I loved this so much that i can’t wait for it to come out so i can buy a copy omfg…. The neurodivergent representation was so important to me, especially the moments of panic for Evander, were a bit too relatable. I can also say the plot was very quickly paced and kept me hooked forom the first pages. I also just loved the way that Laurie and Evander were so soft to eachother. I’ve also never read books where gore had an actual purpose and this book kind of changed my opinion on gore in books. It felt so symbolic. Safe to say one of my new faves, cant wait for it to come out.

YA 4

This is definitely a creepy, gothic book for teens. There were quite a few places I was uncomfortable, but in the best way. This is definitely another hit for CG Drews. Her followers, and/or those that love the gothic horror genre will really appreciate the story.

I devoured this book. The author did an amazing job of representing feelings and emotions of autism and queerness. The feelings of growing up in a place where you are misunderstood because you are different hit close to home. While I grew up in a loving family, I was surrounded by a conservative crowd and it wasn't until I was older that I understood more about myself and how the autism spectrum works. Learning these things about myself that had once made me feel bad for being different, I now love about myself because it makes me different. I spent so much of my life doing what I thought I was supposed to do and being someone I thought I was supposed to be to fit in that it took me a while to find myself. "He thinks, perhaps, he is meant to be feral and loud and sharp and angry." We've been taught by society that being all of these things is wrong and unacceptable, but in actuality, it is what the world needs most right now. I can't say enough good things about this book. It just makes me feel so heard and seen.

Don’t Let the Forest In was the very first book I read in 2025 and was my favorite……until I read Hazelthorn. For the second time this year, CG Drews has me sitting and staring at a wall trying to process what I just read. I LOVE their writing style and the fact that I am always on the edge of my seat trying to figure out where things are going. I think I have it pieced together just to find out I was only a LITTLE correct. I am blown away yet again.

**I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

Oh my god, where do I even start? After reading "Don't Let The Forest In," I didn't know if "Hazelthorn" would live up to the incredibly high standards its predecessor set in my mind, but it blew them out of the water! Dark and beautiful, terrifying and comforting, "Hazelthorn" is an incredible novel. All the twists and turns were excellent, and, like with DLTFI, I was constantly questioning how much I could trust what I was being shown. C. G. Drews is absolutely, without question, one of my new favorite authors!

Hazelthorn is a lush, unsettling dream of a novel—botanical body horror meets gothic inheritance drama, stitched together with prose so vivid it feels like the vines are growing off the page. CG Drews writes with such lyricism and dread that the atmosphere alone could carry the book. Fortunately, the characters—especially Evander, with his haunted vulnerability and obsession—are just as compelling.

I was completely hooked from the opening chapters and devoured this in a day. The estate, the rules, the twisted legacy—it all builds so beautifully. My only disappointment was that I saw the ending coming fairly early on, which made the final reveals less impactful than I’d hoped. It didn’t ruin the experience, but it did take some of the air out of what should have been a jaw-dropper of a climax.

Still, the journey is so richly written and emotionally sharp that it more than holds together. A nearly perfect read, and one I’ll be thinking about every time I see ivy creeping up a wall.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

well this book was absolutely amazing, gruesome but also made me tear up??

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

i will be recommending this as the perfect horror for autumn, because it’s got the atmosphere down to a T. it’s perfect for one of those chilly days, when you’re in the mood for something gothic, filled with twists and turns and a perpetually unsettling vibe. “don’t let the forest in” was one of my favourite reads of last years, and c.g. drews has somehow managed to land yet another spot in that list for this year. “hazelthorn” has the perfect blend of body horror, gothic imagery and botanical themes. safe to say, all my expectations were met and i had a great time reading it.

i love the author’s style, but i do think it will take some people a bit to get used to - as it’s very lyrical and over-descriptive at times. while i am one of those people that don’t really vibe with “purple prose” in general, i think c.g. drews does make it work. not once was i bored or annoyed by the descriptions and i love their use of metaphors to create the atmosphere and the characters. i feel like the writing truly brings everything to life.

while the book features a bunch of plot lines, it doesn’t take away time from the characters. they’re very well fleshed-out and you get a feel of how each character is from the very first time they’re on page. laurie and evander are interesting characters, somewhat mirroring each other - the spoiled brat vs the orphaned boy that’s grateful for everything. it was really fun to try to understand their dynamic and figure out what happened in their past. we get bits and pieces, since evander has lost his memory - so we’re learning stuff as he does.

the world was lush and beautifully crafted and i loved how eerie the atmosphere was. the garden was an interesting place, almost sentient, almost a character in itself. the manor was also a great choice as it provides the perfect setting for the gothic elements the book uses.

overall, hazelthorn is the perfect book for gothic lovers, for those that aren’t squeamish about body horror. i loved the prose and the descriptive passages and i think c.g drews is slowly becoming one of my favourite authors.

4.5/5 stars.

Hazelthorn is a queer gothic horror that did not disappoint in ANY aspect. When I read the synopsis for this, I was immediately intrigued, and so excited to get my hands on this. This is my first CG Drews, so I wasn't sure what to expect, and I'm so glad I went into this with no expectations. It was such a fun time!

