Hazelthorn / C.G. Drews / Book Review

HAZELTHORN

Sometimes Evander forgets he's actually alive and not just some other forgotten piece of furniture in the vast halls of Hazelthorn estate. He's been living here, tucked away in a dark and dusty wing, ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian Byron Lennox-Hall years ago. And by now, Evander knows the rules:

He can't leave the estate, not while he's still healing from the near-fatal injury he suffered. He can't go into the gardens, where that injury happened. And he can't ever be left with Byron's charming grandson Laurie, not since Laurie was the one who tried to kill him.

But when Byron suddenly dies, Evander's life is flipped upside down. Because Evander has inherited everything, the estate and the fortune and all it entails. And Laurie has received nothing. And with Lennox-Halls emerging from the woodwork looking for a slice of Evander's prize, Evander isn't sure who exactly he can trust. It can't be Laurie, but Laurie's the only one he knows. And the enemy you know is better than the ones you don't, right?

THOUGHTS

I really enjoyed this book! It's definitely a slow read, especially for YA, and it's far more character-focused than plot heavy, so it won't be for every reader. But I liked it a lot.

PROS

Soggy, Rotten	This book has a really great rotty, soggy, drippy atmosphere. It's like watching moss and mildew creep over the warped edges of an old house. It's feeling froggy pool scum in your mouth. It's breathing in the bubbling rot of a desiccated garden. It's a really great horror atmosphere.
Gross & Grimy	Any good horror needs some gross reveals, and C.G. Drews definitely delivers! There are quite a few squelchy, slimy guts scenes in this book that are just the right amount of disgusting. But squeamish readers should definitely beware!
Unreliable	I'm always a fan of a really good unreliable narrator, and Evander is just that. He's a narrator riddled with gaps and holes. He trusts people he shouldn't. He likes to dance around the truth, to protect himself and to protect others. Nobody has a good reason to trust him with anything, and he just plain doesn't remember chunks of his own narrative. He's a frustrating narrator, and he's a narrator caught in the middle of a personal emotional spiral. And it works so well. As a reader, you just can't trust his recollection. You just can't trust him, and that adds a layer of uncertainty to this botanical horror that's just about right.

CONS

This book starts out with a bit of a murder mystery hook, and it evolves into something different. And I liked where we ended up. I did. But... I still wish we had spent more time with that initial plot hook. I would have liked more time spent playing detective, rooting out the murder-y truth. The other reveals in this book were great, but they didn't quite pack the same sort of punch a good murder mystery reveal does. And I would have liked that.	Not-So-Mystery
This book does a really good job of withholding information... mostly. But, without spoiling anything, we're given all of the pieces of Evander's background a lot quicker than the actual revelation is spelled out, and this didn't work for me. By the time the "reveal" happens, I already knew. Anyone reading it would already know. It's more or less said without so many words well before the point that they do actually say it, so the withholding of this reveal just felt... strange.	Holding Back
I said it above and I'll say it again: this isn't a fast plot. It's slow and meandering. And I liked it. But that's not usually how YA books go, so YA readers might be disappointed. Readers who aren't afraid to dive into the more literary side of things, however, might just find themselves loving the immersion C.G. Drews provides.	Slow & Steady

Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8/10

Fans of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden will love this unsettling new look at tucked away corners in botanical overgrowth. Those who enjoyed Amy Goldsmith's Predatory Natures will have fun sidestepping the slithering vines and carnivorous plants of this ravenous horror.

Details Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Date: October 28, 2025 Series: N/A Add to Goodreads Buy it HERE

Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.