Huge thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of Don’t Let the Forest In!

“But the October boy didn’t flee. He climbed the tree and kissed the lonesome monster until it devoured him whole.”

You know a book is good when its climax is hard to read because you can’t see through the tears in your eyes. 

It was so hard to pick a standout quote from this book. Don’t Let the Forest In has some of the most beautifully devastating language I’ve read in a while. It's vivid, imaginative, and downright heartbreaking. Andrew’s inner thoughts are told with experimental formats that just added to his unreliability as a narrator. I’m still not sure what’s real and not real, but I think not knowing is the best part. 

“‘Everything inside me is in ruins…for you.’”

The YEARNING in this narrative. Hoo boy. I adore romances where the couple just crashes into each other all blood and teeth and longing. This is a vicious sort of love I could get lost in. Especially with two complex characters in such a cruel setting. It was kind of giving If We Were Villains at times.  

If I had to come up with a critique, it would be that a little too much was withheld– I liked the mysteries, and the climax was brilliant, but I did find myself annoyed at some points with just how left in the dark the reader was, to the point I was more confused than intrigued. But again, it wasn’t a major issue. I did finish this in three days after all. 

Also– the Oreo scene killed me. I need a fanart of it ASAP. 

If you’re looking for a queer dark academia book rife with angst and forest horror, Don’t Let the Forest In is the book for you.