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Don't Let The Forest In by Cg Drews

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...

Animorphs Book 11: The Forgotten by K. A. Applegate

The Forgotten puts the Animorphs through the ringer, with existential threats and body horror and also more mundane dangers. The plot mechanic is executed well and the ending is suitably dark. This is one of my favorite books in the whole series.

It is part of a shift that has been slowly forming over the last couple of books where they introduce mechanics that can warp reality above and beyond the basic level indicated by morphing technology. The Ellimist and Chee are other examples that get more play, but I like this one a lot.

It really grapples with the burden of leadership, especially since it's easy to forget that the kids are in middle school (approximately ages 12-15) at this point. Jake's storyline grapples with having responsibility beyond his years because he's the leader of the group, and this book gives him a taste of the emotional weight his decisions could have at any point without delving too deep into it.

If you're trying to get a feel for the series as it gets going but don't want to commit to the whole thing, this is a book you could read by itself to get a taste without spoiling major plot points.

A boy (Jake) turns into a jaguar

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