𝔸ℝℂ 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗 ℍ𝕒𝕫𝕖𝕝𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕣𝕟, 𝔹𝕪: ℂ.𝔾. 𝔻𝕣𝕖𝕨𝕤

𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤:
🌿Gothic
🌿Eerie
🌿Knives out x The secret garden (but unhinged)
🌿Botanical and body horror
🌿Rich people drama
🌿MM enemies to lovers

Drew’s continues to prove herself a YA horror pioneer and genre blender.

I was pleased to find that her prose has grown and matured since 𝘋𝘓𝘛𝘍𝘐. I found it to be Lyrical without being over flowery. The visual of the haunted decaying mansion that she built had me smelling rot and decay.

I loved unraveling the mystery along side Evander. The despair and desperation I felt along with the mmc was palpable. Drew’s’ exploration of self-hatred, self repression to survive, grief and rage was deeply introspective. The emotional tension tightened its grip on me the deeper I found myself within 𝘏𝘢𝘻𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘯 and ultimately made me ugly cry.

I loved this one even more than 𝘋𝘓𝘛𝘍𝘐.

Darkly atmospheric, haunting, steeped with emotional dread and beautifully tragic just as any gothic horror should be.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Publishing for the opportunity to review this one.

Release date: 10-28-2025

It was spooky. It was gothic. Interesting prose. But I found it mildly boring. I didn't care for any of the characters, and my unfavorite plot device is the misunderstanding/withheld information trop... but it had a nice gothic poetic vibe.

A big thank you to the publisher for an early copy of this book!

Hazelthorn is a gothic dream. C G Drews writes with beautiful, lush and lyrical prose and with this story it was wrapped in a delightful package of thorned branches and haunting imagery.

They told the story in a way where you’re never quite sure what’s going to happen next and what the answers to all the questions behind the mysteries will be.
Reading this felt like something was waiting just behind every page and this was an absolute pleasure to experience.

If you love stories where it feels like things are waiting behind the corners, full of quiet, eerie dread, then this story is for you.
After “Don’t let the forest in” and now Hazelthorn, C G Drews is an auto buy author for me from now on!

thank u sooo much netgalley and macmillan children’s publishing group and feiwei & friends for this arc!!! if i could give this book a rating higher than 5 stars i would because this book was the best book i read in april and probably will be included in my top books of the year. it will definitely be a read that sticks to me for the rest of the year and i cannot wait to get the physical copy once it comes out later this year! i cannot wait to make all my friends read this.

cg drews has officially become one of my favorite authors! i loved the mystery elements of this story it had me locked in all the way to the end of the story. i loved the plots of greed and power hungry people and how our two main characters handle the situation they are in even if they are keeping a few things from each other. the horror elements were my absolute favorite and i wont be afraid to attempt i had a few spikes of fear running through me in some parts of this book. all in all this was such a well written and put together book i cant wait for the next book that cg drews will put out!

This one’s messed up in the best way. Haunted house, killer plants, and two boys caught in a codependent doom spiral. Evander’s vibe? Sad, sharp, and shut in. Laurie? Walking red flag you can’t stop watching. The writing’s lush without being too much, and the whole book feels like it’s breathing down your neck. Not perfect, but it stuck with me. Weird, tense, and just the right kind of dark.

C.G. Drews does it again. This book definitely feels like a new story in the same world as “Don’t Let the Forest In”.

With this book we follow two young men’s story and relationship after one of them inherits a mysterious estate after the other’s grandfather passes away.

I would classify this as gothic literary fiction. A bit surrealist too. Which is what I adore. There is no other author who absorbs me so completely with their prose and their characters. I instantly love and want to protect them. I want to understand the characters, the mystery, and the house. The imagery is visceral. The story is gothic, surrealist, romantic, heartbreaking and hopeful all at once. I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to purchase a physical copy this fall to reread.

There is something dark and mysterious growing in the gardens of Hazelthorn, and Evander is determined to find out what. Sickly and reclusive, Evander has spent most of his life locked within his rooms at the Hazelthorn estate ever since Laurie, the grandson of his guardian Biron Lennox-Hall, attempted to murder him and bury him in the gardens. But something more sinister has begun to bloom within the walls of the estate.

After the sudden and shocking death of his guardian, Evander discovers he is the sole inheritor of Biron's estate. What's more, Evander thinks Biron's death was more than an accident and begins his own investigation to uncover the truths buried within the halls of Hazelthorn.

CG Drew's writes a beautiful twisted narrative about greed, rage and the monsters we create. Her writing, as always, is lush and descriptive, pulling you into the violent and unsettling worlds she creates. Hazelthorn was a deliciously horrific and engaging read, with nods to The Secret Garden, (If the secret garden was haunted and queer)

if you enjoyed Don't Let the Forest In Hazelthorn will not disappoint.

