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My Throat an Open Grave
Labyrinth meets folk horror in this dark and romantic tale of a lost girl and the shadows that lurk in the forest.
Fall under the spell of the Lord of the Wood and uncover the dark past of a village that will go to any lengths to ensure its maidens stay good.
In the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania, they fear the Lord of the Wood almost as much as they fear God. According to legend, ghosts of the nearby forest steal unattended babies, leaving enigmatic tokens of wood and bone in their place. Leah Jones didn't believe the legend, thinking it just a way to scare the local kids—until her baby brother disappears.
Filled with shame and the weight of the town's judgment, Leah crosses the river into the Lord of the Wood's domain to bring her brother back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isn't what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother back... for a price.
It's a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything she's been taught to fear.
Fall under the spell of the Lord of the Wood and uncover the dark past of a village that will go to any lengths to ensure its maidens stay good.
In the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania, they fear the Lord of the Wood almost as much as they fear God. According to legend, ghosts of the nearby forest steal unattended babies, leaving enigmatic tokens of wood and bone in their place. Leah Jones didn't believe the legend, thinking it just a way to scare the local kids—until her baby brother disappears.
Filled with shame and the weight of the town's judgment, Leah crosses the river into the Lord of the Wood's domain to bring her brother back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isn't what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother back... for a price.
It's a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything she's been taught to fear.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 20, 2024
163 people are currently reading
26476 people want to read
About the author
Tori Bovalino
9 books660 followersTori Bovalino is a bestselling author of young adult horror and fantasy fiction. She loves obscure academic facts, folklore, and oversized sweaters. Find her on Twitter as @toribov and Instagram as @toribovalino.
Tori also writes adult fantasy as V.L. Bovalino.
Tori also writes adult fantasy as V.L. Bovalino.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,156 reviews
December 28, 2025
*Review comes from someone who has never seen the Labyrinth. Judging this one purely on the story, not on the comparison*
And then, one night while Leah was taking care of Owen alone, she comes to his room and sees that instead of her little brother sleeping peacefully in his crib
But this time...THIS TIME...he would not get to keep what was taken. She will go into the woods and snatch her baby brother back, or die trying.
This one was a bell curve for me. It started pretty low, skyrocketed up and then crested back down towards the end.
This book began like just about every other small-town-cultist book. Oppressive pastor, an overbearingly religious mother, a town focused more on the purity of girls than repressing the actions of boys.
Honestly, I thought about putting it down but I'm glad I stuck with it because the book turned around.
As Leah enters into the Lord of the Wood's domain, I became fascinated by the intricacies of the world and the mystery surrounding all the missing girls from her town.
And the grand reveal of the Stunning.
But as the story wrapped up, I began to feel uneasy again. And I think it's because of
But ah well. It really was quite good in the middle, and that almost makes up for the beginning and the end.
Leah's life is an endless cycle - school, church, home to take care of Owen, work - and repeat. And repeat. And repeat.
"A new school year. A new start. A new chance to prove that I'm normal, whole, acceptable to be friends with."
She wants out - out from the oppressive rule of her fundamentalist church, from taking care of her baby brother day in and day out, and out of this town where everyone judges any girl who steps a toe out of line.
"I wince, but let it go. It's not worth pushing, not worth fighting."
And then, one night while Leah was taking care of Owen alone, she comes to his room and sees that instead of her little brother sleeping peacefully in his crib
Instantly she knows. It's a changeling. An exchange. The Lord of the Woods has struck again.
"There's a bundle of sticks in the place where Owen slept only an hour ago. They're tied together with white ribbon...a scattering of petals over them, red and white"
But this time...THIS TIME...he would not get to keep what was taken. She will go into the woods and snatch her baby brother back, or die trying.
This one was a bell curve for me. It started pretty low, skyrocketed up and then crested back down towards the end.
This book began like just about every other small-town-cultist book. Oppressive pastor, an overbearingly religious mother, a town focused more on the purity of girls than repressing the actions of boys.
Honestly, I thought about putting it down but I'm glad I stuck with it because the book turned around.
As Leah enters into the Lord of the Wood's domain, I became fascinated by the intricacies of the world and the mystery surrounding all the missing girls from her town.
And the grand reveal of the Stunning.
But as the story wrapped up, I began to feel uneasy again. And I think it's because of
But ah well. It really was quite good in the middle, and that almost makes up for the beginning and the end.
Read
February 8, 2024did you ever wonder what labyrinth would be like if david bowie was a nice age appropriate boy? i sure didn’t.
April 6, 2024
I received an ARC from the publisher
TW: suicidal thoughts, mentioned overdose, kidnapping, emotionally abusive parent, drowning, implied infanticide, pregnancy horror
3.3
When I saw that this was "Labyrinth-inspired horror", I was very excited. Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies in the world, and there are plenty of elements that can be mined for horror, as well as metaphor and implications just begging to get dove into. In the end, this just didn't really go with the lens I was expecting, or tackle the concept in the direction I'd imagined.
However, I can see the inspiration in certain places- such as the general plot concept- and I did enjoy the folk horror elements.
I also liked the characterization of The Wood. A great thing about Labyrinth is how fleshed out and populated it feels, even with only glimpses. The Wood doesn't feel as large, but it definitely does feel like it's home to many people. I enjoyed getting to know these characters, and feeling like they're a real part of this community. It makes The Woods feel so much more 3-dimmensional.
However, this never really hit "horror" for me. It felt like fantasy, and one that leaned younger than most YA as well. The horror elements are few, and the focus consistently stays more towards romance and coming of age than it does survival.
Leah also felt like a very loose, thin character, with many of her traits told and then never show to match that description. With one major plot point I can see the point of that, but overall it just felt like she was an indistinct character who did little and had pretty much nothing going for her.
TW: suicidal thoughts, mentioned overdose, kidnapping, emotionally abusive parent, drowning, implied infanticide, pregnancy horror
3.3
When I saw that this was "Labyrinth-inspired horror", I was very excited. Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies in the world, and there are plenty of elements that can be mined for horror, as well as metaphor and implications just begging to get dove into. In the end, this just didn't really go with the lens I was expecting, or tackle the concept in the direction I'd imagined.
However, I can see the inspiration in certain places- such as the general plot concept- and I did enjoy the folk horror elements.
