I wanted to love this so much, but it just failed to keep my attention in any meaningful way. The cover is beautiful and so spooky, so my hopes were very high.

Maybe it’s just me at the moment, but it’s just not connecting the way I’d hoped. I kept picking it up and setting it down, forgetting everything about it, and having to reread portions.

I'm a big fan of Bovalino's writing. The first book I read of theirs was The Devil Makes Three so I was super excited to get the chance to read this one as well. Bovalino is definitely a master of horror and the macabre. I really enjoyed the descriptive language. I think this book shows that Bovalino is only growing as an author. Truly a great fall read!

Atmospheric from the very beginning, this book had me hooked from the very start. The setting is so interesting and the way the woods is almost alive in this. If your are into indie horror, folk horror, or gothic then I think you will enjoy this read.

DNF at 20%

Bovalino writes pleasantly, and the cover is gorgeous! The reason for me DNF-ing this one is simple: mismanaged expectations. I was expecting a folk horror YA book, but from what I got so far (and judging by the other reviews I have read), this book is more romantasy than horror. Romantasy isn't really for me, so I will leave it here.

Drawing clear inspiration from modern subgenre classics such as Labyrinth, Tori Bovalino continues building her spin on fae mythology with as much entwined allure and terror as in her debut.

Content Warnings: death, trauma, religious trauma, kidnapping, neglect

Thank you Page Street YA and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

MY THROAT AN OPEN GRAVE is a genre-bending folklore-esque YA horror novel with an air of mystery that you won’t forget.

The Lord of the Wood will take you if you’re not good and holy. That’s what the whole town of Winston, Pennsylvania believes. Be good, go to church, go to school, remain holy, or you’ll disappear. Leah does just this everyday to avoid the fate of many girls before her; she takes care of her younger brother Owen when not at school or at church, and she does her best to keep up with everyone in town. Yet one night, she wishes Owen to stop screaming and crying, and inadvertently lets the Lord in.

Owen is now gone, and Leah has to get him back.

She is sent to the woods outside their town in order to bargain with the Lord of the Wood for Owen. What she finds there changes everything she has ever known. For better or for worse, she doesn’t know yet, but the mystery continues to unravel the longer she stays in the woods.

This book was not what I was expecting. I expected more high fantasy horror than paranormal/urban fantasy/folklore-horror. The modern twist made the story work, though; a town stuck in its ways, using religion as a guiding light for everything and letting myth and folklore dictate what people do.

I found a lot of the plot within the woods a bit drawn out and not very exciting; the mystery part was good, but it felt like it had no tension and was a very mild horror, the latter not being a thing to the book’s detriment. I wanted a little bit more from the woods act of the book, and I felt like the romance with the Lord was something that was not necessary to the story. I don’t think it added anything except an unnecessary romance subplot.

Despite my gripes about certain things, I enjoyed uncovering the horrific twist and the subsequent following act that made everything else I disliked worth it. Getting to that final act was a reward for getting through the rest, where Bovalino meshed folklore and horrific reality in a showcase of morality and a fight for life.

Very atmospheric and very ethereal, this book is a mystical read that will transport you to a mythical place.

I really enjoyed this book! I have enjoyed all of this author’s books. I would love to see this book adapted to film and would love to read more but it’s like this one.

Throughly enjoyable and a timely commentary. I felt that the cover illustration and title were a bit more horror than what was within the pages, but it didn’t deter me.

I love eerie and dark tales that weave together folklore and horror. I liked that the story put a strong focus on themes of found family, purity culture, and the struggle for self-discovery,
However, My Throat an Open Grave is a Young Adult novel and definitely has that feel. Overall, I enjoyed the book. Thank you for the copy!

3.5 stars

I really love the overall message that Bovalino was trying to convey between the pages of this story. However, the execution fell flat for me. Minus the vague Labyrinth vibes (basically just the MC's brother being kidnapped), there wasn't anything magical or horrific going on. If you peeled back a single layer of this story, it would automatically become a YA coming of age story... which is something I would never reach for. The writing is excellent and just what you expect from Bovalino, so even though the story wasn't my favorite, I wasn't unhappy during the experience.

This is a spooky atmospheric read, this had me hooked from the start with its gothic and folklore vibes. Right from the start the reader gets the send of the scary Lord of the Woods who is feared by everyone in this small town and if you aren't good you will be taken away. When Leah is forced to go to the Lord of the Woods her expectations and fears will be test and nothing is as it seems.

I think My Throat is an Open Grave was an okay book, but sadly, I just did not enjoy it.
I went into this book with high hopes as it was described as being inspired by Labyrinth.
Labyrinth is one of my favourite movies, so this made me really excited!
I found that there were barely any similarities other than the premise of wishing away a baby, and that disappointed me.

There was also a twist in this book that I guessed really early on and I wasn't a fan of it,
The last thing I want to say is that while the characters were alright, no one stood out, and I was a little disappointed with the romance as I felt there was zero chemistry.
Also, while I liked the love interest, I was kinda hoping for a love interest that would be a little like Jareth, and he sadly wasn't.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

I got an ARC of this book.

I remember watching The Labyrinth as a kid. It was already old. It was wild. It had puppets, contact juggling, and David Bowie in that outfit (you know what I am talking about). So when I saw a horror version, I was ready.

