Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews is a dark jewel of a book that you can’t devour fast enough. For those who have read Don’t Let the Forest In, prepare yourselves for Hazelthorn, another gem in the same vein of botanical atmospheric horror that leaves you unnerved in the best possible way. You can practically smell the soil and feel the catch of thorny vines while reading this book.

Welcome to Hazelthorn, home to Evander - a boy with missing memories, a mysterious illness, and a nebulous hold on reality. He lives there with his enigmatic guardian, a butler, and occasionally Laurie, his guardian’s grandson. Evander and Laurie were once best friends before a tragic accident destroyed their friendship and turned Laurie into an antagonist who is as wicked as he is beautiful.

When tragedy strikes again at Hazelthorn, Evander and Laurie strike up a tenuous alliance to discover the truth behind the crumbling mansion and untamed gardens--but will they solve Hazelthorn’s mysteries before the darkness devours all its inhabitants? The result is a wild, sumptuously told, masterpiece of gothic adventure about immersive self-discovery, transformational first romance, and long-buried secrets that threaten the very essence of Hazelthorn.

And then there’s the ending. Just like Don’t Let the Forest In, I was wide-eyed and craving just one more sentence, one more line to tell me more. I can’t wait for others to read this—it’s a book you’ll want to dissect… or let it dissect you. The final paragraphs of Hazelthorn have crawled deep into my chest and taken root in the most unshakeable way.

C.G. Drews has rapidly become one of my favorite authors, and I can’t wait to read more by them. Hazelthorn will absolutely be a book I read and re-read. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group/Feiwel & Friends for providing me with an ARC of this incredible book in exchange for an honest review. I can honestly say that I can’t wait to buy this in hardback as soon as it’s available.

C.G. Drews has a way of writing that just makes me feel like I'm losing my mind in the best possible way.

I don't even know how to put my thoughts about this book into actual words without just mindlessly gushing. Laurie and Evander were just lovely characters and I was instantly in love with them the second I was introduced to them.

It started off feeling like a standard murder mystery and then slowly shifted its way into botanical horror that maybe shouldn't have worked as well as it did but it just worked so well. And I absolutely adored the little romance subplot.

Just a beautiful book overall.

Rating 4.5 rounded up.

The trauma, the mental illness, and the rage oh my!

How do you follow up and amazing release like “Don’t Let The Forest In?” THIS! This is how you do it. OMG this book is just as beautifully written! So morbidly poetic!

Not many books leave me at a loss for words but this one has done it. My mind is racing to process everything I read and this is a wonderful thing! This book is actually haunting me and I love it! I will never look at a garden the same way again. I am sure the next time I am in a beautiful botanical garden all I will think of is the vines reaching and stretching through a human body.

If you want a story that is beautifully dark that will linger in the back of your mind and haunt you for days. This is the books for you! C.G. Drews has once again given us an amazing addition to our botanical horror shelf and I cannot wait until October to purchase a physical copy!

4.5/5

Beware the garden.

After being orphaned at a young age, Evander was taken in to live in the lavish estate of Hazelthorn by billionaire Byron Lennox-Hall who locks him away in his room for the past seven years. Evander is only visited by their butler to be given medication to control his episodes that leave him with very few recollections of his past. Evander’s only vivid memory is of Byron’s grandson, Laurie, burying him alive when they were ten years old.

When his guardian suddenly dies, Byron’s dying request is for Evander to never go in the garden. Suspicious that his guardian’s passing is murder, and with his door coincidentally open for the first time in years, Evander starts to uncover secrets about Hazelthorn, and himself, that leave him reeling. When Byron’s will reveals that Evander is the sole beneficiary of his wealth, Evander must deal with not only the possible murder and the garden’s secrets, but also the other Lennox-Halls who are vying for his newly founded wealth.

This was a creepy, horrifyingly beautiful mystery steeped with emotion. The characters and scenes leapt off the page and had me devouring this novel. It is paced well between frightening action, slow and eerie storytelling, and the dissection of what it is to be human. There are lots of twists and even a bit of romance that will keep you on your toes until the end.

