i said 'don't let the forest' in was like if you put vicious and dorian gray in a blender and added steroids, and now 'hazelthorn' is like knives out and frankenstein in a blender if you added the same steroid infused dirt from DLTFI.

c.g. drews is beyond an absolute marvel, i think i would wait in a line for days just to read their fucking grocery lists at this point. the botanical elements seeping into the most subtle metaphors and descriptors of even the most regular things. i am obsessed and i will never be moving on.

another gorgeously written book by CG Drews. a cousin, perhaps, to “don’t let the forest in,” this book explores rage, grief, paranoia, happiness, longing, and more.

as always, the book is well-written with fantastic pacing throughout. the prose is absolutely second-to-none, and CG Drew’s’ books are possibly the most unique YA horror books you will read.

highly recommend to all who are getting into horror and who love botanical themes. 4.5 stars rounded down!!

CG Drew is a force! If you’re looking for eco/body horror, don’t let the YA classification fool you. Atmospheric and creepy, you’ll be left begging for more!

This book is stunning!

The writing and the prose was like nothing I had ever read before!

This author will forever be an autobuy author and I can’t wait to see what they write next!

I was so very excited to read this one after reading Don’t Let the Forest In and oh my god did this exceed every expectation that I had. This was written so beautifully, and extremely engaging, I didn’t want to put this down.
CG Drew’s knows how to write haunting, gothic literature that you don’t want to escape from.

I knew I would love this book after Don’t Let the Forest In, but love isn’t the right word. Hazelthornhas left me breathless; yearning; haunted. The botanical body horror, the crumbling mansion with its deadly secrets, the feral longing that make up the most poetic murder mystery you will ever read. I adored the boys with my whole heart; Laurie with his sardonic wit & effortless charm, & Evander, constantly berating himself for his autistic tendencies & the hole where his memories should be. The plot is as full of twists & turns as the vines that snake along ribcages & every shock feels like being bitten by thorns in place of teeth. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough & am left hollow with loss at finishing this visceral, suffocating, gothic masterpiece.

Thank you NetGalley and CG Drews for this ARC!

This book was delicious in every way.
Creepy and morbid, dark and delectable.
A curious adventure with secrets and twists and turns.

Drews writing has captivated me in ways I didn’t know possible and I want to live in every world they create.
Giving life to the things that go bump in the dark while praising the strange kids who are fascinated by the unknown, the weirdos who come home with blood on their knees and dirt under their fingernails.

I can’t wait for everyone to be able to experience Hazelthorn and get to fall in love with a garden, an old house, and a boy named Laurie.

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC.

I can't get over how beautiful and atmospheric this was. Evander is relatable and so perfectly written, love the autistic representation. The horror, the romance the family drama, all just had me hooked.
I will be reading anything and everything by C.G Drews.

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Children's Publishing Group for this eARC.

This is the second book I have read by C.G. Drews and it was horrifically wonderful with its descriptive narrative and haunting words.

It follows the story of Evander a 17 year old boy isolated on the Hazelthorn property. He must follow three rules that must never be broken. Never leave the estate, never go into the gardens, and never go with Laurie Lennox-Hall. When Evander's guardian Byron Lennox-Hall dies Evander tries to solve how he died but it ain't just a murder he has to worry about. The garden is alive and it is coming for all of them.

This books is not a comfy read it is spine tingling, jaw dropping. Squirming, toe-curling horror. The descriptions alone make me so shocked it is YA as multiple times I was freaking out and needed to put the book down to process what I read. It is botanical body horror to the max and will leave you with nightmares. It is filled with gory descriptions that make even the bravest hero squirm.

