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Hazelthorn
Laurie
From C.G. Drews' Patreon:
This short story is a crossover between Hazelthorn and Don't Let The Forest In. It contains major spoilers for Hazelthorn, but you could still read it even if you haven't read Don't Let The Forest In yet (it only contains minor spoilers for it). [...] This story is by Laurie's POV and it takes place during the October when Don't Let The Forest In was happening. The story takes place in the lead up to Chapter 16 in Don't Let The Forest In (and this all happens before the events of Hazelthorn).
[...]
Writing this was a chance to explore Laurie's previously untold perspective and I thoroughly loved being in the head of my wretched, snarky boy. The story turned out to be 9,000-words so, well !! Turns out Laurie had much to say.
I hope you enjoy reading a little more forest rot.
Available as free text (everyone) or epub (paid subscribers) on author's Patreon (@ Paper Fury)
This short story is a crossover between Hazelthorn and Don't Let The Forest In. It contains major spoilers for Hazelthorn, but you could still read it even if you haven't read Don't Let The Forest In yet (it only contains minor spoilers for it). [...] This story is by Laurie's POV and it takes place during the October when Don't Let The Forest In was happening. The story takes place in the lead up to Chapter 16 in Don't Let The Forest In (and this all happens before the events of Hazelthorn).
[...]
Writing this was a chance to explore Laurie's previously untold perspective and I thoroughly loved being in the head of my wretched, snarky boy. The story turned out to be 9,000-words so, well !! Turns out Laurie had much to say.
I hope you enjoy reading a little more forest rot.
Available as free text (everyone) or epub (paid subscribers) on author's Patreon (@ Paper Fury)
39 pages, ebook
First published December 24, 2025
About the author
C.G. Drews
15 books27.6k followersCG Drews is the award-winning NYT Bestselling author of Don’t Let The Forest In, Hazelthorn, and You Did Nothing Wrong. Their work has been translated into over 12 languages, was nominated for the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal, and won the B&N 2025 YA Book Awards, and are also Indie Next Picks and Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections. CG lives in Australia under a pile of unread books. Find on Instagram as @paperfury and TikTok as @cgdrews or at cgdrews.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews
February 19, 2026
This has literally everything I need in a novella. Laurie’s perspective in this prequel unmasks the vulnerability, yearning and conflicted feelings that are hidden beneath the smug, indifferent attitude he often feigns.
Though this story centres on Laurie’s life in a prestigious school, the narrative never fails to show the profound love that he has for Evandear—a boy who hates his guts.
The latter half of this story, however, is what I enjoyed most. The crossover between Hazelthorn and Don’t Let The Forest In? Fantastic. It’s eerie, gothic, and captivating all at once, plunging readers back into the harrowing, the grotesque, and the enigmatically beautiful presence of botanical horror.
C.G. Drews has undoubtedly become an insta-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to read more of their work.
4.8 stars
Though this story centres on Laurie’s life in a prestigious school, the narrative never fails to show the profound love that he has for Evandear—a boy who hates his guts.
The latter half of this story, however, is what I enjoyed most. The crossover between Hazelthorn and Don’t Let The Forest In? Fantastic. It’s eerie, gothic, and captivating all at once, plunging readers back into the harrowing, the grotesque, and the enigmatically beautiful presence of botanical horror.
C.G. Drews has undoubtedly become an insta-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to read more of their work.
4.8 stars
January 2, 2026
My final book of 2025 proved to be as extraordinary as I knew it would be from the very first page.
Are you craving intense yearning? That profound desire so overwhelming that it feels as though you're irresistibly drawn toward love, even if it slowly and painfully destroys you? A yearning so overwhelming that it seeps into your heart, leaving it scarred with thorns and scars? If so, then you must explore this author's work, because, my goodness, they truly understand how to craft the most visceral, aching yearning.
This short novella serves as a prequel to "Hazelthron" and also acts as a crossover with the author's other compelling work, "Don't Let the Forest In." Both of these books are nothing short of magnificent—brilliant, captivating, and emotionally intense—so powerful that reading them is almost an ache in itself, a beautiful pain that lingers long after the pages are closed.
All I can say is that the way Laurie yearns and loves Evander reflects a love so profound, so enduring, that it’s the sort of story people will still talk about centuries from now.