I also liked the characterization of The Wood. A great thing about Labyrinth is how fleshed out and populated it feels, even with only glimpses. The Wood doesn't feel as large, but it definitely does feel like it's home to many people. I enjoyed getting to know these characters, and feeling like they're a real part of this community. It makes The Woods feel so much more 3-dimmensional.
However, this never really hit "horror" for me. It felt like fantasy, and one that leaned younger than most YA as well. The horror elements are few, and the focus consistently stays more towards romance and coming of age than it does survival.
Leah also felt like a very loose, thin character, with many of her traits told and then never show to match that description. With one major plot point I can see the point of that, but overall it just felt like she was an indistinct character who did little and had pretty much nothing going for her.
January 28, 2024
Leah lives in a small town in Pennsylvania. When she’s not at school, she’s at church or taking care of her little brother. She thinks that if she isn’t good and holy, the Lord of the Wood will take her…like many of the girls before her.
Religious standards are high and one night when Owen won’t stop screaming, Lead wishes him away. The screaming stops, and when Leah checks his crib, all that remains is a bundle of sticks tied with a ribbon.
What does Leah have to do to get Owen back?
I love reading folklore books about religious town and their views of women, mainly because they’re just the views are so toxic they’re ridiculous. This book did a fantastic job showcasing how it is always the woman’s job to suffer at the feet of men. Leah was a fantastic, multi-faceted character who showed great growth over the course of the book. This story is very creepy, and utterly atmospheric. I loved how it was written because I felt like I was transported into the book with the characters. This was on the slow side pacing wise, however things unfolded nicely over the course of the book, so I stayed engaged. Once I started going with this one, I didn’t want to put it down and finished in one sitting. This book is so much more than just a spooky read, it’s full of self-love, redemption, and acceptance. I loved the twist at the end and didn’t see it coming!
This book is perfect if you are looking for spooky gothic read.
Thank you to Page Street YA @PageStreetYA TBR Beyond Tours @tbrbeyondtours Tori Bovalino @toribovalino and Netgalley @netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
4.5 Stars from me.
Religious standards are high and one night when Owen won’t stop screaming, Lead wishes him away. The screaming stops, and when Leah checks his crib, all that remains is a bundle of sticks tied with a ribbon.
What does Leah have to do to get Owen back?
I love reading folklore books about religious town and their views of women, mainly because they’re just the views are so toxic they’re ridiculous. This book did a fantastic job showcasing how it is always the woman’s job to suffer at the feet of men. Leah was a fantastic, multi-faceted character who showed great growth over the course of the book. This story is very creepy, and utterly atmospheric. I loved how it was written because I felt like I was transported into the book with the characters. This was on the slow side pacing wise, however things unfolded nicely over the course of the book, so I stayed engaged. Once I started going with this one, I didn’t want to put it down and finished in one sitting. This book is so much more than just a spooky read, it’s full of self-love, redemption, and acceptance. I loved the twist at the end and didn’t see it coming!
This book is perfect if you are looking for spooky gothic read.
Thank you to Page Street YA @PageStreetYA TBR Beyond Tours @tbrbeyondtours Tori Bovalino @toribovalino and Netgalley @netgalley for allowing me to read this book.
4.5 Stars from me.
May 3, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded down for several reasons (which as I enumerate them are tempting me to make it 2 stars!)
-This is not at all like Labyrinth. Just starting with "a girl has to get back a magically stolen baby" is not enough to make a story = Labyrinth. Labyrinth, for those who haven't seen it, is about a fanciful girl who doesn't get along with her stepmother or want to babysit the new baby. She is resentful but doesn't actually expect the goblins to steal the baby because she lives in the normal world where that doesn't happen. Leah has good reason to think the baby will in fact be taken. And Sara's story is an active quest: she chooses to rescue her brother, she makes her way through dangers and tests and finds friends and outwits the opposition. Leah is forced by her mother and pastor to enter the woods, which prove to be not actually dangerous, and then she hangs out in relative comfort (it's a lot nicer than her home!) and broods and plays piano in pretty skirts and eats yummy foods and develops a crush on a hot magical boy who is respectful. This is my kind of adventure, sign me up!
-This book is barely folk horror. It's more "folk" than the author's anthology, which was horror but not folk horror, but not by much. It's not horror for one thing: there's a mildly icky skeleton described, and some realistic nasty elements relating to religion and how men treat women and girls (so I guess in that sense one could argue that real life is horror all the time! I guess I agree, actually, but that doesn't work a genre label). I would describe this as YA fantasy with a cottage-core aesthetic.
I was very disappointed that despite having a Lord of the Woods there is no connection to folklore or mythology; in fact there's not much lore at all, we don't find out why their town has this baby-stealing lineage in the woods who are otherwise harmless and just live there in a pleasant Renn Faire encampment type of place (but with real houses and cooking facilities and baths, as usual with cottage core it's unclear who does the work that would be realistically needed to maintain the comfortable living conditions).
-All the women chose to go back to Winston, a town which seems horrible and which ostracized them. Why, when we eventually learn they could stay in the friendly community in the woods and have feasting and dances and stuff? This made no sense to me, and I was especially mad at the MC Leah for
Why I'm not giving this lower than 3 stars: The writing is decent. It's very readable. And I appreciated the author's grappling with female victimization, helplessness, and rage. I thought this was the element of the story she actually cared about.
****Note from before I read the book
I ordered this before realizing she'd edited the The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror that I found so disappointing. And I was meh about her story in there, too. But, I will read this eventually.
-This is not at all like Labyrinth. Just starting with "a girl has to get back a magically stolen baby" is not enough to make a story = Labyrinth. Labyrinth, for those who haven't seen it, is about a fanciful girl who doesn't get along with her stepmother or want to babysit the new baby. She is resentful but doesn't actually expect the goblins to steal the baby because she lives in the normal world where that doesn't happen. Leah has good reason to think the baby will in fact be taken. And Sara's story is an active quest: she chooses to rescue her brother, she makes her way through dangers and tests and finds friends and outwits the opposition. Leah is forced by her mother and pastor to enter the woods, which prove to be not actually dangerous, and then she hangs out in relative comfort (it's a lot nicer than her home!) and broods and plays piano in pretty skirts and eats yummy foods and develops a crush on a hot magical boy who is respectful. This is my kind of adventure, sign me up!
-This book is barely folk horror. It's more "folk" than the author's anthology, which was horror but not folk horror, but not by much. It's not horror for one thing: there's a mildly icky skeleton described, and some realistic nasty elements relating to religion and how men treat women and girls (so I guess in that sense one could argue that real life is horror all the time! I guess I agree, actually, but that doesn't work a genre label). I would describe this as YA fantasy with a cottage-core aesthetic.
