C.G. Drews' *Hazelthorn* is a hauntingly beautiful gothic horror novel that masterfully intertwines themes of trauma, identity, and forbidden desire. Set within the decaying halls of the Hazelthorn estate, the story follows Evander, a seventeen-year-old boy confined by three unbreakable rules: never leave the estate, never enter the gardens, and never be alone with Laurie—the grandson of his reclusive guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall. These rules, especially the last, stem from a dark past where Laurie once tried to bury Evander alive. However, when Byron dies under mysterious circumstances, Evander inherits the estate, and the carefully maintained boundaries begin to erode.

Drews' prose is both lyrical and unsettling, drawing readers into a world where the line between reality and nightmare blurs. The narrative delves deep into Evander's psyche, portraying his struggles with isolation, suppressed memories, and a yearning for connection. The relationship between Evander and Laurie is particularly compelling, evolving from animosity to a complex bond filled with tension and vulnerability.

The novel's atmosphere is rich with botanical horror, as the estate's gardens seem to possess a sinister life of their own. This element adds a layer of dread, making the setting itself a character that influences the story's progression.

For fans of gothic tales that challenge and captivate, *Hazelthorn* is a must-read. Its release is highly anticipated, and it promises to leave a lasting impression on those who venture into its pages.

Evander has been locked away in the estate of his guardian ever since that day in the garden when his guardian's grandson Laurie tried to kill him. Plagued by blackouts and illness, Evander believes it's dangerous for himself and everyone else if he leaves his room... and on the day his door mysteriously opens, he discovers his guardian dead, poisoned. Evander is left the estate in the will, but as other members of this ruthless family descend upon Hazelthorn, Evander is left to wonder if one of them murdered his guardian, or if he himself did it - and what really happened in the garden, all those years ago?

This is horror, but in that lovely way where nature is vicious and unforgiving. Evander is a bit of an unreliable narrator, and I had the ending guessed a little bit before the reveal, but there were several mysteries to solve, and the relationship between Evander and Laurie was so, so good. The entire book feels lush and wild and will certainly satisfy fans of [book:Don't Let the Forest In|200982373].

I didn’t know exactly what I was walking into with Hazelthorn—I just knew I needed to read it. And honestly? It exceeded every hope I didn’t realize I had. This book is eerie, visceral, and gutting in the most beautiful way.

Evander lives in the decaying grandeur of Hazelthorn, a haunted estate both metaphorically and very literally alive. He’s queer, autistic, and drowning in the sensory overload of a world that was never made to accommodate him—let alone love him. And he’s been surviving by following three ironclad rules: never leave the estate, never enter the garden, and never be left alone with Laurie.

Laurie, of course, is the beautiful, chaotic grandson of Evander’s reclusive billionaire guardian—and the boy who tried to kill him seven years ago. Naturally, Evander is still obsessed with him. (Listen. We all have our trauma coping mechanisms.)

Then Byron dies, and everything unravels. Evander inherits the house, the fortune, and the seething resentment of the worst family on Earth. Also: possibly a murder. Definitely a cursed, bloodthirsty garden that’s starting to slip its vines into the halls. And maybe—just maybe—a chance to finally figure out who he is, outside the rules that were built to control him.

The writing is lyrical and lush, the horror creeping and elegant, the emotional beats absolutely brutal in the best way. And the portrayal of Evander’s sensory experiences? Phenomenal. Every texture, every flicker of light, every unbearable experience is rendered so vividly you feel it clawing at your own skin. This is a book about legacy, trauma, longing, and rot—inside the walls and inside ourselves.

Hazelthorn won't be for everyone. But for readers who want a queer, neurodivergent gothic horror with teeth, vulnerability, and a protagonist you’ll want to protect with your whole damn soul—this one digs in deep.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review—Hazelthorn left claw marks on my heart, and I’m letting them bloom.

4.5 Stars. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. This book was so creepy and delicious. If you’re a fan of Don’t Let the Forrest In, you will also really like this book. I loved Evander and Laurie so much. They’re dynamic and how the 2 of them unrolled the story. I didn’t see the twists coming and man, I gasped aloud. Definitely recommend checking this one out!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for the eARC.

CG Drews is now my go-to for YA horror. I love anything nature horror and CG delivers. And if you liked Don’t Let the Forest In, you’ll like this one.

I just wanted to protect Evander. All he wanted was to understand and be loved, and his anger was valid towards those who are greedy and have harmed him and others. His relationship/obsession with Laurie was intriguing and sweet. I love me some pining with some mystery.

The mystery of whodunit, Evander’s past, and the garden was well done. I was hooked and the revealings were fascinating and unpredictable. I really thought they would be done differently and predictably (but still amazing concepts) but I was fantastically wrong. The creepy atmosphere was subtle and was maintained well throughout.

