#paperfury

[tandewrites]

Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews | REVIEW

Hazelthorn is C.G. Drews’ return to the horror genre, and it’s a book I’ve been dying to get my hands on ever since I read the final page of Don’t Let the Forest In. This one is an unsettling yet hauntingly beautiful story of murder and botanical body horror, pitched as perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White and We Have Always Lived in the Castle, or Knives Out meets Belladonna.  Content…

Hazelthorn by C.G. Drews | REVIEW

[autumnwildeart]

I had to draw this scene from Don't Let The Forest In, by CG Drews 🍂🌲

I'll probably redraw Andrew and Thomas because I think I can do better on them, but I'm so proud of how the monster turned out.

[dazzlingyouwithmywits]

[dzgrizzle]

if someone says “why don’t you read real books instead of fantasy?” you are allowed to feed them to the eldritch forest gods and buy another fantasy book

~ CG Drews, @paperfury (on Instagram)

[theliteraryluggage]

[quasar-concept]

『Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in』

Robert Frost

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Review: The Boy Who Steals Houses by CG Drews Rating: 5/5     #LoveOzYA

"Sam has so much stealing to apologise for."

Sam and Avery are the closest of brothers. Abandoned by their parents who couldn't deal with Avery's autism and Sam's desperate need to protect his older brother, they've learned to fend for themselves. But now that Avery has fallen in with an unpleasant crowd, Sam is on his own, stealing into empty houses since there's no place else to go. But when he stumbles smack-bang into Moxie De Lainey's household, Sam needs to rethink how he wants to live his life if he wants to keep Moxie around.

CG Drews has written another heartbreaking but beautiful novel full of complex characters that you can't help but feel for. Sam's desperation bleeds off every page of this gorgeous novel and his fight for survival is impossible to turn away from, even at the gruesome bits. I didn't realise for most of the novel that Sam is only 15 years old and it's so hard to watch this kid try to keep himself safe. And while Moxie is full of bravado, the cracks in her façade are so clear throughout the novel. She was definitely my favourite character.

Something I love about Drews' writing is that she always tries to bring attention to groups who are often left out of YA fiction. The Boy Who Steals Houses isn't just a novel about two abused kids trying to find a home again. It's about kids growing up in poverty. Kids growing up surrounded by crime and being sucked into it because there's nowhere else to go. Kids having to take on the responsibilities of adults because the adults, both good and bad, are otherwise occupied. So much YA is about characters in the upper-middle-class so, even though it can be difficult to read, it is refreshing to read about teenagers from a different background.

But the best part about this novel was the wonderful #OwnVoices representation of autism. I've been trying to learn more about autism from actually autistic people for about 18 months now so it was wonderful to read this novel and see so many of the same perspectives reflected here. Avery clearly struggles with social interaction, compounded by the trauma and ableism he faced as a kid at the hands of his parents and guardians, but he still has a job and he clearly loves Sam with all his heart. I loved the supportive relationship between the two brothers, especially towards the end when we saw just how much Avery does to protect Sam - like Sam has been doing throughout the novel.

Another fantastic, emotional and gripping read from one of the freshest voices in Australian YA. I can't wait to see what CG Drews has in store for us next!

Warnings: Graphic violence, child abuse, ableism and bullying.

[noveltyreads]

The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G Drews Book Review

AND SHE DOES IT AGAIN!!!

AND EVEN BETTER!!!

C.G Drews is easily becoming one of my favourite #LoveOzYA writers she's young, fresh and her dialogue is one of the best things ever written and some of the best I've ever seen in my years as a young adult reader and reviewer. Her characters are to die for and honestly by the end of this book I felt so soft for them and wanted to give them all a huge bear hug and pat their heads saying "It's okay, It's okay." Ugh! I loved this more than

A Thousand Perfect Notes

By a lot!

Can two broken boys find their perfect home? Sam is only fifteen but he and his autistic older brother, Avery, have been abandoned by every relative he's ever known. Now Sam's trying to build a new life for them. He survives by breaking into empty houses when their owners are away, until one day he's caught out when a family returns home. To his amazement this large, chaotic family takes him under their wing - each teenager assuming Sam is a friend of another sibling. Sam finds himself inextricably caught up in their life, and falling for the beautiful Moxie. But Sam has a secret, and his past is about to catch up with him.

I have to say Drews does a really good job portraying Avery and his autism he was a believable character and honestly I felt such a care for Sam it wasn't even funny. Sam just wanted a home and when he was discovered by a girl called Moxie De Lainey she and her family take him under their wings and make him feel loved despite him running away from his past.

I read this book for book club and I'll keep this review short but I'd definitely recommend it to people it gives you all the feels and makes you want to laugh and cry at the same time. I'm not a contemporary reader but this I enjoyed.

ACTUAL RATING: 4.3 STARS