This story was deliciously haunting and descriptive and beautiful and is not a book I would normally go for but I have it a shot and was HOOKED from the first page. Creepy and stunning, I highly recommend!

I LOVED this book! I can’t believe how detailed and creative it was. My one comment is after reading Don’t Let The Forest In this was very similar to that. I enjoyed this book a lot, the twists were entertaining, and the book was atmospheric. I felt like I was in the garden.

This was a very weird gothic book about a man taking care of a sick kid. I originally picked it because of the cover and I kept seeing it everywhere. It was a good read for the most part.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC, botanical queer horror is slowly becoming my favorite genre. This was visceral and such a good book. The prose was one of my favorite parts, CG has a way of describing things that I am just obsessed with. You do NOT wanna pass this book up come pub date.

"His guardian is dead. Hazelthorn is his. And everyone hates him."

This story follows Evander, a 17 year old boy, who has spent the last several years living inside the New England based mansion, Hazelthorn, owned by his guardian Byron Lennox-Hall. When Byron suddenly dies, Evander suddenly finds himself the owner of Hazelthorn with a strong suspicion that Byron was murdered. We follow Evander on his journey to discover the culprit, joined by Byron's grandson Laurie, where he begins to uncover clues about the Lennox-Hall family and Hazelthorn.

I was pulled in from the very first chapter and I couldn't decide between wanting to savor this story and wanting to devour it! CG Drews' writing is poetic, haunting, and deliciously gothic. Like the vines of the Hazelthorn garden, mystery and plot twists are insidiously growing throughout this tale and will unexpectedly lash out to ensnare you. I really enjoyed the romantic subplot which so accurately depicts young adult angst and yearning. Accompanying the poetic prose, the botanical descriptions and illustrations really helped me visualize all the plant life inside and surrounding Hazelthorn and made me feel like I was inside the mansion right alongside Evander and Laurie.

In short, I loved this story and I would absolutely recommend it to those looking for a novel that includes botanical horror, gothic mansions, and murder mystery!

This book is wild and fierce. A weird mystery taking place in an odd garden owned by a rich, cantankerous man who is tending to a sick kid and has an heir who is a bit of an asshole. Sounds like the Secret Garden, except the rich old dude dies fairly early in the novel, resulting in relatives coming out of the woodwork and the entire thing morphing into a murder mystery/identity crisis. So well written. Quite a bit of gore. If you like your romances dark and full of horror, you should pick up a copy of this book. #readit

I originally picked up this book because of the cover and im glad I did. I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

🖤 Bookish Thoughts
This was a gorgeously written queer gothic tale that completely pulled me in. I found myself rereading sections just to sit with the language because it was just that haunting and lyrical.

The entire story carries this eerie, unsettling atmosphere, with a growing sense of dread that builds as you try to unravel the murder mystery. You want answers, but you’re also afraid (maybe terrified) of what those answers might be. Between the botanical body horror, the sprawling gothic estate, the sentient garden, and the family secrets and queer tension, this book truly had everything.

I didn’t expect the story to unfold the way it did, but I loved how it all came together in the end. Evander and Laurie had such a strange, compelling pull and I couldn’t get enough of them. The ending leaves space for interpretation, and I know the version I’m choosing.

🥀 What You Can Expect
• Body Horror
• Murder Mystery
• Queer 🖤
• Gothic Setting
• Sentient Gardens
• Forced Proximity
• Twisted Inheritance

📖 Final Score: 5⭐
📅 Pub Date: October 28, 2025
Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

“What does it feel like, anyway, to die with the garden in your mouth?”

I began this book deeply distrustful of anything Evander believed to be the truth, thanks to the absolute betrayal of Don’t Let the Forest In (and I saw that call-back. Maybe Laurie just attracts freaky floral phenomena). I think Drews knew this could happen with their returning readers, though, because even with that framework in place, they still managed to shake me to my foundations. (Hehe, house pun.)

Drews’ prose is once again just as lush as the gardens devouring Hazelthorn, lending the story a timeless feel that could place it in present day or all the way back in the 1800s (occasional phone mentions aside). It’s eerie and cozy at the same time, luring readers into a sense of belonging and security even as the vines begin to choke - much like Hazelthorn’s residents.

Drews has stated outside of the book that Evander is autistic and bisexual, neither of which is outright stated in the text - thankfully. It does so much more for readers to show these traits through a character’s thoughts and behaviors than for them to start using the technical terms they wouldn’t have been introduced to in a realistic setting. Being locked in a room his whole life, Evander would have no meaning to attach to those words - he only knows how he feels. There are several instances where he admits this. He knows it’s right for boys to kiss girls, and he wants to kiss girls, but he also wants to kiss Laurie, and is that a bad thing? Does his inability to communicate “properly” with people, his need to constantly pick at his sleeves or nails or hair, his refusal to make direct eye contact make him “other”? His questioning and reasoning around his sense of self creates a safe space for readers to fill in the blanks, maybe discovering something about themselves along the way that they wouldn’t have if he’d simply stood up and said “I am a bisexual, autistic person.” Any meanings they have associated with those words (intentional or otherwise) aren’t there to turn Evander into a stereotype.