The villains were as atrocious as I expected because most rich people are in horror genres. Greed makes monsters of us all. I just wish we saw more of their demise like we did in Don’t Let the Forest In, but this time a majority of them were closed door and they were the ones I want to see suffer the most. However, I can understand Evander not wanting to give them any more of his time.

I love the message of embracing one’s anger and self, which is understanding one’s differences and the answer to “what is wrong with me?”

Oof ouch my heart.

The theme of this book seems to be loving what hurts you. Loving despite pain or because you think you asked for or deserve it. I got to read an ARC of this book through NetGalley and I absolutely loved it.

The writing is beautiful and full of imagery. I loved Laurie and Evander, their banter and their messy history. It's a dark look at what rich people can do when no one is watching.

This is a book I can definitely see myself rereading, because there are already lines that are stuck in my head. I'm looking forward to reading this author's other work!

This was my first CG Drews book and I’m in love. It was moody and atmospheric and did a spectacular job of handling the heavy topics that it covers (ableism, medical autonomy, autistic erasure and queerness). It’s incredibly description heavy and immersive so if that’s not your jam, you may grow weary of the setting but for those who LIVE for spooky, gothic horror and a building sense of oppression and suppression and fury as the story builds, you will devour it. I think it’s a perfect introduction to body horror and the gothic genre for young teens and have already begun recommending it. There’s nothing inappropriate for children ages 13+ and I think many would feel seen within these pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the chance to read this ahead of time.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an ARC of this book.

I absolutely devoured this story. I normally don’t enjoy the summer, but this book made me want to lie in an overgrown garden on a hot day. I loved this depiction of botanical horror and how the vivid plant-like imagery and metaphors seeped into all aspects of the story.

Evander and Laurie felt so real and genuine to me. Their interactions were so endearing and their connection was unquestionable even before the mysteries that lay between them were uncovered.

I was able to guess some aspects of the plot, but that didn’t even matter to me since I was so absorbed in the atmosphere and C.G. Drews’ captivating prose. Certain moments had me so stressed for the characters. The eeriness of the garden could be felt off the page.

Overall, this book is a wonderful mix of mystery, romance, and botanical horror. I definitely see myself rereading this in the future.

Beautiful, dark, eerie, and oh so much yearning. I could not put this book down and in fact devoured it faster than any other book I've read this year! Evander and Laurie's tale will pull on your heartstrings, make you emotional, and leave you satisfied but still somehow wanting so much more. I cannot recommend this book enough to anyone who enjoys beautifully grotesque and horrific queer enemies to lovers.

Don't Let The Forest In was one of my favourite books of last year, so my expectations for Hazelthorn were HIGH, and somehow it surpassed them. Much like C.G. Drews’ previous book Hazelthorn is atmospheric, filled with body horror and grips you and doesn't let you go until the end.
Hazelthorn is releasing in October, and i think this is perfect because it's a book meant to be read in autumn. I’m in the southern hemisphere so I got to read it at the perfect time. I was cuddling a blanket with a coffee cup and a cold breeze entering through the open window. The vibe was perfect.
The language, the word choices, is so peculiar and it transported me to another place, I truly cannot explain how much of a unique experience this book is.
We follow a boy that was adopted by a billionaire and what happens when said billionaire dies and leaves his fortune, and creepy mansion with even creepier garden, to him. Also, the guy's actual grandson is present, but our main character doesn't like him for very valid reasons.
Read Hazelthorn if you like horror, books that transport you to a completely different place, great writing and a little bit of queer romance.
I loved every second of this book, and the end left me in tears. I couldn't recommend it enough.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan for the ARC!

I just finished Hazelthorn by CG Drews and someone please tell me how I am reading bloody botanical horror and getting my emotions destroyed simultaneously? This is a story about two painfully broken boys, dark generational secrets, a dramatic inheritance of a large estate, and a garden with a taste for human blood. If you liked Don't Let the Forest In, you will not be disappointed by this! (And if you haven't read Don't Let the Forest In yet, this is your sign to do so). I loved Evander and Laurie and the super creepy setting and the mystery Evander needs to unravel about his own identity. This is YA horror but i feel that Evander's story will appeal to a much broader audience.

What more do you need from a novel? Hazelthorn is a tragic story of how far someone who is desperate for love will go to chase after that feeling. It's dark, twisty, and compelling until the very end.

A very unusual story of two teenage boys being raised in an old house on an estate with a large, unkempt garden. One of the boys, Laurie, stays at the house on breaks from boarding school and the other boy, Evander, is sickly and confined to his room. This story uses body horror via the garden. There is a bit of everything, mystery, horror and romance. I enjoyed this book!

