CG Drews writes yearning, atmosphere, and tenderness like no other. They somehow have taken the most guttural and vulnerable parts we hide deep inside of us and made it into a story. Not just one story, but two, with both Evander and Laurie. Our rawest emotions were personified into these two broken yet lovable characters.The visceral feelings the two boys had for each other were so strong and unique. This is the type of relationship that sticks with you and makes your heart ache .


I truly enjoyed the motivations for all of the characters acting the way they did. Every so often we read of an antagonist that is being cruel for the sole purpose of being cruel. Though the cruel characters all acted the way they did due to real human emotions and experiences. It shows that any one of us is capable of becoming something kin to a monster if our minds are manipulated in such a way. These “monsters” we read about and see on tv are no fictional, fantastical thing, but potential real people we and those around us may encounter.

Evander portrayed rediscovering yourself after feeling truly lost. He feels so so small. These people in power took away all of his sense of self. For their own selfish reasons, and because nobody could stop them, they controlled this vulnerable boy until he was unrecognizable. He had no clue who he was or where he came from, yet he got the strength to overpower them and rebuild himself.

I am so so grateful and ecstatic to have read this early, and at all in general. It was a heart warming and thrilling experience that stripped me down to my core. CG Drews is an incredible and unique writer, and I love the way their minds works.

This would appeal to YA and Adult readers who enjoy a good enemies AND lovers to "he is half of my soul, as the poets say" type romance with a looming threat of an ever-growing and ever-consuming natural horror.

A gorgeous and provocative gothic nature-horror! I adored Drews' vocabulary and the way that they used those words to form stunning sentences that left me hanging on every word.
The concept of Hazelthorn manor was executed so incredibly, and I loved the looming unknown threat, and continuously discovering new things about this incredible story alongside Evander!

Thank you so much NetGalley and C.G. Drews for the ARC review copy!

Two boys that have a complicated and bloody past, try to solve the murder of their Guardian in the vast monster filled Hazelthorn manor.

If you enjoyed Don’t Let The Forest In, I think you’re going to really like Hazelthorn.
C.G. Drews once again amazes me with their wild and gruesome botanical writing. This book is filled with otherworldly horrors in the shape of a hunger manor garden and is brimming with beautifully written human emotion from our main character Evander. This was a wild ride and I think I like it even more than Don’t Let The Forest In.
I have to give C.G Drews another 6 star review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don't know how I'm supposed to write a review for a book that turned me inside out. I'm pretty liberal with my 5 star reviews, but books like this make me wish I could reinvent the rating system. I was a huge fan of Don't Let the Forest In, so I was initially concerned this book would not live up to my expectations, but C.G. Drews did not disappoint. The setting, characters, overall plot, and pacing were all great, but what really set this book apart was how raw and honest it was. The emotion in this was visceral, like the author opened an artery and bled straight onto the page. This is the story of two boys and a garden and a family of dark secrets, but it's also a story about what it is to feel "other", to be made monstrous in a society where your skin doesn't fit and you are always too much, too loud, too difficult. This is the second time in the past year Drews has left me staring at a wall turning a story around in my head. Phenomenal work all around.

Evander’s life is full of routine and rules.

1. He cannot leave his room. His meals are brought to him daily - bland, soft things with little flavor that’ll be easy on his frail system. Medicine delivered every evening to help him fall asleep.

2. He cannot enter the garden. Considering he cannot leave his room, this rule is quite pointless, but he admires its wildness from afar

3. Never, ever trust Laurie (his guardian’s grandson). Considering Laurie tried to kill Evander seven years ago, this seems like a reasonable request.

However, Evander can’t seem to keep his eyes off of Laurie every time he glimpses him through the window. He should hate him. But he just can’t stop looking. When his guardian suddenly dies, Evander’s whole world gets turned upside down and he doesn’t know who to trust. He can’t even trust his own memories or himself. He must rely on Laurie to figure out what’s right.

Holy Cow. It looks like I love every single thing that CG Drews comes out with. They have such a beautiful way of writing that immerses you into your setting. <i>Hazelthorn</i> is part thriller, part love (hate?) story, and a story of self discovery, all seasoned with a dash of botanical horror. It’s impossible to describe into one genre, and just cracks your heart open in more ways than you can imagine.

Your setting: an overgrown wild garden riddled with poisonous plans and secrets. Your characters: mysterious backgrounds, questionable motives, and representation across spectrum and sexual orientation.
Your plot: takes a wild turn I never saw coming, relationships so toxic you don’t want to blink

Recommended if you like: horror, cottage gore, thrillers, lgbt representation, autism representation

C.G. Drews is an ANIMAL for this.