Without spoiling the ending, I can safely say that Drews has once again written one of my favorite endings. If there is one thing they know how to write, it is a world-shifting kiss before the most tantalizing open ending (beginning?) ever written.

[4.5⭐️]

Firstly I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to get this as an E-arc in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

“He wants their twined fingers to grow together like soft green vines across a rose trellis. If he is to be held, to be touched, he wants it to be like this and only by this boy.”

CHILLS, literal chills, reading this book!!! This book is so phenomenal C.G Drew’s has such a unique way with words. The writing style never fails to lure me in by the first couple of sentences. This story follows a a boy named Evander who’s been locked away in a mansion by his caregiver, Byron. Byron has a grandson named Laurie, Laurie had attempted to kill Evander in the garden when they were children. Since then Evander has been locked in a room. But when one day, Evander’s door is suddenly unlocked by mystery. He ventures out and causes chaos and it just so happens that the same day Byron starts choking and is clearly been poisoned, but his last words are “don’t go into the garden“ and when he finds out everything in Byron’s Name has been left to him instead of his grandson, trouble ensues. we follow the story of Evander, trying to discover what happened and why Byron died a sudden unexplainable death, Evander also learns the secrets about the family and the garden.

This story was so unique and twisted, I read “Don’t Let The Forest In” and it was also good, but this book takes it to a whole other level, the raw emotions of Evander and the complex relationship with Laurie, the intense yearning!!! The romance was impeccable. I was so drawn into the story, the character, the romance, everything was so interesting, I can’t wait to read more by this author!

5 haunting stars!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an E-arc of this book.

"You think he's nice because you don't know anything but pain."

When going into YA book, I always plan on guessing what the ending is. I've read enough books that knowing the ending early on is part of hobby now. When a book surprises me, it's usually a 5 star read and Hazelthorn is no exception. This is a haunting novel about discovering who we are, what makes us who we are, and pain that runs deep and spreads wide. Told through haunting plant vocab and descriptions Evander's story makes you wonder if it's his story, Laurie's story, or someone else's all together.

Through his eyes we see the world come to life and all the evil seep out from behind the bushes in which it was planted. We see themes of generational wealth and trauma along with one who would smash the past to pieces to have a different future. It's a story of desperation but also determination and chasing that sense of love and belonging because we can't find it with the family we're born into. It's also a story about what happens when someone takes and takes from us until we're nothing but seething rage.

And yet, none of these themes take away from the beautiful story that Hazelthorn is at face value. If you're looking for a haunting tales of murder, plants, and an unique first love Hazelthorn is probably for you.

Deliciously Gothic

I really enjoyed Don't Let the Forest In so I was really excited to recieve this arc from Netgalley.

It felt very similar to Don't Let the Forest In, just instead of being at a boarding school it was at a creepy mansion. That did not take away one speck of my enjoyment; I adored this weird book. I loved the gothic atmosphere, the inner turmoil, and the general inability to stand ones self that CG Drews brings to their main characters.

This book was exactly what I would've expected from CG Drews. Definitely the kind of book that sinks it's teeth into you and doesn't. Let. Go. I find her books are hard to follow in the first few pages, but after that it becomes a story that makes you hunger for more. I love the plot of this book, all the twists and turns you can never see coming, and the excitement of it all. I even found myself holding my breath on some pages in anticipation of what was going to happen next. It was such a fantastic read, and I highly recommend reading Dont Let The Forest In if you enjoy this book.

This is going to be the Queer Horror story of the year this October and I CANNOT WAIT for it to be released and everyone to talk about it. I love this author’s writing style and I’m so grateful I got a chance to read an early copy. This book balanced the levels of fairytale and creepiness so seamlessly and I fell in love with the characters and the story. It felt a bit like a Secret Garden retelling and it was magical.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends, and NetGalley for an E-ARC copy of this book.

Evander is sickly. His life is small. Locked in his room in his guardian's estate, he takes his medicine and rots in isolation. When his world suddenly changes with the death of his guardian and his surprise inheritance, Evander tries to figure out if there is a murderer within the walls of Hazelthorn, and what exactly happened years ago when his guardian's grandchild Laurie tried to kill him in the gardens.