This book has queer and autistic rep in it which I appreciate being autistic myself, however, I was not the biggest fan of the autistic representation that was presented in this book. Evander has a lot of mental health things going on but with a book being so descriptive in all of the actions, body horror, etc. I wish there was time to focus on some of the autistic traits and really flesh out those scenes. One that comes to mind is when Evander touches something that effects his sensory of touch. I really wish there were a couple lines more to describe that feeling. Like dipping your hand in ice water and your hand goes numb to the point you feel that tingling pain when your foot falls asleep or maybe how it feels like a bunch of ragged thorns are piercing his hand just something that matches that similar vibes presented throughout the rest of the book. I thought the episodes Evander was having were really well thought out but other autistic traits felt like it was left on the back burner for me. I also felt there were so many mental health scenarios going on that each one couldn't be fleshed out more. The claustrophobia scene really sticks out as in only 2 pages Evander came over that fear.

Overall the writing is absolutely gorgeous and it is why I love C.G. Drews writing because she has such a unique voice and style when it comes to her writing. My jaw was on the floor and I was sitting curled up with my knees to my chest wondering what horrors would happen on the next page. Drews never fails to grab hold of the reigns or should I say vines and drag us into the rich narrative soil that is Hazelthorn.

I adore CG Drew's writing. Once again this is a 5 star read! The way all of their books are written always appeals to me and I desperately need this as an audio book was one of the first things I though .

Evander is so well written. This is a book I will need on my shelf!

i am completely and utterly awe-struck.

this botanical-queer-horror-love story just dragged me through a garden full of thorns that relentlessly tore out my heart. and i’d still come knocking at the gate asking it to do it all over again just because this story was THAT GOOD.

Hazelthorn was absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking. i was constantly on the edge of my seat, rapidly turning pages, unable to stop DEVOURING this book.

evander and laurie take disaster couple to a whole new level and i’m completely obsessed with them. they had me giggling on one page then sobbing the next. i am full of so so so many feelings i can’t contain them all and my mind is just a muddled mess overgrown with feral vines of my own emotions AHHHH

“He thinks, perhaps, he is meant to be feral and loud and sharp and angry.”

pls read this book it’ll change your life.

thank you thank you THANK YOU NetGalley and MacMillan Children’s Publishing Group for the arc in exchange for my honest review <3

After being completely enamored by Don’t Let the Forest In, Hazelthorn became one of my most anticipated 2025 releases and it was fantastic! This book is truly perfection to me. The way CG Drews writes is so beautiful yet so haunting.

This botanical horror is truly unsettling at times, with its atmospheric setting and body horror. On the flip side, there are some very tender moments relating to the queer romance subplot. There is also a thread of thoughts and feelings we see the main character Evander go through that relate to possibly being autistic. While it’s not extensive, that little bit of rep pulled on my heartstrings.

Honestly this book is so good that I’m a little speechless. I LOVED it and will forever recommend!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for the ARC and the chance to read this amazing book early!

“To stand in the midst of this room is to feel like a leaf, insignificant and blemished, blown into the mouth of Hazelthorn to be toyed with by a heavy, humid tongue before being swallowed.” - Hazelthorn, C.G. Drews

🌿🍄HAZELTHORN MINI REVIEW🍄‍🟫🌿

Finished this beautifully twisted story last night. I loved the eerie vibe set throughout the story. The mystery around a sudden death. The squabbling, greedy family, the outcasts. Metaphorically, there were so many ways I felt seen and could relate. The relationships, the obsession, the confusing and extreme feelings between the characters was enjoyable to read and see unfold.

C.G. Drews has this wonderful way of immersing the reader into the twisted, beautiful, and horrific world they’ve created. As with Don’t Let The Forest In, I couldn’t wait to see how Evander’s and Laurie’s relationship unfolded. The secrets hidden behind sticky red doors, vine covers walls, tacky gaudy family.

If you’re looking for a good horror story, definitely check Hazelthorn out when it releases October 28th, 2025! It’s the perfect read for Fall. Also check out Don’t Let The Forest In, already out in the world and short listed for Young Adult books! Also a perfect Fall read.