And reading once again about the obsessive and deeply codependent love shared between Andrew and Thomas brought me immense happiness.
Are you craving intense yearning? That profound desire so overwhelming that it feels as though you're irresistibly drawn toward love, even if it slowly and painfully destroys you? A yearning so overwhelming that it seeps into your heart, leaving it scarred with thorns and scars? If so, then you must explore this author's work, because, my goodness, they truly understand how to craft the most visceral, aching yearning.
This short novella serves as a prequel to "Hazelthron" and also acts as a crossover with the author's other compelling work, "Don't Let the Forest In." Both of these books are nothing short of magnificent—brilliant, captivating, and emotionally intense—so powerful that reading them is almost an ache in itself, a beautiful pain that lingers long after the pages are closed.
All I can say is that the way Laurie yearns and loves Evander reflects a love so profound, so enduring, that it’s the sort of story people will still talk about centuries from now.
And reading once again about the obsessive and deeply codependent love shared between Andrew and Thomas brought me immense happiness.
January 1, 2026
Great little morsel about Laurie dying from yearning 🫠 That's it, that's all you need to know. And the top-notch, beautifully gruesome writing, of course!
Impromptu BR with my @angry axolotl on Christmas, can't imagine a better way to spend that day 🖤
Love CG Drews for feeding us so well!
Impromptu BR with my @angry axolotl on Christmas, can't imagine a better way to spend that day 🖤
Love CG Drews for feeding us so well!
June 25, 2026
❧ "𝖂𝖎𝖈𝖐𝖜𝖔𝖔𝖉 𝕬𝖈𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖒𝖞 𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖘 𝖘𝖙𝖚𝖉𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘 𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖛𝖊."𓂃 ࣪˖ ִִֶֶָ🥀་༘࿐
am i confused? yes.
but did i vibe with the gothic horror vibes? yes.
where is evander??? no one knows (except maybe those of you who read hazelthorn)
will i be reading hazelthorn now? absolutely.
🩸 𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖎𝖓𝖌 ~ 𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖆 𝖇𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖙 ~ 𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖔𝖒 🩸
꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶꒷꒦
⌗ 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𓂃 ࣪˖ ִִֶֶָ🥀་༘࿐
"contains major spoilers" for a series i haven't read yet? give here thank you
am i confused? yes.
but did i vibe with the gothic horror vibes? yes.
where is evander??? no one knows (except maybe those of you who read hazelthorn)
will i be reading hazelthorn now? absolutely.
🩸 𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖕𝖑𝖆𝖞𝖎𝖓𝖌 ~ 𝖓𝖊𝖘𝖘𝖆 𝖇𝖆𝖗𝖗𝖊𝖙𝖙 ~ 𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖔𝖒 🩸
꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶꒷꒦꒷꒦︶꒷꒦︶꒷꒦
⌗ 𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𓂃 ࣪˖ ִִֶֶָ🥀་༘࿐
"contains major spoilers" for a series i haven't read yet? give here thank you
July 22, 2026
𐔌 ♯┆5 FREAKING STARS FOR THIS MASTERPIECE
"it will kill laurie someday, the way he is wrecked with excruciating longing for the one boy who would be happy to see his blood all over the floor, his intestines unwound like ribbons, his ribs splintered twigs for the birds to carry away."
i was so desperate for this crossover the moment i started hazelthorn. i missed andrew and thomas so much as well so i'm really glad they were in this. laurie is my loverboy and evander's 'useless boy'
thomas, my long lost twin, the whole world is yours, share it with andrew. i kind of hoped that laurie properly met andrew but at least he saw him in a classroom.
"those two are more than conjoined, they’re built into each other’s ribs like a poem of gore and adoration"
WHY WAS BYRON EVEN IN THIS?? I WANT HIM TO ROT IN THE GARDEN FOREVER. now i'm torn apart by the realisation that i'll never see those four again...
"it has to be the worst punishment in the world, being in love with a boy made of thorns who he can never touch"
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
ꔛ₊˚ pre-read ˖ ࣪ ˖ ౿
THOMAS THOMAS THOMAS LAURIE LAURIE LAURIE HERE I COME
"it will kill laurie someday, the way he is wrecked with excruciating longing for the one boy who would be happy to see his blood all over the floor, his intestines unwound like ribbons, his ribs splintered twigs for the birds to carry away."
i was so desperate for this crossover the moment i started hazelthorn. i missed andrew and thomas so much as well so i'm really glad they were in this. laurie is my loverboy and evander's 'useless boy'
thomas, my long lost twin, the whole world is yours, share it with andrew. i kind of hoped that laurie properly met andrew but at least he saw him in a classroom.
