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The Eyes Are the Best Part
Win a free print copy of this book!
0 days and 07:41:44
100 copies available
U.S. only
“Violent, smart, gruesome and wildly original, this novel pulls readers into a horrific world of murder and cannibalism while also critiquing misogyny, exploring Asian fetishization and stereotypes, sharing what it’s like to navigate two cultures and telling a touching story of a family in turmoil.” —New York Times Book Review
Crying in H-Mart meets My Sister, the Serial Killer in this feminist psychological horror about the making of a female serial killer from a Korean-American perspective.
Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. Her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.
In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Salivatingly blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George has already overstayed his welcome in her family’s claustrophobic apartment. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescending toward Ji-won and her sister as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. No, George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that.
For no matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.
A brilliantly inventive, subversive novel about a young woman unraveling, Monika Kim’s The Eyes Are the Best Part is a story of a family falling apart and trying to find their way back to each other, marking a bold new voice in horror that will leave readers mesmerized and craving more.
Crying in H-Mart meets My Sister, the Serial Killer in this feminist psychological horror about the making of a female serial killer from a Korean-American perspective.
Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. Her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.
In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Salivatingly blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George has already overstayed his welcome in her family’s claustrophobic apartment. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescending toward Ji-won and her sister as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. No, George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that.
For no matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.
A brilliantly inventive, subversive novel about a young woman unraveling, Monika Kim’s The Eyes Are the Best Part is a story of a family falling apart and trying to find their way back to each other, marking a bold new voice in horror that will leave readers mesmerized and craving more.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published June 25, 2024
About the author
Monika Kim
1 book361 followersMonika is a second-generation Korean American living in Los Angeles’s Koreatown. She learned about eating fish eyes and other Korean superstitions from her mother, who immigrated to California from Seoul in 1985.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,226 reviews
February 3, 2024
We meet Ji-won in a particularly tumultuous point in life, as many things are changing around her. As we watch her lose all rationale, the mission becomes an obsessive consumption of eyeballs.
This had a lot of great commentary alongside a thrilling violence spree. Definitely recommend for those who love an unhinged woman on a revenge mission.
*An early copy was kindly provided by the publisher
Full thoughts and reaction can be found on youtube https://youtu.be/c8P2rQcfdLU?si=dUrMw...
This had a lot of great commentary alongside a thrilling violence spree. Definitely recommend for those who love an unhinged woman on a revenge mission.
*An early copy was kindly provided by the publisher
Full thoughts and reaction can be found on youtube https://youtu.be/c8P2rQcfdLU?si=dUrMw...
July 2, 2024
Firstly, let me preface this review by saying that if you want a rollercoaster of horror, screams and jump scares from page one, you’re not going to find it here. This is without a doubt a graphic revenge psychological horror story, but it's also so much more.
The Eyes Are the Best Part doesn't rush, it simmers slowly until it boils. It starts as a poignant family drama and reflection on the Korean-American immigration experience via 18-year-old FMC protagonist, Ji-won, before morphing into a phantasmagorical slow-burn eyeball horror that seeps into your psyche in a nightmarishly grotesque yet compelling way. Bring a strong stomach.
I dove into this debut expecting unsettling, unhinged and unsavoury thrills, but what I got was a surprising depth that hit closer to home than I anticipated. It’s not just your run-of-the-mill revenge horror gore-fest. Monica Kim’s narrative slices through misogyny, racism, cultural fetishisation, exoticism and hypersexualisation with surgical precision.
Reading Ji-won's narration in navigating her family values and culture, upbringing and identity in a Western world that sometimes exoticises anyone who looks different to the ‘norm’ felt like a bizarrely familiar trip down memory lane for me. (Side note: If you think calling someone exotic is a compliment, or have ever tried to playfully guess a BIPOC’s ethnicity without consent, please stop.)
I don’t want to say too much more because here is another case where it's best to dive in blindfolded. However, I will issue trigger warnings: Cannibalism—obvious, yes? Also racism, misogyny, cheating, depression, grieving, child abandonment, mentions of suicide, paedophilic phrases against young girls, gore & stalking.
