Stunning. Beautiful. Perfect. CG Drews writing style is one of my favorites. This story is a good mix of horror, thriller, fantasy etc. Evander is such an interesting character that every new thing we learn about him has me loving him even more. Laurie is also such an intriguing character with a complex story. Both their stories and the plot had me turning the pages sooo fast. I really have no words for how good this book is without giving it all away. Go read.

Thank you for the e-arc!

Loved this crazy story.
Pretty scary and really romantic.

Will be reading more from this author. They are amazing at setting the mood with their writing.

Sometimes too much description can pull me right out of the story. That wasn’t the case with this one because the descriptions were so fitting.

This was the first thing I’ve read by CG Drews and now I must consume everything they have written.

The story is fantastic. It’s dark, eerie, and everything you’d want from a gothic horror story. The writing was beautiful and incredibly atmospheric and you really felt like you were on the verge of being devoured by the garden. Another great thing about this book is the relationship between Evander and Laurie. The yearning was incredible and honestly, pretty swoon worthy.

The thing he truly wants to understand is how he, too, can hate this boy and yet long to use his own bones to build a shelter around Laurie’s raw, bleeding heart.

“Gave up what?”
“Trying to stay away from you. I’d split my bones, I’d open my throat, I’d do anything to be near you, and have even one second with my mouth against yours.”

”God was stronger than me when he made Adam and didn’t fall in love with him.”

Like hello?

If you love queer, YA, gothic horror books, please read this. You will NOT be disappointed.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

17 out of 5 stars, really.

Honestly, I have never read anything like CG Drew's books and until I picked up Don't Let The Forest In, I had no idea what I was missing.
Hazelthorn hit that same spot.

Hazelthorn is all the dark, gothic & mysterious, packed in a story so twisted and tangled that I never know what's truth and what isn't, written in way that is beautiful and haunting at the same time. Just like the garden, the words burrowed themselves under my skin in a way that I still can't shake.
But the truly breathtaking lies in the way, CG Drews places wild, 'broken' characters that are so so precious, soft in a way that makes me want to protect them but with so much strength hidden in the cracks, and places them in the midst of the most beautiful horror.

The autism rep in this book truly got me and I think I shed my first tears during the foreword.
Evander is such a beautifully crafted character and reading his story felt like being part of him. I definitely felt all the terror, the angst and uncertainty. the anger and helplessness in a way that had my skin itch.

There is so much more I want to say about this book but all of it feels like I'd be giving too much away. Because this book is meant to feel exactly like walking through a dark, daunting mansion with no escape, no idea what danger awaits behind the next corner or who can be trusted.
One thing I will say is that, CG Drews knows how to write an ending that will leave me with the urge to claw the pain out of me.

Hazelthorn is everything I hoped it would be and more and I fear it will be a pattern that CG Drews' books will hunt me for long after I've finished them.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan and CG Drews for this ARC

• I'm not really sure where to begin with my review. While I enjoy botanical horror novels, this one had me going back and forth between loving it and feeling indifferent. Maybe my expectations were too high since one of my favorite novels ever includes botanical horror, so I kept comparing it to that.

• At times, the pacing was slow and felt like a chore to read, and at other times I was either gasping in disgust or swooning over the romance. I'm aware that this novel is for young adults, but sometimes it was just a little too juvenile for me. I was also left with a huge unanswered question which still bothers me because I need to know HOW this specific thing occurred. 😂

• Even though it wasn't my favorite book ever, the writing was still very beautiful and striking, and I enjoyed the wild ride it offered.

🥀If you enjoy these tropes, give it a try:🥀

-Botanical Body Horror
-M/M Romance
-YA Gothic Horror
-Hate-to-love Romance
-Rich Family Drama
-Amnesia

⭐⭐⭐💫3.5/5

🥀Many thanks to the publisher and @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book! Yet again C. G. Drews delivers the perfect blend of a phenomenal story with stunning and disturbingly beautiful mental imagery!

It is easy to get sucked into the story and lose track of time!!!

