Hazelthorn by CG Drews
on October 28, 2025
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Horror, Young Adult Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Bisexual, Young Adult Fiction / Neurodiversity
Pages: 368
Format: Hardcover
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C.G. Drews delivers another masterclass in gothic horror with Hazelthorn—a story that’s as hauntingly beautiful as it is deeply unsettling. From the first page, I was completely drawn into Evander’s lonely, claustrophobic existence within the sprawling Hazelthorn estate. Trapped in a locked room for years, his isolation is so vividly rendered that you can almost feel the walls closing in. Drews perfectly captures that aching sense of loneliness and fear, making Evander’s world as suffocating as it is mesmerizing.
The atmosphere is dripping with dread—lush, eerie, and laced with decay. The forbidden garden is a character in itself, pulsing with something dark and hungry, its creeping tendrils always just at the edge of sight. When Evander’s benefactor dies and his door mysteriously unlocks, the story blooms into a tangled mystery full of family secrets, betrayal, and the chilling question of what really lurks behind Hazelthorn’s red door.
And then there’s Laurie—the charming yet dangerous grandson who may have tried to kill Evander years ago. Their dynamic is electric: part enemies-to-lovers, part psychological thriller. As Evander’s fragmented memories begin to surface, the tension between them builds, blurring the line between love and destruction. What if Laurie isn’t the villain he’s always believed? What if the real horror lies somewhere else—perhaps in the soil itself?
By the final chapters, I was completely hooked, racing through the pages to uncover the truth. Hazelthorn is eerie, emotional, and utterly consuming—a story about grief, obsession, and what happens when something rotten takes root and refuses to die. Fans of We Have Always Lived in the Castle and Andrew Joseph White will devour this one.
Rating: 4/ 4.5
Vibes: Gothic horror, decaying beauty, botanical dread, and a romance that burns slow and dangerous.
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