Don't Let the Forest in

first and foremost: thank you so much to the employee that recommended this to me. you have amazing taste :) i devoured this book the same day i bought it. unironically. the entire idea of the forest being a living thing, and a dangerous one at that, intrigued me. the characters are constantly caught in a battle between their juvenile silliness and the terrifying situation. the gloomy, suspenseful mood of the setting is impeccable. i could picture every horrific detail very clearly (perhaps too clearly). this book had me at the verge of insanity and i love it. also, the drawings. absolutely gorgeous. if you, like me, are drawn to strange, grotesque, but heartbreakingly poetic things, i promise you won't be disappointed.

My partner recommended this book to me as the main character is ace and it became my new obsession The writing is perfect and with every page it becomes more twisted and dark and in the end you are lost with the characters not knowing what is true and what not I rarely read books a second time and this one I read three times by now and I have it just 2 months

Es handelt sich hier um Horror. Bereits früh wird klar, dass Andrew ein unzuverlässiger Erzähler ist. Die Monster sind einen echte Bedrohung für die Protagonisten. Selten kommen sie ungeschoren davon. Die Atmosphäre ist bedrückend, denn nicht nur die Monster sind furchteinflössend: Unfaire Lehre, Bullys, Panikattacken und die Angst verlassen zu werden, sorgen dafür, dass Andrew in ständiger Anspannung lebt. Als Protagonist funktioniert Andrew gut. Panik, Halluzinationen, das Gefühl anders zu sein, weil er asexuell ist, und die Angst, dass er seiner obsessiven Liebe Thomas deshalb nicht genügen wird, sind kombiniert mit seiner Essstörung ein bisschen viel. Doch die Kombination funktioniert für mich. Das ganze Buch ist recht melodramatisch. Ich fand leider den grossen Reveal um seine Schwester Dove vorhersehbar. Cover und die Illustrationen der Monster finde ich wunderschön. Der Schreibstil ist übertrieben poetisch und wahrscheinlich hätte das Buch für mich besser funktioniert, wenn es in der Ich-Perspektive geschrieben wäre. Dadurch wäre es besser ersichtlich, dass Realität und Andrews Einbildung nahtlos ineinandergreifen. Ein spannender Horror, der sich um einen queere Romanze dreht und viel Raum zur Interpretation lässt.

When I tell you… I ATE THIS UP! I was completely captivated by the dark and visually immersive setting of the story. The author masterfully blends reality and fantasy through Andrew’s perspective - constantly blurring the lines between what’s real and what’s not. The narrative delves into the intense, obsessive relationship between two boys and the monstrous creations that arise from their art, ultimately drive them into madness. *insert sparkle emoji* “I don't care how dark the world is for you. I'll hold out my hand until you find it, and I won't let go.“ || • ya horror fantasy • botanical body horror • dark academia • very “be gay, do crime” • asexual + bisexual rep • friends to lovers

"Not every fairytale has a happy ending" This one is an absolute masterpiece of queer dark academia with a bit of horror. A boy who writes fairytales about monsters and a friend who brings them to life in his drawings. Andrew and Thomas have been friends for years but when they return to school this year everything changes... What happens when all of their monsters actually come to life? Can two boys stand their grounds against the forest?