I throughly enjoyed this book. It sucks you in from the first page. A decrepit manor, a writhing garden, and judgmental fawn wallpaper. The entire novel poetic. There was lots of imagery of thorns, dead moths, brittle leaves. The whole thing was dark, heavy, and gothic. A story of greed, secrets, and obsession. Very moody and botanical. Evader screams recluse, and I loved his complicated relationship from Laurie.

I’ll be posting a full review on my blog soon!

The author’s descriptive writing totally sucked me into the story. The setting and the characters were mysterious and clouded in eeriness. Dark, twisty, beautiful, haunting.

Evander is an orphan who has lived at Hazelthorn as a ward of a billionaire. Evander has been sequestered to the north wing of the estate and forbidden to leave his room for the past several years under the guise that he is sickly and prone to episodes. He also had a near death encounter several years ago in the garden with his guardian’s grandson that also contributes to his ongoing isolation.

One day Evander’s door is mysteriously unlocked and he finds his guardian in the conservatory. He witnesses the death of the old man and inherits his estate. Free from his isolation, Evander begins to unravel the mysteries and horror of Hazelthorn.

This book was a journey and by the time I reached the end, I immediately wanted to reread it.

This book is slated to release in October 2025 and I think it will be the perfect spooky read for the fall.

Thanks to NetGalley for the EARC!

I have also read, Don’t Let the Forest In and the way Drews’ can build such a beautiful, horrifying world chock full of plants, melancholy, and complicated characters is so immersive. I love the plant body horror element to these books, super creative and downright spooky. Evander and Laurie’s story is so special and carefully crafted throughout the story, this is yearning folks.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is an outstanding, interesting, beautifully written book set at the Hazelthorn house and gardens. CG Drews is an artist who has given us a wonderful gift.

The language and setting were fantastic - green and gloomy, wild and terrifying. The characters were lovely - both Evander and Laurie (who I still picture as Timothee Chalamet from Little Women but it totally works). And the plot was gripping - with a major twist every 50 pages that had me staying up late reading and questioning everything.

I have only two regrets - first, that this review cannot possibly do the book justice, and second, that I was so eager to find out what’s next that I didn’t fully immerse myself in the writing and imagery. I look forward to exploring these more and slowing down in the re-read!

I would highly recommend this book to those who enjoys dark, spooky, botanical vibes. This is the perfect book for a Halloween-inspired fall reading list, but all the greenery and garden themes made it a very appropriate spring read as well. Beware this is a true horror novel, unlike many of the gothic novels which are popular these days, and it is quite gorey at times. While it turned my stomach a bit, this didn’t detract from my ability to enjoy the experience. This book does explore very dark themes, so I advise reading the trigger warnings which are posted at the start of the book.

5 stars. I was thrilled to read and review this ARC, provided by Macmillan via NetGalley.

Drews' writing style was made for me. Everything from the atmosphere, the eerie characterizations, and the plot twists was fantastic.

I loved Don't Let The Forest In last year, and anyone who was a fan of that novel is sure to find themselves devouring Hazelthorn as well. The horror elements here are delightfully different, more gritty and gory than psychological, but in all the best ways. I fell in love with Evander in the first few pages, and even Laurie snatched my heart up quickly. This haunting, immersive, romantic, and deeply emotional YA horror will linger in your mind long after the final chapter.

I can already feel in my bones that this is my favorite novel of 2025!

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Feiwell and Friends (Macmillan) for the arc!

CG’s latest novel delivers in all aspect of the word GOTHIC. Dark and atmospheric to the last page. Hazelthorn is a gothic horror love story with a strong message of self acceptance at its core. Oh, and lots of botanical body horror and a murder mystery subplot that will hook you from the beginning.

The lyrical writing style accompanied by a protagonist with such a strong internal monologue referencing anxiety and isolation led to beautiful prose. We experience the same level of suffocation, paranoia and hopelessness Evander experiences on each page. The reader learns as Evander does so nothing feels like info dumping and it complements the pacing very well. The imagery is immaculate! No descriptors have been spared when detailing the architecture, starving gardens and horror of the situation. As for the romance, it was perfection! This novel has some of the best yearning I’ve read in a story. Nothing felt rushed or forced. This was my first venture into the world of CG Drews and I’ll most definitely be returning.

