Review: Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews

Hazelthorn by C. G. Drews

Hazelthorn
C.G. Drews
Feiwel & Friends
Published October 28, 2025

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About Hazelthorn

CG Drews, acclaimed author of Don’t Let the Forest In, returns with another deeply unsettling and yet hauntingly beautiful tale of murder and botanical body horror, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, when he was a child. For his safety, Evander has been given three ironclad rules to follow:

He can never leave the estate. … Continue reading

Review: Grave Flowers by Autumn Krause

Grave Flowers by Autumn Krause

Grave Flowers
Autumn Krause
Peachtree Teen
Published September 2, 2025

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About Grave Flowers

A twisty, dark royalcore fantasy that takes the courtly intrigue of Hamlet and infuses it with the vicious ambition of the Boleyn family. For readers who love Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas.

“A sumptuously dark tale of revenge and atonement that beautifully explores the ties both duty and family use to claim us. From the first page to the last, I was dazzled.” —Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Thirteenth Child

Marry the prince, then kill him.

Princess Madalina and her … Continue reading

Review: The House on Rondo by Debra J. Stone

The House on Rondo by Debra J. Stone

The House on Rondo
Debra J. Stone
University of Minnesota Press
Published October 7, 2025

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About The House on Rondo

A young girl reckons with the demolition of a Black Saint Paul neighborhood to make way for the Interstate in the early 1960s

When thirteen-year-old Zenobia has to leave her friends and spend the summer at Grandma’s while Mama recovers from a stroke, life seems so unfair. But then the eviction letters start arriving throughout her grandparents’ neighborhood, and white men chalk arrows to mark the gas and water lines, and a new world of … Continue reading

Review: The Others by Cheryl Isaacs

The Others by Cheryl Isaacs

The Others (The Unfinished #2)
Cheryl Isaacs
Heartdrum
Published September 16, 2025

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About The Others

In this haunting sequel to her deliciously scary debut, Cheryl Isaacs (Mohawk) explores the sharp edges of lingering trauma and the bonds of love that heal us.

Only weeks ago, Avery pulled her best friend, Key, from the deadly black water. The cycle from her family’s Kanyen’kehá:ka (Mohawk) stories is finally broken, the black water is now a harmless lake, and her problems are far from All Avery wants is a normal summer with Key, her now-boyfriend.

The trauma, however, casts a long … Continue reading

Review: The Labyrinth of Souls by Leslie Vedder

The Labyrinth of Souls by Leslie Vedder

The Labyrinth of Souls (The Labyrinth of Souls #1)
Leslie Vedder
G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Published February 11, 2025

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About The Labyrinth of Souls

A darkly inventive fantasy for fans of Tim Burton, about a girl who can see Nightmare creatures from the forbidden Labyrinth of Souls.

In the Kingdom of Spinar, there are seven rules for safeguarding your soul from the Sorrows and Nightmare creatures—most importantly: never, ever enter the Labyrinth of Souls.

Ix Tatterfall has always been an outcast with big secrets: She can cross into the Labyrinth, … Continue reading

Banned Book Review: Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

Last Night at the Telegraph Club
Malinda Lo
Dutton Books for Young Readers
Published January 19, 2021

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About Last Night at the Telegraph Club

“That book. It was about two women, and they fell in love with each other.” And then Lily asked the question that had taken root in her, that was even now unfurling its leaves and demanding to be shown the sun: “Have you ever heard of such a thing?”

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she … Continue reading