The atmosphere is so eerie, and I could feel the creepiness bleeding off the pages. The prose was so beautiful and vivid; I normally have a hard time with overly descriptive and fleshed out settings, but I was truly immersed in the mansion and gardens of Hazelthorn. Huge testament to Drews's writing in my book. The botanical body horror was intense and I loved every second of it.

I really liked both Evander and Laurie as characters, and trying to piece together their dynamic and discover what actually happened in their past together. Their juxtaposition of rich, despised nepo baby vs locked-away and coddled orphan was interesting. I also loved seeing the relationships between Laurie and his family as we dig to try and discover all their dark family secrets.

There is so much flowing through these pages, including a murder mystery, queer romance, and the struggles of discovering who you are and how you fit and where you belong, yet it was all tied up so perfectly. I thought the pacing was quick, but not rushed. Everything seemed to wrap up so perfectly for me in a good amount of pages. I really enjoyed this and can't wait to continue with other works by Drews!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

C.G. Drews has done it again. I devoured Hazelthorn - just like I did with Don't Let The Forest In - and it absolutely lived up to every expectation. Drews' signature poetic prose and gothic horror atmosphere spoke directly to my dark little heart. And as someone who has a soft spot for flora horror, this one hit all the right notes.

As the story unfolds, so does the main character’s grip on reality. And trust me - you’ll feel it. There’s a creeping sense of dread that coils tighter and tighter around you with every chapter. Grief, rage, anguish... you spiral right alongside the protagonist in the most unsettling and breathtaking way.

Hazelthorn is a masterclass in contrasts: beautiful yet grotesque, heart-melting yet skin-crawling. There’s one scene in particular that had me physically cringing - something I rarely do while reading. I’m still haunted by the imagery. It was horrifying, and yet so exquisitely written I couldn’t look away.

I wish I could scream about this book from the rooftops, but I also don’t want to spoil a single moment. This is one of those stories you need to feel for yourself. Just know: it’s as tragic as any gothic horror should be - achingly, beautifully tragic.

Horrendously beautiful, sharp-edged, and covered in languid moss, CG Drews' latest novel "Hazelthorn" is the kind of read that will leave you vaguely disoriented as you struggle to emerge from the wilderness that is their maliciously exquisite prose. There are very few storytellers that have the ability to mesmerize one the way Drew does with each and every single book.

Within these pages there are many stories. One of them is about a loneliness so deep and churned that the world would sooner crack down than contain it for another second. There is also the story of an evergreen garden untamed and unbreakable, with thorns for teeth as it snarls through a vicious smile. Arguably there is a tale about two boys, one estate and the never-ending pitfall that is human greed, though you probably could tell that much from the blurb alone. Beneath runs, like a muddy river, the quiet exploration of what 'human' truly means and whether there is anything humane about it, and if you look very closely you might be lucky enough to spot, hidden beneath the silt, golden pebbles that talk about loving with ferocious devotion. About a hunger for the sense of belonging somewhere, and about a divine wrath over the theft of one's free will.

Equal parts a murder story and an in-depth look at what happens when a person is pushed to their limits with just enough violence to open cracks inside them, "Hazelthorn" is a masterpiece of our time. Regardless of whether you are looking for a horror story, an allegory of the pain humans are capable of putting each other through, or an inquiry about what purpose truly means tand how far we are willing to go to preserve it... You will find it here.

CJ Drews has once again written an imputable book. The prose is haunting, the description vividly horrifying and still I need more. I can clearly see the progress in the author’s writing compared to “Don’t let the forest in” which was also absolutely brilliant. The author really has matured the haunting style and the herboriste theme in this one. From start to beginning, we are suffocating as much as Evander. As he is uncovering layer of truths, the author is putting us reader right at his side. I personally adored Laurie. And the relationship between Laurie and Evander was so well written, every little details had a further point and impact.
Absolutely stunning. I can’t wait to grab my own copy and annotate.

This is a story that nests in your skin and drives you mad with infatuation. I am a huge fan of the way that C.G Drew builds atmosphere and tension between environment and character. Just like this authors previous work, I was at the edge of my seat the whole time, and devoured this in just a couple sittings.

Hazelthorn by CG Drews is an absolutely incredible, raw, and evocative book that is hard to define. This book follows Evander, a boy who is believes himself to be very sick and is kept safe (imprisoned) by his guardian who is also the father of the boy who tried to kill him nine years ago. One night Evander is let free from his room and everything changes.

The writing in this book is GORGEOUS. It is lush and vulnerable, gothic and bloody. CG Drews is a master of imagery and metaphor and always manages to make my feel as if my own heart is being covered in vines and thorns. Evander and Laurie are both monsters in their own rights, and these boys do not know how to exist without ripping each other to shreds, and I absolutely love them. They are tender and awful to one another, but they are also the world to each other. I cannot recommend this book enough , especially to anyone who likes unhealthy, codependent relationships and seeing the rich torn down.