While it took me a bit to get into this book, I ended up thoroughly enjoying it. The writing was very good, and the plot had me on the edge of my seat. The only main problem I had with it was the pacing, as it felt like everything moved very quickly. This made it harder to become fully attached to all the characters. Besides this, I still really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to any readers who love this genre!

4.75 stars
I loved this book in so many ways did it also heal some parts of my inner child YES. I also loved the illustrations that we get to see through out the book. I did not think that plant horror was gonna be my genre but here’s to new beginnings and loving new authors.

Thanks to NetGalley and CG Drews for allowing me an ARC copy for my open and honest opinions.

<b> The Garden Wants You Back </b>
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"Perhaps he is Ariadne and behind one of these walls is the Minotaur."
"Stop acting out for attention. Stop - stop being like this. Be goddamn normal for once."
"Pain is meant to take up space or else we wouldn’t know how to scream. Fuck making your agony go silent to avoid disturbing others. Maybe they should be disturbed."
"This unkempt yearning tipping through his chest is ridiculous and distracting and - and pointless."
“There is something wrong with him and the way he constantly wants to put the whole garden in his mouth and swallow.”
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“I am worse without you.”
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I wish I could recreate the feeling this book gave me at 77%. Horrified and mesmerized. Appalled. Hazelthorn is in a league of its own. It is not a romance book with horror elements or a horror book with elements of romance. The normal limits of genre are completely broken in this young adult murder mystery/psychological thriller/horror/romance. I gave up trying to define or predict this novel within 50 pages. Truly genre-bending. Somehow it delicately combines several genres in a way that left me feeling like I was both crawling out of my skin and swooning. Our main characters give Jude & Cardan ‘I hate that I love you’ energy with a healthy dose of ‘why don’t we just merge souls?’ obsession. C.G. Drews created a uniquely captivating experience that left me both enthralled and uneasy. I love the writing of C.G. Drews because I truly never know what kind of darkness to exist at the next turn - a vile, wicked thing undoubtedly. But I’m left with no way to predict whether it will be monster or man.
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The Earth just isn’t turning quite the same when I’m not reading a C.G. Drews ARC (thank you, NetGalley!). I can barely wait another moment to hold this physical book in my hands.
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Autism Representation
Friends-to-Enemies-to-Lovers
Forest Rot Gothic Horror
MM Romance
Young Adult

I have been salivating for this book ever since I was lucky enough to get an ARC of Don't Let the Forest In and devoured it last year. Botanical horror is not a genre I would have thought of as a must read for me but Drews' beautifully haunting story telling absolutely is, and I am quickly becoming addicted to the genre.
Hazelthorn is an interesting blend of murder mystery and botanical horror. Reminiscent of Knives Out in regard to the first with the death of an reclusive billionaire leaving the maze like manor house and wild sprawling estates of Hazelthorn to a surprising heir, his ward Evander, along with his billions. And the greedy eccentric family that had been previously banned from the estate descend upon Hazelthorn for the funeral all with their own reasons for having wanted Byron dead. Evander knows he cant trust anyone including himself and his own faulty memory and especially not Laurie the beautiful boy that has already tried to kill him before but to whom is forever drawn to. Things are complicated even further with the gardens that seem to teem with a life of their own and are determined to push into the manor however they must.
With Don't Let the Forest In the ending had me closing the book and just staring off in a WTF just happened haze and I fully believe that it was a perfect ending for that story anything else would have been either too tragic or too convenient. Hazelthorn for me has a far more standard closing but one that is equally satisfying.

4.75 stars

This book made my heart hurt but I loved every second of it. I wanted to scoop up Evander and Laurie and protect them from the world.

“There is nothing else to me but the hollow spaces I’ve carved out for you. I knew I’d cut myself to pieces on you if we ever had the chance to touch, but I wanted to. Let me ruin myself on you.”

The YEARNING between these two was beautiful even amidst the absolute nightmare that was unfolding all around them. Drews really nailed it with this one, everything these boys went through, I felt like I was going through it right with them. By the end I was on the edge of my seat.

This was heartbreaking but healing. Grotesque and beautiful.

