Hazelthorn has many elements I’m drawn to like gothic settings, secret gardens and creepy houses. Evander can never leave the estate, or be alone with Laurie, the grandson of the estate owner Byron Lennox-Hall. This created a real desire for me to know, “What’s happening in this garden?!” Even when the characters didn’t engage me, I still wanted to know more about the mysterious happening of this home, especially after the murder mystery begins.

As I said, I struggled to find the characters engaging. I am not the target audience for this novel, but I am a fan of the genre. Evander is like a Victorian ghost child, he is very uncertain of his history and lives in a constant state of anxiety and confusion. The author explains that “this is a story of queer and autistic rage.” His character’s isolation, his feelings of frustration and otherness is well executed. I felt unease and quite ungrounded in the head of Evander. The reader feels the ick that Hazelthorn drips.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing for this ARC.

Evander and Laurie were both orphaned and taken in by Byron Lennox-Hall, Laurie's grandfather. They were close childhood friends until Laurie tried to murder Evander seven years ago. Evander had lived an isolated life since then, sequestered in his room at Hazelthorn, medicated and in and out of surgeries. He can never leave the estate, he can never go in the gardens, and mostly importantly, he cannot be left alone with Laurie. When Byron dies abruptly and Evander is named the sole inheritor of his estate, he has a whole family coming home to claim Hazelthorn.

This is my second read from CG (Don't Let the Forest In shares themes but it's it's own lovely beast), and it was fantastic and feral. This YA botanical horror has gothic estate vibes and a few twists and turns. Give this a read if you enjoy:
Poisonous plants
Eerie gothic estates
Rage (of the completely valid variety)
Queer hate/love dynamics
Which of these rich relatives offed someone?
High anxiety/tension vibes

Please mind the content warnings; this book depicts violence against children on and off the page among other things

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published on 10/28/25. I'll be posting to Instagram closer to publication.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends for an eARC of this book!

This story was truly incredible and left me reeling with so many feelings - horror, disgust, heartbreak, happiness, hope. It explores what it’s like to not be in control of your own body or emotions, and what it’s like to not be able to understand or meaningfully interact with the would around you. The author describes themselves as autistic and this book not only explored what autism can look like, but also the impact of physical and psychological abuse in a touching way. Hazelthorn also explores the lengths to which we will go for those we love, highlighting the self-destructive things we do for those we feel obligated to protect, and the concept of nature versus nurture. This story sucked me in from the very beginning and I absolutely devoured it. CG Drews’ writing is so lush but digestible, it felt like I was there at Hazelthorn. This was my first foray into YA psychological thriller and body horror in a very long time and now I cannot wait to read every book this author publishes.

"He really needs to pull apart the wicker cage of his ribs and see if he can find the reason he's so obsessed with that boy hidden amidst the rot."

Do you ever feel like your skin isn't on right? That no matter how hard you try, you just can't twist yourself into something that's perfectly human? Your mannerisms, your expressions, your passions are always just slightly off. If so, this book if for you.

Evander is a fragile thing, something to keep safe and under care. He can't remember what things were like before Laurie tried to kill him. Evander hates Laurie, so why does he yearn to be so close he's in Laurie's skin?

When his caregiver, who is also Laurie's grandfather, is suddenly murdered, Evander is left everything in the Will. But who is the murderer? Why can't he just remember how things used to be? Why will people not stop touching him? There's only one person who he wants to touch him, but he hates him. Doesn't he?

'Hazelthorn' is a book of yearning, hunger, and rage. It perfectly captures how many people feel, but have suppressed those feelings because they aren't "right" or "normal". Sometimes, everything is too much. You can feel your skin, your socks are torturous. I truly felt seen in 'Hazelthorn'. I can't get enough of the beautiful prose, gothic atmosphere, and botanical horror C. G. Drews has to offer. This book has truly crawled under my skin and made a nest of thorns. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Have you ever loved someone so much you wished you could crawl inside them and live amongst their ribs? Just me? Anyway, if that concept sounds interesting at all, I think you would enjoy this book. It's dark and full of plant-based body horror, but also felt comforting, like a super heavy weighted blanket. The comfort and feeling of being crushed are tied together so closely it's impossible to separate. It only took one chapter for me to be hooked on the story in a way I haven't felt in quite a while. I would recommend this to anyone who likes bloodthirsty plants, queer obsession, and Edgar Allen Poe's Fall of the House of Usher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

C.G. Drews is such an imaginative and immersive author. The prose in this novel is just beautiful and I could see, smell, and feel what was being described. The first 25% was a little slower paced and it took me a bit to get into, but the last 75% I flew through. If you’re a fan of “Don’t Let the Forest In,” or just gothic horror in general, then you’ll love this book.

