Laurie

Hazelthorn

by C.G. Drews

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)

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Young Adult, Fantasy, Queer Lit, Queer, LGBT

39 pages, ebook

First published December 24, 2025

About the author

CG 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.

Reviews

[Nat ཐི༏ཋྀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Alexia · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Teru · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Sidney · Rating 4 out of 5]

"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.

[Rina | Worldsbetweenpages · Rating 5 out of 5]

„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…

[kira · Rating 5 out of 5]

39 pages and i was on the verge of tears. they could never make me hate you, laurie

[fiona ☁️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love getting my heart broken within less than 10.000 words

[Ophelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

i didnt know i needed this

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Naomi P K ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“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

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

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. 🫶

[sofka · Rating 4 out of 5]

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....

[♡ J U L I A ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOOD !!!! two worlds collide in the best (debatable) way possible. the yearning is real give more asap😭😭🫶🏻

[Ilja]

3.5⭐️

[Pyrrha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laurie is perfect in every way, and I am so happy to get this much extra content about him.
I find Laurie to be really interesting and hilarious to read! Getting a peek into his head and how he operates around people that are not his family was a great little extra (especially since we got it at Wickwood).
I would love for Drews to have a character like Laurie or Thomas as our main protagonist. Loud and aggressive. Another sad boy who had to shove nails into his body to makeshift his own thorns. Either way, I will eat up anything Drews has to add to their world of pretty rotting boys.
Also, love letters... In Laurie's real voice that isn't putting on a show. That's soft and a little wispy from his imagination taking over, speaking like Evander is right in front of him (chefs kiss). He better not print them out; I want them to sit together and listen as Laurie falls apart from embarrassment and longing for a boy he already has.

[niuuu]

guys help he's talking about dirt again

[Jasmine Lexa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am offended that this story isn't longer and that it cuts off where it does. Also, I need more crossover stories, maybe a whole universe of forests coming alive, hungry for blood.

[books!]

Never mind y'all, the author literally says that it takes place during the events of Don't let the forest in.
But watching both Andrew and Laurie have plant issues is pretty funny. Laurie saying that he's sick of plants is funny considering his boyfriend is a plant.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

brilliant

[sadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

laurie my loverboy the whole world is yours

[Madd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of course I loved it, who the fuck do you think I am lmao. I thought the original mention of Wickwood in Hazelthorn was a nice easter egg, and I was super hyped to hear about this, but admittedly when it comes to actual events of DLTFI, Laurie feels a little shoe-horned in. Also it is super unrealistic for people to call him by his last name when it's that long, lmao. BUT! I loved it. I love both of these books and I loved this little crossover and I loved getting to be in Laurie's head. This was a fun time :>

[Josie (thebookgoblin13) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There isa rotten, thorny vine grown around both our throats, but l'm the only one who knows we're being strangled."

Oh how ive longed to be back in this world with these characters and love me some Laurie. Seeing the way Thomas and Andrew looked in someone else eyes is just a delicious treat. Having more of Laurie and his pining for Evander was such perfection. wish this was a million times longer but honestly any little morsel can get of this world

[⋆⭒˚.⋆౨ৎ liv ౨ৎ⋆⭒˚.⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“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.”

oh i love them so much.

also:

“it’s disorientating seeing andrew perrault without thomas rye, like looking at the bloody half of someone severed from their own beating heart.” my loves!!

[coco's reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid story bridging two narratives in Drews's twisty world. Getting inside Laurie's head after reading Hazelthorn added further depth to his trauma and loneliness, and I enjoyed how different his voice was compared to Evander's. Also, this boy had no room to comment on how Andrew and Thomas were practically attached at the ribs when he spent the story pining over his angry, bitey, off-limits, disaster crush (we love you, Evander).

[Kase · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, that was fun. It's so convenient when the author writes the crossover fanfiction for you. A few brief scenes from when Laurie was at Wickwood. He interacts once with most of the major characters from DLTFI. We also get some more insight into just how bad his wrist is, which gives that spying scene from Hazelthorn a little perspective. About 9,000 words total, according to their post.

[Abiii 😚😚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHEN I FIRST NOTICED IN HAZELTHORN THAT IT MENTIONED THE SCHOOLS NAME I FREAKED OUT AND GOT SO EXITED. The authors writing is brought together these different stories into one in such a smooth way, and I’m here for it. I LIKE HOW IT WAS REALISTIC BETWEEN THE TWO SETTINGS. I wish Evander and Andrew could meet :(

[Olga Vlasenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

классный кроссовер + возможность заглянуть, что творилось в голове у Лори. если вам бывает интересно, чем занимаются side characters и как воспринимают происходящее вокруг, пока гг бегают с хтоническими лесными существами — эта short story суперский вариант.

ну и Лори такой жалкий и влюбленный!! хорошик

[gavilu · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect!!!!! i was so excited waiting for this crossover to be published and oh my god i devoured it so fast, i wanted so much more but everything that was there was just too perfect!!!! deliciously grotesque prose, i love it so much

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect crossover of the forest rot and garden rot boys. Laurie is snarky and awesome, and I’m here for it. Anything the author writes in this YA universe, I’m here for.

[Abbi Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhh Laurie I love you sm, you literally cannot catch a break man.