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A review by martinviles
Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I loved this book. For all of the problems I have with it, this book is so fun and one I absolutely flew through.
The gore, the mystery, the body horror, it's all brilliant, and the pace of the book makes it feel like a whirl wind, half the time I felt just as confused as Andrew. Drews is especially good with the mystery, maintaining tension and giving the audience just enough to remain invested. The imagery is also great, providing rich descriptions, it's easy to imagine yourself there. And that twist as well! I often spoil stuff for myself before going into things, but I didn't seek out any spoilers for this one, so that twist completely took me by surprise.
However, it did have some shortcomings. Perhaps I wasn't paying much attention, but the twist towards the end hardly had any foreshadowing. There were things that made more sense in retrospect, but they still didn't properly foreshadow the reveal that was to come. And, while this one's a more juvenile reason for some dislike, but some of the dialogue and descriptions felt a bit cheesy? It does make sense, Andrew is quite melodramatic and a teenager after all, but it squicked me out a little.
The gore, the mystery, the body horror, it's all brilliant, and the pace of the book makes it feel like a whirl wind, half the time I felt just as confused as Andrew. Drews is especially good with the mystery, maintaining tension and giving the audience just enough to remain invested. The imagery is also great, providing rich descriptions, it's easy to imagine yourself there. And that twist as well! I often spoil stuff for myself before going into things, but I didn't seek out any spoilers for this one, so that twist completely took me by surprise.
However, it did have some shortcomings. Perhaps I wasn't paying much attention, but the twist towards the end hardly had any foreshadowing. There were things that made more sense in retrospect, but they still didn't properly foreshadow the reveal that was to come. And, while this one's a more juvenile reason for some dislike, but some of the dialogue and descriptions felt a bit cheesy? It does make sense, Andrew is quite melodramatic and a teenager after all, but it squicked me out a little.