I'd give this 100 stars if I could. This was beautifully written. I highlighted like 12 quotes from this book and I rarely do that. The characters, the plot, the TWIST! I loved it so much.

C. G. Drews delivers with another gothic fever dream steeped in botanical horror, queer longing, and the unraveling of fragile minds! This one will ensnare you, drag you through a labyrinth of thorns, and leave you questioning whether the scratches on your soul are metaphorical or all too real.

When reclusive, neurodivergent teen Evander inherits the eerie Hazelthorn estate after the death of his guardian, he’s bound by three rules: don’t leave the estate, don’t enter the garden, and don’t be alone with Laurie—the dangerously charming heir of the house. Naturally, all three are broken.

Drews cultivates a gorgeously grotesque YA gothic horror where grief blooms into obsession, and love is a vine that strangles. Her prose is rich and languid. Every word feels overripe and every sentence crawling with intent. The estate’s garden is more monster than landscape and a character in and of itself—one that feeds on secrets, shame, and blood. The plot is extremely atmospheric. Told through the fractured lens of an unreliable narrator, you are drawn into Evander’s psyche where nothing is certain except dread. It’s The Secret Garden if the roses had teeth.

The emotional heart lies in Evander and Laurie’s tense, magnetic bond. Their relationship is as intoxicating as it is toxic, a reimagined Byronic romance through a queer lens. Drews tackles themes of neurodivergence, grief, and identity. AND it’s handled with care. Evander’s autism is depicted with sensitivity, shaping his inner world without reducing him to a trope. 🙌🏻 The queer narrative is heartfelt and complex, rooting identity in pain, intimacy, and survival.

As the boundaries between house, self, and nature dissolve, so too does any hope for clarity or safety. Hazelthorn is not a gentle read though. Body horror, emotional trauma, and psychological manipulation bloom on every page. It’s both beautiful and grotesque.

If you enjoyed Don’t Let the Forest In, you’ll love this one. It’s a must-read for fans of Crimson Peak, Wilder Girls, and anyone who suspects their garden might be watching.

4.5 Stars!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this!

Evander inherits the Hazelthorn estate and it's fortune after the untimely death of his guardian, Byron. One issue, Evander is sure that his guardian was murdered. He must work with Byron's grandson, Laurie to uncover the secrets of the Hazelthorn estate. What secrets will come out while they're digging?

The best way to describe this book is visceral and grotesque. This book will have you questioning everything between the unreliable narrative of someone who has been locked up for 7+ years with little human interaction and the plot twists that will leave you speechless. I couldn't put this down. There were genuinely moments where I was gagging because of the amount of grotesque detail that was included. On top of the eerie setting and walls lined with secrets, there was also this deep yearning that was felt throughout the whole book. Plus, the ending was so so satisfying.

When people ask me what my favorite book of all time is the immediate answer is The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This is a book that I reread constantly when I little. I remember going to see the early 90s movie and thinking it was perfect. Since then I have reread it numerous times and seen any adaptation.

Sooo when I heard that Hazelthorn reminded people of it, I had to pick it up. To say that I loved it would be an understatement. There are definite parallels between the two. In my opinion this is inspired by the orginial and done so well. The body and plant horror was something that I did not know that I wanted but it just right for me. We are following Evander who has lived most of his life in a room at Hazelthorn. When his parents died in a car accident his guardian has kept him under lock and key. The only person that he sees reguarly is a servant named Carrington who brings him his medicine. In addition to dealing with a sudden death, a new inheritance, and an old childhood friend who tried to kill him years ago, Evander is not sure what is real anymore.

I am now one who writes down quotes or highlights lines that move me but this book made me do that. The relationship between Evander and Laurie was horrifically perfect. This will be a favorite of the year and will be reread sooner than later. Thanks so much to Netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another beautifully written book by C. G. Drews. I am in awe of how they find yet another way to paint such a gorgeous story with pain and longing and life of being neurodivergent so well. I absolutely ate this story up, and my heart longed for more after.

I received this e-arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I have to say, is read the content warnings at the beginning of the book. Drews is serious about these. I do believe they missed a few as well, with some being more spoilery than others and therefore left out here. They include, but are not limited to, a car accident, cannibalism, self harm, confinement, parental death, toxic relationship, and murder (though that is in the synopsis of the book). It's possible this isn't a full list, and I am just one person, so it is possible what I consider to be a content warning would not be considered such by someone else.

That being said, I did enjoy this book. It was a little predictable, but not in the way you'd expect. While I had an idea as to the final outcome and answer to the mystery, I had no idea how it would come about. Quite frankly this book is deeply disturbing sometimes but even so I needed to know what would come next.

