Queer as Books | Don't Let the Forest In

Don't Let the Forest In

CG Drews

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As alluring as it is unsettling, award-winning author CG Drews' debut YA psychological horror will leave readers breathless and hesitant to venture deeper into the woods.

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.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality—Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won't say a word about it and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork—whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew's wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what's wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster—Thomas's drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator...

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Posts about this title from Queer as Books

Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Jan 1

🍾 Happy New Year! 🥂

Here you will find my top 25 reads of 2025! 🎉

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Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Sep 14 2025

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Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Apr 24 2025

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This was one of the most intense and gripping books I’ve read in a long time.

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Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Mar 31 2025

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Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Mar 27 2025

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Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Dec 31 2024

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Posts about this book from across Bindery

The Bibliothecary\ \ Samantha\ \ • Feb 21

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I'm a scaredy-cat but love forest horror

In which I discuss eco horror and why I love it when I'm scared by most other horror books...

Article with the eco horror definition: https://slowburnhorror.com/2022/04/14/your-guide-to-eco-horror/

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10 books

Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Jan 1

\ \ Join for free or login](https://queerasbooks.binderybooks.com/item/uxllvc7jyvL4tAXI6rxG/)

🍾 Happy New Year! 🥂

Here you will find my top 25 reads of 2025! 🎉

25 books

Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Dec 19 2025

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Get a Rec from me & What my Taste in books look like

What are some books that represent your taste overall and do we have any in common? 👀

Before we dive into this, Bindery now has an option to request recs and you can go to the 🔗 in my bio and click “Get a Rec” and ask for details of what you’d like from the books I’ve read! I’m also making lists of 2026 releases in fantasy, romance and horror so far so happy to share some of these early on with you guys (these will be recs of what I’m looking forward to rather than what I’ve read) so GO GO GO 🤎

As for my taste in books, I’m never going to be the type that picks only 5 top books for the year guys and I’ve learned to accept it because honestly, what do you mean my top 5 books in one year? I would have to host a meeting with myself for a whole month to decide that 😭 So instead, you guys get my taste in books throughout various sub-genres that I yap about all the time!

Here is a list of the books (if you prefer to read through it or for accessibility needs)🤎: Cottagecore: 🍄 Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries 🍄 After the Forest by Kell Woods 🍄 A Witch’s Guide to Love and Poison by Aamna Qureshi 🍄 The Geographer’s Map to Romance by India Holton 🍄 The River has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar 🍄 An Arrow to the Heart by K.R. Bacher

Cozy Fantasy: 🍄 The Baby Dragon Cafe by Aamna Qureshi 🍄 Legend & Lattes by Travis 🍄 The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong 🍄 The Nameless Restaurant by Tao Wong 🍄 Watermoon by Samantha Sotto Yambao 🍄 The Spellshop by Sangu Mandanna

Witchycore: 🍄 The Hedgewitch of Foxhall by Anna Bright 🍄 House of Frank by Kay Synclaire 🍄 The Lone Wolf Cafe by Sydney Wilder 🍄 The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore 🍄 A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna 🍄 Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi

Retellings, Fairy Tale & Historical Fantasy: 🍄A Sorceress comes to Call by T.Kingfisher 🍄 What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez 🍄 Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross 🍄 We Shall be Monsters by Tara Sim 🍄 The Briar Book of the Dead by A.G Slatter

The rest is in my pinned comment!

#fantasybooks #topbooksof2025 #favoritebooks

74 books

Cozy Quill\ \ Meg\ \ • Nov 7 2025

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\ \ Hi friends! We recently had our monthly "Reading Recap" hang with our Cozy Quill paid members and, boy, did they come through with recs!\ \ I wanted to share all these book recommendations with you asap because they just kept coming and they kept getting better. Thank you to everyone who popped into the virtual recap this month and shared the stories you're loving! Your contributions were very generous and I'm excited to offer the list to everyone in our cozy crew.\ \ Scroll down and you'll see all 38 books our Cozy Quillers recommend this season! You can purchase them right from the Bindery site (I do earn a commission on that, I think? I haven't yet so I'm not sure ha!) or just add them to your TBR. Love you all! Until the next reading recap...\ \ x, Meg\ \ Join for free or login](https://cozyquill.binderybooks.com/item/9c4JMh80PlKFSM7uicW9/)

38 Reads We're All Obsessing Over 📚

38 books

Peppered Ink\ \ Mary\ \ • Oct 31 2025

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Liquor in the Library, Halloween Edition!

