Book: Hazelthorn by Cg Drews
Reviewed by DB @ DB's Guide to the Galaxy
Rating: God Tier
I thought I loved Don’t Let the Forest in and now this?? Will I forever be changing my favourite Drews book with every new book they come out with? Or will I do my favourite thing and have multiple books be top? Probably yes. I love how Drews writes, it’s so good and there’s so many places in the e-arc that I highlighted. If I had a physical copy it would be so marked with post-it tabs and highlighted text. I love when I have those books that I’d love to mark up physically.
Laurie and Evander were such interesting characters I could’ve easily read 600 or so pages following them. I liked both of them a lot but I think Evander a little bit more (not that Laurie wasn’t good). They’re both so unhinged and I loved that — CG writes unhinged characters so well; if you’re looking for these type of characters, you can’t go wrong. They played well off of each other — even at the start when they didn’t like each other at all and it was mostly banter (which was also very good). It’s not every time where the plot and characters have the same amount of weight of importance and time being spent on it.
Another part where CG really shines is how creepy/unsettling horror the book can become. People think “oh it’s a Young Adult novel, so you can’t go big”. You absolutely can! I was very creeped out and I’m a full-blown adult (unless I see a jumping castle, then I’m a child again)! Drews also shines in description—characters, surroundings, horror elements. They draw you in with characters and describing the surroundings and once you’re in they start with the creepy things that will probably give you nightmares. I know with one of their books I’m never bored, there’s always something that pulls me in and keeps me there long after I finish reading. I’ll be thinking of this book and its characters until a long time after I’ve finished. I mean I finished this in November and I can still remember pretty much everything and want everyone to read it.