I absolutely binged this book--to say I'm obsessed is an understatement.

This YA botanical horror was everything I wanted and more
✅ Creepy gothic mansion
✅ Poisonous plants
✅ Neurodivergent rep
✅ Queer yearning
✅ Bloodthirsty garden
✅ Old family secrets
✅ Mystery & murders
✅ Unreliable narrator
✅ Body horror
✅ Highlightable prose

Between Hazelthorn and Don't Let the Forest In, this author has a forever place on my bookshelf. Welcome to my auto-buy authors list, C.G. Drews!

Long may we rot 🌱

Hazelthorn has many elements I’m drawn to like gothic settings, secret gardens and creepy houses. Evander can never leave the estate, or be alone with Laurie, the grandson of the estate owner Byron Lennox-Hall. This created a real desire for me to know, “What’s happening in this garden?!” Even when the characters didn’t engage me, I still wanted to know more about the mysterious happening of this home, especially after the murder mystery begins.

As I said, I struggled to find the characters engaging. I am not the target audience for this novel, but I am a fan of the genre. Evander is like a Victorian ghost child, he is very uncertain of his history and lives in a constant state of anxiety and confusion. The author explains that “this is a story of queer and autistic rage.” His character’s isolation, his feelings of frustration and otherness is well executed. I felt unease and quite ungrounded in the head of Evander. The reader feels the ick that Hazelthorn drips.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing for this ARC.

Evander and Laurie were both orphaned and taken in by Byron Lennox-Hall, Laurie's grandfather. They were close childhood friends until Laurie tried to murder Evander seven years ago. Evander had lived an isolated life since then, sequestered in his room at Hazelthorn, medicated and in and out of surgeries. He can never leave the estate, he can never go in the gardens, and mostly importantly, he cannot be left alone with Laurie. When Byron dies abruptly and Evander is named the sole inheritor of his estate, he has a whole family coming home to claim Hazelthorn.

This is my second read from CG (Don't Let the Forest In shares themes but it's it's own lovely beast), and it was fantastic and feral. This YA botanical horror has gothic estate vibes and a few twists and turns. Give this a read if you enjoy:
Poisonous plants
Eerie gothic estates
Rage (of the completely valid variety)
Queer hate/love dynamics
Which of these rich relatives offed someone?
High anxiety/tension vibes

Please mind the content warnings; this book depicts violence against children on and off the page among other things

Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published on 10/28/25. I'll be posting to Instagram closer to publication.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends for an eARC of this book!

This story was truly incredible and left me reeling with so many feelings - horror, disgust, heartbreak, happiness, hope. It explores what it’s like to not be in control of your own body or emotions, and what it’s like to not be able to understand or meaningfully interact with the would around you. The author describes themselves as autistic and this book not only explored what autism can look like, but also the impact of physical and psychological abuse in a touching way. Hazelthorn also explores the lengths to which we will go for those we love, highlighting the self-destructive things we do for those we feel obligated to protect, and the concept of nature versus nurture. This story sucked me in from the very beginning and I absolutely devoured it. CG Drews’ writing is so lush but digestible, it felt like I was there at Hazelthorn. This was my first foray into YA psychological thriller and body horror in a very long time and now I cannot wait to read every book this author publishes.

"He really needs to pull apart the wicker cage of his ribs and see if he can find the reason he's so obsessed with that boy hidden amidst the rot."

Do you ever feel like your skin isn't on right? That no matter how hard you try, you just can't twist yourself into something that's perfectly human? Your mannerisms, your expressions, your passions are always just slightly off. If so, this book if for you.

Evander is a fragile thing, something to keep safe and under care. He can't remember what things were like before Laurie tried to kill him. Evander hates Laurie, so why does he yearn to be so close he's in Laurie's skin?

When his caregiver, who is also Laurie's grandfather, is suddenly murdered, Evander is left everything in the Will. But who is the murderer? Why can't he just remember how things used to be? Why will people not stop touching him? There's only one person who he wants to touch him, but he hates him. Doesn't he?

'Hazelthorn' is a book of yearning, hunger, and rage. It perfectly captures how many people feel, but have suppressed those feelings because they aren't "right" or "normal". Sometimes, everything is too much. You can feel your skin, your socks are torturous. I truly felt seen in 'Hazelthorn'. I can't get enough of the beautiful prose, gothic atmosphere, and botanical horror C. G. Drews has to offer. This book has truly crawled under my skin and made a nest of thorns. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Have you ever loved someone so much you wished you could crawl inside them and live amongst their ribs? Just me? Anyway, if that concept sounds interesting at all, I think you would enjoy this book. It's dark and full of plant-based body horror, but also felt comforting, like a super heavy weighted blanket. The comfort and feeling of being crushed are tied together so closely it's impossible to separate. It only took one chapter for me to be hooked on the story in a way I haven't felt in quite a while. I would recommend this to anyone who likes bloodthirsty plants, queer obsession, and Edgar Allen Poe's Fall of the House of Usher.

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!