This is about our narrator, a lonely, queer mountain lion living under the Hollywood sign and is very hungry as well. He is easily fascinated by humanity’s quirks. He listens to hikers complain about their lives, protects a nearby homeless encampment and talks about encounters throughout his home below the sign. A man-made disaster ends up forcing him down the hills into the city and runs into multiple temptations as well as threats. Suddenly salvation seems in reach but he is faced with one question: Do they want to eat a person, or become one?

I loved being invited into the mind of this loveable mountain lion. I can really feel all the emotions he might feel as well as hunger just because of the descriptions in the book. The descriptions are straightforward but you feel them, you believe them for our MC. I really like that humanity and bigger concern about the environment is being explored through this mountain lion. It made it interesting and more real in a way. It was a really creative story.

I wasn’t expecting as much commentary about the state of our environment and ultimately the demise we may have with climate change but I liked it. It is definitely a part of our lives and it made me really stop and consider the other beings that are affected by climate change. Some of this was a little slow for me or my mind ended up wondering but overall I really love the MC and the story. Also that ending was perfect.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, MCD/FSG, and Picador for the ARC!

Henry Hoke’s “Open Throat” offers us the POV of a chatty, inquisitive mountain lion that lives underneath the Hollywood Sign. We follow its adventures and contemplations as it tries to survive in its ever-shrinking home and make sense of the things it observes — everything from eavesdropped conversations and helicopters to homeless encampments, gentrification in the city of “ellay,” and gay men cruising in a cave. The story becomes a kind of road novel as the mountain lion leaves the relative privacy of Beachwood Canyon and enters the city itself.

This is a beautiful, smart, wry, tender, and constantly exciting/innovative work of fiction — both syntactically and imaginatively. I found myself rooting for this puma and engrossed in both the day-to-day motions of its life and the more gripping events that happen after the inciting incident that propels our protagonist deeper into human civilization.

As others have pointed out, I was fully onboard with the novel’s primary conceit and happy to accept the mountain lion’s understanding (or lack thereof) of the world around it, even when Hoke’s hand was a bit more obvious with respect to certain questions or commentaries. Everything else is executed so, so well, IMO. I say this lightheartedly: of all the incredible things that happen in this short book, the only time the spell broke for me was when the mountain lion somehow runs into the same man twice in a city as big as LA.

As much as I loved the length, I also wanted more: more dream sequences, more commentary, more flashbacks, more roaming, more probing. Not at the expense of our protagonist, of course, but because at times it feels like the story sets itself up to explore more than it ends up doing.

All in all though, I loved this novel and can’t wait to read Hoke’s other work.

This was not nearly as wild as I'd anticipated it being based on the synopsis. The writing is beautifully sparse, but it felt like everything was moving too quickly. We get hints of turmoil in the protagonist, but based on "queer mountain lion," I wanted more, I guess.

Imagine waking up from a fever dream with a new perspective on the social and environmental costs of human consumption, and you'll have a decent idea of what it feels like to read Open Throat. Hoke's novel is told from the perspective of a mountain lion penned into close proximity to human society—first by traffic, then by fire. His thoughts are communicated through a stream-of-consciousness that reads like poetry on the page and eschews punctuation for plentiful line breaks, a choice that I found intuitive to follow but also made me feel like I had stumbled on an alien artifact from a different kind of brain. Part of the conceit of the novel is that the mountain lion has imperfect access to language and meaning: "ellay" and "scare city," for example, are terms he's overheard and understands instinctually but not intellectually. Early on, the mountain lion reflects on an earthquake and says "I don't know/it's hard to say how it feels/I'm looking for the words." This knowing-but-innocent orientation toward intractably complicated human problems is part of the novel's power. The mountain lion's alienation from the world he observes shrinks issues like homelessness and environmental degradation down to their most singular impacts: the harm of one person's cruel prank, the body of another mountain lion by the side of the highway. The result is a book that offers that rarest of gifts—a new way to see what is most familiar, and most urgent.

Unexpected and delightful. I feel like the queer aspect went a bit over my head, but it was incredibly fun to spend time inside a mountain lion's head and the perspective on humanity's idiocy was interesting.

2.5

I’m not completely sure how I feel about this book.

The writing was different—sort of a hybrid between prose and poetry, with stream of consciousness thrown in. I understand that the writing may just be the author’s unique style, but my issue is that I’m not sure what it really adds to the story.

The social commentary was funny at parts but felt mostly overdone. Perhaps because I live on the east coast and am cynical that I just felt annoyed by it all. I do think, however, that most people will enjoy the commentary and many quips.

With a synopsis that parades the term “queer mountain lion” twice, the story lacked an in-depth exploration of it that I hoped for.

