelist famous for her books The Boy Who Steals Houses, CG’s next horror novel is Don’t Let The Forest In releasing this Halloween.
She was nominated for the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal and winner of the 2020 CBCA Honour Award.
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Don't Let the Forest In Summary & Review by C.G. Drews
C.G. Drews' Don't Let the Forest In is a haunting novel focused on friendship, obsession, and identity cloaked in spooky twisted horror. The plot follows Andrew and his best friend Thomas, whose dark illustrations come to terrifying life, the story plunges readers into a nightmare where monsters aren't just metaphors—they’re hunting down everything Andrew loves.
URL: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200982373-don-t-let-the-forest-in
Author: C.G. Drews
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