🌿🌿A lush art piece of grief, obsession, and blooming horror🌿🌿

Hazelthorn is the kind of novel that slowly crawls under your skin– in a very good non-creepy (but also creepy) way. From the very first page, I was hooked and completely immersed in this crumbling gothic estate, a creeping garden and the twisted yet gentle characters that inhabit it. C.G. Drews writes with an almost lyrical precision that makes every sentence feel alive and beautifully dangerous like the Hazelthorn garden itself.

Evander is such a compelling protagonist. He's delicate yet defiant, and so painfully human. His grief, trauma and quiet yearning for control over the course of the book are written with so much care and understanding, I was holding my breath for entire scenes. I may have found myself at 2 a.m. whispering “Evander, sweet boy.” like he was real and needed me (He does. Probably.)
Laurie is a bit more complicated and cruel while somehow remaining tender. He's the kind of character you hate to love but can't stop thinking about. Their relationship is messy, intense and real. It's hard to tear yourself away, it’s either knives out or complete pillowy softness. 💗

The horror is intimate and botanical.🌱 You won’t find any jump scares here, just a building dread that grows like vines, curling tighter like venomous snakes with every passing chapter. The garden is not just a setting, it's a character in its own right and it is truly terrifying. Falling in love with a sentient murder garden was not on my bingo card for 2025, yet here we are. I’m never looking at ivy the same way again. I loved how Drews plays with themes of control, rot, inheritance, and most importantly: survival, through the lenses of queerness, the chronically ill and all of us neurodivergents alike.

Is this book dark? Yes. It's also tender, strange, and beautiful. I could have cried, I definitely flinched, I would have highlighted half the book if I had my hands on a physical copy and I would have closed it very gently. I’ll be thinking about it for a long, long time.

If you like dark fairytales, beautiful boys with secrets (up top 🙏) and the idea of being consumed (emotionally and maybe literally), READ THIS BOOK.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, C.G. Drews, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 🖤

Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews is a hauntingly beautiful YA horror novel. 17-year-old Evander hasn’t left his bedroom in seven years—not since his guardian’s grandson tried to murder him in the estate’s gardens when they were just ten. Since then, Evander has lived an isolated existence: medicated, alone, and confined to a single room in the crumbling Lennox-Hall estate. His only companions are Byron Lennox-Hall—the reclusive billionaire that became his guardian after his parents' death—and Byron’s elderly butler, Carrington.

When Byron dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances and Carrington disappears, everything changes. Byron’s entire fortune and estate are left to Evander, much to the ire of the estranged Lennox-Hall family, who quickly descend on the manor. In an unlikely twist, Evander is forced to ally with Laurie—the same boy who once tried to kill him—to protect the estate and uncover the dark secrets buried in its haunted gardens. While Laurie comes off at first as mysterious and aloof, is there’s an undeniable sense that he’s trying to help Evander, even as old wounds and deep mistrust hang between them.

I had previously read Don’t Let the Forest In by Drews and absolutely loved it, so I came into Hazelthorn with high expectations—and it did not disappoint. Drews crafts a rich, lyrical narrative that is eerie and emotionally charged. The prose is stunning: lush without being over done, and perfectly suited to the dreamlike, almost mythic quality of the setting. Evander is fragile, but fierce and full of quiet resilience. His slow, painful emergence from his years of isolation is written with nuance, while the Hazelthorn estate feels like a character in itself, full of decaying grandeur and secrets that twist like vines. This was a perfect YA gothic horror - dreamlike, unsettling, and unexpectedly tender. Both Evander and Laurie were strong characters in their own rights, and when they finally worked together, their growth on page was a joy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of Hazelthorn in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely loved this book, and look forward to more by this author.

C.G. Drews is an auto-buy author for me.

I requested this book right after finishing Don’t Let the Forest In and it honestly exceeded my expectations. The prose is vivid and engaging. Honestly, I wish I could read this book again for the first time. The experiences of the main character, Evander, were at once tragic and relatable.

