This book invites you to fall under the spell of the Lord of the Wood, and boy did I ever. This was dark and creepy and twisted and I LOVED it. Steeped in religious trauma and painful isolation, this story is incredibly atmospheric and you just fall into this world. Leah was a complex main character who shows so much growth over the span of a short book - this is a real journey of self discovery. I also really loved the romance, which I wasn't expecting at all but which I felt was paced perfectly and the tone of which suited the story. I would highly recommend!!

When a book comes with content warnings regarding blood, gore and death, and specifies gore of deer, you know I’m intrigued. That makes me sound like a psychopath that likes animal death.. I’m not lol, but I’ve never seen a content warning like this before so I was very interested to see!

Despite being utterly gruesome in places, this book was actually beautifully written. It had such a classic gothic charm to the writing style whilst retelling a cosy fantasy. The combination of Labyrinth-esque charm and wonder mixed with folklore horror was perfect, and I loved the way these two concepts played together.

I may have to re-read this one and go in with some tabs because there were some incredible quotes!! My favourite one being:

“That’s my problem: I always trust the beautiful thing without stopping first to check its teeth.”

Despite being a relatively slow burn story, the pacing felt actually quite fast. The chapters were really short and the writing very easy to read, so it flew by! At only 250 pages too this has serious binge potential.

I loved following these characters along on their various journeys, although there were a couple of tiny interactions I felt didn’t seem quite right given the situation and the characters’ previous behaviours.

But the TWISTS. Woah.

I genuinely gasped at one pretty major reveal later on in the book, and it switched my opinion on the book and characters as a whole with just a few words.

This book is an excellent read and perfect for those wanting to dip their toes into horror without going too hard. If you loved Labyrinth as a kid, this is the book for you.

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! The best Young Adult horror book I’ve read in a long time.

Set in Pennsylvania, the young girls of the town know they are supposed to be good and holy otherwise the Lord of the Woods will come for them and they will never be seen again, but Leah is struggling. When constantly looking after her brother one night becomes too much one night, she makes a plea with the Lord and he listens and takes him away. She must now follow her brother into the woods to make a bargain to get him back.

Many say this has a Labyrinth feel to it, but personally it reminded me more of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village, which is one of my favourite films. This is dark and twisted and binge worthy. Within the horror, there is a romance which is innocent and pure. I loved the chemistry between Leah and Tristan, as they navigate the mystery from the reality.

This story is Rick in folk lore, obedience and religion. Leah’s home town is dripping in cultism and I think I would’ve run away long beforehand. The way the girls are treated there is archaic.

Once I started this book, I couldn’t put it down. I was sucked into Leah’s world and couldn’t see how she would ever survive her mistake. Yet Leah is a survivor and will fight for the truth until the end.

This is the first book I’ve read by Tori Bovalino but will definitely not be my last. Her writing is beautiful, enchanting and captures your imagination from the start.

Thank you @titanbooks & @netgalley for this amazing book!

My Throat an Open Grave s is a YA folk horror take on Labyrinth, mixed with an element of religious zealotism and a dose of unpredictability à la M. Night Shyamalam.

People in the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania, fear the Lord of the Woods, who will take babies left unattended according to local legend. When Leah Jones' baby brother Owen is taken, Leah is sent into the forest to make a bargain with the Lord of the Woods that will win her brother back.
While the pacing of the book was slow and events took a while to unfold, I was absolutely engrossed throughout and desperate to find out if Leah would be successful in bringing Owen back to Winston. Tori Bovalino's writing was haunting and poetic, and the book delivers a very important commentary on how society treats women.

Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me with a review copy. This review is posted voluntarily and all opinions expressed are my own.

My students growing interest in the horror genre will definitely be fulfilled with this Labyrinth inspired gothic cult tale. Personally, not my favourite, but the rating is for my students.