Thank you to netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC

This book healed me. I've been dying for something to get lost in and I've found it. Super excited for what CG Drews gives us next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

HAZELTHORN by CG Drews

Thank you Netgalley and Feiwell ans Friends (Macmillan) for the earc (Oct 28)

Evander lives in Hazelthorn...he's trapped in Hazelthorn. Since he was taken in by billionaire Byron Lennox-Hall he was give 3 rules: never leave, stay out of the garden, and stay away from Laurie. When Byron dies, Evander believes it was murder. He teams up with Laurie to find the killer before the garder overtakes everything.
HAZELTHORN is moody and atmospheric with a whodunit mystery at the center of its core. This book was so enthralling and interesting. It was dark and twisty with turns at every corner. Never would I have seen any of that coming: from the first reveal to all the ones that followed. That was one of the reasons I was hooked. Like literally, I devoured this book over the course of day. Most of the characters were likeable and I loved learning about the real history of Evander and Laurie+plus their chemistry and bickering were top notch.
I hadn't read anything by this author before, but I need to read their debut after this one. 10/10 would recommend.

I was super excited for this one because I loved Don’t Let the Forest In, but to be honest, this one just didn’t do it for me. It seemed really chaotic and just not my cup of tea. Looking forward to more from this awesome author though!

Evander lives at Hazelthorn, a crumbling mansion, with his guardian, Byron. Most of the time he doesn't feel real, but he definitely feels alive when he thinks about Byron's grandson, Laurie. The gardens on the estate hold a bloody secret, and when Evander suddenly inherits the property, he starts to learn that he's a part of those bloody secrets as well.

Just wow. What a hungry and suffocating story. This is the second book I've read by Drews, and I just get so lost in their stories. The imagery is incredible. You would think there can only be so many ways to describe a blood-thirsty garden, but Drews' writing is never repetitive and evokes such an insane amount of anxiety that I felt like I was in the garden, too. The gore and body horror was perfect.

The characters were amazing. Being inside Evander's head was such a trip. His feelings of being ill and not feeling in control of his body were nerve-wracking, and I absolutely loved the unfolding of his past and how he realized what was happening. Despite him being "sickly" and frail, I was terrified of Evander. He was such an unreliable narrator. Laurie was a pro at pushing people away, and I just felt so bad for him. I would've loved just one or two POVs from him; just a sprinkle of what he was thinking.

The action really started rolling in the second half of the book and never let up. I wasn't sure how it all would end, but I loved how it all wrapped up.

This book made my head hurt, but in the best way.

I read C.G. Drew’s other book, Don’t Let the Forest In, late last year after wanting the book for ages. Both come with the most beautiful illustrations and feature the most beautifully monstrous protagonists. I will say that I enjoyed Hazelthorn more though. While I was distracted by Evander’s early attempts at detective work, the second half of the book swept me up in all of its turbulent emotional highs and lows. I almost cried.

What truly moved me through this book was a) the protagonists and b) the prose. Evander is a rare example of a well-written character who has flaws, struggles, and is so raw on page that you can’t help but grow attached. And once all the puzzle pieces of Evander’s past are laid out it becomes ten times better. Laurie is also amazing (though I just have a soft spot for character’s who act mean but have a heart of gold).

Onto prose. Oh my god. It only improved as the story went on, and that’s coming from someone who thought the prose was superb from the first chapter. As a writer, this is one of the things I analyze most closely when I read, so the lyrical word choice and lines were a true delight. I wish I could share some of the quotes I highlighted. Once the book is officially released I might still, that’s how much I was awe-struck by the prose. Jaw on the floor.

Overall, Hazelthorn is a novel perfect for those with a taste for the macabre, the gothic, and those who don’t mind the taste of leaves blooming up their throat.

oh my gosh I loved this book! This was exactly what I needed and what I hoped it would be.

This is my first time reading anything by C.G. Drews (Don't Let the Forest In is hanging out in my TBR), and I absolutely loved her writing style! The pacing, the way the story was laid out, even the way it looked on the page was phenomenal. Definitely will be checking out their other books.

I loved the plant illustrations that we see throughout this book too. It really helped the story to have visuals of some of the plants discussed.

