My Throat an Open Grave is my second book by Bovalino, and I think it might be my favourite so far. She has this knack for writing these realistic, broken yet incredibly strong heroines and I absolutely fell in love with Leah. Leah is someone whose whole life is whittled down to one town, one town she knows she wont escape. She is someone wholly resigned to her fate, but then one day something happens that throws all her plans in chaos. She feisty and resilient in a town that has tried their hardest to breed it out of her, where girls are valued for their purity and little else. It's not until we get later in the story that we realise she is somewhat of a unreliable narrator, giving us readers plenty of little hints as to her truth, but when the plot twist hits, and boy does it hit, we realise that there is more to Leah than we originally thought.

This is one of those stories for all the girls and women who were told they weren't good enough, the ones who were called whore and slut, the ones who grew up in religious communities who were punished when they attempted to break the mold. It isn't an easy story, it deals with some heavy topics, but I thought Bovalino dealt with them all well. Throughout the book we learn that the residents of Winston are told to fear the Lord of the Woods, that he would come and take those 'not worthy,' those who had debased themselves, and when Leah's little brother is taken, it is she who is tasked with going into the Woods and bringing him back, something no other girl has done successfully. I liked how Bovalino twisted this portion of the book, showing us that the monsters we are brought up to fear aren't always the ones who will do the most damage. That's it isn't always the 'other' that we should fear, but the living, breathing, humans who reside with us.

My favourite part of the book was Leah's time in the wood. She enters it scared, yet determined to bring her brother back, but the more time she spends there, the more she realises that these people aren't evil, they aren't going to kill her. They are people who desperately long for somewhere to belong, and that longing leads them to the Woods and the Lord who resides over it. It's a haven, a safe space for people who no longer fit into the 'real world' and the longer Leah's there, the more she starts to question her space in the world. I also loved the magic that featured in these parts, when we come to realise the Lord of the Woods power, as well as that of those who live under him. As much as it's a beacon of hope for Leah, it's also the place where she learns the truth of where she comes from, the people she has grown up with, and the scenes here are as harrowing in parts as they are heartwarming.

Bovalino gives us a tight knit cast of side characters, most of whom I loved. From Jess, Leah's best friend, and the one person who knows and fully accepts her truth to Tristain, the Lord of the Wood himself. Every character has their part to play, whether that comes in allowing Leah to understand the truth of where she comes from, or allowing her to understand her own truth, but they were all brilliantly portrayed, even the ones who I would quite happily have stabbed myself.

I did guess at the big twist in this story, but that didn't make it hit any less, if anything it was worse because I kept trying to convince myself I was wrong. But Bovalino doesn't shy away from the true horrors in this world, the people who believe that women are only valuable when pure, and anything less than that is an affront to God and the town they grew up in. Seeing Leah slowly start to shed the rhetoric she was brought up with, to realise that she was valuable as she was, as a person, was pretty special, and this was all helped along by the relationships she makes in the Wood, the most special one being the romance between herself and Tristain. It was a wholesome romance, one that comes from two people learning to know and accept each other and I enjoyed seeing it develop throughout the book. Though it is prevelant in the story, I never felt like it detracted from the horror of the overall plot, rather intensified it in it's own way.

Bovalino's writing is the kind that grips you from the first line and slowly drags you into the story, she has this way of writing gothic horror that makes you absolutely horrified in parts, but also allows you to feel that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It might not end nicely, neatly, but it will be satisfying all the same. I can't tell you how much I loved this book, and her writing as a whole. This is absolutely my favourite so far, and I can't wait to see what she has in store for us next.

4.5 stars.
Loved it.
If Labyrinth was remade by M.Night Shyamala 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.

I’m not sure horror can ever really be cosy but this definitely straddles that line!

Somewhat of a retelling of Labyrinth (though without all the tights), this book is a really interesting look at purity, what it means to “be good”, our responsibilities as both children & parents, with a little fairy tale magic thrown in. Leah is offered to the Lord of the Forest in order to retrieve her brother taken from their home in the middle of the night, as it tradition in her home town. No girls who have done the same have ever returned. Can Leah be the first?

For fans of fairytales with modern twists, gentle horror & epic fantasy movies.

At this point, Tori Bovalino is basically an auto-buy author for me. I have read almost everything she has written and loved them all. So I was not surprised when I found myself loving My Throat An Open Grave . It's a lush and atmospheric read, one that will send chills down your spine. From the first page itself, the writing flows beautifully and pulls you into this frighteningly amazing story. I was utterly engrossed. This was full of twists and turns that I was not expecting at all and they left me staring at the page, gaping. Bovalino always writes such amazing, complex and well-rounded characters and Leah was no different. Truly, it was so easy to fall in love with her.