Reading this book was a deeply emotional and personal experience for me. I read DLTFI and was able to find bits of myself represented through the main character's asexuality. It was beautifully done. Now I find myself in the heart of ANOTHER C.G. Drews book?

I should start by saying that I am a late diagnosed autistic adult. I showed very obvious signs as a child that went overlooked. I didn't have the language back then to describe how my brain worked (which Drews themself talks about in the acknowledgments of the book). I just remember knowing that there was something different or off about me. It was incredibly isolating, like I was made from a different material than everyone else; a crude mockery of a person and not quite whole.

Drews manages to capture an autistic experience in Evander that makes me feel so seen. Autism looks different in everyone, so I can really only speak from my own lived experience. But I categorize this as one of those books that I wish I had when I was younger. I would have found it such a great comfort back then, as I do now.

Hazelthorn truly is, as it self describes, a story of "queer and autistic rage". It follows Evander, a 17 year old boy who inherits the great estate of Hazlethorn with its wild, starving gardens after the death of his guardian as he attempts to unravel the truth of who he and the people around him truly are. Alongside him is Laurie, a boy who wears sarcastic smirks and keeps his secrets buried...and who tried to kill Evander as a child.

This story gripped me tight from the start and dragged me screaming through to the end. This book has some of the most lovely descriptions and figurative language. I will say, on a rare occasion, it was a bit too flowery (no pun intended) or poetic for me to decipher. My only other criticism is that the word choice felt a bit restricted or repetitive, especially in the descriptions of the gardens and botanical body horror. However, this was a very minor issue and did not have a huge impact on my reading experience. Overall, I really enjoyed Drews narrative voice. They have such a unique and delightful writing style.

Some people will love this book for the horror. Others for the twisting and turning plot (I figured out some pieces of the puzzle early on but was still surprised by other twists). Others for the queer representation. But for me, I cherish this book because of the way it captures an autistic experience so similar to my own. Beneath the thorns and brambles and dirt and rot, I found myself. I found my teeth. And I am so incredibly grateful to C.G. Drews for giving me that through this book.

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends, and Netgalley for providing me with this e-ARC.

Review also posted to Goodreads

CG Drews’ Don’t Let The Forest In was one of my favorite books of 2024 so I had high expectations for Hazelthorn, and they were definitely met.

This book is described as Knives Out meets Belladonna, and while I haven’t read Belladonna, the Knives Out comparison is spot on. I also felt like it had some similar vibes to Gallant by VE Schwab. The mystery of Evander’s living situation and his relationship to Laurie kept me reading and I finished this book in one day. While the twist was somewhat predictable after the first few hints, I loved every moment of this story and Drews’ lyrical writing.

On one hand: if you’ve read Drews’ first gay-lads-plant-horror book, you know exactly where this one is going. On the other hand: “Don’t Let The Forest In” walked so “Hazelthorn” could fly.

This was good but don’t know if I would read it again. It deserves 3/5 stars, thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book to read!

Thank you so much NetGalley & Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this eARC. And thank you CG Drew’s for writing one of my favorite books this year! Hands down.

Hazelthorn sank its thorns into me from the first page and never let go. I devoured it in a haze of dread and desire. The tension between Evander and Laurie had a sense of desire and rage, laced with a slow-burning menace that had me holding my breath. And kicking my feet with some of Laurie’s snappy remarks.


The writing is hauntingly lyrical, just so beautiful. Every sentence drips with atmosphere, painting a world that feels both peaceful and cursed. The garden imagery is vivid and chilling, a character all in itself,


This books is mystery, it’s a ghost story, a fever dream, a gothic fairytale soaked in longing and rot. I adored the mood, the creeping sense of unease, and the way beauty and horror danced so closely together.

I am so thankful I received this #ARC. I have never quite read anything like this before, so it's hard to know where to start with a review. I guess I'll start there - this was so unique. It took some elements from stories that I love, like "The Secret Garden" and maybe a tiny hint of "Jane Eyre," but twisted it and reinvented the game. The one negative for me (and this is completely personal preference) is that even though the trigger warning do a good job letting you know what you're getting into re: gore, body horror, what bothered me more was a few scenes where there are just GERMS. I know that sounds like I should have been expecting it in a book literally deemed "botanical horror," but I have a thing against frogs and there's one scene involving a gross pool that hasn't been cleaned in decades and "frog spawn" is mentioned - I feel disgusting even typing that phrase! I also noticed a few standout words that were repeated quite a bit - I think I counted five of the word "viscid" - but I was also fortunate enough to get this ARC quite early in relation to the publish date, so that might have been edited already? Overall, you can tell this an author who really loves words - this is what people are talking about when they say a book reads as lyrical, poetic, or having just plain beautiful prose. I flew through this and I will definitely be reading more CG Drews.