I am a sucker for an unreliable narrator, and Evander is the most fabulous unreliable narrator! He doesn't know what is real, what is a memory, if he is having an "episode." It made the story so much more impactful and interesting by having a narrator who is just as lost as we are.

The mystery of what happened to the grandfather in this story is not the strongest element of the book in my opinion. I figured it out pretty quickly, but the rest of the twists were amazing! This is definitely going to be in my top reads of the year.

Thank you so very much to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, C.G. Drews, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own and in no way are influenced by the manner in which I received it.

What a captivating thriller that will devour you whole! The way this book pulls you in and leaves you wanting more, unable to break away.. There were several parts that were bone-chilling and left me speechless. I never knew that gothic gay was a category to add to my list, but after this book, wow.. The tension between the two main characters was intense. It made my stomach turn and flutter in the best way. This was a fascinating read that took many unexpected turns!
Thank you, Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for this Arc in exchange for an honest review!

Oh my goodness. A HUGE thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC of this beautiful, haunting, and terrifyingly bloodstained novel. I do have to say, read the trigger warnings in the beginning and take care of yourselves. Hazelthorn does not shy away from heavy topics of medical abuse, murder, gore, eating disorders, and body horror. There is SO MUCH body horror and a bit of body dysphoria. Now, turning to the novel.

Evander is such a delightfully unreliable narrator. The novel opens with Evander, a sickly young man, being locked in his room in Hazelthorn for his own good because he is sick. He is sick because his childhood friend attempted to kill him by burying him alive in the Hazelthorn estate garden. Aside from his present state, Evander only knows a few truths: his parents are dead, Byron Lennox-Hall has taken him in as his ward, and he can never, EVER go near the gorgeously dangerous Laurie Lennox-Hall. The plot kicks off with a two-fold mystery. The first is: who unlocked Evander's door, which has allowed him free roam of Hazelthorn. The second is: who killed Byron Lennox-Hall and why?

The rest of the novel is brilliantly chaotic, suffocating, and bloody. I kept pausing to re-read parts because it was gorgeously written but also because I couldn't believe what was happening. Evander reluctantly works together with unraveling the secrets of the Lennox-Hall's and of Hazelthorn. However, some secrets and truths may be best left buried in the garden. C.G. Drews weaves together a narrative that is full of dead flowers, blood, and bone. The imagery is so violent and vivid. Gore and viscera (both of the plant and people variety) permiate the page as Evander attempts to figure out what is making the garden seem so...hungry and alive.

I cannot recommend this novel enough as it will be the perfect spooky Fall read. The interactions between Evander and Laurie were so frantic and haunting. I do not want to spoil any of the plot, but the ending was almost nothing like what I expected. The gothic imagery, the blood, the flowers, and the decay all come together and urge the reader to travel deeper and deeper through the tangled vines of Hazelthorn. Overall, this is one that will stick with me for a long while. It was beautifully haunting and I feel I left a little piece of myself in the garden.

As I will be publishing my full review with The Game of Nerds, which I will be linking once it's up on the site, this is only a portion of my review.

Enemies to lovers is great and all, but it will never compare to two boys so obsessed with each other that each and every one of their thoughts is consumed by the other, so that the line between love and hate blurs, warping it into a hateful yearning that threatens to consume them whole. Wretched, feral boys who are viscerally obsessed with each other is peak literature and you cannot change my mind.

“His hate for Laurie is unmanageable, wild and bitter as wormwood on his tongue, and he should have lost all interest in him by now. He shouldn’t watch for him through his window. Or crave snippets of his voice. Or think about his cornflower-blue eyes and the beautiful shape of his wretched mouth.”

It is complicated, what they are to each other. From what Evander has been told, he has every reason to hate Laurie. And he does. He hates Laurie. And Laurie must hate him too. They aren’t pretty or soft in the ways they ache for each other. Their first kiss is bloody and monstrous and hateful, cruel in ways a kiss shouldn’t be. But this is who they are. They’ve seen all the ways in which they can be cruel, have even used that cruelty as a weapon against the other, and they still love each other. As if they were made for each other, their love something grown in the haunting, bloody soil of the gardens of Hazelthorn among all the other secrets threatening to destroy them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for a copy of an eARC in exchange for an honest review.