I was very excited for this author's next book after reading Don't Let the Forest in last year. I just didn't like this one as much, nothing stood out to me. If you like queer horror books with scary plants, I'd still recommend.

The characters in this book are so well done! I could picture each person, how they look, how they speak, their attitude. Who to trust!?! Who's the most innocent!?! I love that the author never gave up on the horror aspect. It's there from the first page and it's heavy throughout, which is great. Loved the boy crush aspect that is subtle but obvious. Recommend for readers of horror, interesting characters, and a plot that moves the reader right through the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC for an honest review

Horror isn't usually a genre I indulge in but this one had me hooked. I may just have to start adding more into my TBR

CG Drews popped off again. The horror aspect was amazing without being too creepy, and there were some amazing prose. 10/10 read

Arc Review: Hazelthorn by CG Drews

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

Read if you like:
- botanical horror
- Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher
- gothic atmospheres

Trigger warnings:
- mentions of death
- blood and gore
- struggles with mental health

Review:

“He knows what it’s like to be buried alive, the feeling of dirt in his mouth and the quiet fitting around him like a well-tailored grave.”

I wanted this to be rated higher sooo bad but I was just not that satisfied with how everything ended. (no worries, no spoilers.)

Things started off so good with Hazelthorn then got disjointed in the middle and then took a downward slope towards the end. I never lost interest in reading but I definitely feel certain chapters dragged on a little too long. Repetitiveness is an ongoing theme in this book. I would have liked to see a little bit more character growth from both mcs. I also feel some questions don’t really get answered or they are answered very vaguely.

The atmosphere and descriptions were so beautifully haunting and eerie. The vibes were unsettling and I was so here for it! I loved the gothic style of writing this book had. It’s what really kept me in the story. The details about the botanical garden and all of the different aspects of it throughout this book were some of my favorite parts when reading. I love reading about different types of plants, whether it’s real ones or mythical/magical!

Though there were things I didn’t enjoy as much I’d say overall I enjoyed reading this gothic beauty that is Hazelthorn and can’t wait for it to officially release October 28, 2025!

I don't know what this brand of horror is but I can’t get enough of it. The imagery is amazing. I can’t explain it but the horrors are both beautiful and disgusting to imagine.
Every time I thought I had a theory on what was going on, the book spun me around and said no you don’t.
Adding the author to my instant buy list.

This was a brilliant read. I couldn’t stop reading it because I wanted to know what on earth was going on. The prose, the descriptions, the plot twists, everything was fantastic!

I could not put this down. Hazelthorn is terrifying but beautiful and intriguing in a twisted, menacing way. I was immersed and left speechless by this absolute masterpiece. The setting is atmospheric, with an old, remote mansion that has an eerie, hungry garden. The main character, Evander, has been silenced and trapped for years and isn’t sure that he can trust his own memories, which makes for a very interesting narrator. The dynamic between Evander and Laurie was full of tension and compelling dialogue.

The things these boys say to each other had my jaw on the floor. There are times when they’re at each other’s throats, thinking they hate each other, and then they also have such tender moments where their affection is gentle and pure.

“Pain is meant to take up space or else we wouldn’t know how to scream. Fuck making your agony silent to avoid disturbing others. Maybe they should be disturbed.”

"I need you to hate me."

“There is nothing else to me but the hollow spaces I’ve carved out for you.”

Evander’s internal dialogue was absolutely beautiful. I saw myself in him in many ways. I felt the way he wishes he was normal and the anger he has towards himself for not fitting in that box. He feels so painfully alone, it makes your heart ache to read.

This line especially struck me like a knife:
“He has always known that to scream is to believe there is someone out there who cares.”

Overall, the writing is outstanding-- the imagery is gorgeous while unsettling and the characters are rich and layered. My only criticism would be that some of the descriptions feel a little repetitive. Still, I think Hazelthorn is near perfect. Thank you for this gorgeously poetic, haunting book that will be felt deeply by so many people.

Another banger title from CG Drews. I'm so glad I discovered this author, because they've become an all-time favorite, and I'm extremely, extremely excited to see what they will do in the adult space. Much like DON'T LET THE FOREST IN, HAZELTHORN creeps on you with its lush, dark worldbuilding, and renders your heart with emphatic, interesting characters. All propelled by quality writing--which can, if I am being honest, sometimes be rare in the YA space--HAZELTHORN is a book that will sink its thorns into you and not let you go until long, long after you've read it.