Good Lord, CG Drews' prose is so perfectly deliciously eerie - I want it injected straight into my veins. I didn't want this book to end yet I devoured it too quickly. A yearning hunger permeates this story and makes it so unique and compelling. Evander and Laurie's twisted obsession for each other as they unravel the layers of their past was also so beautifully executed. CG Drews is now an auto-buy author for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Words can hardly describe how much I loved Don't Let The Forest In when I read it last fall, and when I heard about Hazelthorn shortly after, I was immediately excited. I have to admit that C.G. Drews previous works (The Boy Who Steals Houses series) doesn't interest me in the slightest, but after DLTFI and especially after this, I will absolutely be keeping a close eye on their career from here on out.

First of all, comping this book to Andrew Joseph White was a great call. I get nervous about comp titles, I tend to either ignore them or doubt them, and AJW has become an auto-buy author for me, so I was a little hesitant, thinking maybe he and his work were just being used because both were queer YA horror. But I was wrong! The comparison is absolutely warranted, the vibes are distinctly similar while still being, well, distinct. I think C.G. Drews is going to become an auto-buy author for me, too.

The pros: The atmosphere of this book is immaculate. The gothic, the garden - I really think that botanical horror is become a favorite subgenre of mine - the Lennox-Halls. I loved the murder mystery plot, even as it gets buried under mystery after mystery these boys uncover. I love the creeping horror as it becomes clearer and clearer what's going on. I love the blood and the gore, I love the themes and the metaphors with the families riches and with abuse, I think it was clear and executed well without getting too heavy-handed. And it's all wrapped up in beautiful prose! I also have to say that I love Evander and Laurie's relationship. I love the mystery of it, I love the obsession, and I think this is enemies-to-lovers done incredibly well (especially in a time where that trope is very popular and often *not* done well). ALSO these boys are often very funny and that's just a great little bonus lol.

A quick middling point: It took me a little bit to come around to the depiction of autism in this book. I don't want to criticize it too heavily as I understand the author is autistic, so I do trust them to portray their own experience, and ultimately I don't really have anything bad to say about it. I just thought it wasn't quite as consistent as it could have been, and I know for sure there are going to be readers out there who will not like some parts of this representation, though I won't go into detail. (In regard to that point, I personally loved it.) I don't think it was intentional, but at some point I started reading Laurie as autistic as well, and I do think that added something to the relationship and the story.

The cons: I have very few! A quick one that I just have to get out of the way is that the narration uses the phrase "a full minute" no less than five times (at least two of those being in pretty close proximity to each other, I think they were only a chapter apart), and I noticed it every single time. This is super a me thing, but I struggle with time blindness and there is no way a full, real-life minute passed in those moments. It was just an odd phrase to use, and so many times, too. Speaking of time, there are parts of this book where time becomes very fuzzy, and while sometimes it feels purposeful, other times it does not. There's a point near the end where it's mentioned a full week has passed, and there really is no indication for it at all. I can easily excuse why, but it was still confusing. There are a couple times where it wasn't clear to me how Evander got to a conclusion, and I didn't find the first part of the mystery plot's end (for lack of a better way to put it???) super satisfying, though I still loved the horror. There is a single point where Laurie refers to himself with they/them (the line specifically goes "who runs their mouth") and it's never brought up again. I'm not sure if this was a mistake or if we're meant to read Laurie as nonbinary? The narration doesn't change pronouns for him (hence why I keep using he/him), so I'm just not sure. Finally, I can't call this a real criticism, but I loved the illustrations and I wish there were more of them!!! They're so cool!!

Another quick middling point: Looking back through my notes, I first guessed what was happening at about the 40% mark, and my certainly only grew from there. This is a step up from DLTFI where I guessed what turned out to be one of the final reveals literally from the back-of-the-book synopsis, but also like with DLTFI, I wasn't bothered by this. I'm not sure if it's an effect of this being YA and me being in my mid-twenties, or if it's because of the writing, or what. Again, I personally didn't mind in either case, but I figure it's worth noting.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book. Devoured it I think almost as fast as I did DLTFI. I am super hyped for C.G. Drews future works, and I can't wait to own this come October. <3

Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, when he was a child. For his safety, Evander has been given three ironclad rules to follow:


Hazelthorn
by CG Drews
Pub Date: Oct 28 2025

He can never leave the estate. He can never go into the gardens. And most importantly, he can never again be left alone with Byron's charming, underachieving grandson, Laurie.