I was very disappointed that despite having a Lord of the Woods there is no connection to folklore or mythology; in fact there's not much lore at all, we don't find out why their town has this baby-stealing lineage in the woods who are otherwise harmless and just live there in a pleasant Renn Faire encampment type of place (but with real houses and cooking facilities and baths, as usual with cottage core it's unclear who does the work that would be realistically needed to maintain the comfortable living conditions).
-All the women chose to go back to Winston, a town which seems horrible and which ostracized them. Why, when we eventually learn they could stay in the friendly community in the woods and have feasting and dances and stuff? This made no sense to me, and I was especially mad at the MC Leah for
Why I'm not giving this lower than 3 stars: The writing is decent. It's very readable. And I appreciated the author's grappling with female victimization, helplessness, and rage. I thought this was the element of the story she actually cared about.
****Note from before I read the book
I ordered this before realizing she'd edited the The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror that I found so disappointing. And I was meh about her story in there, too. But, I will read this eventually.
March 13, 2024
Repetitive and shallow writing mixed with flat characters and atmosphere, this book did not deliver. I get the point it’s making and that’s important in its own right, but the execution of it was entirely flawed. Do not expect what it’s marketed as, and I dare say you won’t be as disappointed as me.
dnf
September 11, 2024dnf
there’s nothing actually wrong with this book, i went into it not knowing anything and about 20 pages in i decided to read the description and im both glad i did but also wish i hadn’t. the idea that she had to write a song just sounds so stupid and im sure i was gonna give it 3 stars anyway so let me just cut my losses here.
there’s nothing actually wrong with this book, i went into it not knowing anything and about 20 pages in i decided to read the description and im both glad i did but also wish i hadn’t. the idea that she had to write a song just sounds so stupid and im sure i was gonna give it 3 stars anyway so let me just cut my losses here.
March 21, 2024
I really wanted to love this book, The Devil Makes Three is one of my favorite books and I had high expectations for My Throat an Open Grave, unfortunately I found the book a bit disappointing, it was too slow, nothing interesting really happened.
I was promised a Labyrinth inspired book but the only thing remotely similar was the fact the protagonist’s younger brother was taken by a mysterious figure and she has to strike a bargain to get him back.
I wanted more action more mystical things, goblins, magic, fantasy and this book had none of it.
The topics Tori wrote about are really important and relevant ones and I’m sure is going to resonate with a lot of people, maybe if I had known up ahead that this book would be so serious I wouldn’t have been as disappointed.
The prose was as enchanting as ever, Tori is a good author and I’m definitely going to read other books from her.
Thanks Netgalley and Titan Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review
I was promised a Labyrinth inspired book but the only thing remotely similar was the fact the protagonist’s younger brother was taken by a mysterious figure and she has to strike a bargain to get him back.
I wanted more action more mystical things, goblins, magic, fantasy and this book had none of it.
The topics Tori wrote about are really important and relevant ones and I’m sure is going to resonate with a lot of people, maybe if I had known up ahead that this book would be so serious I wouldn’t have been as disappointed.
The prose was as enchanting as ever, Tori is a good author and I’m definitely going to read other books from her.
Thanks Netgalley and Titan Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review
January 3, 2024
If I could give this 10 stars on this app, I would. Dark, heartbreaking, relatable. Excuse me whilst I sob in the corner for a bit.
OK I've come back to add to this because I cannot stop thinking about it.
I've tried to write this review a hundred times over and nothing I have to say comes close to expressing how extraordinary this book is.
Full disclosure, the TWs for this book are long. Please look these up. This is a book built around traumas, on and off page. But this is a story that focuses less on the what has and more on the what next. This is the true north in My Throat An Open Grave; hope.
This book follows Leah, a young woman living in a god fearing small town she's resigned herself to for the rest of her life. She's looking after her little brother and living with her emotionally difficult mum and has a partially absent father, all in all not the most emotionally nourishing environment! Oh did I mention that an ominous evil demon lord lives in the woods next to the town, and he gobbles up missing young women and children? Yup. That's a thing.
When something awful happens to Leah's brother, she is cast out into the woods to save her brother and finds more than she bargained for...
What I have loved most about Bovalino's writing in previous works is the various ways journeys of self discovery have been teased out in some of the darkest moments and settings, never letting that small flame of hope be dowsed. My Throat An Open Grave is no exception to this format; this I feel is Bovalino's rawest, most honest and gut wrenching one yet. I cried tears of sorrow, I cried tears of joy. Congratulation Tori, this is a masterpiece.
Read. This. Now.
OK I've come back to add to this because I cannot stop thinking about it.
I've tried to write this review a hundred times over and nothing I have to say comes close to expressing how extraordinary this book is.
Full disclosure, the TWs for this book are long. Please look these up. This is a book built around traumas, on and off page. But this is a story that focuses less on the what has and more on the what next. This is the true north in My Throat An Open Grave; hope.
This book follows Leah, a young woman living in a god fearing small town she's resigned herself to for the rest of her life. She's looking after her little brother and living with her emotionally difficult mum and has a partially absent father, all in all not the most emotionally nourishing environment! Oh did I mention that an ominous evil demon lord lives in the woods next to the town, and he gobbles up missing young women and children? Yup. That's a thing.
When something awful happens to Leah's brother, she is cast out into the woods to save her brother and finds more than she bargained for...
What I have loved most about Bovalino's writing in previous works is the various ways journeys of self discovery have been teased out in some of the darkest moments and settings, never letting that small flame of hope be dowsed. My Throat An Open Grave is no exception to this format; this I feel is Bovalino's rawest, most honest and gut wrenching one yet. I cried tears of sorrow, I cried tears of joy. Congratulation Tori, this is a masterpiece.
Read. This. Now.
August 1, 2024
2.5 stars.
This book is a victim of misguided marketing.
I wouldn’t say it’s Labyrinth meets folk horror, more like a paranormal romance with a small town murder mystery.
There is a a lot to unpack with this book, and while it does cover an unsettling topic covered by superstition, i felt there there were too many layers to uncover before we got to the twist at the end (which i liked!) but was kind of rushed.
•
Overall, not a bad book (teenage me would have swooned over the romance!) just not what I was expecting from the premise.
This book is a victim of misguided marketing.
I wouldn’t say it’s Labyrinth meets folk horror, more like a paranormal romance with a small town murder mystery.