CG Drews’ prose is eloquent, though a bit flowery, at times, but perfectly atmospheric. If you want a YA Queer Horror/Thriller, pick this one up immediately.

I want to live in C.G. Drews head for a day, it must be terrifyingly beautiful in there. Hazelthorn was one of my most anticipated 2025 reads after I was completely obsessed with Don't Let the Forest In last year, and it did not disappoint. This book is beautifully written and hauntingly visceral. The garden has become a part of me.

Yeah, this is going to be occupying half the free space in my brain for the next month and a half at least...

Hazelthorn is my second C.G. Drews book, and it's confirmed the author's spot on my auto-read list. Similar to Don't Let the Forest In, Hazelthorn is a mix of fantasy and horror for a YA audience but with an added focus on a locked-room(ish) murder mystery. I've been really getting into fantasy murder mysteries, and this one did not disappoint. Also...the prose. The style, the word choices, the vibes - it's also beautifully haunting, and I did not want to put the book down.
After the death of Evander's guardian, he is labeled the sole inheritor of the Lennox-Hall legacy: mansion, grounds, wealth, and all...but Evander is convinced that Byron Lennox-Hall was murdered. Evander employs the help of Byron's grandson, Laurie (the very person who tried to kill Evander a few years before), to find the murderer before they come for Evander too. I absolutely loved the vibes of the story, and while I can't say too much because of spoilers...I'm really starting to think I might enjoy horror (at least when it's mixed with fantasy). Surprisingly enough, I managed to call probably the most unexpected plot twist, and I sort of caught the murderer, but that's because the foreshadowing is so well-written and subtle (and I've also played way too many rounds of Betrayal at this point). The botanical horror aesthetics, the touching storylines, the "I'd literally let you consume me" romances - I absolutely loved this book, and I'm already excited for when I reread it (hopefully during spooky season).
I feel like I highlighted half of the dialogue between Evander and Laurie because it was the perfect mixture of banter, angst, and yearning. There's a line specifically that's going to live rent-free in my head forever now (I'll add it below my review because it contains spoilers). I absolutely loved Evander as a character; his journey of self-discovery was so fun, and his emotions were incredibly vivid. I loved Laurie, too, especially with his initially mysterious nature and the playboy vibes I got from him at first. There's so much I want to say about both of them, but you need to experience it for yourself. Also, the romance...I shouldn't adore it as much as I do.
Do yourself a favor and read Hazelthorn...and go into it blind. Trust me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

5/5

(Also, Betrayal haunt with this theme when? Please?)


Spoilers: Read at your own Risk
"'God was stronger than me when he made Adam and didn't fall in love with him.'" Literally stop. I was waiting for this quote - I wanted the rib symbolism so badly - but I'm never going to stop thinking about it now.

I couldn't put this down, and ended up binge reading it in under 6 hours.
Was it worth losing sleep over?
Yes.
Would I do it again?
Also yes.

Drews creates a hauntingly immersive world in Hazelthorn, where the decaying estate and its sinister garden set the tone for a dark, emotional journey. The tension between Evander and Laurie, filled with mistrust and longing, is gripping, and the scheming relatives add layers of intrigue. The slow-burn romance is beautifully done, offering a rare light in an otherwise twisted world.

The book is a masterclass in gothic horror, with emotional depth and unexpected twists that had me guessing in a few places until the very end. Drews' prose and descriptions had me feeling like I was experiencing the tension and confusion side-by-side with Evander. Drews' masterfully ensures that Evander’s journey is one of self-discovery and fragile hope, and expertly blends horror with heart.

Hazelthorn is a captivating, eerie read that combines a haunting setting, complex characters, and a gripping plot, making it impossible to stop reading.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the ARC copy they provided.

C.G. Drews never disappoints.

Literally.

Never.

She made me love her characters in The Boy Who Steals Houses, stole my soul and tore out my heart in Don’t Let the Forest In, and has utterly ripped me from the clutches of the safe indoors to toss me into the decaying dirt with Hazelthron. The very first line invited me to savor the soil on Evander’s tongue, feel the grit between his teeth. And every line thereafter held me captive.