"those two are more than conjoined, they’re built into each other’s ribs like a poem of gore and adoration"
WHY WAS BYRON EVEN IN THIS?? I WANT HIM TO ROT IN THE GARDEN FOREVER. now i'm torn apart by the realisation that i'll never see those four again...
"it has to be the worst punishment in the world, being in love with a boy made of thorns who he can never touch"
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
ꔛ₊˚ pre-read ˖ ࣪ ˖ ౿
June 25, 2026
not in a million years could they ever make me hate u, laurie lennox-hall. he is a loverboy who deserves nothing less than a lifetime of sunshine
⋆˚꩜ “evander would never scare laurie, no matter if he ripped open the entire world with his thorn teeth. laurie would still kiss him. he would bleed out in evander’s mouth if only they had the chance to touch.” 𓋼𓍊
the quiet nods to my forest boys were such a beautiful gift. I didn’t know I was starving for this crossover until the moment I finally had it
☾ “It’s disorientating seeing andrew perrault without thomas rye, like looking at the bloody half of someone severed from their own beating heart.”݁ 𖠰
────────────────────────────────────
https://www.patreon.com/cgdrews/posts...
⋆˚꩜ “evander would never scare laurie, no matter if he ripped open the entire world with his thorn teeth. laurie would still kiss him. he would bleed out in evander’s mouth if only they had the chance to touch.” 𓋼𓍊
the quiet nods to my forest boys were such a beautiful gift. I didn’t know I was starving for this crossover until the moment I finally had it
☾ “It’s disorientating seeing andrew perrault without thomas rye, like looking at the bloody half of someone severed from their own beating heart.”݁ 𖠰
────────────────────────────────────
https://www.patreon.com/cgdrews/posts...
January 8, 2026
"it will kill Laurie someday, the way he is wrecked with excruciating longing for the one boy who would be happy to see his blood all over the floor, his intestines unwound like ribbons, his ribs splintered twigs for the birds to carry away."
ohhh my babies 🥹🥹🥹pls tell me they're end game!! i could read a thousand stories about laurie & evander.
ohhh my babies 🥹🥹🥹pls tell me they're end game!! i could read a thousand stories about laurie & evander.
January 2, 2026
„Maybe Thomas and Andrew are doing less kissing in those woods and more waking up unholy eldritch forests,
and Laurie would very much like them to stop.“
This is the Hazelthorn x Don’t Let the Forest In crossover I never new I needed, but I’m so happy it exists!
I loved to get some insights from Laurie‘s pov especially his interactions with Thomas. I wish we would get to see the four boys together! What eldritch plantgore havoc they would wreck…
and Laurie would very much like them to stop.“
This is the Hazelthorn x Don’t Let the Forest In crossover I never new I needed, but I’m so happy it exists!
I loved to get some insights from Laurie‘s pov especially his interactions with Thomas. I wish we would get to see the four boys together! What eldritch plantgore havoc they would wreck…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2026
─── ୨ৎ 4.75 stars
⤿ .ᐟ spoiler-free review
laurie and evander will forever be so dear to me. i was literally foaming at the mouth from the included voice notes. i yearn for more of laurie’s internal dialogue and how pathetically in love he is with evander.
a big bonus was getting to see laurie and thomas interact in this novella as well! we love the crossover between hazelthorn and don’t let the forest in.
⤿ .ᐟ spoiler-free review
"my favourite flower is you."
laurie and evander will forever be so dear to me. i was literally foaming at the mouth from the included voice notes. i yearn for more of laurie’s internal dialogue and how pathetically in love he is with evander.
a big bonus was getting to see laurie and thomas interact in this novella as well! we love the crossover between hazelthorn and don’t let the forest in.