Now, if I were REALLY a vampire, maybe I’d have enough time to get through the TBR… 😭

10 books

Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Oct 8 2025

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12 botanical horror books recs to become one with the moss this season👀

Do you read any botanical horror or spooky books for autumn? This is a range from pure botanical horror, to Mushroomcore, and horromance👀

Join my bindery through the 🔗 in my bio for more content like this🤎

Here are most of the botanical horror I’ve read in the past year or so! I am currently also reading Mexican Gothic and Girl in the Creek (both of which I’m enjoying): 🍄 Don’t Let the Forest in 🍄 Graveyard Shift 🍄 Predatory Natures 🍄 Human Scars on Planet Skin 🍄 What Moves the dead (and book 2) 🍄 Eat the ones you Love 🍄 Greenteeth 🍄 Midnight Rooms 🍄 They Bloom at Night 🍄 Swallowed 🍄 My Throat An Open Grave 🍄 Nettle and Bone

Here are the two I am currently reading: 🍄 Mexican Gothic 🍄 Girl in The Creek

Have you read any of them?

#botanicalhorror #horrorbooks #books

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Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Sep 14 2025

👻🌈 Queer Books for the Spooky Season 🎃

Which ones are you adding to your fall TBR?

27 books

Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Sep 8 2025

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66 Mushroomcore books, 147 Fantasy Books and 67 cozy games list, with more to come!

This one is for the mushroom book lovers, those who want to read about mushrooms, spores or fungi in all genres and therefore, this one is for my cottagecore readers and those of us who find solace in cottagecore elements and want to frolick in the forest but have to settle down for a book that makes you feel that way AND if you want to know what I think about the few I have read in here (5 so far) then let me know, I’ll send you my blog post 🤭🤎

Thank you to @spoonie.reads for their inspiration with their Sporror list, which I hope you go and check out asap!🤎

I’m finally back with my lists and I’ve missed making them so much! They usually take a couple of hours of research and then more time to put the list together, go through everything and make sure I didn’t forget anything! My regular monthly books and gaming list are coming soon and an update on 2025 yearly lists is on the way too. But for now? This is the way I make my comeback and it is only appropriate for it to be mushroom related! 🍄‍🟫🤎

Here is a list of books with the authors tagged if found AND if the books are in the wrong category, just let me know and I will try to add it in a pinned comment! I am only one human and will make errors: 🍄‍🟫 Mushroom horror: What moves the dead by @redwombatstudio The marigold by @afsulli Ghost Eaters by @claymcleod The luminous dead by @authorcstarling Cold storage by @dgkoepp The Woodwitch by Stephen Gregory The Dawnhounds by Sascha Stronach The voice in the night by William Hope Hodgson Graveyard Shift by @sureasmel The Ghost woods by @cjcooke_author Yellow Jessamine by @authorcstarling A Botanical Daughter by @medlock_noah House of Rot by @dangerslater Girl in the creek by @wendy.n.wagner Root rot by @cronebro You will speak for the dead @r.a.busby

(The rest is in the comment)🤎🤎 #sporror #sporebook #mushroombooks #cottagecorereader #fungibooks

5 books

Rachel Skye Reads\ \ Rachel\ \ • Jul 29 2025

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Read these if you like: Gay Books

Replying to @Chad Michael Read these if you like: Gay Books 📖 Winging It With You by Chip Pons 📖 The Sins on Their Bones by Laura R Samotin 📖 Carry On (Simon Snow Book 1) by Rainbow Rowell 📖 The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer 📖 The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E. M. Anderson 📖 A Gentleman’s Gentleman by TJ Alexander 📖 Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews 📖 A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland 📖 Heartstopper by Alice Oseman 📖 Darkhearts by James L Sutter #bookrecommendations #rachelskyereads #lgbtqbooks #readdiversebooks #booktok

9 books

Rachel Skye Reads\ \ Rachel\ \ • Jul 23 2025

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Read these if you want to support trans representation in the book industry

*In this post I am using the term “Trans” to include all non-binary and gender-expansive identities. These books have either a Trans or Gender-Expansive author or prominent character. Read these if (part 29) if you want to support trans representation in the book industry: 📖 Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame by Neon Yang (coming May 2025) from @tordotcompub 📖 The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas 📖 Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat 📖 The Deep by Rivers Solomon 📖 Mistress of Lies by K. M. Enright 📖 A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland 📖 Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender 📖 Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid 📖 Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews #trr25 #TransRightsReadathon #TransRightsReadathon25 #bookreccomendations #ifyoulikethisreadthat #rachelskyereads

9 books

Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • Jul 20 2025

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[Poll:\ \ Have you read any of these 5 focused Mushroom Books? \ \ This one is for my Cottagecore Readers, who enjoy mushrooms in everything: The Era of Mushrooms \ \ I made a list of all 66 books on my instagram and if you want to go and look at it, you can do so here. This blog post is a summary of the 5 books that I have read (or reading in the case of one) on my list and what I thought about them! Go and vote in the poll if you have read any of the books mentioned here and here is the list of them all: \ \

