Genre: Horror - Fantasy

Age: Young Adult

Format: ebook

Leah Jones is realistic about her future prospects; she knows there’s no getting out of Winston, Pennsylvania. Not for her. The town makes it clear there are consequences for bad behaviour, and when her little brother Owen is taken by the Lord of the Wood, Leah must venture in after him, bargain to get her brother back and return home, a feat no girl before her has managed. But the Lord is not what she expected, and while she writes her song to win Owen back, Leah starts looking for the truth of the woods, Winston, and the girls who have come before her.

The book took some dark turns that I really appreciated. Through Leah, we see the role religion and the patriarchy forces on women, and the influence it exerts over the way Leah sees herself. She admits she is not loved by the town, feels unloved by her mother, and holds herself responsible for what happens to Owen. It’s not a straight up horror, but instead mixes Fantasy, Horror, and Paranormal Romance for an examination of society in a really well-handled way.

Leah finds herself drawn to the Lord of the Woods, and her internal conflict revolves around her upbringing versus how she actually feels, knowing there are things she wants to do that the town would frown upon. She wrestles with the idea of belonging, feeling like she doesn’t truly belong anywhere and unable to see herself as others see her, viewing herself only through the lens of Winston.

The imagery, plot and Leah’s character all come together for a truly engaging novel that gives the reader plenty to chew on. It’s definitely one for older teen and adult readers, tackling themes of societal isolation, religion, the patriarchy, control, and sex, as well as a complicated mother-daughter relationship. It was my first read book of 2024, and has set a really high bar for anything I read for the rest of the year.

My Throat an Open Grave will be published 20th February, 2024 by Titan Books in the UK

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Bookshop UK

Review by Elle Turpitt

Twitter: @elleturpitt

Bluesky: @elleturpitt.bsky.social

www.elleturpittediting.com

I received this ebook from Titan Books via NetGalley for review consideration.