laurasparkle's Book Journey

Open Throat is a gorgeous, unique, heart‑wrenching, and thought‑provoking story about displacement, loneliness, and the quiet exhaustion of becoming what others expect you to be simply because you’re tired of proving you deserve to exist - all told through the point of view of a mountain lion.

I adored this book from start to finish. The writing is superb, the societal commentary is sharp, and the mountain lion’s voice is handled with such care that it pulls on every single one of your heartstrings. Even the stranger moments feel grounded because of how clearly the narrative understands its own perspective.

Seeing the world through the mountain lion’s eyes becomes an effective way to examine human behaviour. The story highlights how frivolous - and frankly ridiculous - we can be, how much value we place on things that don’t matter, and how easily judgement and expectation can push someone into a box they never wanted to occupy, only for people to pat themselves on the back for “proving” you must have belonged there all along.

The stream‑of‑consciousness style isn’t just a stylistic choice; it mirrors the mountain lion’s constant negotiation between instinct, observation, and survival. That rhythm gives the book a sense of immediacy that works incredibly well. It might be a smidge weird, but that oddness is part of what makes it memorable.

I loved every moment spent in the mind of this radical mountain lion. Do yourself the favour of reading it. You won’t regret it.

Open Throat is a gorgeous, unique, heart‑wrenching, and thought‑provoking story about displacement, loneliness, and the quiet exhaustion of becoming what others expect you to be simply because you’re tired of proving you deserve to exist - all told through the point of view of a mountain lion.

I adored this book from start to finish. The writing is superb, the societal commentary is sharp, and the mountain lion’s voice is handled with such care that it pulls on every single one of your heartstrings. Even the stranger moments feel grounded because of how clearly the narrative understands its own perspective.

Seeing the world through the mountain lion’s eyes becomes an effective way to examine human behaviour. The story highlights how frivolous - and frankly ridiculous - we can be, how much value we place on things that don’t matter, and how easily judgement and expectation can push someone into a box they never wanted to occupy, only for people to pat themselves on the back for “proving” you must have belonged there all along.

The stream‑of‑consciousness style isn’t just a stylistic choice; it mirrors the mountain lion’s constant negotiation between instinct, observation, and survival. That rhythm gives the book a sense of immediacy that works incredibly well. It might be a smidge weird, but that oddness is part of what makes it memorable.

I loved every moment spent in the mind of this radical mountain lion. Do yourself the favour of reading it. You won’t regret it.

Oh my goodness. This had me in tears at the end. This story, like its protagonist, is magnificent. Touching, funny, heartbreaking, tender, violent, and such a powerful reflection on ‘civilization’.

So much gratitude to @sashareads for inspiring me to listen to this. 10/10 recommend. One of those stories that would benefit anyone and everyone to read. 💖

“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.