“I feel more like a person than ever because I’m starting to hate myself.”

Yes. Call us out.

I went into Open Throat knowing absolutely nothing other than “mountain lion protagonist,” and I’m honestly so glad I did. I finished this in one sitting and immediately decided I need to buy my own copy so I can scribble all over it. 🙂‍↕️ I also NEED to reread this with the audio because I feel like hearing this story would give me a completely different experience.

What I loved most was watching the lion try to understand the human world while also becoming more aware of how humans understand them. There’s so much here about identity, shame, belonging, and the strange space between being free and being allowed to exist only within certain boundaries.

The lion being labeled as queer also added a layer I found really interesting. I didn’t read it as simply being about the lion’s sexuality. It felt much more connected to the idea of being considered “other,” being put into categories by people who have already decided what you are, and what happens when you start internalizing those expectations.

I also loved how the book keeps blurring that line between human and animal. The lion is obviously not human, but somehow they made me look at human behavior differently. Some of our systems and social rules feel pretty ridiculous when you step outside of them for a minute.

The writing is strange, sparse, and completely its own thing. I loved how much personality came through in such a limited form, and the format felt very stream-of-consciousness, which made the whole experience feel incredibly intimate.

My only complaint is that I wanted MORE. I could have spent so much longer with this lion. But apparently Hoke decided this was all I’d get. Frankly, rude.

Anyway. Read the weird mountain lion book. Trust me.

Do it.