Every other chapter, I really thought I had this mystery cracked wide open. And every. other. chapter. I was WRONG. All the way until the very last one!!

And the prose is just as sickening. There are over a dozen photos of pages of this book saved in my phone — I was in utter disbelief. The quickest way to my heart (other than ripping it open with your teeth) is through cannibalism as a metaphor for queer desire. There’s simply nothing better.

So beyond privileged to have been granted early access to this. Will be purchasing the finished edition.

Add this to your reading list if you’ve ever loved someone so much you wanted to eat them, if you have an unhealthy relationship with your house plants, or if you enjoyed Saltburn.

"Pain is meant to take up space, or else we wouldn't know how to scream."

I'm left staring at my bedroom wall in absolute awe of this book.

The clawing, painful desperation of want and the need to consume has left me utterly speechless.

I don't know what to say except that I want more. As painful and heart-wrenching as it is, I crave more of it.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

CG Drews has gotten me addicted to botanical horror…!

This was just as viscerally beautiful as Don’t Let the Forest In (possibly my favorite read of 2024) but with a heaviness and mundanity that made me so uncomfortable that I couldn’t stop reading. Like the garden I am now very hungry and I cannot be sated.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC ❤️❤️❤️ and the author for another absolute banger of a book.

"I want Hazelthorn. I've always wanted Hazelthorn."

Thank you Netgalley, Feiwel & Friends and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book has left an open wound in my heart, thanks CG, you did it again :) You can say I'm biased but it's an instant 5 star read for me (can I rate it, like, infinity out of 5⭐ because I love it so much????), so take my review with a grain of salt.

It's a gothic mansion murder mystery, with botanical body horror and two boys obsessing with each other (does it sound like your cup of tea?).

Trigger warning: Blood, gore, child abuse, medical abuse, ableism, eating disorder, botanical body horror. Please do check your TW before proceeding to read this book.

Reading this feels like living in a nightmare. Every scenes, every pain the characters feel, every emotions are etched in my soul. It is soooo goooood (and 'good' is an understatement, mark my words). The moment I finished it, I was like, GIVE ME MORE!!!

The pacing is perfect for a mystery, it keeps you guessing wtf is actually happening. When things start to unravel one by one, you can't help but hold your breath with full of anticipation. However, CG has left you breadcrumbs to pick up throughout the book, so if you pay attention, you'll know.

What works best for me is the dynamic between Evander and Laurie (oh how much I love Laurie!). They bicker and banter, yet gravitate towards each other. They hurt and save each other, and I'm obsessed.

The atmosphere is eerie, dark and chilly; the mansion itself will pull you in and it will never let you go. But the garden... It will swallow you whole. CG is so clever in composing their prose. The description is so vivid and it plays in my head like a movie. And the ending is just perfect. I just love it so much—instant all-time favorite.

Am I going to buy the hardcopy? Well of course, duh. CG's works have become one of my auto-buy book. I think I'm obsessed with this book just as much as Evander obsessed with Laurie ;)

It feels like Hazelthorn has grown vines through my heart and rooted inside of me. There's nothing more beautiful than the horrors that C.G. Drews brings to life. They've woke something ravenous in me when I read Don't Let the Forest In, and Hazelthorn has only made it stronger. If I didn't already know I was a glutton for pain, I'd know it now because I just want more.

Having already read C.G. Drews "Don't Let The Forest In" with it easily landing in my top 5 reads of last year, the bar was set exceptionally high for this one, and I am both relieved and happy to report that it's even better. I absolutely loved "Don't Let The Forest In" aside from maybe 1 or 2 nitpicks that I chock up to being a "me" problem, but those things were not present in this book. This was truly phenomenal.

This book was dripping in the most lush, gothic and ethereal prose that, once again, had me sucked in from page one. I read a lot of fiction and have a particular interest in reading books that interweave LGBT + horror, and Drews does this just as well as some of the most established writers in this literary space.

I already want to re-read this and I will absolutely be purchasing a hard-copy edition the day it is released. I am completely obsessed and utterly entranced by the way Drews skillfully uses body horror as a vehicle to explore themes of grief, love, loss, pining, doubt, self-consciousness, etc. The pacing here was impeccable, and the way they hinted at things throughout the story was done in a more subtle way than in "Don't Let The Forest In" which I really appreciated as I was left wondering for longer about exactly what was going on and how things would end. I will read any and everything from Drews at this point.

Thank you SO SO much for approving my request. This was such an enjoyable escape and I cannot wait to see what Drews puts out next.