I’m still interested in checking out another work by Hoke, but this one just didn’t live up to my expectations.

I received this as an ARC via Net Galley. This book is to be released June 6, 2023.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A Hollywood Hills mountain lion becomes a mirror for human dysfunction. Going in, I thought this would focus on environmental degradation, but this book became a lot more very quickly. Forced out from his original habitat, a lonely mountain lion watches and eventually interacts with a more or less typical swath of humanity. The dysfunction around him creates a similar dysfunction in his own life. Their loneliness becomes his loneliness, as do their irrational acts. This was really good. And bleak.

Same review posted to Goodreads.

Open Throat is a deceptive and daring little novel. Following a mountain lion navigating LA, the lion confronts people and places that make the lion contemplate its relationship with humanity. Whether connecting with humans or--by instinct or choice--wanting to kill them, the lion's epiphanies feel both revelatory and sincere. Throughout the book Hoke cleverly strings readers along seemingly surface level metaphor about discrimination and class, but its the lion's ongoing personality developing that is most endearing amidst the situations occuring. For one, the lion's language of profanity is an interesting--and intentional--choice all its own worth its own discussion, its tongue being held--or unleashed--amongst its prey.

An quick read with an interesting premise that felt almost like a fever dream but also accessible and poetic

In Open Throat, readers follow an unnamed, lonely mountain lion who lives under the Hollywood Sign in California. The MC is fascinated by all of the human hikers that come in their path, the folks experiencing homelessness that they feel a connection to, and the human girl who finds them at their most vulnerable.

In less than 200 pages, Open Throat forms a story with an MC that buries themselves inside our heart, speaks on the interwoven human and animal experience, explores loneliness and other universal feelings, and offers relevant social commentary on climate, the environment, and human impact on both.

I really enjoyed this short read. At first, I didn't know what to make of it and it probably won't be for everyone, but the mountain lion is so insightful and has such feelings that feel so personal and relatable. I was rooting for them from start to finish, and feel like the the story came full circle in the end. Insightful. Symbolic. Poetic. Powerful. A call to action of sorts. Happy I read this one.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

From the perspective of a mountain lion that lives too close to the LA population, it examines how stupid we are. How tragically we have failed as a society. Yes. You needed to know this (once again) from the perspective of a queer, hungry lion.

With a fresh and unique voice in pounce-prose, we examine the man and the man-made and all that is perishable in between.

"𝘈 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘤𝘤𝘶𝘱𝘺 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦
𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘯𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 (𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘦) 𝘢 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥; 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 - 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦- 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭."


Last year, I read 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘴, which promoted the idea of perspectivism, which forces us to look outside from our colonizer eyes and see the world at its very center, around and alongside other animals in order to protect the single Earth we have.

Hoke creates such a unique perspective that grounds us back to the center of the earth, understanding what power is and how it is something that is as loose and vicious as the wicked flames that chew at LA, harming its land, harming its very own kind.

4.25 stars rounded down to 4. I really enjoyed this concept and thought the premise was original and exciting. There were slight inconsistencies in the thought processes of the mountain lion but that doesn't take you out of the story too much. I liked that there wasn't much narrative and it felt stream of consciousness. One thing about the book is that stuff is presented but not necessarily commented on which allows the reader to think more deeply about the topics than just having the author tell you how to think. If you are a reader who likes everything spelled out clearly and in a neat package this may not be the book for you. However, it is short so maybe pick it up and give it a try you might be surprised. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and the only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is because I think there was a lot of unexplored potential with this concept that could have made the story a bit more impactful. Rest in peace P-22.
Review posted to Goodreads and will be also later posted to instagram at user profile: readingonholliday

weird, funny, sad, reading like prose poetry. i did roll my eyes at the queer mountain lion having an abusive father, but at the same time it painted a visceral picture of humanity and queerness, the things that bring us all together and the crippling loneliness and outsider status that sets us apart. i think this would be a good one for people with more familiarity with LA than I have, though what I understood still delighted me

I haven't read a novel this syntactically innovative since Little Scratch by Rebecca Watson. Here I was invited into the mind of a sentient and gabby mountain lion that's living a bit too close to human populations for me to not be continuously worried about its welfare. I was on this cat's side all the way. The language is so delightful that I happily embraced the core conceit that this cat could understand human speech and could think in words and could tell me its story. The voice of the novel is wry and witty. This is a cat full of metaphysical questions as well as apex-predator blood-lust. It's trying to make sense of this world. It's trying to survive in a borderland where the wild places for it to hunt in and hide in have been reduced to patches of thicket around the Hollywood sign. This cat has a lot to say about the human condition, and this novel is witty, innovative, and beautifully in-the-moment.