The atmosphere was perfection. I felt like I could see the cluttered vintage rooms of Hazelthorn and the overgrown thorny, twisting maze of the gardens. The characters were so good; I felt like they were real people, and I cared about them immediately. The pacing of the reveals was so good and the botanical horror was terrifying and visceral.

I enjoyed Don't Let the Forest In and enjoyed this one even more. I'm excited for C.G. Drews' adult horror coming soon, and will definitely read whatever she comes out with in the future! (Also, her book covers are sooooo good).
I rated it 4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5 .
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the ARC!

The guardian raising Evander suddenly dies and Evander inherits the estate, a dark mansion with a LIVING DEADLY garden and family secrets.

This book was a 5 star read for me. I was hooked from beginning to end. Evanders story was sad but also beautiful
towards the end. I felt a lot of emotions throughout this book, the ending was beautiful and was how I was hoping it would end.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc!!

i have been on a plant horror kick recently. anything to do with sentient, rotting plants has been on my radar for a few weeks now. unfortunately, this one is the weakest i’ve read so far.

while i was entertained for the first half of the book, the rest felt like a drag. not only did it drag on, but there was also a lot of redundant phrases and comparisons used that i couldn’t shake. i don’t understand why we needed to compare evander to moths a million times or why the same conversations had to be happening between evander and laurie every time they spoke to each other.

while i will continue to give c.g. drews a chance with future projects, i think hazelthorn had the curse of “insert generic gothic prompt here” and could’ve been so much more.

🌿🖤 4/5 Stars – Gothic Gardens, Twisted Secrets & Tender Terror 🥀🌕🗝️

Hazelthorn is the kind of book that crawls under your skin in the most beautiful, eerie way — part gothic horror, part romantic psychological drama, and 100% hypnotic. 😵‍💫🌸 We follow 17-year-old Evander, raised in the shadows of a mysterious estate ruled by three rules: never leave the property, never enter the gardens, and never be alone with Laurie — the boy who tried to kill him seven years ago. 😨⚰️🪴 That setup alone? PURE VIBES.

The story blossoms into something so much darker and more complex than you expect. 💀 As the sentient, hauntingly lush garden starts creeping through the mansion’s halls (yes, literally), the secrets of Evander’s reclusive guardian, Byron, begin to rot and reveal themselves. The relationship between Evander and Laurie is the beating heart of this novel — toxic, tender, dangerous, and devastating. 🫀🗡️ Think enemies-to-lovers but filtered through grief, guilt, and buried memories.

🌑 C.G. Drews’ prose is dripping with atmosphere — poetic, visceral, and dreamlike. You can almost smell the soil, feel the thorns, and taste the decay. 🌫️🌹 The garden isn't just a setting, it’s a full-blown character: manipulative, wild, and terrifyingly alive. It mirrors the trauma and obsession twisting through Evander and Laurie’s story like vines around a throat. 🌿🫣

What holds this back from a full five stars is the pacing — it’s a slow burn, and some sections drift in heavy introspection or repetition. 🐌🕯️ But if you're in it for the character work, emotional complexity, and gothic flair, it absolutely pays off. By the final chapters, the reveals hit like thorns beneath silk — painful, unexpected, and oddly beautiful.

💭 Final thoughts: Hazelthorn is a love letter to broken boys, haunted houses, and the dangerous allure of what we bury — both in the ground and in ourselves. 💘🌑 It’s haunting, intimate, and unforgettable. If you're craving something queer, creepy, and poetic with major Crimson Peak vibes, this is your next obsession.

In all honesty, the cover got me on this one when I saw it on NetGalley and I immediately requested the ARC.

Thankfully, the actual storyline, characters, and writing were all AMAZING and I'm very excited for this book to come out in October this year.

The author crafted a beautifully written tale with gothic/Victorian era vibes, a creepy garden, a murder mystery, and family inheritance drama at its core. Our main character, Evander, is so interesting and full of complexities - his character development and self-acceptance are essential to the storyline which makes this novel the perfect blend of plot and character.

Oh and the writing - the writing is so hauntingly lyrical and descriptive in a way that truly serves to set a strong sense of place. I felt the loneliness of Evander in that mansion, understood his fears, and empathized with his actions/reactions to others.

If you're a lover of any story that can be described as gothic, then add this to your TBR and read it when it publishes this fall season.

The strongest sophomore debut I’ve read in the longest time, especially in the young adult canon. Any qualms I had with Don’t Let the Forest In are nearly entirely absent here. What’s on full display are C.G. Drews’ strengths. The merging of modernity and classic gothic, lush imagery, propulsive prose. Hazelthorn doesn’t come up for air at any point.

What surprised me was just how sharply funny Drews is here, cutting very tense moments with ripe humor. Incredibly poignant and genuinely moving in moments as well.

(Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for allowing me the opportunity to preview this title before its release.)