I’ve enjoyed other books by the author and My Throat An Open Grave sounded like something I’d really enjoy. I thought this was a gripping read, part horror, part fantasy. I loved this book. I enjoyed the world building. Winston is a strange town. It reminds me of the movie The Village where the villagers live like it’s another era and the modern world ticks by not far away. I also loved the world of the Lord of the Wood that Leah ends up in, nothing like she’s been raised to believe. What she learns makes her question everything and reveals some shocking truths about Winston and the people who live in it. I’d recommend this.

My Throat an Open Grave
Tori Bovalino
My Throat an Open Grave is a Labyrinth inspired horror with a cult-ish vibe! I was immediately sold the second I read it was inspired by one of my favourite movies of all time- Labyrinth! Leah is born in Winston- an old religious town who live in fear of the mysterious Lord of the Woods. In order to avoid his wrath, Leah and all the other towns girls are raised to be good- to be obedient, pure and proper god-fearing young women. As hard as she tries, one evening when taking care of her baby brother, Owen, a moment of weakness has her wishing him away- and the Lord of the Woods answers.
Wracked with guilt, Leah has to journey into the mysterious woods and enter a bargain to get him home.
I really enjoyed this book overall! It was very atmospheric and I liked the world building and mystery surrounding Winston. I liked how the plot also included a bit of murder mystery and ghosts besides the main plot of the bargain with The Lord of the Woods. There are also very interesting underlying themes of religious trauma and the oppression of women and how they are often villainised and have to suffer worse consequences for mistakes things while men are dismissed and even praised. There was quite a big, and rather heartbreaking, plot twist that I didn't see coming and it really made Leah's whole character make so much sense! I really recommend this book as a dark YA fantasy- it was so hard to put down and has so many important messages!!

I hae neer read such an enchanting, engaging, moving and yet scarry story like My Throat an Open Grave.
I was fascinated by the world Tori created and my only problem with the books was: NOT LONG ENOUGH!!
I wish I could have spent more time with Leah and Tristan, knowing more of this magical segment of the forest and its people.

The story was magical, terrifyingly honest with all the brutality a tight-knit community and their views can uphold. The writing itself is lyrical, attention-grabbing and moves so many emotions inside you: confusion, disbelief, hatred, hope and acceptance.

Tori Bovalino has talent for mixing eerie and dark elements with universal truths and emotion. Cannot wait for her next book!

Thank you so much for the publisher for sending me an ARC of the book and a finished copy. I am beyond grateful and genuinely loved this story!

If you loved Labyrinth or ever wished a goblin would take your sibling away, this is the book for you. Leah, exhausted looking after her brother, makes a wish and finds her brother gone. She is sent into the Woods to find him and what she finds there is nothing like what she was led to expect.

My Throat an Open Grave is a dark, atmospheric and empowering read. I adored Leah and how she grows and changes during her time in the woods. I loved the way she honours the women who have gone before her and holds their secrets. I loved the characters in the Forest, Ruth especially, although I also enjoyed the Lord of the Woods and the romance. The ending to this book made me happy squeal, I'm so pleased that it ended as it did for Leah.

"My Throat an Open Grave" follows Leah, a resident of a small, peculiar, and deeply religious town, where she juggles school, work, church, and caring for her brother, Owen. Despite her discontent, Leah accepts her circumstances as the norm. However, looming over the village is the legend of the Lord of the Woods, who supposedly claims those who stray from goodness. One fateful night, unable to soothe Owen's cries, Leah succumbs to a forbidden wish, leading to his disappearance.

As a fan of 'Labyrinth,' the premise immediately intrigued me. The narrative centres on Leah, whose repetitive self-deprecation gradually becomes understandable as her backstory unfolds. Influenced by her environment, Leah sees herself as inherently flawed, a perception reinforced by others, notably her neglectful mother. Witnessing Leah's journey towards self-acceptance and realization of her worth was both poignant and satisfying.

