Hazelthorn

Orphaned 17-year-old Evander spends his days managing a severe unknown illness that causes episodes of missing time and requires frequent surgeries. All the while, he’s sequestered within the Hazelthorn estate—owned by his reclusive guardian Byron—who forbids Evander from leaving the mansion, entering the gardens, or interacting with Byron’s grandson, heir apparent Laurie, who tried to kill Evander seven years ago. But when Byron seemingly dies of poison, and his death is brushed off, Evander determines to uncover the killer. His mission is complicated, however, when Evander—not Laurie—is named heir to Byron’s fortune and estate. Soon Bryon’s money-hungry relatives descend upon the manor, and Evander finds an unlikely ally in Laurie, who helps him both unravel the mystery of Byron’s murder and navigate Hazelthorn’s increasingly fraught social politics. As the boys’ bond grows, so too do the estate’s strange gardens and the family’s tangled web of secrets. Recalling elements of The Secret Garden, Drews (Don’t Let the Forest In) deploys crisp prose to spin a gothic psychological thriller rife with brutal twists and gruesome scenes of botanical body horror. Characters cue as white. Ages 13–up. Agent: Claire Friedman, InkWell Management. (Oct.)