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…

I received an advance galley of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.

As a kid, I was a little obsessed with fairytales. I was raised on all things Disney, and boy, was I in for an awakening when I read the actual stories that these cartoons were based on. I was fascinated by how dark and macabre they were, and I loved it. I call this out because this beautifully written book plays out much like a story written by the Brothers Grimm.

The novel focuses on high school senior Andrew Perrault, who, along with his twin sister, Dove, attends a private school for wealthy kids in Virginia. Andrew is shy and meek and often bullied. It doesn’t help that he and Dove are from Australia, and he gets teased a lot for his accent. While Dove is well-liked, studious, and outgoing, Andrew is shy and loses himself in the dark fairytales he writes. His only saving grace, and the only person besides Dove he likes at school, is Thomas Rye. Thomas has a troubled past, an unhappy home life, and is a bit of a loose cannon, but he means well. Andrew, Thomas, and Dove have been super close since the twins started school at the academy when they were twelve, but Andrew’s feelings for Thomas have grown more intense over the years.

When the twins return to the academy for their senior year, Thomas seems distant. When Thomas begins to exhibit strange behavior, Andrew is determined to figure out what is going on and help him with whatever it is, no matter the cost. What Andrew doesn’t realize is that something is lurking in the woods that was once their safe haven, and it’s connected to Thomas in a way. (I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll leave it at that.) Defeating this something will either bring them closer together or tear them apart forever.

While this is a young adult novel, it doesn’t read like one. The author expertly weaves together elements of fantasy, horror, and mystery to create a story that is both chilling and enchanting. I especially loved the relationship between Andrew and Thomas. It is intricately layered and filled not only with teen angst but also an underlying desperation that is palpable. Much like Andrew, I felt that if he didn’t help Thomas, he might lose him forever. It was so obvious that Andrew would be lost and adrift without Thomas, and I didn’t want that. I adored Andrew, mostly because I saw so much of myself in him. I know what it’s like to feel like you exist in a space where people only see you when they want to tear you down, and I understood what Thomas’s friendship meant to Andrew. He was his tether.

Another thing that makes this feel less “young adultish” is how the author explores trauma, and the psychology around it. Drews doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of her characters’ lives, instead delving into the complexities of their emotions and experiences. The result is a story that resonates on a profound level, making it more than just your typical coming-of-age tale. There’s a twist toward the end of the book that knocked the air out of me and completely turned everything on its head. It was devastating and beautiful all at the same time.

I don’t read a lot of YA these days because I have trouble connecting with it, but I can honestly say this is one of the more hauntingly beautiful young adult books I’ve read in a while. It challenges conventions, pushes boundaries, and left me staring at the ceiling after I finished it. I’m still not sure how I feel about the abrupt ending, but it definitely left me thinking. If you’re a fan of dark academia with a touch of fantasy and horror and don’t mind a final act gut punch, I recommend checking this one out.