Evander was at once relatable, both in his rage and in the total despair he escaped from when his bedroom door was inexplicably unlocked. Standing opposite Evander, Laurie was instantly loveable with his standoffish swagger. I never wanted to see the two of them stop bickering.

But of course, C.G. Drews packs as many secrets into her books as the garden of Hazelthron packs poisonous plants, and also like the garden, she gives none of her secrets away for free. Very few authors have the capacity to surprise me with their writing, but C.G. Drews is one who does. There were whole sections of Hazelthorn I did not expect and that left me breathless and longing for more.

Did I spend many nights reading this with the lights out and jumping at bumps in the dark? Yes. Do I recommend everyone else do the same? Also yes.

Unless you can read it out in a garden after dark, with nothing but the moon to light your page. You should totally do that if you can.

You won’t regret it.

Or maybe you will when a plant infested butler comes out of the shadows to chase you.

Either way, it’ll be time well spent. Just don’t drink the tea.

Hazelthorn is a beautifully twisted botanical horror story that is set in the same world as CG Drew’s debut YA horror, Don’t Let the Forest In. While I didn’t love this as much as DLTFI, it is still full of all the wild, garden rot, boyish love that makes Drew’s stories so great.

This has all the vibes of a great story: a haunted, bloodthirsty garden; a twisted family made terrible through their wealth; and what it means to love yourself wholeheartedly, monstrous side and all.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for an eARC of this book!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. The pacing was excellent and the characters were extraordinary fleshed out. I was fully engaged and devoured this book in under a day.

The setting and characters stood out to me and somehow felt very real despite the unnatural elements. This book was almost an immersive experience.

While I had no problems with the book, as someone who enjoys and reads botanical horror books, I was able to guess the twists at the beginning of the book, but it is a testament to the story as a whole that I was still able to be entertained by and connect to this story.

I would highly recommend this book.

📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖📖
Title: Hazelthorn
Author: CG Drews
Page Count: 368
Format: E-book
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book Number: 36
Dates Read: 3/2-5
Review:
I relieved this free advanced copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The first impression of the book was that it was by CG Drews, so I must read it. Secondly, the cover was beautifully dark. Upon diving into the story, I was swept into this tale filled with horror, gore, and sadness. I connected with the main character and needed to keep reading. The pacing was medium and kept me turning the pages. The writing style is true to her style and was written so well. This story tore me into shreds and left me open. Again, I would 100% recommend and read anything written by this author, gothic Horror is her style.

C.G. Drews has done it again. *Hazelthorn* is a haunting, atmospheric masterpiece that sinks its roots into you and refuses to let go. A gothic queer thriller brimming with murder, botanical body horror, and a forbidden garden that feels alive in the most terrifying way, this book is everything I hoped for and more.

Drews’ writing is lush and immersive, painting a vivid picture of Hazelthorn’s decaying grandeur and the malevolent garden that seems to breathe with a life of its own. The tension between Evander and Laurie is electric, their complicated relationship a blend of mistrust, longing, and buried memories. The supporting cast—Byron’s scheming relatives—adds layers of intrigue and danger, making the estate feel like a character in its own right.

What makes Hazelthorn truly exceptional is its emotional depth. Evander’s journey is one of survival, self-discovery, and the fragile hope of connection. The romance is slow-burn and achingly beautiful, a beacon of light in the story’s dark, twisted world. Drews masterfully balances horror and heart, creating a tale that is as unsettling as it is moving.

This book is a triumph of gothic storytelling. It’s eerie, immersive, and impossible to put down. If you’re a fan of atmospheric horror, complex characters, and stories that linger long after the final page, Hazelthorn is a must-read. C.G. Drews has crafted a mesmerizing tale that will leave you breathless—and maybe a little afraid of gardens.

The story really sucked me in right from the start. C.G. Drew’s has such a talent for writing this genre and I’m here for it! The book is teeming with descriptions of nature, painfully alive. The tone was so ominous. I could not read it fast enough. Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC. You can check this out when it publishes October 28, 2025!

Ever wanted to crawl deep under someone's skin? This is for you.

Drews has this wildly insane way with prose. I wish I could eat the prose the way the garden eats. It's all consuming and devouring. The relationship between Laurie and Evander was so so soooooo good. I lack the words to really describe it. I'm bereft of words but crowded with feeling.

