New YA Book Releases for October 29, 2025

Evander lives at the Hazelthorn estate and has since he was young and brought in by Byron Lennox-Hall, a reclusive billionaire who serves as his guardian. Byron’s always had three important rules for Evander to follow: do not leave the estate, do not go into the gardens, and do not be alone with Laurie.

Laurie is Byron’s grandson, and he’s both charming and an underachiever. Evander was almost killed by Laurie a few years back, and Evander is also obsessed with him still.

So when Byron dies unexpectedly, Evander is left the estate and a huge chunk of cash. No way was the death not planned, and Evander sets his sights on finding out who murdered Byron. He’ll have to break that last rule, though, to track down a suspect–Laurie may know something Byron simply doesn’t.

Add to the tension is a garden sprawling out of control and secrets spilling from both the house and the plants about the history of Byron’s family and estate. This is being described as “botanical body horror” with comps to Andrew Joseph White.