High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairy tales 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.
Don’t Let the Forest In is an atmospheric dark academia YA horror with paranormal and magical realism elements. The book features some hauntingly beautiful prose that leaves a lasting impression on readers. The story follows two teenage boys at a boarding school, one who writes dark fairytales and another who draws the monsters from the stories. As the two boys deal with trauma, mental health issues, and sexual identity struggles, the monsters they’ve created come to life, causing havoc in the school. As they battle the monsters each night, their inner demons come to life. The first half of the book mostly establishes the characters, their relationships, and the emerging monsters, while the second half has strong elements of psychological horror and dark magic. The story also features some popular romance tropes, including slow-burn romance, friends to lovers, and a love triangle.
The characters are complicated and flawed, but incredibly passionate and familiar. Andrew is timid and extremely anxious, and the polar opposite of his twin sister, Dove. As the story revolves around Andrew, readers get an incredibly vivid glimpse into his fractured mind. When the monsters start appearing and the dark forest begins to creep its way inside his body, readers will definitely be left to wonder if all of it is a fever dream or hallucination. Thomas is wild, unpredictable, and quick to lose his temper. He feels responsible for the monsters coming to life and is intent on killing them all off, at any cost. The camaraderie between the two boys is quite remarkable. Despite Andrew pining for Thomas for most of the book, he’s unable to vocalize his feelings, especially with his asexuality. To complicate things further, Dove and Thomas have a fractured relationship, which Andrew is keen on mending. The friends-to-lovers trope is exquisitely depicted here as the two boys grow closer as they battle the monsters together and express their innermost fears. There is an abundance of teenage (queer) angst from both Andrew and Thomas. Their relationship becomes so intense that it borderlines a toxic codependency, especially with the stakes so high and neither being able to confide in anyone else.
Although this book is marketed as YA, it contains a lot of dark subject matter and can be easily enjoyed by adult readers. Readers should be aware of many possible triggers, including blood/violence, panic disorder/mental illness, bullying, and homophobia. The story also features a good range of LGBTQ+ representation, including some powerful dialogue surrounding the spectrum of sexualized identity. As Andrew comes to terms with his asexuality, he is forced to reveal it to Thomas and others. Thomas doesn’t judge him or see it as abnormal in any way. Here, the author does a wonderful job depicting how supportive and understanding people can be when you express your vulnerabilities and truths. The story includes more horrifying scenes in the second half, and readers should be prepared for some jaw-dropping twists that will take time to digest. The ending is open to interpretation and very thought-provoking and feels perfectly executed for what comes before.
Overall, this is a highly original “upper YA” folk horror story where the lines between reality and fantasy blur. Fans of books like These Violent Delights and Summer Sons will really enjoy this book. The book caters to readers who enjoy dreamlike, dark storytelling, dark academia, magical realism, and haunted characters. Narrator Michael Crouch does a phenomenal job creating an atmospheric and suspenseful listening experience from beginning to end and brilliantly voices the painstakingly beautiful dialogue between the two boys, bringing the story so vividly to life! If you’re looking for an unputdownable, haunting read that will stay with you long afterwards, this is one to very highly consider!
