“My Throat an Open Grave” by Tori Bovalino is a YA horror novel set in a town inhabited by a very religious community filled with hatred, superstition, and misogyny.

This book follows the life of Leah, a seventeen-year-old girl who lives in a household with a mother that doesn’t love her and a little brother to look after. Leah spends her entire existence trying to be the perfect “good girl”, seeking to achieve the unreachable standard that the people in Winston has set for its women. A goal that leaves Leah alone, fragile, and always ready to reprimand herself.
Everything changes when the fearsome Lord of the Wood kidnaps Leah’s brother, Owen, and she is forced by the entire town to cross the river and go find the baby at the cost of her own life.

The plot has captured my attention since the first chapter. It was so easy to get lost into these pages and emphasise with Leah, who was such a well-deepened, relatable character. I quickly started to root for Leah, hoping to see her happy and to discover more about her past.
Leah is destroyed. I don’t think there’s a better word to describe her at the beginning of her tale. She was a girl bearing a burden that was slowly and painfully drowning her. Leah tells her story to the reader as the plot proceeds and it’s impossible not to be angry and sad during the entirety of this novel.

This book touched a sore spot. Reading about this people who didn’t even blink at the sacrifice of a young and frightened girl to a supposed evil entity made me scream in utter rage. The hatred seeping through the pages and Leah’s desperate need to be appreciated and loved went straight to my heart. The misogyny engraved in the community of Winston, the hopelessness felt by girls like Leah who were meant to be stuck in a town like that, and the wrath filtering through the truth of their fate is real and sickening.

I can only praise Tori Bovalino’s prose for it gave the right intensity to the book and the choice of first person narration has ensured that Leah could pierce through the reader’s soul and leave a permanent mark.
The revelation at the end of the book didn’t feel like a twist because the author leaves some clues throughout the novel, but it was equally shocking and it broke my heart in countless pieces.

I can’t talk about certain aspects of the novel because it would be spoiler, but I prefer that the plot remains a mystery to you as it was to me. Many things were unpredictable and made me want to read even quicker just to know what was about to happen.
I craved to read more about Leah and the other characters. The ending felt too rushed, it lost a bit of the pathos it had during great part of the book, yet it led to the right bittersweet ending I had envisioned.

“My Throat an Open Grave” will forever haunt me. Leah and her story will remain a part of me and I’m quite certain this kind of anger will never leave her (or me) either.

I don’t even accurately know how to describe this book without accidentally spilling the beans on half the plot twists but imagine if Labyrinth was written in a true crime lens? But was like, also really romantic in an unconventional unconditional deep down nitty gritty way? I think that’s all I can safely say. That being said, I LOVED THIS. It’s a heavy read, especially if you suffer from depression. There was a lot of times our FMC said something that felt like a knife to my own heart BUT she was so incredibly steadfast when she needed to be and I think that truly speaks to that particular struggle in the most beautiful way. There were so many routes this book could have ended on that would have left me unsatisfied, especially as a woman living in today’s climate, but honestly? It was perfect. Is it cheesy to say a horror novel is profound? Because when you peel away the spooky scary skeletons of it all, the message you’re left with is an important one.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tori Bovalino for this eARC!

Ahhhh, this was SO good. So much so that I read it in one sitting. When I saw this book compared to Labyrinth, I knew I had to read it.

Plus,I will always read a book set in Pennsylvania, even if it does take place in a small, made-up religious town on the other side of the state.

My Throat an Open Grave was dark and atmospheric, sad and tense. I am always fascinated by stories set around religion and the toxic outlook many communities, especially small ones, have towards woman. The pain Leah was feeling through the book while her story was being revealed was palpable.

The relationship between Leah and Tristan hurt my heart at times. Him, so understanding and full of compassion. Her, feeling so undeserving and like she required punishment.

The author did such a good job with this story and its nuances.

Tori Bovalino is an auto-read author for me for a reason and My Throat An Open Grave cements that status even further.

Bovalino never fails to astound me. This Labryinth-sque tale of expectations, religion, and the bonds we forge in life was gorgeously written, with a tang of blood and death staining every page. Some of the phrasing has not left my head since reading. Here, the writing was just stunning yet again, with a menacing hint of dread permeating every page. The way ghosts are used as a device within this story is impeccable. Ghosts are commonly used as resounding echoes of trauma, personal or societal, but Bovalino adds an extra element to the trope here that makes them more devastating. I always adore how Bovalino’s books deliver horror with a twist—it feels very fresh and distinctive. They’re societally conscious and stunningly written, reclaiming, and challenging old narratives to shape them into something new. The violence here is visceral and the meaning behind it is so much worse. Horror has the ability to bring a mirror to our lives and Bovalino delivers blows that shatter Leah’s illusions here deftly.

