This book is what you would get if you mixed Chima's The Wizard Heir book with the game Omori and played the song Danse Macabre in the background.

Don't Let the Forest In is a hauntingly beautiful YA psychological horror filled with creepy forests and dark fairytales. While I typically don't read anything that falls into the "horror" genre, this book is making me reconsider my stance on that, because the vibes were impeccable. The spooky aesthetic and the imagery as a whole in this book, along with the beautifully written prose really engrossed me in the story and the world. It's something that will be haunting my imagination for a long time.
Andrew is returning to boarding school in the fall when he notices something is off about his friend, Thomas. Soon, the forest outside the school is overrun with Thomas's drawings of monsters come to life...and they're out for blood. There's some elements of mystery that really intrigued me, and I thought overall that the story was relatively fast-paced. I managed to call the main plot twist a few chapters before it was revealed, but I was still amazed by it. I loved the overall vibes of the story, and I'm still not over all the imagery and the prose.
I also adored all of the characters. Andrew was so sweet and yet so complex, and I found his struggles with writing and relationships to be relatable and well-written (the ace rep was unexpected but so welcome!). Thomas's passion and his dynamics with Andrew were so lovely as well, and I just loved them together. The supporting cast was equally interesting, but at its heart, this book was Andrew and Thomas's story.
Don't Let the Forest In is the perfect spooky read for your fall TBR.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

4.75/5