There is a a lot to unpack with this book, and while it does cover an unsettling topic covered by superstition, i felt there there were too many layers to uncover before we got to the twist at the end (which i liked!) but was kind of rushed.
•
Overall, not a bad book (teenage me would have swooned over the romance!) just not what I was expecting from the premise.
January 30, 2024
4.5 stars.
Loved it.
If Labyrinth was remade by M.Night Shyamalan and Ari Aster
Dripping in gothic language reminiscent of spinning silver and a house of salt and sorrow mixed with folklore and gore I think someone else reviewed it as the epitome of cottagegore and I have to agree. But it's also very angsty YA but I think if I was a gothy goth teen I would ADORE this book.
Although I own another book by Tori I haven't read it but I will be putting that right immediately.
Part folklore and part mystery, culty, sprinkled with horror.
Loved it.
If Labyrinth was remade by M.Night Shyamalan and Ari Aster
Dripping in gothic language reminiscent of spinning silver and a house of salt and sorrow mixed with folklore and gore I think someone else reviewed it as the epitome of cottagegore and I have to agree. But it's also very angsty YA but I think if I was a gothy goth teen I would ADORE this book.
Although I own another book by Tori I haven't read it but I will be putting that right immediately.
Part folklore and part mystery, culty, sprinkled with horror.
November 19, 2024
just realized I'm falling behind on my reading goal. gotta go fast
April 17, 2024
Labyrinth vibes were not there. Bargain for a baby, and heterochromia? Imma need more than that. This book did a lot, and yet it was slow and uneventful, and I wanted more. I found the story incredibly moving at times, but overall it didn't hit the right notes for me.
January 14, 2024
➸ 4.25 ⭐️
🥹🥹🥹
'Tis the year of cottagecore horror-y books and I'm here for it.
'Labyrinth' meets folk horror in this wonderfully dark and twisted tale of belonging and what it means to be good.
My Throat an Open Grave is about facing your fears and overcoming religious trauma. It's about a girl who can't quite be "good enough" in the eyes of the small town that's been condemning her for years.
Our MC Leah was complex and well fleshed out, she's becoming more and more relatable with every chapter, gods how my heart broke for her.
I loved the dynamic between her and the Lord of the Wood. He was such an interesting character and exactly what Leah needed I only wish we'd gotten his POV.
The last 100 pages were super interesting and everything came together, one of the plot twists really destroyed me emotionally.
MTaOG was such an atmospheric and creepy read, perfect for the spooky season. Leah's story is one that'll stay with me.
eternal gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
all quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in the final publication
"You came for me."
"I would always come for you," he promises. "I waited for you."
🥹🥹🥹
'Tis the year of cottagecore horror-y books and I'm here for it.
'Labyrinth' meets folk horror in this wonderfully dark and twisted tale of belonging and what it means to be good.
My Throat an Open Grave is about facing your fears and overcoming religious trauma. It's about a girl who can't quite be "good enough" in the eyes of the small town that's been condemning her for years.
Our MC Leah was complex and well fleshed out, she's becoming more and more relatable with every chapter, gods how my heart broke for her.
I'm Red Riding Hood, lost to temptation, screaming forever in the belly of the wolf. The princes don't come for the ruined, the unchaste, the soiled girls they only care for princesses. They don't come for girls like me.
I loved the dynamic between her and the Lord of the Wood. He was such an interesting character and exactly what Leah needed I only wish we'd gotten his POV.
"But you have to understand... You're not human and you take things you shouldn't, and you've been made into a punishment. You have to see how that could be terrifying."
He shrugs. "But you came seeking me anyway."
I bite my lip, considering. "Perhaps I always wanted to be punished. Perhaps I was begging you to come do your worst, to unmake me and everything I've ever done wrong."
The last 100 pages were super interesting and everything came together, one of the plot twists really destroyed me emotionally.
MTaOG was such an atmospheric and creepy read, perfect for the spooky season. Leah's story is one that'll stay with me.
eternal gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC
all quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in the final publication
March 1, 2024
Well, that was disappointing? I signed up for a horror, not a romance. I expected this book to...worse? "He tells her to she can get her brother back...for a price." I expected that price to be way higher, and it should've been (imo)
August 26, 2025
It would fair to disregard this review, because I:
A) Didn't notice the big yellow "Young Adult" sticker on the spine when I picked this up from the library along with some other impulse loans from a horror display, and
B) I didn't read the whole thing. As I progressed, I increasingly felt the weight of the YA-ness of it all, finally checked the spine once I was half way through and was, like, "Well, duh," although I did in fact look for signs of YA labelling prior. Goodreads listed the edition's publisher as Page Street Kids, but the imprint on the title page is "Page Street YA" but even then because of my old, tired eyes, I wasn't sure it said YA and ultimately decided it said "Page Street MA" because the publisher's address is in Massachusetts. So yeah, I missed a lot of signs.
After the half-way point, I skimmed a bit, then skipped to the last 3 chapters just to see how it ended. I don't regret the missed chapters.
Still, my complaints about the book are not original and not solely because I am not the YA audience. The reviews for this book overall share many of my misgivings.
Foremost: THIS ISN'T HORROR. Disappointingly so, because the book's title goes hard. Like, that's a title that belongs on a J.R. Hamantaschen collection. The book has a reasonable folk horror setup: a Christian small American Midwest town abuts a forest, in which most of the population believes houses the Lord of the Forest, who snatches children away, especially from the sinful. The main character, a beleaguered 17-year-old with a strained relationship with her mother and new baby brother, whom she must frequently care for while her mother works, must venture into the woods when her brother is, indeed, stolen by the dark Lord. But as it turns out ... this book was vastly more romance than horror, with a bit of coming-of-age, and bizarrely sweet found family and a supportive new BFF in the woods and a sweet dog and fresh baked goods. So, not exactly nightmare fodder. At best, I could call this dark fantasy, but still awfully light on the darkness. Dusky fantasy.
The book is properly YA. It's about teenagers (including the terrible Lord of the Forest, who just happens to be an attractive boy the same age as the MC) and themes of interest to teenagers. It succeeds best in weaving those themes together in the story, and delivers on those reasonably well. It's also identifiably YA in writing style, with all the melodrama and minute self-reflection that entails, with plenty of analysis between each line of dialogue. It's not bad writing, it simply stood out as typically YA, and if not for the failure to offer horror I might have kept reading it.