As for the Lord of the Wood? I will say, without spoilers, all is not as it seems. The Lord of the Wood pleasantly surprised me as a character and I am sure it'll be the same for others. So, I will end by saying, go read this book!!

I enjoyed this book but only after getting about half way through. I thought it started a little slow and continued on at a steady pace. The writing was consistent and kept me engaged.

I loved the concepts and themes included. I thought that this really kept my interest and by the time I reached the ending I had found myself really invested in the characters and the mystery of the town.

I thought that the idea of the Lord of the Wood was great. The sections in the forest were my favourite parts of the story and the reason I kept reading until the end.

Although the scenes were limited, the relationship between Leah and Jess was really moving. In a town where Leah felt neglected, she knew she had a true friend in Jess. I love when friendship in centred in a story and this felt very real to me.

Overall, I didn't feel any strong pull to get through the story but by the end I was glad that I did. Not the most fast paced story but I enjoyed the characters and the sense of justice that Leah held on to.

I was interested in this book the moment I read it was Labyrinth inspired with added spookiness- ancient woods, a mysterious deity and missing girls - and it fidnt disappoint although it definitely took a different turn to what I expected.

We follow Leah, a young woman who is sent into the woods to find her baby brother after the Lord of the woods takes him in the middle of the night. This book is all about her and her struggles around things such as acceptance, religion and family.

Leah ends up in the Lord's relm and ends up trying to solve the mystery of the girls who came before her, and save her brother, before the month is out

The themes are handled well, particularly the ideas of what a good girl should be and the religious aspects, and it had me turning pages late into the night. I particularly enjoyed the delve into what is expected of young girls and the perception of being "good" and living up to unreachable expectations.

What I didnt expect was the romance side and at times this did drag. Dont get me wrong, i was cheering for our lovers by the end of the book and desperate to know if they got a happy ending but at times i wanted more focus on the mystery element that was unfolding.

The mystery plot was handled well, but i did see the twist regarding Leah from very early on and had to wait a while for it to be confirmed.

All in all an enjoyable YA urban fantasy that i would recommend.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me the arc!

This was very average in my opinion. There wasn’t enough character development for me to care enough about them.

I enjoyed the concept although the twists were quite predictable however, the creepy setting made up for those.

I found that there was things mentioned that ended up having no relevance and in a short book they were just unnecessary.

I do have to give bonus points because I read it in one sitting but I don’t think I’d reread it.

I have been counting down the days to this book.

Having loved the creepy book demon and the Haunting Goblin market of Tori's previous stories, I knew I would need whatever came next, and to have it Labyrinth inspired... sold, Jareth was one hundred percent my intro to Morally Grey male love interests

In this story, we have a mysterious Lord of the Woods, who terrorises the town under the threat of stealing babies. Leah doesn't want to believe in him... until her baby brother, Owen, goes missing one night she is watching him

Her mother blames her for this and Leah is taken to the local church, where she is offered a chance to make things right... but it could cost her everything

Leah cannot imagine what she will encounter on the journey to save Owen, and she may even just save herself along the way too....

This was a book that sucked me right in. Literally couldn't put it down and finished it the night I started. There is something about Tori's writing that is so beautiful, and haunting and keeps you reading.

I predicted a little of where the story was going along the way but it didn't stop me wanting to know more and keeping turning pages

Thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the early review copy! Book will be out on 20 February

Tori Bovalino’s newest release follows Leah, a young girl who spends much of her time looking after her baby brother Owen. In their small town there is legend about the Lord of the Wood, who steals away babies. One night Leah offers her brother to the Lord, not believing anything will happen – until he disappears. Leah is forced by her town to cross the river into the forest to bring her brother back. What she finds isn’t what she expected and the secrets she uncovers will have her questioning everything she thought she knew about the people of her town.

I really loved Tori Bovalino’s The Devil Makes Three so I was really looking forward to picking this one up. The story is well paced and I very much enjoyed Bovalino’s writing style. She’s terrific at creating atmosphere and bringing the eerie sights and sounds of the forest to life. There were moments in the story that I thought were a little predictable, but overall the story went in directions I did not expect, and overall was a really engaging read. From the initial chapters, I had expected it to be a really dark and creepy tale but that lessened as the story progressed.

Leah is a really interesting protagonist and she is dealing with a lot of trauma and the expectations of her family. I found it fascinating the way relationships were explored in this story as well as looking at the effects of religion can have on a small community. My Throat an Open Grave is a compelling YA tale and if you’re looking for a quick read that’s full of vivid and beautiful writing, this one should definitely be on your TBR.

»My Throat An Open Grave« was my second book by Tori Bovalino and I enjoyed it even more than her debut »The Devil Makes Three« - which makes me really excited about her sophomore book that I still have on my tbr. Glad I’m always procrastinating picking up books I want to read.