5/5 stars.

sinked my teeth into every page of this book 🤯
—
Evander has spent his entire life trapped in Hazelthorn, a crumbling gothic estate filled with secrets, ghosts, and one very specific rule: stay away from Laurie Lennox-Hall. 7 years ago, Laurie tried to kill him. now, Evander can’t stop thinking about him.

when his reclusive billionaire guardian dies suddenly, he inherits everything—an immense fortune, a house that seems to breathe, and a mystery that feels dangerously unsolved. Laurie might be the only person who can help him figure out the truth before he’s next. but here's the catch? Hazelthorn’s gardens aren’t just overgrown—they’re hungry. the vines are creeping through the walls, the air hums with something unnatural, and whatever’s been buried in the roots is ready to rise. GAGGED is the word for this book holy crap it was so good? this book is like The Secret History with a dose of Mexican Gothic, full of eerie atmosphere, dangerous romance, and a slow-building horror that grips you tighter with every chapter. the prose is hypnotic, the tension is unreal, and Evander and Laurie’s dynamic is the kind of messy, obsessive, can’t-look-away connection that leaves you breathless. i was eating them up, can i be the 3rd wheel?

what more can you ask for? gothic mansions, morally complicated characters, and stories where love and horror bleed into each other, this book is it. bury me with it.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
thank you so much Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
and to our lovely, CG Drew's. please keep writing more books!

So where do I even start? I guess we can begin on: HOLY SHIT!!! and OH MY GOD!!!!

I requested the ARC of “Hazelthorn” because I was completely and utterly enamored by C.G. Drews’ previous novel, “Don’t Let the Forest In,” which I also was an ARC reader of. In “Don’t Let the Forest In,” Drews showcased some of the most descriptive and visceral writing I have ever come across…and “Hazelthorn” was even better.

I could ramble on and on about how much I absolutely adore the way that Drews writes. Drews creates scenes so vivid that there isn’t a moment that I don’t feel like I’m *there*. And I absolutely love that Drews has found a niche and stuck to it. The dark sentient plant body horror they have produced absolutely floored me in the first book I read by them and then completely bowled me over while reading “Hazelthorn.” This is genuinely horror writing at its finest.

I also loved the main characters. Evander and Laurie are so endearing and I loved the way their relationship with each other is built within the novel. Being inside of Evander’s head was fascinating and I could not get enough of his brain. Drews does a phenomenal tortured MC who is trying their absolute hardest to figure out what is happening to them.

I’m not usually a huge YA reader but this is one of those books that I seriously couldn’t tell it was YA. It’s dark, unsettling and so captivating I couldn’t put it down. “Hazelthorn” has definitely solidified C.G. Drews on my auto-read and auto-buy authors list!

I absolutely devoured C.G. Drews’ Don’t Let the Forest In, so when I saw the hauntingly beautiful cover and the intriguing premise of this gothic queer thriller, I couldn’t resist diving in. And let me tell you—it surpassed my expectations. With its eerie, atmospheric world-building, a haunted mansion, and a sinister garden that chills you to the bone, this book is even more immersive than the author’s previous work.

At the heart of the story is Evander, a boy trapped in his own personal nightmare. Confined to his room like a prisoner, numbed by drugs, and waking up covered in bruises with no memory of what happened, his life is a constant cycle of fear and confusion. His loneliness is gut-wrenching—more painful than his physical wounds. He’s only seventeen, yet he’s been abandoned, left to fend for himself like an unwanted weed struggling to survive. After his parents’ tragic accident, he was placed under the custody of reclusive billionaire Byron Lennox-Hall, a man who keeps him locked away—especially after Byron’s grandson, Laurie, once tried to bury him alive.

But one morning, everything changes. Evander’s door is mysteriously unlocked—not by Byron’s cold, condescending butler. For the first time in years, he roams the estate, only to come face-to-face with his worst enemy: Laurie. Suspended from school, Laurie shouldn’t even be on the property, yet here he is. Determined to finally confront his cruel guardian, Evander finds Byron in the observatory, only to witness his horrific death—poisoned by something unnatural, something crawling from his throat. His final warning? Do not go to the garden.

As suspicion looms over the estate, a new lawyer arrives to execute the will, bringing unexpected revelations and drawing estranged relatives into the mansion—including the formidable Aunt Oleander and her cunning children, Bane and Azalea, who are determined to stake their claim.

Strangely, Evander finds himself forced into an uneasy alliance with Laurie, his former childhood friend turned sworn enemy. But something doesn’t add up—why can’t Evander remember the bond they once shared? What if Laurie isn’t the villain he’s always believed him to be? As the two uncover buried secrets, the mystery of the estate, the forbidden garden, and the ominous red door hiding something monstrous, Evander finds himself drawn to Laurie in ways he never expected—like a moth to a flame, even if it means burning alive.