absolutely wild story about a queer mountain lion living beneath the hollywood sign. open throat is written from an incredibly unique point of view. beautifully written in poetic, stream of consciousness, fever dream style prose. the unconventional furry protagonist explores themes of humanity, sexuality, and poverty as he on-looks and eavesdrops life in LA. satirical and heartbreaking. a quick read that i easily devoured and adored every minute of.
"i feel more like a person than ever because i'm starting to hate myself"


open throat is available june 6th and i cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy. this book was so special and has quickly earned its place as one of my favourites. add to your tbr immediately!

thanks to netgalley and FSG for the ARC

3.5 stars

this is so different and strange in its unique story and writing that it’s a bit hard to review.

the entire story is told from the perspective of a puma or mountain lion that seems to surprise in the edge of LA and the story is of is observations and snippets of conversations he hears from the humans around him.

this entire story is as strange as it sounds.

but it’s not bad.

it’s just very different and more of an open commentary and running dialog or thought than an actual completed story i felt like.

we get this snippet viewpoint of what it might be like for a wild animal who’s territory humanity doesn’t only approach on but actually invaded and actually destroys without a second thought or any offer to help the wild animals in hard times - like watering holes to make it easier for animals to find access to water after humans took most natural options away from them.

it’s a good commentary and points punt a good amount of issues without actually talking about them.

but i also think the entire book missed something overall to be fantastic.

it’s a bit too open and left hanging which i guess is the purpose and fitting with the rest of the story but i also wish we would have gotten more then just a realistic view into the hard ships of wild animals during the current times.

overall interesting and a good idea and interesting read.
if you are looking for something unique and different, a commentary or just a view into a very different life that isn’t fantasy?
go for it!

"I say something / it sounds like words / it's not what they want to hear", so ends Open Throat. The mountain puma not only says something but also acts (hence the title of the novel), and therein lies the political thrust of the text. The mountain puma lashes out against the person who set on fire a homeless tent community and along with it the forest where the puma lived. But it's not the simple lashing out that matters, but "returning what's needed / I could see myself leaving the park and walking through an empty ellay / slow and safe with all other animals". The puma is "queer", whatever that may mean for an animal, and the novel connects the economic precarity, animality and queerness acting with full (and deadly) force against at least one aspect of the existing violent social system. Open throats are precondition to return slow and safe, and it is something that it is seldom said and certainly something that they do not want to hear.

My thanks to NetGalley, The publisher Farrah, Straus and Giroux and the the author Henry Hoke for this e arc. The cover and the title of the book predict a hard story about a ferocious animal or something to do with it but little that you know… this book is the light humorous existential thoughts of a feral cat -well not so feral- it is the voice of the mountain lion you’re hearing and it is more honest than most of humanity. It talks you through the stages of its existence from the first encounter with a certain man with a whip to memories about his mother and then to meeting the man with the whip again then to meeting a girl who was not afraid of him then lastly to meeting the same man with the whip for the third time. It was a ferocious ride and I enjoyed every bit of it. A page-turner. Highly recommend.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux MCD for the ARC of Open Throat in exchange for an honest review. I’m still processing here.

Open Throat is unlike anything I’ve ever read before, a rediscovery of language dripping from an inhuman heart. Henry Hoke’s short, captivating read tells the story of a mountain lion living in the Hollywood hills, grappling with loneliness and the complexities of the beings that walk around them, oversharing about their days, insecurities, hopes and dreams to anyone who will listen. The mountain lion is a keen observer, a protector, a voyeur to something they deeply hope to understand. And in all of it, there is a discernible queerness in place, as the hunt for self opposes expectation. The mountain lion’s isolation from a world they long to be a part of is a feeling intimately known to those on the fringe of society.

As the mountain lion makes decisions - to explore, to seek companions, to kill - we feel the vibrations of those choices too. I never expected to feel so connected to the story or its predator, searching for something they can’t put words to: maybe enlightenment, belonging, maybe just dinner. I felt compelled to keep going with every chapter and easily finished this story in one sitting. It left me wanting more, but in a way that felt right. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who wants to be transfixed for an afternoon and left in contemplation. It’s a glimpse of something; it doesn’t go on forever, it’s here for a moment. And the moment stops short of confirmation or enlightenment. In the end, the lion makes a choice that feels in line with both nature and desire - a compromise that is unflinchingly human after all.

This is an enthralling read that examines humanity through the eyes of a cougar. This is a must read for everyone.

Hoke presents one of the most unique stories i’ve ever read with Open Throat - a sweetly savage novella with a cougar (and not the human kind) as the narrator. seeing humanity through the lens of a wild animal was so fascinating to read and poses some really poignant observations. I really didn’t know what to expect going into this one, but it was well worth the risk picking it up.