My heartfelt thanks to Octopus Publishing | Brazen for the digital advanced copy and to Jillian, Mai & Zana, who alerted me to this banger. This was a brilliant debut, I can’t wait to see what Monika Kim does next.
___
What on earth did I just read. RTC.
___
Been eyeballing this one. My thanks to Octopus Publishing | Brazen for the digital advanced copy and to Jillian, Mai & Zana who never fail to put unique reads on my radar. 👁
The Eyes Are the Best Part doesn't rush, it simmers slowly until it boils. It starts as a poignant family drama and reflection on the Korean-American immigration experience via 18-year-old FMC protagonist, Ji-won, before morphing into a phantasmagorical slow-burn eyeball horror that seeps into your psyche in a nightmarishly grotesque yet compelling way. Bring a strong stomach.
I dove into this debut expecting unsettling, unhinged and unsavoury thrills, but what I got was a surprising depth that hit closer to home than I anticipated. It’s not just your run-of-the-mill revenge horror gore-fest. Monica Kim’s narrative slices through misogyny, racism, cultural fetishisation, exoticism and hypersexualisation with surgical precision.
Reading Ji-won's narration in navigating her family values and culture, upbringing and identity in a Western world that sometimes exoticises anyone who looks different to the ‘norm’ felt like a bizarrely familiar trip down memory lane for me. (Side note: If you think calling someone exotic is a compliment, or have ever tried to playfully guess a BIPOC’s ethnicity without consent, please stop.)
I don’t want to say too much more because here is another case where it's best to dive in blindfolded. However, I will issue trigger warnings: Cannibalism—obvious, yes? Also racism, misogyny, cheating, depression, grieving, child abandonment, mentions of suicide, paedophilic phrases against young girls, gore & stalking.
My heartfelt thanks to Octopus Publishing | Brazen for the digital advanced copy and to Jillian, Mai & Zana, who alerted me to this banger. This was a brilliant debut, I can’t wait to see what Monika Kim does next.
___
What on earth did I just read. RTC.
___
Been eyeballing this one. My thanks to Octopus Publishing | Brazen for the digital advanced copy and to Jillian, Mai & Zana who never fail to put unique reads on my radar. 👁
July 4, 2024
A salty liquid trickles down my throat. The outside is crunchy cartilage. I jam it into my left cheek and bite down with my molars; jellylike matter explodes within my mouth.
🤮 This book was not scary, but it was definitely disgusting.
I've been on a bit of a horror kick lately. I'm currently watching From and I recently finished the very creepy Incidents Around the House, so I've been on the lookout for more scary thrills. The title and cover of this one were, let's say, eye-catching. Pun intended, of course.
But, sadly, the contents of The Eyes Are the Best Part were not nearly as thrilling as the packaging. The story creeps along very slowly without any scares. We are introduced to Ji-won, her sister Ji-hyun, and her Umma, shortly after her Appa left them for another woman. Their Umma begins a relationship with a new guy called George, an asshole who fetishizes Asian women, while Ji-won becomes increasingly obsessed with eating eyeballs.
You read that correctly.
For most of the book, the only action happens in Ji-won's increasingly vivid nightmares. This is actually a pet peeve of mine-- I dislike it when author's overdo it with dream sequences in a book. I find it boring to spend so much time on stuff that is not actually happening. And does anyone truly like listening to someone else describe all their dreams?
Also, while watching a woman descend into madness and get revenge on douchebags is a vibe I can get on board with, I didn't totally buy it here. Ji-won's fixation on eyeballs was just weird. And not interesting weird. I can understand why she was mad, frustrated, exasperated, but then many women have been in her shoes... I felt like I needed a more nuanced explanation as to why she turned homicidal. I was confused as to how we arrived at the eyeball cannibalism thing, honestly.
The characterization, too, seemed lacking. Geoffrey and George were complete cardboard cutout cliches, so ridiculously over the top that I paused to wonder if, maybe, the author was aiming for satire here. I'm still not 100% sure. Ji-won, as touched upon above, made no sense to me. I didn't understand the motivations of her character and the few attempts at backstory made me more confused, not less.