The only reason I bothered to read the end chapters was to see the major character reveal play out. It was, unfortunately, highly predictable. I'm usually bad at predicting twists or future events in books, but this one was obvious by chapter 3. It's done well enough for those who don't call it ahead of time; it's in keeping with the rest of the book and in retrospect the clues were all fairly delivered. But still, bloody obvious.
Is it wrong of me to impulse read? I've had a few disappointments with grab-and-go books in recent memory. At least this one provided some topical connections to other recent reading. The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed delivered on the dark folklore of woods-bound fey child snatchers; Stephen King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon showed a girl actually struggling to survive in the forest.
A) Didn't notice the big yellow "Young Adult" sticker on the spine when I picked this up from the library along with some other impulse loans from a horror display, and
B) I didn't read the whole thing. As I progressed, I increasingly felt the weight of the YA-ness of it all, finally checked the spine once I was half way through and was, like, "Well, duh," although I did in fact look for signs of YA labelling prior. Goodreads listed the edition's publisher as Page Street Kids, but the imprint on the title page is "Page Street YA" but even then because of my old, tired eyes, I wasn't sure it said YA and ultimately decided it said "Page Street MA" because the publisher's address is in Massachusetts. So yeah, I missed a lot of signs.
After the half-way point, I skimmed a bit, then skipped to the last 3 chapters just to see how it ended. I don't regret the missed chapters.
Still, my complaints about the book are not original and not solely because I am not the YA audience. The reviews for this book overall share many of my misgivings.
Foremost: THIS ISN'T HORROR. Disappointingly so, because the book's title goes hard. Like, that's a title that belongs on a J.R. Hamantaschen collection. The book has a reasonable folk horror setup: a Christian small American Midwest town abuts a forest, in which most of the population believes houses the Lord of the Forest, who snatches children away, especially from the sinful. The main character, a beleaguered 17-year-old with a strained relationship with her mother and new baby brother, whom she must frequently care for while her mother works, must venture into the woods when her brother is, indeed, stolen by the dark Lord. But as it turns out ... this book was vastly more romance than horror, with a bit of coming-of-age, and bizarrely sweet found family and a supportive new BFF in the woods and a sweet dog and fresh baked goods. So, not exactly nightmare fodder. At best, I could call this dark fantasy, but still awfully light on the darkness. Dusky fantasy.
The book is properly YA. It's about teenagers (including the terrible Lord of the Forest, who just happens to be an attractive boy the same age as the MC) and themes of interest to teenagers. It succeeds best in weaving those themes together in the story, and delivers on those reasonably well. It's also identifiably YA in writing style, with all the melodrama and minute self-reflection that entails, with plenty of analysis between each line of dialogue. It's not bad writing, it simply stood out as typically YA, and if not for the failure to offer horror I might have kept reading it.
The only reason I bothered to read the end chapters was to see the major character reveal play out. It was, unfortunately, highly predictable. I'm usually bad at predicting twists or future events in books, but this one was obvious by chapter 3. It's done well enough for those who don't call it ahead of time; it's in keeping with the rest of the book and in retrospect the clues were all fairly delivered. But still, bloody obvious.
Is it wrong of me to impulse read? I've had a few disappointments with grab-and-go books in recent memory. At least this one provided some topical connections to other recent reading. The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed delivered on the dark folklore of woods-bound fey child snatchers; Stephen King's The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon showed a girl actually struggling to survive in the forest.
February 16, 2024
This is one of my favorite reads of 2024 so far! Creepy folklore horror is always a win for me, especially with the addition of religious trauma and manipulation. The theme of women paying for men's sins hits so hard and is so visceral through Leah's experiences, that it made it hard to read at times in the best way. Tori Bovalino's haunting, atmospheric writing was perfect for this kind of story and added such weight to every step that Leah took on her path to acceptance.
Though this book is creepy, dark, and gory at times, at the core, it's a story of redemption, honesty, love, and forgiveness. The romance and platonic love aspects are healthy and heartfelt, but in the end, this is Leah's story of escaping the horrific life she's been doomed to once she realizes she's worthy of happiness.
If you're a fan of complex female journeys, emotional reveals, cottagecore horror, dark atmosphere, religious oppression, and facing your fears, pick up this book.
Endless thanks to NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Though this book is creepy, dark, and gory at times, at the core, it's a story of redemption, honesty, love, and forgiveness. The romance and platonic love aspects are healthy and heartfelt, but in the end, this is Leah's story of escaping the horrific life she's been doomed to once she realizes she's worthy of happiness.
If you're a fan of complex female journeys, emotional reveals, cottagecore horror, dark atmosphere, religious oppression, and facing your fears, pick up this book.
Endless thanks to NetGalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 27, 2024
I wanted a good horror story, not this unnecessary social drama with the unrequested love story between rather flat characters.
December 4, 2023
I don't see myself healing from my weakness to resist a pretty cover anytime soon and this cover is gorgeous. The novel is graces is a lot more young adult than I expected, so though this was enjoyable, I wanted it to be darker.
My Throat an Open Grave is a quote directly taken out of the Bible and is the title of the story about Leah Jones. The high schooler lives in Winston, Pennsylvania, where she's facing a pretty gloomy outlook on life. She's barely managing to keep her job at a gas station and caring for her baby brother Owen, when said brother is taken by the Lord of the Woods. Leah now has to write a song in order to win him back, which forces her to examine the depths of what went so wrong in her life.
It's about religious and emotional oppression and standing up to face your fears. In a similar fashion to many other novels that came out in recent times such as Wayward and VenCo, this story explores the role of women who don't obey the rules society has caved out for them. In her world, Leah is a misfit, someone who doesn't believe like her religious town would like her to. The contrast is shown quite clearly: in the novel, the residents of Winston are afraid of the Lord of the Woods and his land, but as a reader, we learn that true evil lies with the humans who enforce fear upon others.
Apparently this was inspired by the movie Labyrinth, which I wasn't aware of. The 1986 film, which at this point I haven't seen, has quite a similar premise ("Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.") and seemed to be the direct inspiration for the plot of this novel. I can't judge whether knowing that movie will enhance the reading experience of this, but it probably would have helped me with what to expect from this story, because I had no clue romance would play such a big role.
Parts of this did just read like YA romance. I don't think I'm spoiling too much by saying that the Lord of the Woods ended up being an attractive young man that Leah falls for. I was a bit disappointed when realising what direction this would develop, because for me personally, recognising the genre's familiar patterns relieved the story of a lot of tension and that eerie atmosphere that was created beforehand.
