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.
Hazelthorn is a lush, gothic botanical horror novel that blends family secrets and betrayal, queer longing, and murder mystery. Even though it’s marketed as YA, its dark themes, VERY complex morally grey characters, and literary prose make it very suitable for adult readers! The story follows 17-year-old Evander, who has spent much of his life locked in a room of the Hazelthorn estate under the guardianship of the reclusive Byron Lennox-Hall. He’s been given 3 rules: never leave the estate, never enter the gardens, and never be left alone with Laurie—Byron’s grandson who once tried to kill him. When Byron dies under mysterious circumstances and leaves everything to Evander, everything begins to unravel—greedy relatives arrive, the garden grows beyond its bounds, and Evander suspects murder.
Evander is a fascinating protagonist who readers will empathize with. His mysterious illness has caused him episodes of missing time and left him deeply isolated and dependent on his guardian, Byron. When Byron suddenly dies, he’s forced to confront his attacker, Laurie, after 7 years, and their evolving relationship is the heart of the story. Evander first looks at Laurie with repulsion, but as they form a reluctant alliance to get to the truth of Byron’s death, their dynamic flickers between hatred, dependency, and eventually desire—giving readers all the feels and keeping them engrossed by the constantly changing dynamic. The side characters, including relatives who show up, the butler, and Byron’s sister Oleander, are all suspicious and carry heavy motives for killing Byron.
The Hazelthorn estate isn’t just a setting—it’s a living, breathing character, shaping the story as much as Evander does trapped inside it. Drews describes its walls, bedrooms, and hallways with such vivid, oppressive prose that it feels sentient, as if it’s deeply aware of its inhabitants—especially Evander—readers will literally feel its overgrown vines creeping through them. The garden is the most sinister and mesmerizing part of Hazelthorn—the plants‘ ability to lure, consume, and transform people is absolutely horrifying, and what’s worse—the garden remembers its own grievances and is waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce!
The story has a slow-burn haunting start, introducing readers to Evander and giving small morsels of his mysterious backstory and the atmospheric, locked-room atmosphere of Hazethorn and its sense of suppressed memories and unseen threats—all building dread. The midsection is where the tension really rises, as the relatives arrive, the garden breaches its walls, and Evander’s nightmarish experiences feel like a fever dream. It’s also here that the book really shifts from psychological tension to physical horror—be prepared for surreal botanical body horror like nothing you’ve ever read before! The ending delivers on the dread, and in true CG Drews fashion, turns the story upside down and sideways—so don’t even attempt to predict the outcome in this one! For a book that has a lot of lush language and atmospheric terror that sometimes feels like it’s slowing the pacing, the emotional and horror-filled conclusion makes the journey well worth it!
Overall, Hazelthorn is an addictive, genre-bending read that’s part gothic murder mystery, part queer romance, and part botanical horror. Those who enjoyed C.G. Drews’s sensational Don’t Let The Forest In will appreciate the similar lyrical prose, atmospheric tension, and haunted characters that this book has to offer. If you haven’t read this author yet and you enjoy books that feel like a nightmarish fever dream in the best possible way, grab a copy of this book ASAP!
Narrator Performance
Hazelthorn is a haunting, addictive listen narrated by the incredibly talented Michael Crouch, who’s won multiple Audie and Earphones Awards and has hundreds of YA/queer titles under his belt. Crouch initially gives protagonist Evander a soft, fragile voice, accurately conveying a character who’s had years of isolation and is very emotionally cautious. When Evander learns of Byron’s death, Crouch adds a tremor to the character’s voice, signaling Evander’s mounting anxiety. When Evander begins uncovering Hazelthorn’s secrets and reclaims parts of himself, Crouch shifts his performance to give Evander more confidence, with less hesitation in his tone—especially as his connection with Laurie deepens.
In contrast, Crouch initially portrays Laurie with a confident, charismatic, and slightly arrogant voice—making him feel like an antagonist who can’t be trusted but also whom you can’t look away from! In the early dialogue between Laurie and Evander, there’s an undercurrent of danger in Laurie’s words that rattles Evander and keeps readers guessing about his true nature. As the story progresses, Crouch shifts his performance to reveal Laurie’s complexity. His vulnerability and guilt are beautifully articulated later in the story with slowed pacing and a more honest-sounding voice.
This is a slow-burn gothic horror, and Crouch perfectly paces the story to maximize the building creeping dread. His pacing is even and drawn out in the early chapters, letting the atmospheric locked-room manor vibes and Evander’s anxiety and grief shine through. When the book shifts to full-blown horror, Crouch uses a wider vocal range and quicker pacing, especially during Evander’s nightmarish scenes with the garden, to fully immerse readers and make the botanical horror feel like it’s crawling out of listeners’ headsets!