The slow crawl gives way to a wild burst of action at the very end, but it was hard to welcome the change of pace when it was all so ludicrous. Not my kind of horror.
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March 4, 2024hi. thanks for reading my book & for supporting my work. i love you and i hope both sides of your pillow are cold every night <3
July 23, 2024
The Eyes Are the Best Part is definitely one of the most memorable and engaging debut novels I've ever read!
Monika Kim's haunting ideas moved me, and shall now live rent free in my brain. This story sucked me in from the start and refused to let go. I was thinking about it all the time, even when I wasn't reading it.
In this story we follow Ji-Won, who has just entered her first year of college. She lives in small apartment with her Umma and her younger sister, Ji-Hyun. Her Appa has deserted them for another woman, leaving Ji-Won as the logical next head of household.
Umma is a mess, barely holding it together enough to make it to her job at the grocery store, and Ji-Hyun is just 15-years old. Ji-Won is feeling a responsibility to care for them both.
It's not just her family situation causing her stress though. Ji-Won also didn't get into the college she once dreamed of with her best high school friends. She ended up losing those friends because of that.
Ji-Won's on her own now, at a new school, and she feels very alone. She doesn't have anyone she can open up to about all the pressures bearing down on her. She loves her sister and her Umma so much, but she needs to keep strong around them.
When Umma brings about her new boyfriend, a startlingly-obnoxious man named, George, Ji-Won can hardly believe this is her life. George starts coming by the apartment, and then beginning to stay there more often than not.
It's during this time of incredible stress and change that Ji-Won first starts thinking about the eyes. In particular, blue eyes, just like George's. She desires them. She dreams of them. She wants to consume them; all the blue eyes.
It's with no immediate plan in mind, more an act of opportunity, that Ji-Won first proceeds with these overwhelming desires. Once she starts though, it's empowering, fulfilling, and impossible to stop. Ji-Won is now the ruler of her world. It feels good.
This was incredibly immersive. Ji-Won is such a well-developed character. I loved following her story, being in her mind was a slightly disturbing place to be, but I got it.
I felt what she was going through. I empathized with her as I would a friend and frankly, I was more than happy to go on this f*ed up journey with her.
I loved the relationships that Kim created here, particularly between the sisters. Their connection was palpable. I could feel how much Ji-Won cared for her sister, even when she was being bratty. She wanted to protect her and shelter her.
It wasn't just that relationship though, every side character that Ji-Won interacted with, I felt like I knew the ins-and-outs of them. Kim took great care when creating this whole cast and it shows.
We get a couple of students, Alexis and Geoffrey, that Ji-Won meets at school and I liked watching those friendships evolve. That whole avenue of the story went in a direction I was sort of expecting, but I still loved it.
I also thought the pace was spot on. It was perfectly-crafted for maximum impact, that's for sure. Once the spiral begins, she went quickly and with great flourish.
I'm obsessed with the quality of Kim's Horror imagery most of all. The body horror was fantastic. I read a lot of body horror and this, it got me. I was cringing. I was exclaiming things out loud that I can't type here. It was perfect. I never knew what vivid description was gonna come next.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the exceptional social commentary/social horror aspects. I felt this was so well done in that regard. In expressing Ji-Won's experience as a Korean-American young woman in modern-day California, Kim got the points across she needed to make.
This is an exciting story. It's exciting in its own right, in the fact that it's a gripping, disturbing story of feminine rage, but it's also exciting because this is Monika Kim's first novel. I'm so excited for more from her.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Erewhon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I'm so happy that talent like Monika Kim's exists in the world. This book will def be on my BESTS List for 2024!!!
Monika Kim's haunting ideas moved me, and shall now live rent free in my brain. This story sucked me in from the start and refused to let go. I was thinking about it all the time, even when I wasn't reading it.
In this story we follow Ji-Won, who has just entered her first year of college. She lives in small apartment with her Umma and her younger sister, Ji-Hyun. Her Appa has deserted them for another woman, leaving Ji-Won as the logical next head of household.