I wouldn't count this as a murder mystery, even though I suppose it is-- but the focus isn't so mystery heavy as it could have been, and for that I am grateful.

This was just overall so fun to read. A delightful terror?

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for the eARC!

Evander has lived a reclusive life, mostly in his room, in the Hazelthorn estate. After his parents died he was taken in by a wealthy guardian. His only interactions are with the billionaire Byron Lennox,-Hall, the estates butler who brings his food and daily meds and occasionally the charming yet infuriating Laurie, Byron's grandson. They used to play as children until one day Laurie attempted to bury Evander alive, now they can never be alone.

Why Byron suddenly dies Evander suspects murder and is the soul beneficiary of Hazelthorn and it's wealth. From here he must deal with his suspicions, weird things that keep happening and Byron's greedy relatives all trying to become Evander's guardian until he turns 18 in a year and have access to Byron wealth.

While I am usually a bit of a baby about horror/body horror etc CG Drews writes even the most horrifying situations so beautifully. As Evander and Laurie have to work together more and more secrets are discovered both about Hazelthorn and themselves.

This very slow burn romance will keep you guessing. This book was so engaging I could not put it down. A horrifying story beautifully told with interesting and grey characters. This one kept me guessing on what was going to happen next until the very end.

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

Delightfully creepy and grotesque! I spent a good amount of the book trying to guess what the twist at the end would be, but never came close

My heart!!! I can't even describe how much i loved this book. Garden horror is my new favorite trope. I want to read this story over and over again. I can't wait till the hardcover comes I just know it's going to be gorgeous

In the acknowledgments of this book, Drews says that they were leaving the reader "choking on a mouthful of rotten grave flowers," all I can say was they were correct, and it was in an incredibly beautiful and heartwrenching (heartwarming) way. Drews combines eldritch and gothic horror in this book in amazing ways. I tore through this book with a hunger to understand the secrets of Hazelthorn. As a fellow neurodivergent, I related incredibly to Evander's inner thought process (though thankfully not to his upbringing). Drews does an incredible job of narrating the trials and tribulations of young, queer love while immersing the reader in lush imagery and a dark academic vibe. This book goes up there with Donna Tart's The Secret History in its impact on me and the author's storytelling skills. I am currently writing this review with dried tears on my face because this book was so beautiful.

I have been staring at this page trying to figure out how to summarize in words the way this book made me feel. CG Drews has crafted a story that is so uniquely and hauntingly beautiful. I don't think any book will ever be able to inspire this same feeling. The story alone was enough to draw me in, but the more I think about the underlying themes and everything that wasn't blatantly said—this book will be a thorn in my mind for a long, long time. (A good thorn, though. And yes, pun intended.)

From a surface level, the plot is instantly intriguing. The dynamics between Laurie and Evander make the reader want to learn everything there is to know about their history and whether this recent turn of events will inspire a change in their dynamic. The reader has no way of knowing who to trust in the story, as the narrator is unreliable, and every other character is either keeping secrets or lying. There are so many points in the story where I questioned what I truly knew, only to be blown away when a new puzzle piece fit into place. The plot kept me guessing, and everything tied together SO well in the end.

How it made me feel though? I will never, ever get over that. Nope. My heart has been torn to bits and put back together and now I have no idea what the heck this thing beating in my chest is. CG has such a unique way of evoking emotion through their writing. The raw, unfiltered way their main characters experience the world is absolutely captivating. It's impossible not to feel connected to Evander and Laurie as you learn more about them and their story progresses.

CG's prose and how they use typography to emphasize emotion are other aspects of their book (and their writing in general) that I absolutely adore. I love how the story's structure breaks at such pivotal moments. It adds this unsettling layer that works so well to set the tone and make the reader wonder who they should trust and what is real.

Hazelthorn is an absolute freaking masterpiece. I will not be shutting up about this book until the end of time, so, sorry not sorry to anyone who knows me in real life.

Another great novel from C.G. Drews. This book has similarities to Don't Let the Forest In but holds its own with character development and garden horror elements. Highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to feel their insides decaying as you uncover more of the story.