If you’re considering this book, Michael Crouch’s outstanding character portrayals, expert pacing, and emotionally nuanced performance make the audiobook the ultimate reading format! It’s a must-listen for listeners who love character-driven gothic horror, slow-burn queer romance, morally gray protagonists, eerie settings, and narrator performances that fully inhabit a story! If you haven’t listened to Michael’s narration before, this audiobook is a perfect example of his incredible voice acting skills, and you’ll be craving more of his work afterwards—including his standout performance of the author’s previous novel, Don’t Let The Forest In. Listening to these back-to-back
is the ultimate botanical horror binge!!
Narrator Performance
Hazelthorn is a haunting, addictive listen narrated by the incredibly talented Michael Crouch, who’s won multiple Audie and Earphones Awards and has hundreds of YA/queer titles under his belt. Crouch initially gives protagonist Evander a soft, fragile voice, accurately conveying a character who’s had years of isolation and is very emotionally cautious. When Evander learns of Byron’s death, Crouch adds a tremor to the character’s voice, signaling Evander’s mounting anxiety. When Evander begins uncovering Hazelthorn’s secrets and reclaims parts of himself, Crouch shifts his performance to give Evander more confidence, with less hesitation in his tone—especially as his connection with Laurie deepens.
In contrast, Crouch initially portrays Laurie with a confident, charismatic, and slightly arrogant voice—making him feel like an antagonist who can’t be trusted but also whom you can’t look away from! In the early dialogue between Laurie and Evander, there’s an undercurrent of danger in Laurie’s words that rattles Evander and keeps readers guessing about his true nature. As the story progresses, Crouch shifts his performance to reveal Laurie’s complexity. His vulnerability and guilt are beautifully articulated later in the story with slowed pacing and a more honest-sounding voice.
This is a slow-burn gothic horror, and Crouch perfectly paces the story to maximize the building creeping dread. His pacing is even and drawn out in the early chapters, letting the atmospheric locked-room manor vibes and Evander’s anxiety and grief shine through. When the book shifts to full-blown horror, Crouch uses a wider vocal range and quicker pacing, especially during Evander’s nightmarish scenes with the garden, to fully immerse readers and make the botanical horror feel like it’s crawling out of listeners’ headsets!
If you’re considering this book, Michael Crouch’s outstanding character portrayals, expert pacing, and emotionally nuanced performance make the audiobook the ultimate reading format! It’s a must-listen for listeners who love character-driven gothic horror, slow-burn queer romance, morally gray protagonists, eerie settings, and narrator performances that fully inhabit a story! If you haven’t listened to Michael’s narration before, this audiobook is a perfect example of his incredible voice acting skills, and you’ll be craving more of his work afterwards—including his standout performance of the author’s previous novel, Don’t Let The Forest In. Listening to these back-to-back
is the ultimate botanical horror binge!!
Hazelthorn is a haunting, addictive listen narrated by the incredibly talented Michael Crouch, who’s won multiple Audie and Earphones Awards and has hundreds of YA/queer titles under his belt. Crouch initially gives protagonist Evander a soft, fragile voice, accurately conveying a character who’s had years of isolation and is very emotionally cautious. When Evander learns of Byron’s death, Crouch adds a tremor to the character’s voice, signaling Evander’s mounting anxiety. When Evander begins uncovering Hazelthorn’s secrets and reclaims parts of himself, Crouch shifts his performance to give Evander more confidence, with less hesitation in his tone—especially as his connection with Laurie deepens.
In contrast, Crouch initially portrays Laurie with a confident, charismatic, and slightly arrogant voice—making him feel like an antagonist who can’t be trusted but also whom you can’t look away from! In the early dialogue between Laurie and Evander, there’s an undercurrent of danger in Laurie’s words that rattles Evander and keeps readers guessing about his true nature. As the story progresses, Crouch shifts his performance to reveal Laurie’s complexity. His vulnerability and guilt are beautifully articulated later in the story with slowed pacing and a more honest-sounding voice.
This is a slow-burn gothic horror, and Crouch perfectly paces the story to maximize the building creeping dread. His pacing is even and drawn out in the early chapters, letting the atmospheric locked-room manor vibes and Evander’s anxiety and grief shine through. When the book shifts to full-blown horror, Crouch uses a wider vocal range and quicker pacing, especially during Evander’s nightmarish scenes with the garden, to fully immerse readers and make the botanical horror feel like it’s crawling out of listeners’ headsets!
If you’re considering this book, Michael Crouch’s outstanding character portrayals, expert pacing, and emotionally nuanced performance make the audiobook the ultimate reading format! It’s a must-listen for listeners who love character-driven gothic horror, slow-burn queer romance, morally gray protagonists, eerie settings, and narrator performances that fully inhabit a story! If you haven’t listened to Michael’s narration before, this audiobook is a perfect example of his incredible voice acting skills, and you’ll be craving more of his work afterwards—including his standout performance of the author’s previous novel, Don’t Let The Forest In. Listening to these back-to-back
is the ultimate botanical horror binge!!
