Release date: February 20 2024
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 320
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: I received an E-ARC via Netgalley
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Synopsis

Fall under the spell of the Lord of the Wood and uncover the dark past of a village that will go to any lengths to ensure its maidens stay good.

In the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania, they fear the Lord of the Wood almost as much as they fear God. According to legend, ghosts of the nearby forest steal unattended babies, leaving enigmatic tokens of wood and bone in their place. Leah Jones didn’t believe the legend, thinking it just a way to scare the local kids―until her baby brother disappears.

Filled with shame and the weight of the town’s judgment, Leah crosses the river into the Lord of the Wood’s domain to bring her brother back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isn’t what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother back… for a price.

It’s a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything she’s been taught to fear.

Review

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.