This is very much a character focused book as we follow Leah’s journey. She starts the book as a somewhat naïve girl, who follows the restrictive and misogynistic ideology of her upbringing. Her determination to save her brother is commendable, but this motivation can start to be questioned early on. Really, this is a coming of age narrative through a fascinating prism. It is a corruption narrative, but through an entirely different lens that you might be useful. Bovalino challenges what family, love and loyalty really mean—as well as unpicking some fundamental ideas of Leah’s society and impressing just how important it is to challenge your worldview. There are some fairly clear parallels to our society, which are gut-wrenching and Bovalino’s author note really hit home for me. In particular, she takes at religious fanaticism and the trauma religion can bring, particularly through a gendered lens. This is a nuanced take—especially for what faith can mean to an individual before it is twisted and manipulated. It makes for compelling and complex reading.

Throughout the book, there is a wonderful mystery at play too. This is so well plotted and has some fantastic twists and turns. I particularly loved how emotionally devastating most of the twists were, because it fed into the character development and overall arcs of the stories. They are not just shock value twists, they have heart and a tragic sense to them. For Leah, the stakes are clear and extremely high. You are aware of the blood permeating every page and the lives that have been lost to terrible decisions and a twisted mindset. Bovalino makes the horrors human, as well as including some supernatural elements that are wonderful additions. The entire community of the Lord of the Wood’s domain is a fascinating and richly written place. There feels like so much more to explore within this world and I would love for Bovalino to return here. It all encapsulates the theme of looking beyond appearances, but also continues the theme of this fairytale like influence on Bovalino’s writing. It is dreamy and fantastical, but has a real sense of violence and death surrounding it. These are stories with bite and cores of steel.

My Throat an Open Grave is a wonderful, introspective and incredibly chilling read that draws closely to our own reality, leaving you with a fire in your heart and a shiver on your skin.

When I learned that this was to be a Labyrinth adjacent, folk horror YA romance, I was ALL IN. I got actual butterflies when the arc showed up in my Kindle. I was ready to be swept away, and I was surely that. But what I wasn’t prepared for, was the delicious battering my poor soul would take as I journeyed through the pages, or the depth of my emotional attachment to our 17 year old heroine, Leah.

Leah is real, messy, imperfect and wonderful, in all of the ways that a girl on the brink of adulthood should be. At every turn, she’s suffocated by her responsibilities, and the constraints put on her by the misogynistic, antiquated expectations of her small town. A town that has forever been shrouded in mystery, bowing to the age old tale of the Lord of the wood: the evil entity who will snatch away babies, and young women who fail to fall into line. When Leah‘s baby brother is taken, it’s up to her to bargain with the Lord to get him back.

Leah embarks on a heartbreaking, visceral journey of self discovery, as she traverses the domain of the Lord of the Wood, and learns that he is not the monster that the town has made him out to be. Together, they unravel secrets that have long been buried. The connection that they form is beautiful, and tragic, and I found myself utterly mesmerized as I followed along, desperate for the next page.

Yes, this falls under the YA umbrella, but don’t let that label fool you. It’s dark and gritty, raw, riveting and emotionally potent, and written in utterly poetic prose. It shredded my heart and my nerves, with a beautifully balanced mix of mystery, sorrow, angst and horror, and I adored every damn minute of it. This was my first book by this author, and will definitely not be my last.

I really liked that I read of this -- the concept is great, I love the critique of religious institutions, and the writing was lovely. Unfortunately, the EPUB wouldn't let me change the font and I found the publisher's choice a bit too difficult to read. I decided to DNF this one but I plan to read it once it's published and I can purchase a copy or borrow it from my library.

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.

Blurb
Leah offers her baby brother to the Lord of the Woods, compelling her mother and the community to send her into the forest to negotiate his return, unearthing hidden town secrets along the way.

Thoughts
I was immediately intrigued by the book’s cover and the blurb relating it to the Labyrinth, although I didn’t find much of a parallel once I dove in. Regardless, I still found this to be a really enjoyable book. It had some depth to it, especially as it explored the FMC’s inner monologue and self-destructive thoughts. Despite the sadness she was experiencing, largely attributed to her dismal town and inhabitants, there was a certain beauty in her emotions that arose from it. I was anticipating a quest-like adventure after reading the blurb but that wasn’t really the focus. The last 80% was where the book gained some momentum and I was racing to finish to find out the final resolution. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eArc of this book.

