Hazelthorn
by CG Drews
High School    Feiwel    368 pp.
10/25    9781250376299    $19.99

Evander recalls almost nothing about his past, but he remembers nearly being buried alive seven years ago by Laurie Lennox-Hall, the boy whom he hates and obsesses over in equal measure. A sickly teen kept confined to the Hazelthorn estate, Evander (who is autistic, though that’s stated directly only in an author’s note) owes his life to Laurie’s grandfather Byron, who has served as his guardian since his parents’ death. However, when Byron dies under suspicious circumstances and Evander is named his sole heir, his quiet life is upended. The estranged members of the Lennox-Hall family begin showing up with an eye toward exploiting Evander as a means to accessing the family fortune. Suspicious of everyone, Evander begins investigating Byron’s murder on his own even as it brings him dangerously close to Laurie. Meanwhile, the sentient “blood garden” of Hazelthorn threatens to uncover long-buried secrets and claim Evander for itself. Drews delivers an immersive gothic horror story in prose designed to assault the senses and the psyche. The novel explores the all-consuming desire—in this case, literally—for freedom and acceptance in the face of abuse and self-loathing. Evander and Laurie’s complicated relationship brims with tension as forced proximity brings their repressed vulnerabilities to the surface, providing a solid emotional core and compelling romantic subplot for this dark and cathartic narrative.

From the January/February 2026 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.