That last rule has been in place ever since Laurie tried to kill Evander seven years ago, and yet somehow Evander is still obsessed with him.

When Byron suddenly dies, Evander inherits Hazelthorn’s immense gothic mansion and acres of sprawling grounds, along with the entirety of the Lennox-Hall family's vast wealth. But Evander's sure his guardian was murdered, and Laurie may be the only one who can help him find the killer before they come for Evander next.

Perhaps even more concerning is how the overgrown garden is refusing to stay behind its walls, slipping its vines and spores deeper into the house with each passing day. As the family’s dark secrets unravel alongside the growing horror of their terribly alive, bloodthirsty garden, Evander needs to find out what he’s really inheriting before the garden demands to be fed once more.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of Hazelthorn!
CG Drews’ Don’t Let the Forest In was one of my top reads of 2024, making Hazelthorn one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. And boy did it live up to, and exceed, my expectations! This book will haunt me, with its beauty and its madness and the kind of lush prose that you just want to drown in. A murder mystery steeped in botanical body horror, Hazelthorn will sink into your skin, grow roots, and leave you gasping for more.

Hazelthorn is the queer, eldritch horror, YA fantasy novel about two boys living in a decaying mansion surrounded by a bloodthirsty garden. Evander and Laurie are orphaned when their parents die in a tragic car accident. The boys are taken in by Laurie’s grandfather who owns an estate called Hazelthorn. When the boys’ guardian is poisoned and Evander inherits his fortune, along with Hazelthorn, they must solve the murder while also surviving the schemes of Laurie’s extended family members who want to take control of Evander’s inheritance.

CG Drews does an incredible job creating a classic gothic atmosphere and all that goes along with it—from the crumbling, dusty mansion full of secrets and the encroaching, strangling garden, to the internal sense of absolute foreboding and nerve-wracking tension.

Evander is a sensitive soul who is on the spectrum, and Drews deftly exposes the reader to the everyday struggles of a boy who isn’t built for the chaos and subtleties and nuances that neurotypical people can easily navigate. The budding romance between Evander and Laurie is both vicious and joyful. The yearning, oh my god the YEARNING! It was palpable. And when they finally succumb, it is a visceral experience for the reader as well as the boys.

Set in the same universe as Don’t Let the Forest In, this is a story about learning to overcome self-hatred and accept and love yourself as the perfectly imperfect being that you are. And it is exquisite.

You could describe the type of stories CG Drews writes as horror. As haunting. As romantic. But all of that is too simple for the "I love you so much I want to crawl into your chest so we can both lie in the dirt and decompose" story that Hazelthorn is.

Hazelthorn is about Evander, a sickly boy raised on the estate (the titular Hazelthorn!) of a wealthy family, the Lennox-Halls, for years following the death of his parents. His guardian is the man of the estate, Byron Lennox-Hall—grandfather to Laurie Lennox-Hall, the object of Evander's obsession and disdain after Laurie attempted to kill him and bury him alive in the garden when they were ten. After a sudden incident leaves Hazelthorn in the hands of Evander—and not its supposed rightful heir, Laurie—things begin to go amiss in more ways than one, and Evander finds himself questioning now more than ever what is real and what's a part of his constant episodes.

I adored this book. I was hooked on Drews' first novel—Don't Let The Forest In—and the way he was masterfully able to stitch together a terrifying plot with often unreliable narrators while still giving me rich characters, and Hazelthorn is no exception. Though our story focuses on Evander and Laurie, there's much to be said about the vivid picture Drews paints of the rest of the Lennox-Halls who descend on Hazelthorn in search of their own cut of the inheritance—and Evander in turn.