Will they survive the madness of the estate? Or will the garden claim them both?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is an absolute masterpiece of gothic horror! The eerie atmosphere, the lush yet chilling descriptions, and the thrilling mystery kept me hooked from start to finish. It’s haunting, immersive, and deeply emotional—a perfect blend of horror and romance that lingers in your mind long after you turn the final page. I highly recommend this mesmerizing gothic queer thriller to all readers!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for providing me with an ARC of this phenomenal YA horror novel in exchange for my honest review.

This book was dark and a little hard to read at times. I loved that the author put the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.

The writing was beautiful! I really enjoy CG Drew’s writing style. This was such a wild ride. I felt so many emotions while reading the book. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. If you want to read a hauntingly beautiful and unsettling tale of murder, this book is for you.

Big thanks to NetGalley, CG Drew and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the eARC!

Publication Date: October 28 2025
Rating: 🌸🌸🌸🌸

Goodness. C.G. Drew's is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. They have perniciously poisoned me and just like our character Laurie, I'm ok with that!! This book had everything for me. The confusion and trying to figure out the puzzle pieces like our Sherlock friend Evander to unreliable narrators. C.G. Drew's plays with that so well!

The prose is hauntingly painful and beautiful at the same time. Botanical body horror is the best horror in my humble opinion and the beauty and pain of nature and the human body is on full display in this book!! The tension, the angst, the toxicity and questionable actions of our characters makes it so intriguing.

The pacing makes sense as we are in the dark as much as our narrator and he can't figure out the plot right away! He has to claw and fight his way to answers and when we have them, it's a non stop rollercoaster. With such an interesting setting, characters, and beautiful prose I don't see how this isn't the perfect queer, rotten horror story.

Absolutely cannot wait until C.G. Drew's next book! I also cannot wait to get my hands on this physically and annotate.

Thank you to netgalley for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot put into words how much I loved this book, but I will do my best.

I usually have a hard time immersing myself to the level of picturing visuals the author is conveying, but I had no problems whatsoever with Hazelthorn. The imagery and atmosphere has a way of drawing you into the world and I could vividly picture the scenes. The language and flow of the story was hauntingly ethereal and entrancing. There were so many secrets and enigmas in this book, it was difficult to put down.

I adored the banter between Evander and Laurie. They are deeply complex characters and unraveling their stories as the book progressed was captivating. I've said for a while that I miss yearning in books and this delivered on that front. The craving and longing experienced in this book enthralled me on many different levels.

I normally cannot handle body horror but have discovered through Hazelthorn a new subgenre I can explore. There were absolutely scenes that made me gag and cringe, but I was bewitched by the botanical body horror. The ending of this book was everything I could have hoped for. There were several points where I wasn't sure where the story would conclude, but after finishing I see no other way this could have ended.

At the end of the day, I adored the imagery and characters the most out of this book. Hazelthorn has been one of my all time favorite books I've ever read. I received this as an arc and will be first in line to buy a physical copy of this book. This was my first time reading anything written by C.G. Drews and cannot wait to explore more by them.

This book was delightful in the most devastating way. C. G. Drews has a talent for locking readers into a horror you love and can't look away from. The characters were compelling and felt very unique. Chapter 27 stole my heart.

Hazelthorn is the most unabashedly autistic book I have ever read. I was consumed whole by the book and spat out a changed person. I felt seen from cover to cover in ways I never expected, despite discovering my autism through another book.

Hazelthorn is a character as much as Evander, Laurie, and all the extended Lennox-Halls who grace us with their presence. The plot is as tangled as the gardens, each little puzzle piece unfurled at the perfect moment.

If you loved Don't Let The Forest In, you will be obsessed with Hazelthorn. I said this for Don't Let The Forest In, and now I'll say it for Hazelthorn: Buy this book. Read it. And then read it again.

Hazelthorn is beautiful and visceral and so full of love and RAGE. To anyone who has ever been silenced, Hazelthorn sees you and invites you to scream with it.

It's rare for the main character in a book to be my favorite character, but with Hazelthorn, Evander absolutely is my favorite character. He's so honest and raw and lonely, and I really related to his experiences as an autistic person who also grew up without the words to say why I was different. The love story is so emotional and the anger is so real and I just can't give enough praise to this book.

Hazelthorn is a wonderful addition to my growing C.G.Drews collection, another excellent dark fairytale that really speak to an understanding of human nature and what it is to feel like a monster in your own skin. Beautiful imagery, prose, and a wonderfully crafted mystery that leaves you hungry for the next page up to the very last line.

Perfect for plant lovers, poison lovers, horror lovers, and fans of gothic fantasy. For neurodivergent people and queer people who just want to be seen as people. Hazelthorn hears you loud and clear. Come join us in the garden. Have some tea.