🌲 Clue but Gothic gay YA with a poisonous garden and written in beautiful literature
💀 He tried to unalive me but he's hot
🌲 Abusive guardian & family
💀 Neurodivergence/Chronic illness rep
🌲 LGBQT+

Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🫑/5
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Poetry. Haunting. Stunning. This will stick with me forever. My heart grew and broke and grew and broke. CG Drews did an absolutely incredible job making you feel the sheer loneliness, helplessness, and fear through every chapter. But also the strength, the will to grow, and the importance of autonomy.

As a plant lady I adored every single aspect of the garden. I dont know how anyone sees this type of garden and doesn't instantly fall in love. I know I wasn't supposed to but it's who I am! I would gladly be overtaken and live as part of it forever.

My live reaction thoughts about Laurie: 'his tortured soul had me wanting more and more every time Evander met with him again. Please more backstory. Please more teasing. Please more everything to do with Laurie thank you.'

This is a book to be consumed slowly and fully. It will take over your soul and you won't know if what you're feeling is your own emotions or Evander's. I felt seen. And this goes to the top of my 2025 reads list.

Thank you CG Drews, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest and unbiased review!

My first CG Drews and I need more!

A queer gothic horror / murder mystery that is truly dark and beautiful at the same time. We follow Evander and Laurie as we try to truly figure out what actually happened to them in their past that for some reason has been erased from Evander's memory.

We learn Evander has been names sole inheritor to the estate when Byron (the farther of the two boys) mysteriously dies. AND ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. Why can't we enter the garden? What is behind the door? Why is Evander in constant surgeries and is still sick? All will be known at the Hazelthorn Estate.

c.g. drews delivered again!! while maintaining the vibe of “don’t let the forest in”, this book forges its own path and, at least for me, solidified drews as a auto buy author.

the writing is deeply poetic and very much fits the vibe of the book, the characters are excellent, the plot is twisty in the best way, just everything about this was so much fun.

the homoerotic friendship strikes again 💔💔💔

**Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book I've read by CG Drews and I am obsessed! I'll occasionally highlight my favorite sentences when I'm reading, but with this book, I highlighted more in the first few chapters than I have all books I've ever read combined.

I loved the word choices and the imagery was phenomenal. It was like reading poetry. This is the type of book where I could pick it up again in a few years and devour it like it was the first time.

My only critique is that there are many typos throughout the book, which I'm hoping will be edited before publishing. However, I loved the book so much that I didn't mind the flaws. I'm still giving it five stars.

A queer gothic horror that is dark as it is beautiful. A gothic inheritance blended with botanical horror featuring: an eerie estate, poison plants, yearning, gore, hunger, and a well placed rage.

Evander and Laurie, two orphaned boys with a dark and muddled past. Taken in by Laurie’s grandfather, Byron, at the time they became orphans. Close childhood friends until Laurie tried to murder Evander. Since then, Evander has lived a life of isolation in a sequestered room in Hazelthorn, medicated, and in an out of surgeries. He can’t leave, he can’t go into the gardens, and most importantly-he can never be alone with Laurie. When Byron abruptly dies and Evander is named as the sole inheritor of everything, the whole of the family comes to claim the estate. As the secrets unravel, Evander needs to figure out what he’s actually inheriting.

Lyrical prose that makes it feel as if the vines are growing out of the pages. It had me questioning what could be trusted and what couldn’t be. I have and always will love an unreliable narrator, it always makes the story so much more captivating when it’s done right, and boy is it.

Reading the authors note where they share their experience with a later in life autism diagnoses adds really meaningful context to the novel’s explorations and themes of self-perception, otherness, and misery of being misunderstood.

Such a great read! Very engaging and quite jarring at times, and I loved every bit of it

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for the eARC.

I loved the atmosphere of this one. The garden with the mysterious elements, the boy trapped in a room after something nearly fatal happens with his childhood best friend, and a decaying grand mansion in New England. There is a level of codependency between the main characters but besides that they fell a bit flat to me. I was hooked until about half way through when the butler returned but after that I had a hard time staying interested. Thank you for the chance to read but this one wasn’t for me.

C.G. Drews is a YA horror revolutionary. Hazelthorn is a gentle evisceration.

I really enjoyed the writing of Don't Let the Forest In, and Drews's prose has grown impossibly more lyrical. I felt this book in my bones. I curled into myself alongside Evander, feeling suffocated beneath the rot. I felt his despair and desperation so deeply that I needed a couple breaks to process my feelings.

If the brutal beauty of that emotional upheaval wasn't enough to convince me to preorder, the botanical illustrations sealed the deal. Jana Heidersdorf worked wonders with Hazelthorn's feral flora.

I'm so grateful for the chance to read this ARC. I'm leaving this review of my own accord.