January 6, 2026
39 pages and i was on the verge of tears. they could never make me hate you, laurie
December 30, 2025
laurie: i'm so fucking sick of plants
also laurie: evander can fucking rip me apart with his thorn teeth if he wanted to and i would thank him
also laurie: evander can fucking rip me apart with his thorn teeth if he wanted to and i would thank him
December 27, 2025
i love getting my heart broken within less than 10.000 words
February 16, 2026
4⭐️
I loved getting a little more insight into Laurie’s feelings for Evander and I’m living for his little interactions with my babies Thomas and Andrew, cause I miss them sooo much 😭
I loved getting a little more insight into Laurie’s feelings for Evander and I’m living for his little interactions with my babies Thomas and Andrew, cause I miss them sooo much 😭
January 9, 2026
i didnt know i needed this
December 30, 2025
“It will kill Laurie someday, the way he is wrecked with excruciating longing for the one boy who would be happy to see his blood all over the floor, his intestines unwound like ribbons, his ribs splintered twigs for the birds to carry away.”
Don’t even know what to say except this was beautiful and I love Laurie
Don’t even know what to say except this was beautiful and I love Laurie
January 20, 2026
“He would bleed out in Evander’s mouth if only they had the chance to touch.” just you wait, pal!
July 19, 2026
I LOVE OT I LOVE IT I MISSED THOMAS AND ANDREW SO MUCH ☹️❤️
February 22, 2026
i won't stop until i've read everything by c.g. drews.
i love laurie so so so so much and well, my wonderful laurie, i think you would've gotten your wish.
“Oh, the boy I’m desperately in love with bit me and tore out my tendon with his teeth,” Laurie says pleasantly.
i love laurie so so so so much and well, my wonderful laurie, i think you would've gotten your wish.
December 31, 2025
laurie my loverboy the whole world is yours
July 5, 2026
"I know how I sound, okay? Like a boy on his knees with his chest blown open as he puts your name in his bloodied mouth like a reverent plea. Even if there weren't over 700 miles between us right now, you probably wish you had your hands around my neck. But I wouldn't mind.
At least you'd be touching me. I would do unspeakable things to have even one second of your fingertips tracing the outline of my cheekbone and to put my mouth against your fever hot skin."
I'M SORRY??? THE FUCKING YEARNING IN ALL THIS VOICE NOTES??? this novella was everything that i didn't even know the i needed! i loved to see that laurie was obsessed with evander in the same fucking way that evander was obsessed with him.. i just love them both so fucking much 😭❤️🩹
At least you'd be touching me. I would do unspeakable things to have even one second of your fingertips tracing the outline of my cheekbone and to put my mouth against your fever hot skin."
I'M SORRY??? THE FUCKING YEARNING IN ALL THIS VOICE NOTES??? this novella was everything that i didn't even know the i needed! i loved to see that laurie was obsessed with evander in the same fucking way that evander was obsessed with him.. i just love them both so fucking much 😭❤️🩹
July 12, 2026
This is mah boy, five stars
I love Laurie, like, I aspire to be his level of obsessiveness and snark. 👏👏👏🖤🖤🖤
And honestly he is so relatable and real, except for his thing for the actual living embodiment of a homicidal garden... Yeah.
I love Laurie, like, I aspire to be his level of obsessiveness and snark. 👏👏👏🖤🖤🖤
And honestly he is so relatable and real, except for his thing for the actual living embodiment of a homicidal garden... Yeah.
June 20, 2026
5 bo ma w nazwie hazelthorn i laurie
April 9, 2026
a really short story that is intertwined with don’t let the forest in. the andrew and thomas cameo was such a lovely surprise, and it was also really interesting to see them from laurie’s pov and how they were perceived by the school.
being inside laurie’s mind helped me understand him so much better, his actions, his attitude, his deep bone fear of his grandfather, of hazelthorn and its secrets. and his yearning for evander was so heartbreaking, he truly felt like he didn’t even deserve to breathe the same air as him. he blamed himself and convinced himself he didn’t deserve any kind of goodness or happiness. my poor baby :(
being inside laurie’s mind helped me understand him so much better, his actions, his attitude, his deep bone fear of his grandfather, of hazelthorn and its secrets. and his yearning for evander was so heartbreaking, he truly felt like he didn’t even deserve to breathe the same air as him. he blamed himself and convinced himself he didn’t deserve any kind of goodness or happiness. my poor baby :(
July 28, 2026
5/5
Laurie (once you read it, you know why not Laurence) Evan Alexander Lennox-Hall, I love you with my entire heart. God this short story was pure YEARNING and I am so here for it. If anyone ever doubted Laurie's obsession with Evander (although if someone did after reading Hazelthorn, then I don't think we read the same book), well after reading this they shouldn't have any doubts. I loved this little venture into what Laurie's life was outside of the Hazelthorn manor and inside his head. It made me appreciate the ending of Hazelthorn even more (which I didn't know was possible). I am so glad that after all that time Laurie and Evander finally get to be together. To talk. To laugh. To touch. They deserve it after everything they both have been through.