Hazelthorn was an amazing read. It seemed so innocent in the beginning and confusing on who can hurt such a sick boy like Evander. Then as the story progressed it got more and more wild - literally the garden went wild - and it hooked its thorns into me - another garden joke. I loved the small aspect of romance between Lawerence and Evander. I also loved how this story was part horror, mystery, romance, and thriller. It was so interesting to see all of the genres combine and it turned into such an interesting book. The ending made me so happy for the two and I would say it is a happy ever after.

All and all the book was very very good I enjoyed it a lot. The writing was consistently well done and the descriptions and characters were all hauntingly beautiful.

Some feedback I do have though, the middle sections felt a bit too rushed. I personally think there needed to be a bit more between the other Lennox-Halls coming and finding Bane in the garden and maybe a bit more after that too. I also think there needed to be a bit more interactions between Laurie and Evander to build up their relationship.

If the author does see this, thank you for allowing me to read such an amazing book early I truly enjoyed it!

"He knows what it is to be buried alive,"
Got me hook line and sinker and I'm glad it did because this book is basically perfect, it's going in the shelf of fame in my room. The writing is beautiful, it reads the way the cover looks. Over all everything in this book pairs off in a thrillingly delightful way. While usually I only recommend books based on genres I know people like, this is a rare exception where I want everyone to read it so everyone can listen to me talk about it!

This book was developed For Me in a lab. Codependent gays, overcoming family abuse and generational trauma, gothic architecture, weird plant shit!! If you want a couple of very sad boys trapped in a rotting house dealing with a mysterious garden and shitty relatives this book is for you.

As for the horror elements, this books really plays into body horror; I kind of expected it to be lighter on the body horror since it’s a YA book but uhhhh there are descriptions I’m still thinking of days later. (The fucking. Tendons). Experienced horror readers will probably not be rattled but keep in mind if body horror is something you’re particularly sensitive to.

Truly the only mark against this book I can think of is that I didn’t like it quite as much as the author’s earlier book Don’t Let the Forest In, which I was absolutely insane about. It’s the only thing preventing this book from going in the pile of all time favorites, but I do think it’ll be a fave for this year.

All in all, 4.5/5 stars from me. Thanks to NetGally for the ARC!

For as long as he can remember, Evander has lived at the Hazelthorn estate. He cannot leave, or even go so far as to explore the gardens. It’s not safe. Nor can he be left alone with his guardian’s grandson Laurie, who once tried to kill him. However, when his guardian dies suddenly, the entirety of the place is left to him. When the remaining relatives arrive, Laurie starts to seem like the least threatening of Evander’s problems. Even Hazelthorn itself begins to prove more dangerous than he’d dreamed in the worst of his nightmares.

This was an absolutely phenomenal follow-up to Don’t Let the Forest In. It has very much the same aura to it, and it’s clear that Drews is establishing a distinct genre of forest rot horror. I am fully here for it. It also shares the same poetic writing style as the author’s last book with the same masterful use of metaphor and visceral imagery. Once again, I was in awe of the use of nonstandard text formatting to showcase a character’s disorientation.

At this point, anything CG Drews writes will be immediately added to my TBR. The synopsis won’t even matter. What was most stunning about this one in particular was the representation. There’s one character with an injury-induced limb difference who is beautifully handled. An even greater focus is given to the protagonist’s autism. We get to see stimming, sensory issues, pica, panic attacks, selective mutism… the list goes on. Some I’ve never seen handled realistically in fiction at all, let alone to this degree. It strikes very close to home for me. While I have hyperlexia, my daughter’s autism has led to some major linguistic struggles for her. I see both of us in here.

There were a few moments where I had to pause reading to emotionally process. This book flawlessly captures the difficult feelings that result from some experiences that are far too common for autistic people. There’s the feeling of having your personal agency revoked “for your own good” while knowing that means “someone else’s convenience.” There’s the feeling of becoming so frustrated and overwhelmed you just have to bite something.

Most pervasively, there’s the feeling of being not quite human the way that everyone else is. When everyone else seems to intrinsically understand how to act and you don’t, it feels like pretending to be one of them. Evander wonders if he’s a monster. I couldn’t help but recall Frankenstein and its questioning of what constitutes “a monster.” None of them are ever born that way.

I loved this book. I want it at the top of every bestseller list.

So many new Gothic horrors this year! This was a rollercoaster of a story. The detailing of the atmosphere, the characters and the events that took place was great and kept me wanting more. Will be perfect for the fall. The format of the story at some points bouncing between time and in & out of consciousness kept me captivated. Once you get close to the end there are many reveals happening you can’t help but keep reading. Evander and Lauries relationship throughout got to a point it was so raw and I was highlighting like crazy. Also it’s QUEER af and apparently YA but honestly I couldn’t tell it was mature! I’ll definitely check out more of this authors work!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the free e-copy in exchange for my honest review! I appreciate it!

DEVOURED. this is beautiful, sad, gothic, mysterious, everything i could have hoped for. this book will break you and make you whole again! some of the best writing i have read this year.