But to focus on Evander and Laurie, the two of them as characters were so engaging. Laurie comes off, at first, the way Evander sees him—a spoiled, vicious brat. But as the plot unravels, Laurie's well-tended layers begin to peel away to reveal a truly tragic, aching character. Evander, who is our POV character, has a similar build of dimension—as he learns more about himself and his place in the world, particularly after years shut away in his room, we begin to touch corners of him he may not have yet touched himself. His implied autism is portrayed with a deft hand, and the spoilery parallels Drews makes to enrich his episodes were so genius I found myself, somehow, smiling.

Drews' prose is stunning, with horrific visuals painted out just enough to create a rich picture, while still leaving enough up to the imagination to stir true unease (I say this with affection). The story of Hazelthorn, its garden, and how Evander and Laurie and the Lennox-Hall clan are all tied to it constantly had me guessing—Drews is an expert at placing all of the puzzle pieces in front of the reader to the point where, when pieces are revealed, you realize it was all in front of you the entire time. His novels beg to be read twice. Or three times. Or ten.

While Hazelthorn is a masterful picture of botanical horror, I did not find myself fully drawn in by its ruthless gnarled vines. For me, the first half relied too much on plant filled imagery, and less on actual plot development. However, when the plot took over, it became far more compelling.

I was more invested in the subplot of Laurie and Evander’s desperate desire filled hate for one another than anything else, and in the last quarter, Hazelthorn truly delivered that with some of its best moments.

While it wasn’t a perfect read for me, I know it will be for many others, so if you think this book may be for you, then don’t talk yourself out of it. It is a wondrous thrill of haunting, painful and wild things. I promise, it will grow on you.

“What if the worst of us is the only part that’s real?” This quote from Hazelthorn is the essence of Drews’s beautifully devastating story of Evander, Laurie, and the fantastical connection that binds them.

Drews’s authentic and unique voice is the catalyst for the engaging plot that envelopes you in the mystery of Hazelthorn. Every word choice is intentional as Drews’s imagery and stream of conscious writing style ensnares you in the mania of Evander’s world. From the first pages you realize that Hazelthorn and its inhabitants are not what they seem and all you can do is hang on because you know that Drews is going to guide you through the chaotic maze that is the human psyche. Every twist and turn leaves you second guessing what you, as the reader, know and what you can trust.

In the end you are left experiencing a story of love and loyalty that is uniquely CG Drews and their authentic voice.

CG Drews’ previous book, Don’t Let the Forest In, was my favorite book of 2024! I was incredibly excited to read more of their work, and Hazelthorn did not disappoint!

The plot was so fast-moving! Someone was already dead by the third chapter👀! The plot was also extremely mysterious. Whenever I thought I had everything figured out, the mystery went in a new, exciting direction. The story kept me guessing the entire time. (I did have some correct guesses though, so shoutout to me😉) And that ending!! I saw the author say on social media that the heartbreak that we would feel after Hazelthorn would be worse than the one we all felt after Don’t Let the Forest In and… yeah… I am not okay…

I did think the writing was a little TOO flowery in this one. It felt less natural than in DLTFI and a little more heavy handed. Some of the metaphors & analogies felt forced at times in my opinion. I also didn’t feel as connected to the characters in this one. Those two things kept it from being a five star read for me, but I truly enjoyed this and am very excited for CG Drews next release: You Did Nothing Wrong!

Thank you Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own.

CW: blood, gore, child abuse, medical abuse, ableism, eating disorders, and body horror

First and foremost a huge shout out to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was my first exposure to C.G. Drew’s writing and I was blown away. Not only is the prose done so well the story captures you right from the start and takes you on a mind bending journey of horror. Gothic anything is my favorite so to have this be a gothic horror, it lived up to that. There were moments when I was absolutely disgusted and moments were I was in awe of the way the words came together as a whole. I highly recommend this book and can not wait to read their other work!