Umma is a mess, barely holding it together enough to make it to her job at the grocery store, and Ji-Hyun is just 15-years old. Ji-Won is feeling a responsibility to care for them both.
It's not just her family situation causing her stress though. Ji-Won also didn't get into the college she once dreamed of with her best high school friends. She ended up losing those friends because of that.
Ji-Won's on her own now, at a new school, and she feels very alone. She doesn't have anyone she can open up to about all the pressures bearing down on her. She loves her sister and her Umma so much, but she needs to keep strong around them.
When Umma brings about her new boyfriend, a startlingly-obnoxious man named, George, Ji-Won can hardly believe this is her life. George starts coming by the apartment, and then beginning to stay there more often than not.
It's during this time of incredible stress and change that Ji-Won first starts thinking about the eyes. In particular, blue eyes, just like George's. She desires them. She dreams of them. She wants to consume them; all the blue eyes.
It's with no immediate plan in mind, more an act of opportunity, that Ji-Won first proceeds with these overwhelming desires. Once she starts though, it's empowering, fulfilling, and impossible to stop. Ji-Won is now the ruler of her world. It feels good.
This was incredibly immersive. Ji-Won is such a well-developed character. I loved following her story, being in her mind was a slightly disturbing place to be, but I got it.
I felt what she was going through. I empathized with her as I would a friend and frankly, I was more than happy to go on this f*ed up journey with her.
I loved the relationships that Kim created here, particularly between the sisters. Their connection was palpable. I could feel how much Ji-Won cared for her sister, even when she was being bratty. She wanted to protect her and shelter her.
It wasn't just that relationship though, every side character that Ji-Won interacted with, I felt like I knew the ins-and-outs of them. Kim took great care when creating this whole cast and it shows.
We get a couple of students, Alexis and Geoffrey, that Ji-Won meets at school and I liked watching those friendships evolve. That whole avenue of the story went in a direction I was sort of expecting, but I still loved it.
I also thought the pace was spot on. It was perfectly-crafted for maximum impact, that's for sure. Once the spiral begins, she went quickly and with great flourish.
I'm obsessed with the quality of Kim's Horror imagery most of all. The body horror was fantastic. I read a lot of body horror and this, it got me. I was cringing. I was exclaiming things out loud that I can't type here. It was perfect. I never knew what vivid description was gonna come next.
Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the exceptional social commentary/social horror aspects. I felt this was so well done in that regard. In expressing Ji-Won's experience as a Korean-American young woman in modern-day California, Kim got the points across she needed to make.
This is an exciting story. It's exciting in its own right, in the fact that it's a gripping, disturbing story of feminine rage, but it's also exciting because this is Monika Kim's first novel. I'm so excited for more from her.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Erewhon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I'm so happy that talent like Monika Kim's exists in the world. This book will def be on my BESTS List for 2024!!!
June 25, 2024
“The Eyes Are the Best Part” by Monika Kim started pretty interesting. The cover alone intrigued me as I am an avid horror reader. This is her first novel, and I was excited to see what would await. Unfortunately, this left much to be desired for what I look for in a typical horror novel.
Before I jump into my review, here are all the trigger warnings I found while reading…
- Cannibalism
- Stalking
- Sexism
- Racism
- PTSD (war)
- Infidelity
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this novel. Moving along, this novel felt like a slow burn at first. I hoped it would deliver once things got scarier and to the horror parts, but it just took way too long to get there. It never came as quickly as I wanted, and ultimately, I wanted way more horror.
It’s an okay story, and I appreciated the whole family dynamic about what happens when your parents have marital issues, but this was too heavy on the story and not enough on the horror. The scary parts were very well written, which is a shame since I wish more of that had happened to redeem this novel. I credit Kim for a refreshing new take on "eye horror" because I have never read such disgusting, creepy, and insane takes on eyeballs. These parts were fantastic but got lost due to drowning in endless dialogue, dreams, texting, and things that messed up the overall pacing.
