Infectious bonds between characters make ‘Don’t Let the Forest In’ hard to put down

Review by Chris Davis, Library Specialist
Book by C.G. Drews

“Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him. Protect him. Lie for him.

Kill for him.”

Like the vines and thorns that grace this book’s cover, I was tangled in them and pulled into the earth with every page I turned. Don’t Let The Forest In by C.G. Drews is magnetic from the first page to the last.

I love Andrew and his connection to Thomas that feels covetous, possessive, and downright selfish. Andrew’s quiet demeanor and fragile presentation is offset perfectly by Thomas’s recklessness and disregard for the rules placed upon them.

This bond is presented in an almost infectious manner, as if from the moment Andrew meets Thomas they grow their own garden from Andrew’s dark stories and Thomas’s macabre drawings. And as the story deepens, the infection does as well.

Andrew’s point of view was almost cathartic for me. I related to him every time he wanted Thomas to be closer to him, or to reach inside his rib cage and pull out a rib just to add it to his own. The aggressive yearning was a call back to when I wanted someone to be just as close to me.

Aside from their relationship, the way that Drews ties words that relate to the forest and rot makes it feel like you’re being swallowed alive by the earth as the story moves onward. Any moment that Andrew describes, like feeling mud between his fingertips, or tasting rot in the air as the scent of the forest fills his nose, is almost hypnotic.

It would be a crime to not talk more in depth about the illustrations on the dust cover and within the pages of the book itself. Whether it’s the hauntingly inviting imagery on the cover, or the monstrous illustrations of the various monsters you’ll meet over the course of the story, these images help flesh out what your mind’s eye will paint when the monsters make their appearance.

I don’t want to delve much deeper into the context of the story, as I feel like the pacing and core cast of characters each carry their own weight and are delivered to the audience in a manner that would belittle the story if I were to overshare.

For those who wish to read or listen to this emotion-provoking book, tread carefully, and don’t let the forest in.