While the romance subplot was clearly outlined in the description, I found it overshadowed other aspects of the story. Personally, I found it less compelling and somewhat distracting, feeling unnecessary in the grand scheme of Leah's narrative arc. Nonetheless, it is a matter of personal preference, and others may find it enriching.

Labyrinth is one of my fav movies and I love folk horror. This i sa sort of romantic horror: even if the plot has echo of other stories it surprised and kept me hooked.
The romance was not the best part as I found too much insta-love but the plot and world building were excellent.
Tori Bovalino is an excellent storyteller and this story is recommended.
4,5 upped to 5
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

My Throat an Open Grave is a dark YA fantasy with horror elements and filled with questions surrounding myth and reality, as well as religion and the way it impacts a small town.

Leah is tasked with finding her younger brother after he has been stolen by the lord of the woods, and we follow her attempt to try and save him. For a ya fantasy, Leah was complex enough for me to like her whilst still understanding her as a person - she is a teenager in a small town in America where religion plays a large part. The questions raised surrounding religion really pushed this book, and we see Leah question the things she has been told and how she should act. This religious questioning was definitely my favourite part of the book, it helped develop Leah as a character and make her almost feel more normal and grounded in reality.

The romance was slightly insta-love/could have had more development but for a shorter book i thought it worked fine and i did like seeing them together.

There’s non-binary rep in here, as well as a queer-normative world within the woods and mention of multiple queer relationships. Fletcher immediately introduces themself with their pronouns which made a large contrast to Leah’s hometown, and her friendship with Fletcher was so sweet as the story progressed.

The twist at the end was very welcome, and Leah’s growth and strength shine through!

If you’re looking for a shorter fantasy book with horror elements and a slightly atmospheric wood this is the read for you!

As a lover of the Labyrinth I just had to read this book and was not disappointed. I had an idea of what was going on but had to keep reading to find out for sure. Then ending was perfect. Really enjoyed it.

This book blew me away. I can’t even put into words how much I loved this story. I was obsessed from start to finish!

Immediately I was captivated by the stunning writing. Despite the dark and eerie events happening in the book, the writing drew me in and kept me turning the pages. The story was unique and fascinating and kept me guessing.

I couldn’t work out the intentions of the Lord of the Wood, but as a character, he was fabulous. It was easy to fall under his spell. There was so much character development from several of the major characters, so the entire story and ending were so satisfying.

I wasn’t clear about who the antagonist was, but that just made the story even more mysterious and engaging. I suspected everyone and everything and nothing was as it seemed. I loved the mystery of what happened to Maria, and trying to figure out who the true villain was. It was a fantastic representation of who/what evil really is. And how often it hides in plain sight and the real villain isn’t who we think it is.

I loved Leah as a protagonist. She was complicated. She was torn by guilt and the desperation to prove herself, but she also had contrasting feelings about her relief that her brother was taken. I also loved how it highlighted that someone who has conflicted thoughts doesn’t make them a bad person. It shows that they are flawed, just like us.

I can’t wait to read more from the author in the future!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

This is a gothic tale that will make you stay up late. The world building was excellent and I didn't want to put it down. It's been marketed as YA but I'd say it's for upper teens, borderline NA. The romance was good and I was rooting for Leah. Loved it.

🌟🌟🌟🌟 - My Throat An Open Grave - Tori Bovalino (release date 20/02/2024)

MTAOG (shortened because I don’t want to type it 20 times) is a modern story of sacrifice shown through a folk horror lens.

The novel follows the story of a small town teen, Leah Jones, under immense religious pressure to be a ‘good girl’ and not fall victim to sin. When this inevitably doesn’t go to plan, a series of events leads Leah to being sacrificed to the Lord of the Woods - a creature Leah had believed to be a fantasy used to strike fear into the hearts of young girls and women. There’s not much more I can say about the plot without fear of spoiling stuff but I promise it is gripping!!