I wanted to finish this book immediately. Every time I was forced to put it down, all I could think about was when I could return to it. C.G. Drews is the author who introduced me into the genre of botanical horror, and my love for the genre comes directly from the haunting and devastatingly enchanting nature of their works. Hazelthorn is no exception.

If you are a fan of botanical horror, found family, or gothic settings, I would absolutely recommend this book as your next read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hazelthorn grabbed me by the throat from the first page and didn’t let go. I read it in one sitting and yelled at anyone who dared interrupt me. It’s haunting, grotesque, and utterly mesmerizing.

The atmosphere drips with decay and dread, the writing is lush and razor-sharp, and Evander’s story twists deeper with every chapter. The garden pulsed with its own sick hunger, and the horror of it all was impossible to look away from.

C.G. Drews has crafted a masterpiece of gothic horror…beautiful, bloody, and impossible to forget.

Hazelthorn is an atmospheric, botanical, Gothic adventure. This book had me questioning everything and wanting to solve every mystery along the way. This book does contain body gore and bloody scenes. Overall, I enjoyed the storyline as it kept my attention and was a unique premise. It was giving Crimson Peak/The Haunting (1999) vibes which I thoroughly enjoyed. I love when a house or elements of a house feel like their very own character. This book was a wild ride, it will keep you engaged and wanting more.

CG Drews is a phenomenal writer. Full stop. Will auto-buy anything they write from today henceforth.

This book was so exceptionally good that I'm actually a little devastated that I finished it. The atmospheric tension from page one is unmatched, and is consistently great through the last word on the last page. I am baffled by how deeply moved (and also scared) I was by the beautiful Gothic imagery.

And the themes?? My god. The very real experience of not feeling "normal" and clawing tooth and nail to find your place, found family, queer love, autism and anxiety, and firmly taking back your autonomy when everyone wants a piece of you. I can't say enough about how deeply I love Evander and Laurie, and will be anxiously waiting for everyone I know to read this story so we can all squeal into the ether about how endlessly perfect this novel is.

A hearty THANK YOU to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Feiwel & Friends for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book. Now I just have to wait 3 (long, torturous) months to see it on my shelf!

With Hazelthorn, CG Drews cements their status as the reigning queen of gothic body horror that aches like a love song. This is Wuthering Heights meets Annihilation in a haunted greenhouse—claustrophobic, seductive, and dripping with floral dread. You will not emerge unchanged.

Evander, our trembling, obsessive narrator, is the very definition of a beautiful, broken thing. Raised in a mansion that feels more mausoleum than home, he's spent his life following the rules etched into his trauma:

Never leave.
Never enter the garden.
Never trust Laurie—the boy who once tried to murder him, and who he cannot stop craving.
Oh yes. It’s that kind of book.

But when patriarch Byron Lennox-Hall dies under suspiciously rotten circumstances, Evander inherits not only the estate but the full rot of its legacy: a decaying house, a family of secrets, and a garden that wants him very, very badly. With Laurie back in the picture—feral, charming, and possibly still dangerous—Evander must decide if the boy he fears most is the one person who can save him… or the one who’ll finish what he started.

🌱 What’s blooming inside?

Murder mystery wrapped in creeping vines
Complicated, obsessive, maybe-doomed love
Plants with appetites
Isolation and inherited trauma
Queer yearning so sharp it cuts like a pruning blade
Lyrical prose that makes decay feel divine
Drews writes horror like a fever dream—lush and lyrical until it sinks its thorns into your throat. The Hazelthorn estate is a character unto itself: damp, alive, and watching. And the garden? It is the kind of horror that seduces first, devours second.

📚 Perfect for fans of:

Andrew Joseph White’s transgressive, body-centric horror
The decaying surrealism of Annihilation
The gothic dysfunction of We Have Always Lived in the Castle
Obsessive love stories where no one is safe (least of all the reader)

Hazelthorn is a masterwork of botanical horror and gothic yearning. Equal parts eerie and intimate, it asks: What are you willing to let consume you? The garden? The house? The person who once tried to kill you… and might be your only salvation?