Hazelthorn

Gr 8 Up–Chronically ill teenager Evander has been locked inside his bedroom in the Hazelthorn mansion for the last seven years. His guardian, billionaire recluse Byron Lennox-Hall, blames Evander’s isolation on his own grandson, Laurie, who attempted to kill Evander when the boys were younger. But Evander’s obsession with swaggering, sarcastic Laurie has only grown, and when Byron abruptly dies, the two boys are flung back together at last. Evander is determined to find his guardian’s killer, Laurie is keeping secrets, and the extended Lennox-Hall family is descending on the mansion – and the fortune – they have been exiled from for so long. As the tension in the mansion ratchets steadily higher, the garden outside becomes more unmanageable by the day. Foreshadowing and recurrence are key to this enthralling blend of genres. The mix of botanical and body horror underscores the main character’s fragile state, while lush descriptions sprinkle plant-based similes throughout the work, keeping the off-limits mansion garden constantly at the forefront. Flashbacks and a murder mystery subplot propel the story forward, and as the animosity between the two boys shifts into something deeper, a breathless slow burn romance is added to the mix as well. The main characters are intense and impulsive, but they both learn and grow throughout the work – a further hook into readers who will already be obsessively engaged. Trigger warnings, including for abuse, are located in the front of the book.