The thing was, this book was not the same at all. This book can stand on its own. This is my preferred version. There was so much here that was more engaging. There was the purity culture, there was the dead bodies, there were the ghosts, there was the romance. I was here for ALL of it. By the end I was calling it the sexy goblin book and getting super into everything.

It was beautifully written. This is both a good and bad thing. It flowed and it was gorgeous. It was clear that every word was intentional. But there were so many weird throw away parts that it felt off to include them when it felt so intentional. The twist was so obvious. The amount of foreshadowing was excessive for that twist. The twist was great and really fit the horror of the book, but with all the foreshadowing it felt more relieving to not have to read another scene about it instead of being shocking or exciting.

LoW was amazing. He made the story more approachable. It made some of the horror more real, which alone made the idea of making him appear to be around the same age more fun and less of a “let’s have sex with monsters!” feeling. It made him more exciting and made him more dangerous in a way that felt less horrific.

This is not the 80s movie, but its own unique and complex view of purity culture and the pressures on women to conform. It was pretty darn fantastic.

I absolutely loved Not Good For Maidens by Tori Bovalino, so when I saw the cover of My Throat an Open Grave, I wanted to read it right away. I have to say, I’ve read quite a few books in under 48 hours over the years, but it has been a long time since I’ve read one in under 24 hours, but that was the case with My Throat an Open Grave.

First off, the lore behind the story was so compelling. The main character, Leah, lives in a small, religious town and has heard stories of the Lord of the Woods since childhood. Every several years, a child goes missing, and a woman is ultimately sent after the baby to “pay for her sins.” When Leah’s baby brother is taken by the LoW, her mother sends her after him, turning the whole town against her.

From the start, the myth of the Lord of the Woods was compelling, but what hooked me even more was a sharp sense of empathy and injustice for Leah. She didn’t even want a baby brother, why should she have to go after him?

Similarly, Leah copes with depression and suicidal thoughts throughout the story, which I thought Bovalino did an exceptional job of depicting. I definitely recommend reading this book when you’re in a good headspace because the depressive atmosphere is very immersive, which made the story feel more realistic.

Finally, Leah’s relationship with Tristan added a lot to the story and felt right for the story. I also appreciated the social justice messages tied into the story. As a whole, My Throat an Open Grave is a must read, regardless of whether you’re typically a fan of horror.

This book had a captivating start with beautiful writing. The FMC Leah lives in the town Winston where people go to live and aren't destined for anything. We see religious aspects in this book and Leah questioning it because of how her life is turning out. She doesn't quite fit in with the other people like the students at her school as she doesn't see eye to eye with the life that they are living. Her parent, her teachers, and the community were supposed to be her guide and steer her in the right direction, but it seems they have given up on Leah and the others. When Leah's baby brother is taken by the Lord of the Woods, it is up to Leah to bring him back.

I found the book to be a little repetitive. There was also a continuous switch between Leah's decision where she's compliant to doing what the Lord of the Woods wants to being defiant. Overall, this book didn't meet my standards that I was expecting from the cover and synopsis. It leaned more towards the younger side of YA, with some of the common tropes you can expect from that. I will say there were lots of important messages the author incorporated into the book with the themes explored.

haunting and atmospheric, this book grabs you by the throat and pulls you along for one hell of a ride

I enjoyed this book, and really appreciated the labyrinth vibes it was giving off, along with the main plot and mystery which was compelling. I loved the romance, which is what kept me reading, and the gothic vibes it encapciliated.

Tori Bovalino is an auto buy author for me. Tori walks the line between horror and the fantastical, and her words have a way of getting underneath your skin.

My Throat an Open Grave is a folk horror tribute to the Labyrinth, where a young girl wishes her brother away to the Lord of the Wood.

I loved the premise and aspects of this book but unfortunately I didn’t enjoy it as much as her other works. It felt a little flat and I can’t quite put my finger on why.

Some aspects that will likely appeal to other readers:
- Cottagegore vibes
- Enemies to lovers.
- Blood magic.
- Sacrifices.
- Found family.

Thank you NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for my eARC!

Folkloric, full of interesting stories and fates. Beautifully twisty and turny, with a main character who wants to feel loved and a love interest who would do anything to give that. Wonderful story about a girl wanting to get back at a town that wronged her, and a boy who wants to prove he isn’t the person he’s made out to be.

And here's another one to add to my favorites!

When I originally saw this cove and read that it was likened to Labyrinth, I 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 knew I needed to read this one! Labyrinth is one of my favorite movies, and while the plotline was very similar, this book was uniquely its own.

I loved Leah as a character. She was imperfect and broken and very related. She had cult-like religion shoved down her throat her whole life and was still strong enough to come out more intact than before. She was strong even though she struggled a lot with feeling unworthy of any love, kindness, or acceptance. She was selfish and selfless and found unlikely friends and a place to call home along her journey.

The LoW was also a great character. Similar to The Goblin King, but with his own reasons and secrets. (no spoilers) But I loved him. 🖤

And Ruth!!! 🫶🏻 She was my favorite. I loved everything about her character!

There were ghosts, found family, a twist I didn't see coming, and so much more. The atmosphere was so good! I could picture myself in the Hollow with all its people, and I wanted to jump in on the mystery solving.

It was imperfectly perfect, and that's what made it so great. Our FMC was not perfect, but she was able to find happiness in her "shortcomings." I think that is all we can hope for in life. To understand and overcome our "mistakes." Find the people who love and accept us for who we are and strive to help us be the best versions of ourselves.

All the stars!