C G DREWS’ latest novel, Don’t Let The Forest In, is a queer dark academia YA thriller filled with twisted fairy tales and monsters that will keep you up at night.
We asked Drews what their desert island reads are and what inspired their book.
What are you reading now?
I can’t get enough of audiobooks right now and I’ve been listening to Theme Music by T Marie Vandelly, which is a psychological thriller that is so addictive.
If you were stranded on a desert island and you could only have five books – what would they be?
For some beloved rereads, I’d choose The Secret History by Donna Tartt, These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever and Follow Me To Ground by Sue Rainsford. And for two on my TBR that I’m so keen for, I’d go for I Am Made Of Death by Kelly Andrew and They Bloom At Night by Trang Thanh Tran.
Where is your favourite place to read?
I love cosying up in bed under a pile of blankets with a book.
Do you read one book at a time or multiple?
Definitely multiple! I’m pretty chaotic and can have up to 5 current reads going at once, usually split amongst ebooks, physical and audiobooks.
Do you use a bookmark or fold the corners of pages?
Bookmark for sure. I’m the kind of reader who loves keeping books as pristine as possible.
What inspired Don’t Let The Forest In?
It grew from a collision of my love for both dark academia and fairytales, the twisted and beautifully wicked kind that sink into your skin. I wanted to write a story full of raw, eviscerating emotions that mess with perception. Andrew spends much of the story wondering if the monsters crawling out of his best friend’s artwork are real – and I wanted the reader to feel that uncertainty too. I also loved the idea of telling a story within a story, and Don’t Let The Forest In is peppered with snippets of Andrew’s fairy tales as he uses dark art to cope with the way his life is spinning out of control.
What can you tell us about the monsters that appear in your novel?
I wanted to create monsters for the story that were these creepy, awful, under-the-bed horrors, but also felt like they belonged in a fairy tale. You’ll get to meet Thistle Fairies with long needle teeth and a remorseless taste for blood, Bone Shrikes whose screams will make your ears bleed as they compel you to tell all your secrets, and The Antler King with a bloody crown who uses its own horns as knives.
Do you have any writing habits or rituals?
I am such a night-writer and I focus way better when the world is dark and peaceful. Noise-cancelling headphones are also a must for every writing session.
What book character would you be, and why?
I feel like I would make a really good hobbit, especially the part where you cosy up in a hobbit hole and eat cheese and avoid extroverts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CG Drews is the author of A Thousand Perfect Notes, The Boy Who Steals Houses, and Don’t Let the Forest In. CGs work has been translated into five languages and was nominated for the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal and won the 2020 CBCA Honour Award. CG lives in Australia, never sleeps and is forever buried under a pile of unread books.
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