It was also really nice going back to Wickwood, to Thomas and Andrew. I missed those stupid boys and hopefully soon I'll be able to do a re-read of Don't Let The Forest In. It would certainly be very interesting to see all four of them meet, I would've loved for Laurie to open up to Thomas and Andrew, they would understand him like no one else (well except for Evander that is). But oh well, maybe in another universe.
Even tho I read a total of two books and two short stories so far, Drews' books have me in a chokehold, I need those stories injected into my veins. Or no. I want them to wrap around my veins like vines. Crawl up my spine. Around my ribs. Then blossom inside my head and lungs. I am gonna be counting the days until Scorpion Deep releases with lines engraved into my wall.
Laurie (once you read it, you know why not Laurence) Evan Alexander Lennox-Hall, I love you with my entire heart. God this short story was pure YEARNING and I am so here for it. If anyone ever doubted Laurie's obsession with Evander (although if someone did after reading Hazelthorn, then I don't think we read the same book), well after reading this they shouldn't have any doubts. I loved this little venture into what Laurie's life was outside of the Hazelthorn manor and inside his head. It made me appreciate the ending of Hazelthorn even more (which I didn't know was possible). I am so glad that after all that time Laurie and Evander finally get to be together. To talk. To laugh. To touch. They deserve it after everything they both have been through.
It was also really nice going back to Wickwood, to Thomas and Andrew. I missed those stupid boys and hopefully soon I'll be able to do a re-read of Don't Let The Forest In. It would certainly be very interesting to see all four of them meet, I would've loved for Laurie to open up to Thomas and Andrew, they would understand him like no one else (well except for Evander that is). But oh well, maybe in another universe.
Even tho I read a total of two books and two short stories so far, Drews' books have me in a chokehold, I need those stories injected into my veins. Or no. I want them to wrap around my veins like vines. Crawl up my spine. Around my ribs. Then blossom inside my head and lungs. I am gonna be counting the days until Scorpion Deep releases with lines engraved into my wall.
December 29, 2025
4.5 stars rounded up
I love my bbs Thomas and Andrew and Laurie. You don’t see Laurie in Don’t Let the Forest In, but it’s revealed in Hazelthorn that he went to Wickwood. I liked going back in time a bit and seeing some of his experience at the school. Laurie is also very aloof for most of Hazelthorn bc we’re reading from Evander’s perspective, so it was lovely to get more of his personality in this short story. I missed my bb Evander, though. 🫶
I love my bbs Thomas and Andrew and Laurie. You don’t see Laurie in Don’t Let the Forest In, but it’s revealed in Hazelthorn that he went to Wickwood. I liked going back in time a bit and seeing some of his experience at the school. Laurie is also very aloof for most of Hazelthorn bc we’re reading from Evander’s perspective, so it was lovely to get more of his personality in this short story. I missed my bb Evander, though. 🫶
January 5, 2026
Whatever the hell is happening in this school, it is not his problem. Maybe Thomas and Andrew are doing less kissing in those woods and more waking up unholy eldritch forests, and Laurie would very much like them to stop.
Laurie my beautiful gorgeous Yearning Prince....
Laurie my beautiful gorgeous Yearning Prince....
January 3, 2026
SO GOOOD !!!! two worlds collide in the best (debatable) way possible. the yearning is real give more asap😭😭🫶🏻
January 30, 2026
”Maybe Thomas and Andrew are doing less kissing in those woods and more waking up unholy eldritch forests, and Laurie would very much like them to stop.”
the two grumpiest boys meet!!! i loved getting a little cameo moment between these two books and i love my grumpy babies and their beautiful botanical boys 😭
the two grumpiest boys meet!!! i loved getting a little cameo moment between these two books and i love my grumpy babies and their beautiful botanical boys 😭
January 30, 2026
certified dirtlover
March 27, 2026
I love them all so much and they were all there 🌱
Displaying 1 - 30 of 148 reviews