This is pleasantly written – just know what to expect from it. It's basically YA fantasy and romance with subtle elements of gothic horror and folklore. It's a delicious mix, but because it is ultimately targeted at young adults, it's not exploring its themes as drastically or intensively as they could have been examined. Don't get me wrong – this is an atmospheric and diverting novel that I finished within a couple of days, but I think there could have been more to it.
My Throat an Open Grave is a quote directly taken out of the Bible and is the title of the story about Leah Jones. The high schooler lives in Winston, Pennsylvania, where she's facing a pretty gloomy outlook on life. She's barely managing to keep her job at a gas station and caring for her baby brother Owen, when said brother is taken by the Lord of the Woods. Leah now has to write a song in order to win him back, which forces her to examine the depths of what went so wrong in her life.
It's about religious and emotional oppression and standing up to face your fears. In a similar fashion to many other novels that came out in recent times such as Wayward and VenCo, this story explores the role of women who don't obey the rules society has caved out for them. In her world, Leah is a misfit, someone who doesn't believe like her religious town would like her to. The contrast is shown quite clearly: in the novel, the residents of Winston are afraid of the Lord of the Woods and his land, but as a reader, we learn that true evil lies with the humans who enforce fear upon others.
Apparently this was inspired by the movie Labyrinth, which I wasn't aware of. The 1986 film, which at this point I haven't seen, has quite a similar premise ("Sixteen-year-old Sarah must solve a labyrinth to rescue her baby brother when he is taken by the Goblin King.") and seemed to be the direct inspiration for the plot of this novel. I can't judge whether knowing that movie will enhance the reading experience of this, but it probably would have helped me with what to expect from this story, because I had no clue romance would play such a big role.
Parts of this did just read like YA romance. I don't think I'm spoiling too much by saying that the Lord of the Woods ended up being an attractive young man that Leah falls for. I was a bit disappointed when realising what direction this would develop, because for me personally, recognising the genre's familiar patterns relieved the story of a lot of tension and that eerie atmosphere that was created beforehand.
This is pleasantly written – just know what to expect from it. It's basically YA fantasy and romance with subtle elements of gothic horror and folklore. It's a delicious mix, but because it is ultimately targeted at young adults, it's not exploring its themes as drastically or intensively as they could have been examined. Don't get me wrong – this is an atmospheric and diverting novel that I finished within a couple of days, but I think there could have been more to it.
February 28, 2024
I feel mean because this was actually very nicely done, beautiful writing, all of it... but it didn't get to me, not really.
3.5/5
3.5/5
May 9, 2024
Couldn't bring myself to finish it. I was done after reading a characters pronouns and mentioning of "cis" people. Not necessary.
February 26, 2024
A quick read, it had me hooked from the very beginning regardless of how *cringe* I found the MC to be.
The reason I picked this one up is because it drew inspiration from the Labyrinth - an all time favourite - and whilst I see the parallels, it didn't quite live up to what I had in mind.
This is supposedly a YA Horror, but other than the mention of body gore a couple of times this reads more like a Romantasy. I also feel like the author had a word count to reach and there was a lot of repetitiveness in there.
The reason I picked this one up is because it drew inspiration from the Labyrinth - an all time favourite - and whilst I see the parallels, it didn't quite live up to what I had in mind.
This is supposedly a YA Horror, but other than the mention of body gore a couple of times this reads more like a Romantasy. I also feel like the author had a word count to reach and there was a lot of repetitiveness in there.
January 31, 2024
A YA dark fantasy? who am I? This book was a bit out of my comfort zone so I was pretty nervous but when I saw it was a Labyrinth inspired story I was so excited for it! I did enjoy this one and I did get the Labyrinth vibes! This was a very dark coming of age story and I liked the themes explored here, But the romance was pretty boring for me...like all romance is haha. You can check more of my thoughts in this vlog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlTNA...
May 9, 2024
DNF @32%
Labyrinth vibes ❌
Boring✅
Annoying FMC✅
Labyrinth vibes ❌
Boring✅
Annoying FMC✅
September 5, 2024
Came for the horror, stayed for revenge.
Labyrinth meets folk horror is a very accurate description of this book. And even though it had less horror in the literal sense and it dealt more with the horrors that we find in the world every day, everywhere, it was very satisfying.
Leah lives in a small town where everyone goes to church and girls are taught how to be a good girl. She is tired of taking care of her younger brother and he asks the Lord of the Woods to come and take him. She does not believe in the legend that says the Lord of the Woods comes and takes children away if you offer them. But after her offering, her brother disappears.
Now, ashamed and guilty, Leah decides to enter the woods to look for her brother even though when people enter those woods, they never come back.
This book had so many interesting fantasy elements to it but the joy of some of those parts is small compared with all the grief you will experience. It is a sweet yet devastating story and as we follow Leah trying to discover who she is and what she wants, we will also learn the truth about the Lord of the Woods.
The writing style was very beautiful and it was easy to relate to Leah as a woman and to put yourself in her shoes. What would you do? Who and what would you believe?
Labyrinth meets folk horror is a very accurate description of this book. And even though it had less horror in the literal sense and it dealt more with the horrors that we find in the world every day, everywhere, it was very satisfying.
Leah lives in a small town where everyone goes to church and girls are taught how to be a good girl. She is tired of taking care of her younger brother and he asks the Lord of the Woods to come and take him. She does not believe in the legend that says the Lord of the Woods comes and takes children away if you offer them. But after her offering, her brother disappears.
Now, ashamed and guilty, Leah decides to enter the woods to look for her brother even though when people enter those woods, they never come back.
This book had so many interesting fantasy elements to it but the joy of some of those parts is small compared with all the grief you will experience. It is a sweet yet devastating story and as we follow Leah trying to discover who she is and what she wants, we will also learn the truth about the Lord of the Woods.
The writing style was very beautiful and it was easy to relate to Leah as a woman and to put yourself in her shoes. What would you do? Who and what would you believe?
February 20, 2024
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒖𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 - 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆.”
There’s a small town called Winston, in Pennsylvania, and they know there are worse things than death. There’s the Lord of the Wood.
Raised to be a good girl from a very religious town, Leah goes to church every Sunday. But silently, she images herself drowning over and over again. When she’s underwater, it’s the only time she feels peace. And imagining her own death brings her comfort.
