Reviews

Open Throat by Henry Hoke

melmogle's review

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adventurous dark reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

Weird book. Will review later. 

justjacq's review

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adventurous challenging reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

What a short, unique, unassuming read. Told from the perspective of a queer cougar, who is living under the Hollywood sign - this quick prose holds a lot of intrigue. The writing is pieced together and comes at you in bursts of creative and intelligent thoughts. I fell fast for the mountain lion, and was quick to feel concerned for him. The story looks at the climate crisis and our dwindling natural resources. There are earthquakes, flooding, and fires - there's homelessness and politics. For being such a small novel, it really holds a lot. Certain points had me remembering how it was at the beginning of covid, how the water in Venice was clearer, and pollution was down all over the place - how it was drastically evident that we are the problem. I think it's worth a re-read simply because I feel like I may have missed something regarding labeling the cougar as queer - maybe there was a deeper message there, but I'm not sure I caught it and I don't feel as though the writing made this evident. 
4/5⭐️s

caterina_1212's review against another edition

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adventurous reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Very unique take on non-human narrator. I liked it. P-22 fanfiction?

johnpaulgatenby's review

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dark emotional funny sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

kgodfrey's review

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emotional reflective sad fast-paced

kendra_kendra's review against another edition

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adventurous funny sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

ninsiana0's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective relaxing sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Read OPEN THROAT by Henry Hoke if you love big cats, the big city, small towns, scarcity narratives, poetic prose, trying to understand people, queerness, crises, fear, hunger, loneliness, developing the language to describe your existence, the American hard rock band Slaughter, adaptation & longing.

ameliec's review against another edition

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fast-paced

4.0

anneshirley4u's review

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funny reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

livtupi's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0