Don't Let the Forest In

Andrew and his twin sister are students at the Wickwood Academy, and they share Thomas as their best friend. Wickwood sits next to a wood, which historically has been open to students, but something happened last year that cause the school administration to declare it off limits. That’s a problem for Andrew and Thomas, who spend their free time roaming the forest, Andrew writing his macabre fairy tale stories, and Thomas beautifully illustrating them. But their senior year starts out rocky, as Thomas’ parents go missing, leaving their home a bloody crime scene, and Thomas, who has been acting squirrelly, is the prime suspect. When Andrew presses him for answers, he discovers that the truth hits too close to his nightmare stories, show more and the two boys, who are so close that they nearly feel each other’s agonies, fins themselves fighting for their lives against creatures of their own making.

This is dark academia at its best. And YA m/m romance at its best. And dark fairy tale fantasy at its best. It’s, essentially, storytelling at its best. I’m instantly a Drews fan and must now read everything they’ve ever written/will write. show less

"At Wickwood Academy, Andrew Perrault writes for the only person who can ground him to reality― prodigy artist and childhood friend Thomas Rye. But something strange is going on with Thomas. Desperate to find out, Andrew follows Thomas into the forest one night and finds that Thomas' drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters..."

I haven't read a book this visceral, so much raw emotion, queer love, and organic rot, since "My Darling Dreadful Thing." Honestly the two could be companion reads. The reader is immersed in a stream of vivid, flowery prose to such a degree that you can smell the forest. Andrew reminds me of WWI poet Wilfred Owen: a show more sensitive soul with an incredible creative talent who has been forced into unimaginable suffering, but found solace in a love that dare not speak its name. In "Don't Let the Forest In," couple all of that with the weight of being an anxiety-ridden, figuratively (and literally) scarred teenager. Their inner "rot" grows and manifests itself as horrific monsters that prey on the school. Thomas and Andrew have created a toxic bond, each willing to martyr themselves for the other. But after so many brushes with death, the two realize that they must confront their respective truths, and do so as equals with an unbreakable will to live.

You might notice that there is no review rating listed above or in the pic because I typically don't read YAs. Admittedly, at first I was annoyed by constant overthinking, the drama and the foolish decisions. And then I thought, "well I certainly didn't have the emotional intelligence I do now at that age either." Andrew, his twin sister Dove, and Thomas suffer from absent parents and willfully ignorant teachers, so no one is really there to guide them through first loves, bullying, peer pressure and academic stress. I LOVED the illustrations and the monsters, and the plot twist actually explained away a "lack-of-character-development" complaint that I initially had. A beautifully poignant story! show less

"I’m anxious and queer and Vietnamese, and I just think … wow, no one could be bothered with me if I’m too much. But it isn’t true. You just have to find the people who love you for you. I’m lucky to have those.”
“It’s shitty that it has to be luck to be loved as you are,” Andrew said.

Andrew is lonely and anxious, and the light of his life is his close friend Thomas. He may like Thomas romantically, but he cannot go without his twin sister either.

Despite being a boarding school horror novel, there is attention for what being queer means ans the anxiety it causes.
Because the story does not end with a kiss. Something always comes after the kiss and the asexual protagonist feels like he will never be able to give that. To show more be enough, to be loved as he is.

The writing style was atmospheric and creepy, but in a beautiful haunted castle sort of way. The old school as a setting worked really well. There was forest horror, drawings and creepy short stories.

They’re just meant to hurt. Like a paper cut—a tiny sting that meant nothing more than I’m alive, I’m alive, I’m alive.