I recently finished reading My throat an open grave and I have to say, it was not really what I expected. While the writing was lyrical and immersive, the storyline itself fell flat for me.

I found it difficult to care for the characters, as they didn't seem fully developed, maybe needed more background of Leah's life before the events? Additionally, I was not expecting the love story that was into the plot, which felt forced.

One of my main issues with the book was that it was difficult to follow at times, with a lot of repetitions that made the story drag on and lose my interest. The reveal towards the end was not a surprise at all, as it was rather obvious.

However, I must say that the world-building was intriguing, a dark fairytale setting that was easy to imagine. The descriptives that were used painted a vivid picture in my head that I really enjoyed.

I want to thank Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book, I wish that it would have meet my expectations.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and PageStreet YA for allowing me access to the advance digital copy of My Throat and Open Grave. An additional thanks goes out to the publisher and Storygram Tours for providing me with a physical ARC copy of the book! This review is entirely my thoughts and opinions based on the two copies provided to me. (Yes, switched between physical and ebook lmao)

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

The Appalachian region of the United States is old and full of folklore and tales, some borrowed from the indigenous tribes that have long lived in its shadows, others carried over from the Old World and adapted to its new surroundings. But all of them have changed and grown into something unique, providing excellent backdrops for thrilling Folk horrors such as My Throat an Open Grave.

Leah grew up with those tales, mixed with the fanaticism of the Christian church. Try as she might tho, she just could not measure up to the impossible expectations laid upon her by the adults that surrounded her. So, like many of the other teens around her, she lived in fear of The Lord of the Woods. On a night when all felt wrong and broken, she offered up her baby brother to the Lord of the Woods. And he took her up on that. At the bidding of the adults, she's forced into the woods to go face the Lord of the Woods and claim her brother back from him. But her journey into the woods uncovers mysteries she wasn't expecting, and the opportunity to face the truth.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

My Thoughts:

This was a tough read for me personally. Not because of the story or the writing. No, it was because it felt as if Tori Bovalino had reached back into my childhood and plucked out all the darkness there and gave it a voice and a story. I was Leah. I was a lost, broken teen who wondered if she just stayed under the water long enough, would that solve all her problems? The way the adults treated her, was all to familiar. The insults and unfair expecations thrown at her by her own mother hit too close to home. The willful blindness of the Church and the adults who were supposed to protect her and guide her, was too familiar a tale. The toxic shoving of purity culture down our throats, including the thin silver ring with "true love waits", was exactly as I remember it.

So many of my personal scars and still bleeding wounds from a depressing childhood were laid bare in this story, and then given their own voice, their own story, and a new path to healing. This book felt like Tori was reaching out a hand saying "I know. I see you. I feel you. I understand you. You're not alone. What's been done to you is wrong and there is a path forward into light away from all this".

So, lord do I wish I had this book when I was a broken teenager struggling with suicidal ideation because she was convinced the world would be a better place without her broken, dirty, unwanted, and unloved self. Clearly, as an adult in her mid 30s, I'm out of that place and in therapy and am healing. But still, Tori touched me deeply with this story. So, I applaud Tori for writing the hard story that needed to be told. I hope this book gets into the hands of girls that need it, that need to be shown they are not alone.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Tori's writing for My Throat an Open Grave hooked me from the first page. If it wasn't for the fact I needed to put the book down occasionally for my own mental health, this could easily have been a one day. I do greatly recommend this story. It broke me, it made me cry for past me. It gave me a good clarifying discussing with my therapist. Its going to be a treasured book on shelves. Even if you don't relate to Leah, this story is an excellent window into youth struggles. I highly recommend it.

My Throat an Open Grave is a book about a teenager named Leah Jones who often thinks about how she feels better submerged underwater. She lives in a small town that’s suffocating at best and is run by a religious cult at worst. In the whole town of Winston, her only ally is her best friend Jess. But, even with Jess around, Leah still feels out of place in the town she grew up in. And, why shouldn’t she? There is supposedly a Lord of the Wood that steals children at night, and the local town lore requires that those females that allowed these babies to be abducted go into the wood to get them back. On top of that none of the girls and women who go looking for the babies ever come back. So, who in their right mind would feel comfortable in this little town?