What Moves the Dead \ \
Grave Yard Shift\ \
Don't Let the Forest In\ \
Swallowed\ \
Human Scars on Planet Skin (CR)\ \ \ So, what did I think of the book...: What moves the dead \ \ If you have been around here for long, you will know that I LOVE anything T.kingfisher has written and I am making my way through the list of books. I have no complaint about any of them and in fact, I'd love more AND I am so glad we have so many coming out. \ \ What Moves the Dead is no exception in this list. This is a book about Alex Easton, who goes to the countryside of Ruravia and sees that his childhood friends are dying due to a fungal growth and possessed wildlife. \ \ This is a short book and there is book 2, with book 3 coming out this September. It is an understatement of the year to say that I loved it. This book explores dark topics, has a British mycologist \ \ This is a combination of gothic horror, fantasy, fungal centered and a retelling (meant to be a retelling of The fall of the house of Usher, also on the list)! \ \ Graveyard shift \ \ Graveyard is also a novella and this is a Dark Academia Gothic, Horror book that focuses on 5 different people who cross path as they work a night shift. These five people find an open grave, where none should be found. \ \ The story delves into the mystery of this grave and they encounter the gravedigger in question. One of the characters is a journalist and we go on a whole ride of seeing this story.\ \ We also encounter other elements in the story: insomnia and sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, not having a home...etc. \ \ M.L. Rio leaves us wanting more (or at least leaves me wanting more...) and I have started reading If We Were Villians as I couldnt get enough. \ \ This one is perfect for you if you like those gothic vibes, tensions and rats with fungi. \ \ Don't let the forest in \ \ Don't Let the Forest in is, well, how do I say this: Making it into the top of my list of books I read this year. This is more of a botanical horror, hence why its on the Mushroom-ish category, but I couldnt not include it. \ \ I can't say much without spoiling the book and I wouldnt dare do that to you, my dear cottagecore reader BUT what I can say is this is a fast paced horror, where you are questioning everything that has happened. DID IT HAPPEN?! Who knows? \ \ I cannot say enough about this book and I have added CG Drews into my auto buy authors as they are the master of Cottagegore. This book follows Andrew, Thomas and Dove with the monsters from their stories and sketches....\ \ Read this AND then come and talk to me ASAP (I mean it!)\ \ Swallowed \ \ Swallowed was my second book into Horromance and this is one of the Mushroom-ish books too but guys, this book, and I cannot place an emphasis enough on this, is AMAZING. \ \ This is a horromance novella that goes along the journey of Jill Jones, who is a botanist, going on a journey to a Planet with her crew members. The synopsis starts with: " Earth is beyond repair. The Planet is our last hope."\ \ This is a genre blend, which has sci-fi, romance, horror, paranormal and has the vibe of being in a mushroom fever dream, which happened when you accidentally ate that spore mushroom from a forest while you were frolicking there. \ \ Now, if you read this, I expect nothing less then you popping in and coming to talk to me about it. Do it! \ \ Human Scars on Planet Skin \ \ And last, but not least, is Human Scars on Planet skin! This is an experimental cozy sci-fi novella that is focusing on the eco-horror of what is happening to Turr, the planet in the book. \ \ I am currently making my way through this book but guys, honestly, I know I'm going to love it and you guys are in for it when it releases in September! The authors are amazing people who have their own Indie publishing press too and share lovely books with amazing covers. \ \ Here are cute character arts that the authors have shared on instagram: part 1 and part 2. \ \ I have to say, Clyra, Invidia and Leyren are my favourite looking characters (what a shock?! they're the mushroom characters...) \ \ But, join us in my discord server by subscribing for free here and let's chat about this book if you are Arc reading it too. \ \ And... What's next for the Cottagecore Readers? \ \ So, we are starting a Mushroom Book Club Salon - this means there will be no assigned reading but you will be able to discuss any books that falls under this theme criteria with us in my discord server! Come on broad to Chanterelle Solace, join the discord server for free and let's go crazy about Mushrooms! \ \ See you next time, Cottagecore Readers!](https://cozysabie.binderybooks.com/item/ESuNf1rMkWzCZ1c6AcWw/)

66 Books that talk about Mushrooms for my Cottagecore Readers: My review of the ones I have read & loved

5 books

Chanterelle Solace\ \ Sabie\ \ • May 23 2025

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Here are some books that somehow made it into my cottagecore library this past month🤭

Here are some books that somehow made it into my cottagecore library this past month, not sure how🤭🫣

How are you guys doing this month? Has this year started the way you hoped it would or has it been the opposite?🤎

I also hope this weekend is going well for you all! What are we romanticizing this week?🤎

#cottagecorewitchy #weeklyreadings #romantcizinglife Cottagecore Witch Cottagecore Sabie Amber Academia Honey Academia Amber and Honey Academia Cozy Gothic Fantasy Books Cozy Games

2 books

Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • May 19 2025

12 Books in April?! Queer Reads, Dystopian Classics & Creepy Manga

Here's my April reading wrap up!

12 books

Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • May 15 2025

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🚀 Early Access 🚀 April Reading Wrap Up

Watch my April Reading Wrap Up before anyone else.

12 books

Queer as Books\ \ José\ \ • Apr 24 2025

\ \ Join for free or login](https://queerasbooks.binderybooks.com/item/P4DaWCyz20C8PspHhJAj/)