»My Throat An Open Grave« follows Leah who lives in a very religious and narrow minded small town. The whole town believes in this mysterious creature called The Lord of the Wood that supposedly kidnaps their children and when Leah’s little brother Owen goes missing she has to enter the creepy woods and bring him back.

According to the synopsis the book is based on the XY which I didn’t watch and I can’t say if it adds anything to the story to know it’s inspiration. I found the whole plot to be pretty predictable anyway but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the story at all.
At it’s core the book talks about religious trauma and how women often can get mistreated in society especially in very religious small towns. Leah’s journey was very heartbreaking to read because I assumed from the beginning what her story was and I was right and that hurt. However, I wish the book would have had a bit more depth. I felt like there was a lot written between the lines and I totally get what the author was trying to do with this book - I just wished it was also discussed a little bit more in the book, especially because it’s YA.
I also found the book to be a lot less horror-like than the synopsis and my expectations from reading Bovalinos debut made me think. There were one or two scenes that were a bit gory but apart from that it’s more real-life horror and not supernatural. Especially for younger teens this may be a really good book to ease into reading horror in my opinion.

»My Throat An Open Grave« is also pretty romance heavy which I not expected and didn’t necessarily love. In my opinion the book would also have been great without but I also know I would have ate this romance up as a teen so I also don’t want to complain about it. I just personally as an adult would have thought the story may have been even stronger without the romance but I also appreciated how it was handled especially at the end.

Overall a really fast paced - despite not a lot happening actually - book that had me hooked from the first chapter that I would highly recommend.

instantly hypnotic. Bovalino possesses that rare talent of grabbing the reader and dragging you straight to the heart of the scene - immersing you in the moment and holding you down perhaps a little too long…

the kind of tale you have to consume in small chunks because digesting it piece by piece hurts enough. it’s about the gaps where love should be. it’s about the cradle where the baby should lie. it’s about the eyes watching you in the dark where no eyes should be. the burdens placed on girls. the constant weight of fear and of guilt. wishing you could disappear and all your mistakes could be erased with you. It’s about the history of what we’ve done and what we are continuing to do, the lawgivers that we don’t stop. the prices we pay to be part of a community.

With all the ominous mystery of a rural cult horror, and all the weird eldritch fantasy of Labyrinth, this is an absorbing, powerful and beautiful story. Bovalino does not pull her punches. Read this book because it is important.

2.5

Really cool concept, I enjoyed the writing style, and of course I loved the gothic horror vibes.

But sadly that's where it ends, I felt no connection to any of the characters and the 'twist' wasn't anything worth talking about. It wasn't necessarily bad though, don't get me wrong.

The messaging behind the story was about overcoming trauma, especially religious trauma and facing your fears. All of which I can appreciate but also didn't find myself that intrigued by it so see how these characters would end up and where the story to go.

It does have a dark atmosphere and I know a lot of people will love this!

It reminded me of The Thorns Remain by J J A Harwood - which I gave a similar rating so unfortunately maybe I just need to realise that these types of stories just aren't for me, sadly!

Thank you to NetGalley + Titan Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

-Sarah

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.

I have been a fan of Tori Bovalino since her fascinating debut The Devil Makes Three (2021) a supernatural tale in an exclusive school which has a cool library with occult leanings. Tori backed that up with another captivating read, inspired by Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market, her second novel Not Good For Maidens sent a teenage girl from a family of witches into the supernatural dimensions below the ancient city of York. Before her third novel My Throat an Open Grave arrived Tori edited the superb The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror (which we reviewed last month) although I am unsure of the timeline of when these two books were written and edited, her latest novel leans towards the general area of Folk Horror, so perhaps they influenced each other. As with all her previous fiction, My Throat an Open Grave is mature YA, aimed at older more thoughtful teenagers as it is rather slow and there is little action for long periods. That is not to say it is boring, but those looking for a more gripping in-your-face horror read might find the long periods set in the Lord of the Wood’s domain slightly tedious and somewhat of an anti-climax after the early buildup.