Hazelthorn really took me by surprise. Mystery and horror are not my typical genres but I saw a YouTube review and thought the vibe was still my thing even if the general plot line wasn't. And I was right about the vibes. What I was not expecting was the honestly beautiful writing at times. Drew's really captured something magical in the complicated feelings of our main character, Evander. You as a reader are left wondering what's real the same way Evander is. You're told one thing, you see another, and Evander doesn't have the memories to really let you in on what's going on. It was all really heartbreaking and hauntingly beautiful.

Hazelthorn

An eerie atmospheric tale that I can only compare with Stephen King’s Rose Red.

Normally gardens are an expression of rebirth and life, but CG Drew’s turned one into the most diabolical creature waiting, watching, calculating until it's fed.

Evander is our main protagonist, but he is literally all alone, and no more safe than a lamb waiting for the slaughter.

Fun, scary, and grotesque. Maybe it's murder on the horizon. Money does tend to bring the worst out of people, or it is something else entirely.

Never a dull moment at Hazelthorn Manor.


Thank You to the publishers and NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

This was dark and creepy and beautiful all at the same time. The writing is stunning, the plot and character development is stellar!

Oh, how I devoured this book. The language, the setting, the characters, the hunger, and rage.

Broken boys with cultivated boredom and sharp tongues are a weakness for me, I admit, and Laurie, oh, Laurie. This boy was equal parts infuriating and heartbreaking ,and I was torn between wanting to soothe his pain and shaking him until he fell apart at the seams.

Evander, however, reminded me a lot of my oldest nephew with his mannerisms and I could not help but love him and want so badly to protect him at all costs.

I would burn the world down for these two lonely boys.

Murder, mayhem, clawing vines and creeping roots, secrets tucked behind gilded elegance and caught behind sharp teeth.

That would be akin to swallowing poison and relishing the taste.

There's beauty in letting go, in letting yourself be violently and unapologetically who you are down to your core, for better or worse. For anyone that has ever felt the need to push themselves down, to dilute who they are to fit some ideal, you're not alone and this book will sing against your very bones.

I do like that there isn't much focus on the secondary characters in this one. I know a lot of people would complain, and, usually, I would be one of them, but putting the focus so heavily on Evander and Laurie works for this one. I was sucked in from the first chapter, needing to know everything, craving every interaction between these two characters even when it ripped my heart to shreds (there were real tears and enough shouting to annoy the cats, but that's not important).

I would sell vital organs to be able to re-read this for the first time again.

Another banger from CG Drews? Sign me all the way up. I devoured Don't Let The Forest In and let it hurt all my feelings so of course I was going to line up to let Hazelthorn do the same to me. Who wouldn't? Boys embedded in mystery and botanical horror, sprinkle in some queerness and douse it with autism? Hazelthorn gets all the stars.

Evander is the ward of wealthy billionaire Byron Lennox-Hall and lives within the confines of Hazelthorn which is locked in by wild, overgrown gardens that seem to want inside the mansion. Following an incident with Byron's grandson Laurie at the age of ten (if one can call attempted murder an incident) Evander never leaves his bedroom. He's rendered sickly and requires much care, remembering very little of that day and his life before.

Still, he is somehow drawn to Laurie.

Following the death of his guardian things at Hazelthorn and Evander's memories start to unravel as the Lennox-Hall's descend upon the manor. What really happened in the garden that day with Laurie? Who killed Byron? And why does the garden want to reach out and choke him?

Listen, this book had me hooked. I immediately began questioning everything and trusting no one and nothing all while going through it with Evander. I was angry with him, concerned, confused. CG Drews said it straight up that this book is about autistic rage and it is well represented. That is not missing AT ALL and it makes you see things through a lens not often looked through.

Also, at the same time, I wanted to push Evander and Laurie together and make them say ALL THE THINGS because it was right there on the tip of their tongues the whole time. So many answers, so much longing and I'm just a sucker for it, okay?

This book will make you feel all kinds of things while being treated to lovely imagery (if you're into dirt filled lungs and poisonous plants) and a wild ride. Spectacular read and I will be thinking about it for weeks to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan) for the ARC!