If you liked CG Drews's other book "Don't Let the Forest In," or enjoy Andrew Joseph White's books and want something that is somehow more gruesome than his YA books, this is the book for you.

This book was seriously amazing. I absolutely loved the twists and turns… the ending had me looking exactly like this emoji 🤯
It has been a while since I’ve read a thriller esc book and the botanical elements just made this so so much fun! I was taking constant notes and highlighting all throughout my kindle, which almost never happens for me.
I seriously have no words to express how much I loved this book and how I can’t wait for it to release to the rest of the world for them to love it too!
Thank you to NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

What a very lush wander to have had exploring these gardens with you. Hazelthorn is the kind of story that keeps you holding your breath with visceral reactions and descriptions to give you mares for days to come. The vivid imagery that Drews is giving us here nearly demands a graphic novel of this journey into the soils of Hazelthorn.

The kind of thorns we're given here are a wilding in mental health and personal divinity. It's a story we have all had or can relate to having had at one time or another and we're so happy to have processed through these greens.

I had a rampant ravaging time wrapping my mind around this frankinstein of a garden.

Long may you rot.

ARC review- 4.5⭐️ WOW this was an addicting read!! evander and laurie’s complex relationship kept me hooked and dying to know what was going to happen next. the gothic atmosphere of hazelthorn was delightful and disturbing at the same time. i highly recommend this book!!

This book reminds me of Into the Heartless Wood by Jonna Ruth Meyer but if the world were evil. I enjoyed a lot of the horror though I wish there was more tension and build up before creepy/horrific events started. I love Laurie as a character and how much of his life and experiences were explored. For such an intricate story I wished the villains had been more than one dimensional.

What a wild ride! I have given Hazelthorn 5 well deserved stars! I ate this book up and couldn’t stop myself from turning the pages. I finished this book at 3am because I could not make myself stop. This book has you wondering, and questioning everything and everyone! Who killed Evander’s billionaire guardian Byron Lennox-Hall? Is there something wrong with timid, polite, sickly, fragile Amnesiac Evander? Is there something wrong with the Lennox-Hall manor Hazelthorn, the wild, hungry, overgrown but beautiful garden, or maybe the entire family? And what is up with Laurie the handsome, spoiled, rich 17 year old teenager that once tried to kill Evander? Evander also will have to pick quite the unlikely alliance to find out and survive what is unfolding at Lennox-Halls manor HAZELTHORN!

We are introduced to 17 yr old Evander and the rules first.
1. Don’t forget to lock the door to Evanders room after you have gone in to deliver his food and medications
2. Never let Evander into the gardens
3. Laurie and Evander are to never be in the same room or left alone together.

The book is a mystery that unfolds as each page is turned and I was invested straight away.. The creepy and confusing way this book takes you on a journey to figuring out what this boy Evander can’t remember, what this manor and garden have to offer and what it TAKES, who killed Evander’s guardian Byron and what’s going on with Laurie and all of the Lennox-Halls?


Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan children’s publishing group for providing me with an ARC of this fantastic YA horror novel. I throughly enjoyed this reading experience.

Sinister and intensely claustrophobic from start to finish, Hazelthorn is a brilliant nightmare. Evander has spent most of his life within the walls of Hazelthorn, and nearly the entirety of what he can remember has been spent confined to his bedroom. Laurie, his guardian’s grandson, is the boogeyman that haunts him ever since he tried to kill him as a child. Still, Evander is drawn to Laurie for reasons he can’t explain.

When Evander’s guardian dies, apparently murdered, everything falls to pieces in an intensely chaotic murder mystery. The Lennox-Halls are fabulously wealthy, incredibly cold, and were barred from Hazelthorn up until the death of the family’s patriarch. What unravels will keep the reader hanging on long past the final page.

Drew’s prose comes close to poetry at times and the romance between Laurie and Evander is brilliantly depicted. It runs white hot, hating someone to the point of devotion until it turns to love and entanglement. The stakes are high as Evander must discover what really happened between him and Laurie on that day, why the garden is forbidden to him, and who he really is.

I love Evander and Laurie so much. Absolutely brilliant.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan for this ARC. Review to come to GoodReads and elsewhere closer to publication.

This was 5 stars for me!

I have no words. I love CG Drews because they honestly write the most addicting stories and characters.

This gothic horror hit all my boxes with an addicting storyline and wicked banter.

HIGHLY recommend

This book was truly beautiful and the way that it was written. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot as well as the character development in the overall storyline. I can say I was pleasantly shocked by the ending of this movie, therefore I cannot wait for the physical copy to come out.

The way C.G. Drew’s right is incredibly beautiful and the extent of love, yarn, angst, horror, and the way the characters are written, has you craving more. I will be uploading my in-depth review from Goodreads as well. But this book was absolutely beautiful and I currently have no words!