Poetic and well thought out, I devoured this book in less than 24 hours - and I think it’s an incredible feat for a
stand-alone YA fantasy, as I’ve found myself thinking about it constantly since I turned the last page.

The book fell from a 5 star to a 4 star read as I felt as though the author sometimes spelt stuff out to us that didn’t need to be spelt out, as she’d already done a wonderful job of immersing us into the novel - and the spelling out and repetition kind of drew me back out.

Although MTAOG is a YA novel; there’s definitely elements within that should be considered before buying for a younger teen. The trigger warnings can be seen at the start of the of the book but include gore, animal gore, and suicidal thoughts - there’s also MILD spice.

I really recommend reading this book - it really does share an important message and I felt it was relayed extremely well and with the right amount of sensitivity!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this ARC with me in exchange for an honest review!!

#reading #review #readingnow #arcreader #arcs #arcread #newbooks #netgalley #titan #folkhorror #fantasy #YAfantasy #whatimreading #whatiread

A gorgeously visceral forest-based YA horror which has an unexpectedly heart-warming plot. Influenced by Labyrinth, and with compelling reflections on family, love and trusting yourself, I absolutely devoured this in one sitting!

I was totally enraptured by this gorgeous, new dark fantasy novel from Tori Bovalino. Part Labyrinth retelling, part examination of the impacts of religious trauma, My Throat an Open Grave follows Leah, a young woman living in a small town in Pennsylvania who must venture into the forest to find the enigmatic and supernatural Lord of the Woods, who has taken her baby brother Owen. What unfolds is a story of a young woman’s strength, the power of friendship and found family, and the disturbing secrets of a small town.

I love Bovalino’s gorgeous, atmospheric writing - she brings the woods to life and captures the sense foreboding and mystery Leah senses throughout the book. She does a great job of balancing the dark fantasy and horror elements with a dash of romance - one that even a cynic like me felt was believable. She keeps the story from feeling too dark but still communicates her message well.

The cast of characters are three dimensional and complex - no one is perfect but every one is deeply compelling. I loved Leah’s strength and the way she grows as a person throughout the story, as well as the relationships she forms and maintains throughout the book. From her other work I’ve read, one of Bovalino’s great strengths is writing compelling women and it is definitely on display here.

Dark, lush, and compulsively readable, My Throat an Open Grave is a great new fantasy tale. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy steeped in folklore (and anyone who had a crush on Jareth, let’s be real).

This was a really interesting read, I binged it and loved it and would definitely recommend for fans of the movie Labyrinth. The story starts out with Leah, a teen girl from Winston who feels overwhelmed with taking care of her baby brother, Owen, as well as the pressures of living up to the expectations of the church and her mother.

During the course of the book, Leah goes to seek The Lord of The Woods, an evil figure who plays torment on the town and its children. I really loved the woods and how everything worked within that other realm beyond the river, where time doesn’t work the way it usually does.

The romance in this book was unexpected but lovely, I loved the dynamics and how it came to be.

This book was full of atmosphere, romance and secrets. Perfect for fans of YA reads with a dark atmosphere!

In an act of extreme shallowness I asked for this book from NetGalley on the basis of the cover alone!

Wasn’t totally sure what I was expecting but I’m willing to give most horror a chance.

This is light on horror but uses it to good effect when needed.

We’re introduced to a small town which is subjected to the rule of The Lord of the Woods, a mythical being who takes babies wh were offered to him due to a transgression of an ‘unpure’ girl, and the girl is tasked to seek out and return with the child.

Let’s just say all is not as it seems.

Got to admit it felt all a bit Labyrinth to begin with but as more was revealed and more characters added it moved past this (though a good folk horror take on that wouldn’t be shunned) `nd took on a life of its own.

An intriguing take on many a fairy tale and folk horror trope, the romance part was written well, as was the explanation (sort of) of the mechanics and rules behind the Lord of the Woods and the offerings.

I was expecting full on folk horror but got horror of a more human size, kept me gripped to the end.

I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.