I loved the way magical realism was used to make it ambiguous what was truly happening up until the very end.
He loves Thomas to the point of violence, and Thomas loves him back in that same way.
“All my stories are about you. They will always be about you.” show less

Have you ever read a book so enthralling you stayed up until 3am to finish it and then it just punched you in the face for your enthusiasm? It’s been ages since I read a book that stayed with me like this. The beautiful imagery of the prose and Anthony’s poetically creepy ‘paper cuts’ made me itch with the need to either write or paint. I was rooting for these boys right up until the last page. The ending was tragically in line with the themes of the story but like—OUCH. Still, I’ve ordered a copy for my library. I’d like to reread it for one of my projects.

Oh what a book you are.

Andrew and Thomas were horrible, disgusting, vile, and downright terrible. I loved every minute of it.

*spoilers*

Watching them be so in love that it kills people. Neither is wholly innocent or depraved. They are both hurting and coping, not well honestly, and the people that exist outside of them are collateral damage.

Dove just wanted them to stay the same. But she and Thomas both wanted Andrew to be theirs forever

I really love how Andrew's fear of sexuality was portrayed. He was projecting his fear of rejection on Thomas when Thomas never said he needed sex in a relationship. But Andrew knew that possibility was too great to ignore. And when Andrew finally did come out, Thomas had a very real reaction. He didn't show more outright say he was disappointed, but he knew that the relationship he wanted was not what he was going to get. And he had to mourn that but also still realize that his feelings hadn't changed and he'd always want Andrew no matter what.

"Someday do you... want to be kissed?"

I loved this part so much. Coming after the confession and Andrew revealing his feelings toward sex, it shows that Thomas has been carefully thinking not just about how a relationship with Andrew would satisfy himself, but how he could satisfy Andrew and make something that they would both want out of what they have.

And the ambiguous ending.... my heart. It hurts that Andrew went through all of that and didn't get a happy ending. I feel like he and Thomas got away with so much stuff throughout the story that there's no telling what else he also hallucinated.

I also really liked the writing. I don't read much horror so I found the word choice and sentence structure engaging. The illustrations were beautiful and Andrew's stories were so evocative.

I really love books with ace characters, and this one was so well done in how it didn't minimize how absolutely obsessed and in love Andrew was. I can't wait to reread it with knowledge of how the story unfolds. show less

Andrew and Dove Perrault with Thomas Rye were an inseparable trio for all of their years together at Wickwood Academy. Andrew, a quiet poet escaping into his own twisted fairy tales. Thomas, a bad boy prince who brings Andrew's fairy tales to life through his grotesque and beautiful art. And Dove, a solider keeping the other two and their chaos in check. But all of it changed at the beginning of their senior year. It began with Dove giving Thomas (and eventually Andrew) the cold shoulder after their argument at the end of last school year. Then it was Thomas showing up late, with his parents mysteriously missing, and acting distant towards Andrew. And it all made sense, to an extent, when Andrew discovered that the horrific monsters show more Thomas created became real and lurked the forest surrounding the school. As the boys work together to vanquish these evil creatures, not only do they form a deeper connection with each other, but also with the wicked forest engulfing Wickwood Academy. Particularly Andrew, who's slowly decaying mentally and physically and becoming one with the forest itself.
The first word I said after finishing this book was 'Wow.' It was really easy to get attached to these characters, and seeing them really suffer was hard, but also strangely satisfying. I picked up this book knowing it was going to be a dark one, and I got what I wanted. This is a novel truly for the darkness within us, and there was a pretty great twist towards the end. I also adored the setting and atmosphere of this one, and there were some truly gorgeous illustrations of the monsters. show less

Andrew, an Australian student at an exclusive US boarding school with his twin sister Dove, is struggling mightily throughout this book. The story follows Andrew during his senior year. Andrew and Thomas have a love that is dangerous, obsessive, and they are terrorized by monsters. Monsters of memory, fear, and forest. The writing was beautiful and haunting. The story was deeply rooted in darkness. Is it about mental health? escape? fantasy come to life? The narrator couldn't always be trusted. I had a feeling something was going on...so looked for clues about who interacted with different characters. I wondered about the repercussions of killings and the ability of the people and the institutions to help struggling kids.