Leah struggles with being a good girl. She tries to do her best, but when the Lord of the Wood comes in the night to take her brother….she knows she’s failed.
Let me just sum up the vibes for you:
•cottagegore
•religious cult
•blood oaths
•sacrifices
•time warps
•a memory garden
•found family
•mild enemies to lovers
Tori Bovalino is a master of YA horror books. The atmosphere, body horror/gore, and dark themes that she writes about are some of my favourites. She’s an auto-buy author for me.
This book is for those who loved Lakesedge, Lovely, Dark and Deep, and Wake The Bones.
There’s a small town called Winston, in Pennsylvania, and they know there are worse things than death. There’s the Lord of the Wood.
Raised to be a good girl from a very religious town, Leah goes to church every Sunday. But silently, she images herself drowning over and over again. When she’s underwater, it’s the only time she feels peace. And imagining her own death brings her comfort.
Leah struggles with being a good girl. She tries to do her best, but when the Lord of the Wood comes in the night to take her brother….she knows she’s failed.
Let me just sum up the vibes for you:
•cottagegore
•religious cult
•blood oaths
•sacrifices
•time warps
•a memory garden
•found family
•mild enemies to lovers
Tori Bovalino is a master of YA horror books. The atmosphere, body horror/gore, and dark themes that she writes about are some of my favourites. She’s an auto-buy author for me.
This book is for those who loved Lakesedge, Lovely, Dark and Deep, and Wake The Bones.
November 18, 2024
The concept of this book is cool/interesting, and there are clear shout outs to Labyrinth. I liked that I didn't predict every aspect as the story unfolded and that we consistently were introduced to new elements.
This read a little young for me, and the religious aspects are not personally relatable. The main pov felt immature, and the romance was not my vibe personally.
A few times, I wanted to put this down. My curiosity won out, and I'm glad I stuck with it.
This read a little young for me, and the religious aspects are not personally relatable. The main pov felt immature, and the romance was not my vibe personally.
A few times, I wanted to put this down. My curiosity won out, and I'm glad I stuck with it.
May 27, 2024
I got bored so fast, skimmed to end, I missed out on nothing as the theory about Labyrinth has existed for decades so the reveal wasn't new territory if you're a fan. Not Good For Maidens was so much better.
January 4, 2024
My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino (she/her)
Genre: young adult, folk horror, urban fantasy, romance (subplot)
Rating: 4.5 stars
ARC review
Thank you NetGalley and Page Street YA for my ARC of this book! This is my honest review and all opinions are my own.
“I am a mangled thing. I am soiled black with sin.”
In a small Appalachian town, lives Leah Jones and her baby brother, Owen. One night after an exhausting work shift and trying to get the baby to sleep; he just won't stop screaming. She wishes him away to the Lord of the Wood. The screaming stops and all that is left is a still warm cradle and a bundle of sticks. Leah is forced to search for her brother and return him to the town. After the Lord of the Wood finds her, they make a deal: if she can write a song for him in one month, she and her brother can leave. But things are not as they seem, she feels safer here, far away from the choking expectations of the town and its inhabitants. Ghosts of her hometown are unearthed and Leah has to find out the truth, no matter if it leads to her death.
When I requested this book on NetGalley, I’ll be honest, I was expecting a YA romance that is inspired by the movie Labyrinth. I was expecting something fun, light, and easy to read with a splash of folklore. MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE was nowhere near any of that, and I loved it because of it.
MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE was about small towns, purity culture, religious trauma, how angry the dead can be, Lady Macbeth Syndrome, and the “otherness” that comes with finding faults in those ideals. When I finished reading it, I just sat on my bed at 2:26 am crying for no reason I could identify besides the fact that I felt seen. Have I ever gone into the woods to find my baby brother and bring him home? No. Did I have to write a song to bring him back? No. Have I ever found solace in water? No. But I have lived in two very small towns, seen what religion when placed in the wrong hands can do, how lost you feel, and been coached on “violations” before marriage in a school gymnasium. I remember the stale air, how quietly we went into the locker room to change for our gym class, not a single one of us saying a word. That is what this book is about. How oppressive that need to be perfect is at that moment. How after so many years, you are just done.
One of the major things I loved about this book were the metaphors and symbolism of water. Leah takes solace in the water, she loves it and feels pure and whole when in it. She is constantly bathing herself and trying to wash away her past. I interpreted a lot of this to be Bovalino’s exploration of Lady Macbeth Syndrome, and I will say that it was done beautifully. I loved every hidden metaphor, every long bath scene. Even when the water is used as a weapon against the main character time and time again.
“I’ve always felt best in water. Like I’m come undone. Clean.”
Another thing in this novel that surprised me was the folklore. While it is a main part of the novel, it is not in the way you would think. While Leah is in Winston, the Lord of the Wood is this terrifying creature coming to take babies away. He is used as the town’s main weapon of defense in keeping its inhabitants in line. “Do what you are supposed to, or the Lord of the Wood will come for your children.” In a way it reminds me a lot of Krampus and the constant threat of him against young children. However, when Leah does her own deconstruction, the folklore takes more of an important role. It helps her and guides her to the truth time and time again.
MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE is going to be a novel that I will be referencing multiple times in reviews to come. In more ways than one, it reminded me of The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White and the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christen Andersen. MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE caused that deep pang to shoot from my gut straight to my heart moments before a character says something. Just knowing what they are going to say before they do and knowing you can do nothing to stop it. That is the experience I will remember most about reading this book.
I highly recommend this book (if that was not apparent already by the very incomprehensible essay style review) and will not stop thinking about this haunting story for a very long time. I will most likely be getting a physical copy just to have, to sleep with it under my pillow, and annotated to my heart's content. I am also hoping to read the rest of Bovalino’s published works after finishing this one. If they cause even a fraction of the reaction I had to reading this novel, I know I will love them as well.
Please note that quotes used are from an advanced reader copy and may be subject to change in the final copy of the book.
MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE will be released on February 20th.
CW: blood, death, animal death (deer), body horror, suicidal ideation, religious trauma, purity culture, pregnancy, death of a family member (in the past)
Genre: young adult, folk horror, urban fantasy, romance (subplot)
Rating: 4.5 stars
ARC review
Thank you NetGalley and Page Street YA for my ARC of this book! This is my honest review and all opinions are my own.
“I am a mangled thing. I am soiled black with sin.”
