Hazelthorn

By C.G. Drews

Book Overview

CG Drews, instant New York Times-bestselling author of Don't Let the Forest In, returns with another deeply unsettling and yet hauntingly beautiful tale of murder and botanical body horror, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White, Annihilation, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

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:

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.

Also by CG Drews
Don't Let the Forest In

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250376297
• ISBN13: 9781250376299
• Release Date: October 2025
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.8" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 13 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary

Customer Reviews

Dark, Tortured, and Wonderful!

Wow! The atmosphere of this book is so dark and gothic, yet beautiful, much like a deadly plant, of which there are many in the gardens at Hazelthorn! The dread and the sense of something deeply wrong exudes from the first page where the reader is introduced to Evander, a frail boy trapped in Hazelthorn for the past seven years, isolated and forever sick and not knowing anything about what lies beyond, except for another boy, Laurie, who tried to kill him seven years ago and what his guardian tells him (nothing!). It had me hooked the whole time from the mysterious and suspicious death of Evander's guardian, the strange will, and a whole host of relatives dropping in for a piece of the pie and maybe something more, even darker. Unsettling, filled with horror (both psychological and body), mysteries, lies, death, a strange garden with secrets and treasure, plus a hunt for the truth about Evander (and boy is it a doozy!), Laurie, and the true cost of the lavish life at Hazelthorn! Plus a tortured and exquisite love story that had me flipping pages so fast to see if it would last long enough to find a bit of happiness in this gothic dark tale. Beautifully written and vivid descriptions of this dark manor with a garden that wants in and wants it all back! I am glad I got a chance to read this book! And props to the cover which perfectly portrays this tale of Evander and his search for the truth about himself and finding where he belongs, whether it be Laurie, the garden, or Hazelthorn, or somewhere else.