Visceral reactions GALORE. This book did some things to my system I think. Addictively unsettling, and gorgeously written. I’m generally drawn to “messed-up-stuff-happening-in-a-decrepit-estate” storylines, but the addition of a sentient threatening garden??? Excellence. The hunger steeping every page makes this one of the most haunting and visceral books I’ve picked up in a while. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I did not think I could love another book as much as Don’t Let The Forest In, but I find myself yet again telling CG Drew’s thank you, while she feeds me my own heart. Evander and Laurie are entangled on multiple levels as they try to unravel the mysteries of Bryon Lenox Halls sudden death. But these boys hate each other, and their feelings grow even more complicated as they navigate a world of dark family secrets in a decaying mansion, all while trying to unlock Evander’s unreliable memory. Drew’s uses such striking imagery, readers will be able to perfectly picture every scene, while their emotions are pulled in so many directions they won’t know which way is up. This book was devastating and beautiful and had me pulled in from start to finish. Set in the same world as Don’t Let The Forest In, I’m on the edge of my seat waiting for whatever emotion trauma comes next.

This book was devastatingly beautiful in so many ways. The story setup is so perfect with amazing horror vibes. The garden aspect of the story was so unique and I was absolutely loving it! The mystery was perfect and when the twist hit I definitely did not see it coming. Drews does such an amazing job a pulling you into the story with the characters and feeling all of the emotions! I was absolutely obsessed with this book and already want to reread it. 🥀

I'm still sorting through my feelings on this one, but I don't think I liked this book. I found the violence of the prose really started to grate on me. This coupled with the fact that I too often find gay love in YA fiction has a certain violence to the love stories anyway made me want to dnf. But I also think there was something really haunting about the text and it will stay with me for a while. 4 stars

The Pros:
LGBTQIA+
Atmospheric gothic horror. The first third in particular really gripped me as I was drawn into the story and the mystery surrounding the manor and grounds.
Lyrical descriptive prose

The Cons:
Trigger warning: Child abuse that was often hard for me to read
The mystery was relatively easy to deduce by by the first half of the book
The violence of the text started becoming redundant. I was like-I get it. He hungry. It's literal and symbolic. Move on.

CG Drews once again made me feel like I was losing my mind a little bit. I wasn’t sure who trust and how it’d all come together in the end. They kept me on my toes and gave me all of the creepy crawly vibes.

I loved how the mansion and the garden were as much characters in this as were the people. The ambiance is unmatched. I’ll honestly read anything CG Drews writes.

This was a masterpiece. It was beautiful, tragic, dark, suspenseful, twisted, and just PERFECT. CG Drews writes botanical horror in such a beautiful and vivid way that it consumed me. The way Drews writes emotions was so authentic and overwhelming (in a good way) that I found my heart racing, and felt genuine grief and anxiety right alongside Evander. Neurodivergent main characters are in such short supply, so I really appreciated how authentic and powerful Evander’s experiences were, his panic and sensory overload is something I also experience on a daily basis, and loved how this was something Laurie wholeheartedly accepted and uplifted. The angst, the atmosphere, the rage, the imagery, everything combined to make a beautiful and haunting story. Those that loved Don’t Let the Forest In will equally love Hazelthorn, and fans of gothic fantasy and botanical horror definitely need to pick this up.

Endless thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early copy of Hazelthorn, all opinions are my own

“Bruh”

… My initial attitude towards the last like 50ish pages. Drews is a monster who needs to be stopped (not really keep going.) The way they build up the story and you’re all “Awe” “Yay” “Fight Nicely” and then left with the feeling of your brain pulped and heart minced leading up the ending. Just read it. Don’t question if yes, no, maybe. Just do it. The Garden demands it. (Not at all forced by the garden to have this so highly rated) For sure my top book of this year, and it will likely stay that way! Drews books are leaning into being my favorite reads of 2024/2025! Keep destroying us Drews! (Tenderly though)

This book isn’t my usual genre, but so many of my librarian friends loved it so much that I had to try it. Definitely perfect for fans of the genre.

Gothic horror?!? This was an absolute masterpiece! The whole novel was atmospheric, ripe with botanical body horror, a gothic style mansion, rich people being horrible, and a dash of romance. I will absolutely be reading more of CG Drews! This book was fabulous and watching as the MMC, Evander, has to live by three strict rules only to have his benefactor die leaving everything to him is crazy! In a good way, of course. The only problem I had was I wanted more of the book. A must read if you are a horror fan!

The premise of this book was interesting and original, but overall I just didn't like it as much as I'd hoped. I felt like it leaned more toward fantasy than horror. I think my main issue with it was that the description of emotion and the mental state of the protagonist was overdone. It seemed like a good portion of the book was taken up by the author describing these things in great detail. The rich description was welcome in some aspects, like the atmosphere of the gardens. However, with respect to Evander's mental state, it comes off as being very verbose and repetitive with overly flowery language. I couldn't even count how many times the state of his stomach was discussed. At this point, I feel like I know his bodily sensations and emotions better than my own.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Hazelthorn is a gothic mansion that is home to the Lennox-Hall family. It’s apparent from the beginning that something is very wrong with the family and their home. Evander is a ward of the Lennox-Hall family with a mysterious origin story and a debilitating illness that keeps him heavily medicated. With the patriarch’s death, the remaining family members gather with dishonorable intentions. Hazelthorn’s secrets are revealed, with deadly and terrifying consequences.