In a small Appalachian town, lives Leah Jones and her baby brother, Owen. One night after an exhausting work shift and trying to get the baby to sleep; he just won't stop screaming. She wishes him away to the Lord of the Wood. The screaming stops and all that is left is a still warm cradle and a bundle of sticks. Leah is forced to search for her brother and return him to the town. After the Lord of the Wood finds her, they make a deal: if she can write a song for him in one month, she and her brother can leave. But things are not as they seem, she feels safer here, far away from the choking expectations of the town and its inhabitants. Ghosts of her hometown are unearthed and Leah has to find out the truth, no matter if it leads to her death.
When I requested this book on NetGalley, I’ll be honest, I was expecting a YA romance that is inspired by the movie Labyrinth. I was expecting something fun, light, and easy to read with a splash of folklore. MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE was nowhere near any of that, and I loved it because of it.
MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE was about small towns, purity culture, religious trauma, how angry the dead can be, Lady Macbeth Syndrome, and the “otherness” that comes with finding faults in those ideals. When I finished reading it, I just sat on my bed at 2:26 am crying for no reason I could identify besides the fact that I felt seen. Have I ever gone into the woods to find my baby brother and bring him home? No. Did I have to write a song to bring him back? No. Have I ever found solace in water? No. But I have lived in two very small towns, seen what religion when placed in the wrong hands can do, how lost you feel, and been coached on “violations” before marriage in a school gymnasium. I remember the stale air, how quietly we went into the locker room to change for our gym class, not a single one of us saying a word. That is what this book is about. How oppressive that need to be perfect is at that moment. How after so many years, you are just done.
One of the major things I loved about this book were the metaphors and symbolism of water. Leah takes solace in the water, she loves it and feels pure and whole when in it. She is constantly bathing herself and trying to wash away her past. I interpreted a lot of this to be Bovalino’s exploration of Lady Macbeth Syndrome, and I will say that it was done beautifully. I loved every hidden metaphor, every long bath scene. Even when the water is used as a weapon against the main character time and time again.
“I’ve always felt best in water. Like I’m come undone. Clean.”
Another thing in this novel that surprised me was the folklore. While it is a main part of the novel, it is not in the way you would think. While Leah is in Winston, the Lord of the Wood is this terrifying creature coming to take babies away. He is used as the town’s main weapon of defense in keeping its inhabitants in line. “Do what you are supposed to, or the Lord of the Wood will come for your children.” In a way it reminds me a lot of Krampus and the constant threat of him against young children. However, when Leah does her own deconstruction, the folklore takes more of an important role. It helps her and guides her to the truth time and time again.
MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE is going to be a novel that I will be referencing multiple times in reviews to come. In more ways than one, it reminded me of The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White and the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christen Andersen. MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE caused that deep pang to shoot from my gut straight to my heart moments before a character says something. Just knowing what they are going to say before they do and knowing you can do nothing to stop it. That is the experience I will remember most about reading this book.
I highly recommend this book (if that was not apparent already by the very incomprehensible essay style review) and will not stop thinking about this haunting story for a very long time. I will most likely be getting a physical copy just to have, to sleep with it under my pillow, and annotated to my heart's content. I am also hoping to read the rest of Bovalino’s published works after finishing this one. If they cause even a fraction of the reaction I had to reading this novel, I know I will love them as well.
Please note that quotes used are from an advanced reader copy and may be subject to change in the final copy of the book.
MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE will be released on February 20th.
CW: blood, death, animal death (deer), body horror, suicidal ideation, religious trauma, purity culture, pregnancy, death of a family member (in the past)
January 13, 2024
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my e-ARC of My Throat an Open Grave!
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🌲 are looking for a dark and atmospheric read
🧝🏻 loved the movie Labyrinth
💕 want a YA romance
👥 enjoy cult-driven novels
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
Growing up in the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania feels like drowning. Leah goes to church every Sunday, works when she isn’t at school, and takes care of her baby brother, Owen. Like every girl in Winston, she tries to be right and good and holy. If she isn’t the Lord of the Wood will take her, and she’ll disappear like so many other girls before her. But living up to the rigorous standards of the town takes its toll. One night, when Owen won’t stop screaming, Leah wishes him away, and the Lord listens. The screaming stops, and all that’s left in the crib is a small bundle of sticks tied with a ribbon. Filled with shame and the weight of the town’s judgment, Leah is forced to cross the river into the Lord of the Wood’s domain to bring Owen back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isn’t what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother back―for the price of a song. A song that Leah will have one month to write. It’s a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything she’s been taught to fear.
• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
This was a really different and interesting read. Apparently it is heavily based on the movie Labyrinth, which I haven’t seen since I was fairly young. It starts out strong, but ultimately loses me about halfway through the story as the MC, Leah, seems to start falling for the Lord of the Woods, which just isn’t the direction I thought the book was headed in whatsoever. However, I loved the woods and how everything worked in this “realm” where time doesn’t operate in the same way. When Leah was essentially a ghost, was probably one of my favorite scenes. Overall, definitely pick this one up if you’re a fan of YA reads with a dark atmosphere!
𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🌲 are looking for a dark and atmospheric read
🧝🏻 loved the movie Labyrinth
💕 want a YA romance
👥 enjoy cult-driven novels
• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
Growing up in the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania feels like drowning. Leah goes to church every Sunday, works when she isn’t at school, and takes care of her baby brother, Owen. Like every girl in Winston, she tries to be right and good and holy. If she isn’t the Lord of the Wood will take her, and she’ll disappear like so many other girls before her. But living up to the rigorous standards of the town takes its toll. One night, when Owen won’t stop screaming, Leah wishes him away, and the Lord listens. The screaming stops, and all that’s left in the crib is a small bundle of sticks tied with a ribbon. Filled with shame and the weight of the town’s judgment, Leah is forced to cross the river into the Lord of the Wood’s domain to bring Owen back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isn’t what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother back―for the price of a song. A song that Leah will have one month to write. It’s a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything she’s been taught to fear.
• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
This was a really different and interesting read. Apparently it is heavily based on the movie Labyrinth, which I haven’t seen since I was fairly young. It starts out strong, but ultimately loses me about halfway through the story as the MC, Leah, seems to start falling for the Lord of the Woods, which just isn’t the direction I thought the book was headed in whatsoever. However, I loved the woods and how everything worked in this “realm” where time doesn’t operate in the same way. When Leah was essentially a ghost, was probably one of my favorite scenes. Overall, definitely pick this one up if you’re a fan of YA reads with a dark atmosphere!
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