The initial setting, the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania, was terrific and it could be argued it held more intrigue that in the forest. This is a very religious, near puritanical (did anybody say cult?) town, which although seemingly Christian has this weird relationship with the Lord of the Wood, an entity which according to legend steal unattended babies, leaving enigmatic tokens of wood and bone in their place. When the novel opens no children have disappeared for many years, but early in proceedings the baby brother of main character Leah Jones is snatched. The town erupt in outrage and Leah is blamed and shamed, with this being one of the strongest parts of the story, also the complex relationship with her mother which has a big traumatic twist near the end (I figured out the twist after fifty pages). Leah heads across the river (is not really given a choice) to trade with the Lord of the Woods to retrieve her younger brother, where most of the book is set. Too much of the novel is set there, which is dark, brooding and romantic as more about Leah’s past is revealed, connected to shame, trauma and the lengths that the village will go to any lengths to ensure its maidens stay good and pure. My Throat an Open Grave picks up in the final fifty pages for a big finish and Leah’s return to town, but it took too long getting there. AGE RANGE 13/14+

This is a remarkable entry in Bovalino's growing list of lyrical horror. Teeming with cult roots and an immersive setting and isolationist communities, My Throat an Open Grave follows Leah's journey to steal back her baby brother, who was taken by the mysterious Lord of the Wood into the forest. Leah was an interesting protagonist, clearly traumatised by her upbringing and relationships with her family — although you have to imagine how much of a toll the Lord of the Wood must have on the ability for kindness and empathy in a town like Leah's. I loved the writing itself. Bovalino's prose is gorgeous and expressive and melodious, pun unintended. There's so much theme underlying this story as well, and it really delves into the pressures we place on young girls and obsession with their virginity, parentification, abuse, and religious trauma. If you like YA books that read a bit like a fever dream, you'll love this one!

The description of Tori Boliviano's newest work reads enticing: a small town in the middle of nowhere, an eerie forest and its mysterious Lord of the Wood who steals our protagonist Leah's little baby brother. Right from the beginning we can feel the doom and gloom atmosphere that surrounds Leah, and her home town of Winston is ruled by its deep commitment to Christian religion, including a purity culture that clearly divides women into good girls and sinful whores. There is no inbetween, and very early on we see how Leah struggles with conforming to this strict belief system. At its core, this book is about religious oppression and trauma, and the more we learn about Leah, the more we can see why the author decided to write this book. The big twist is one that hurts and reminds us of current happenings especially in the US. I really enjoyed the themes and the folklore inspirations.

Apart from the themes, this book is just very mediocre all around. The writing is great but kept me detached from the characters, and the characters themselves are mostly forgettable. Leah is a good protagonist but Bolivano doesn't delve deep enough into the complexities of her trauma. I also would have loved for this book to be focused on the friendship between Leah and her best friend since childhood, because there is so much to say about a friendship between girls growing up in what is basically a Christian fundamentalist town and the trauma they share.
Instead, this book turned out to be mostly a typical ya romance. Of course, the mysterious Lord of the Wood turns out to be a really pretty boy around Leah's age, and of course he's just super nice and sweet. Of course there is instalove on both sides. I sighed so loudly I woke my dog when he appeared and I suddenly knew where this book was headed. There would have been so many much more interesting things to explore because the setting of Winston and the themes of the story are great! The mystery surrounding the missing girls from Winston is intriguing, but loses most of its steam as soon as we know that the accused entity is actually the love interest. Ah, the potential...
Take this with a grain of salt though, because obviously I'm not the intended audience of the book. I'm not in the ya age range and most ya romances make me skimread because they rarely venture beyond popular tropes. I was also simply hoping for something else.

So in conclusion? This is an okay book and a rather typical ya romance but the important themes turn this into a recommendation.

I really enjoyed the premise of this and some of the details. It was well written for the most part. I did however find the love story clichéd and tired and overdone.

a gorgeous, dark & atmospheric YA horror novel inspired by labyrinth. even though I don't usually read YA I absolutely had to nab a copy of this! it follows Leah who's brother is stolen by the Lord of the Woods, a creature who steals babies and demands a trade in order to take them back. leah must enter the woods and win her brother back, but it's so much more than that, it explores love, the societal pressure put on young women, purity culture and religious trauma and healing from both. I so enjoyed reading this and unraveling the story <3

thanks to netgalley & titan books for an arc of this book, out on the 20th of february<3

I haven't read anything by Tori Bovalino yet and don't know if I'll gravitate to get more of her books. I'm done with this arc for a while know and can't really make up my mind on wether I liked it or not. It's just a very in the middle read for me. The "quests" and adventure were quite fun, yet the book was a bit too much ya for my liking.

Save for a young girl wishing an evil being would take her baby brother away, I wouldn't say there's any other likeness to The Labyrinth- which is what drew me to request a Netgalley of My Throat Is An Open Grave. That and the beautiful cover.

This was my first Tori Bovalino read and probably my last only because it was a bit too young for me. As a YA novel this story is wonderful, an extremely powerful and important message for young teens- even if main character Leah had to be seriously bludgeoned with it.

The plot is fairly simple and for me took too long to get where it was headed, although I did enjoy the worldbuilding and diverse cast of loveable characters.

Told in first from Leah's perspective we follow her journey into the wood to rescue brother Owen from The Lord. But, as is always the way with small towns, there are some heavy secrets waiting to be uncovered.