One night Leah’s little brother Owen is abducted by the Lord of the Wood and she is given this very task. There is a ceremony, a really creepy ceremony at the town’s church. Leah is branded with a bloody handprint by the pastor. Then, she is led to the Youghiogheny River to some sort of ritual baptism. She emerges on the other side of the bank and walks into a magical world not too far from her own. There, she meets the Lord of the Wood as well as the others that call this dimension home. She’s given a task to complete to retrieve Owen, and her adventures in Wonderland commence.

Leah is a strong character. Her story resonates and allows the reader to really feel her despair. Her character development throughout the book is believable. She doesn’t climb a straight line to the top. She has several peaks and troughs along her way. Being an adult reading this book, I could tell from the very beginning the lesson she needed to learn, which made this book somewhat predictable. The character development ends there however. None of the other characters introduced really have a role to play in this book besides being Leah’s side character and support. This includes the positive characters, the negative characters, and the villains. No one really developed much, and not nearly as much as Leah.

As far as the plot pacing and story, the pacing was even throughout. I can definitely say that the book is somewhat slow in pacing, but the language the author uses to write it is extremely easy to read, so that isn’t a problem. As I mentioned before, the story itself is predictable. I could guess the plot, Leah’s situation, and the conclusion, especially when romance was introduced into the story.

I could go on and on about my feelings on romance in plots. They are like raisins and nuts in desserts. Throwing them into an already delicious dessert doesn’t always elevate the dessert. Sometimes, it just brings it down to muggle town. It makes it mid. It generalizes the dessert. It absorbs all the things that make the dessert delicious already because it takes focus away from all the other ingredients until you only taste raisins or nuts. Can you tell that I hate raisins and nuts in desserts? I also hate chocolate chips just randomly thrown in there as well. Nobody asked for it. Nobody needs it, especially not the main character, but the romance is there anyway.

My Throat an Open Grave
By: Tori Bovalino
Genre: YA Horror
Release Date: February 20th

Synopsis:

Leah’s baby brother disappears from his crib one night while she is supposed to be watching him. All signs indicate that he was taken by the Lord of the Wood, a supernatural figure the townsfolk fear. To get her brother back, Leah must enter the woods and confront the LoW, only no one who has attempted this has ever returned alive.

My Thoughts:

I loved this book. It’s horror, but it’s also part mystery, part ghost story, with just a touch of romance. It’s dark, moody, and has heavy woodland fairytale vibes. The atmosphere is deliciously melancholy. It never fully crosses into scary/horror territory, in my opinion, but there’s a nice eeriness that clings to every moment. It’s a compulsive read. There was something about the forest setting and the characters that lived there that had me wishing I could live there too. I didn’t want the story to end, but at the same time, I needed to know what was going to happen. And just look at that cover! So gorgeous. The artist did an amazing job of capturing the essence of this book. I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy of My Throat an Open Grave as soon as it hits stores!

Ratings:

Plot — 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 /5
Characters — 🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼 /5
Chemistry — 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤 /5
Atmosphere — 💀💀💀💀💀 /5
Overall — 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 /5

Thank you to @netgalley , @ pagestreetya , and @toribovalino for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

Girls in Winston, Pennsylvania are raised to fear the Lord of the Wood. He takes what is offered to him, and especially for young single mothers, this is a scary prospect. Those who have had their babies stolen away are sent after them and no one has returned yet. One night, after being exasperated.by her brother's crying, Leah wishes him away. Owen goes missing, a bundle of sticks in his place.
She is sent by the religious authorities and her mother in a quest to find Owen and bring him back. She is terrified.
However, once she finds the Lord of the Wood's terrain, she doesn't find what she's expecting.
I was pleasantly surprised by My Throat an Open Grave. I thought that it was going to have a lot more horror but was blown away by the coziness portrayed. With the exception of the garden of memories, the setting is idyllic. Tristan is trustworthy and honorable. Owen is well taken care of by a caring elderly lady. The food sounds delicious and the descriptions of the parties sound enticing.
I enjoyed the twist of Leah realizing what she really fears. Also, what she decides to do after her time in the woods. From there, the real horror will begin..
A captivating read, and one that made me want to read more of the author's work as well as try out more folk horror.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a free advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I've never seen Labyrinth, but now I think I have to after reading this! What first made me curious about this book is that it's set in a small town in Pennsylvania, and I just so happen to live in a different small town in Pennsylvania. I haven't read many books set in my state and I love horror, so I decided to give it a go and I really enjoyed this! It was very cottagecore-horror, and the romance played a larger role than I was expecting for a horror novel, but the mutual respect the two characters had for each other was refreshing. This is a YA horror, so it wasn't as dark as I would've liked it to be but it wasn't unenjoyable. This covers a lot of heavy topics like purity culture and religious trauma which often impacts small towns, and while my small town (thankfully) wasn't anything like Leah's town, it still resonated with me. This book also addresses women's bodily autonomy, again in the context of a very small , obsessively religions town. I would love to learn more about the other villagers like Ruth and Fletcher, and just more about the village itself like how it came to be, since it's never really explained to the extent that I would've liked. Overall I enjoyed this and I'll definitely be reading more works from the author!

My emotions were HIGH while reading this. I devoured the first third -- such a strong and engaging start to this book!!! -- and had to force myself to read a bit more slowly so I didn't miss too many details. This one took me to some dark places and some beautiful ones, too. Leah's growth over this story is incredible and I felt for her so strongly. She is healing, while trying to solve the mystery of what happened to the girls who left Winston before her. This book has moments where some truly scary things happen, but through it all is a thread of love and compassion. I wanted a little bit more character development for some of the people besides Leah (Fletcher, especially), which kept this from rating a little higher. Overall, this is a moving story about someone who grows up in an ultra-conservative society and how she heals from the trauma inflicted by said society. It's emotional and timely and the fantasy element is very lovely. Between this and "Not Good For Maidens," I will certainly pick up anything Bovalino writes.

Similar vibes to:
Small Favors by Erin A. Craig
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
The Low Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado
Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino

Thank you to NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

Tori Bovalino has done it again, she always knows how to balance the atmosphere of “otherworldliness” magic and reality into a book. All the characters were lovable, I especially adored Leah and the complexity and depth of her character, you really feel, relate and root for her throughout. The heavier topics were well written and easily digestible for the YA genre, like the exploration of religious trauma through symbolism and water and the effects of religion being weaponized against women and how choice and resources are ultimately important.
I just came out of a reading slump but I can tell this one is going to put me right back in one.
Thank you NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for this ARC!

Gothic, rural, folk horror with a smattering of fae. This book was atmospheric and delightful. Tristan is our new misunderstood crush, Leah isn’t the worst (although she is a bit unlikable and whiny, I tried to not focus on it). I loved the underlying theme of trust and facades. I could’ve done without the Maria subplot. I get why it was included but I honestly felt like it was given an unnecessary amount of attention. I really did love the plot, and I’m always here for a Lord of the Woods who knows how to treat women.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This cover/title was already a 10/10 for me. But this story? I’m absolutely obsessed.

Religious trauma mixed with folk fantasy aspects and magic otherworldly beings? Say less!

Leah is a teenager from a religious small town. She’s always been taught to be a good girl and to follow the rules so she stays pure. Everyone warns girls about The Lord of the Wood. He kidnaps babies when someone prays them away. When Leah wishes her baby brother would be taken, she is sent into the woods to bring him back. What she finds isn’t what she expects. The Lord only offers her the return of her brother in exchange for a song. Now she has 1 month to write it and figure out a way to get back to her life. But does she want to?

I’ll be the one to say I haven’t seen Labyrinth. I have no frame of reference with this being a labyrinth retelling. I loved the vibes and I loved the storytelling. Deff cozy fantasy mixed in with some horror and dark supernatural elements.

TRISTAN!! Ugh. I never loved a boy in a book more than him. He was literally the sweetest person in the entire universe. Ok but everyone in the Wood was amazing. Ruth and Fletcher were such sweethearts. I would never want to leave! I also like how this randomly became a murder mystery but I love murder mysteries so I was here for it.

The twist near the end I did not see coming. I was completely blown away. And the end. Ahhh had me tearing up. I loved this book so much more than I thought. Highly recommend to everyone when it comes out on February 20th!

This is a delightfully dark sophomore effort from Bovalino. I'm always here for a good Labyrinth re-telling.

I seem to be stumbling into a lot of religious trauma books when I wasn’t expecting it.

I know it is an ARC but the sentence structure was confusing fairly often and copy editing issues popped up more than I normally see in an ARC.

The book really over uses the phrase “nails digging into my palms”. It was used three times in one chapter at one point.

The untold mystery that the story works towards showing you was SUPER obvious.
It wasn’t slow paced but because the reveal is so apparent, it felt like a slog waiting for it to come about.

It’s very heavy handed with itself themes despite trying to go about displaying them in a mysterious way.

The “task” she has to do to get her brother back is such an after thought to the plot. You never even see her working on it in the story.

The ending is satisfying but not. She fought her way back to show the town what happened to the other girls but then they never do anything with the proof or tell anyone