I also didn’t connect with a single character; I felt better character development was needed. Several times, things got boring while waiting for something to happen. The dream sequences also got confusing and felt out of place. This would have been significantly better if this was a more straightforward story that got right to it, grabbed you, and never let you go. Instead, it’s a few decent horror parts here and there, too much dialogue, and too much family stuff.
The novel didn’t get good until the last 30%, which frustrated me because I hoped there would be a huge payoff or insane plot twist at the end. Nope, just more of the same, straight to the ending, which was lackluster and predictable. I saw it coming a mile away, and it just left me feeling like this needed more time to be refined and polished to deliver a better horror story, with eye horror being the main focus and bringing it all together for a memorable read.
I give “The Eyes Are the Best Part” by Monika Kim a 2/5 for having a creative spin on taking eye horror to a whole new level I’ve never read before. This novel needed to be a lot scarier, have better character development to be invested in the main characters and protagonist, and have more of a backstory to certain parts of the story as they unraveled. The pacing is bad, and many parts feel out of place. It gets good, then it fizzles out. A scary part finally happens, and we go back to endless dialogue, texting, or repeating things the reader knows already happened. Hopefully, Kim will continue to write because the talent is there. The horror just needed to be amped up big time in this one.
I want to thank NetGalley, Monika Kim, Kensington Books, and Erewhon Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Before I jump into my review, here are all the trigger warnings I found while reading…
- Cannibalism
- Stalking
- Sexism
- Racism
- PTSD (war)
- Infidelity
If any of these trigger you, please do not read this novel. Moving along, this novel felt like a slow burn at first. I hoped it would deliver once things got scarier and to the horror parts, but it just took way too long to get there. It never came as quickly as I wanted, and ultimately, I wanted way more horror.
It’s an okay story, and I appreciated the whole family dynamic about what happens when your parents have marital issues, but this was too heavy on the story and not enough on the horror. The scary parts were very well written, which is a shame since I wish more of that had happened to redeem this novel. I credit Kim for a refreshing new take on "eye horror" because I have never read such disgusting, creepy, and insane takes on eyeballs. These parts were fantastic but got lost due to drowning in endless dialogue, dreams, texting, and things that messed up the overall pacing.
I also didn’t connect with a single character; I felt better character development was needed. Several times, things got boring while waiting for something to happen. The dream sequences also got confusing and felt out of place. This would have been significantly better if this was a more straightforward story that got right to it, grabbed you, and never let you go. Instead, it’s a few decent horror parts here and there, too much dialogue, and too much family stuff.
The novel didn’t get good until the last 30%, which frustrated me because I hoped there would be a huge payoff or insane plot twist at the end. Nope, just more of the same, straight to the ending, which was lackluster and predictable. I saw it coming a mile away, and it just left me feeling like this needed more time to be refined and polished to deliver a better horror story, with eye horror being the main focus and bringing it all together for a memorable read.
I give “The Eyes Are the Best Part” by Monika Kim a 2/5 for having a creative spin on taking eye horror to a whole new level I’ve never read before. This novel needed to be a lot scarier, have better character development to be invested in the main characters and protagonist, and have more of a backstory to certain parts of the story as they unraveled. The pacing is bad, and many parts feel out of place. It gets good, then it fizzles out. A scary part finally happens, and we go back to endless dialogue, texting, or repeating things the reader knows already happened. Hopefully, Kim will continue to write because the talent is there. The horror just needed to be amped up big time in this one.
I want to thank NetGalley, Monika Kim, Kensington Books, and Erewhon Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
April 7, 2024
This was my favourite book of 2024 so far!
When Korean-American college student Ji-won’s mom starts dating racist, misogynistic George, Ji-won is repulsed. But she can’t stop thinking about his beautiful blue eyes…and how much she wants to cut them out and eat them.
Yup, this book is weird! It features a main character who craves the taste of human eyeballs. And yet, it completely works. It’s beautifully written and full of twists and turns. It shrewdly skewers the racism and misogyny faced by Asian women, and Ji-won is a protagonist you’ll find yourself cheering for…cannibalism and all.
When Korean-American college student Ji-won’s mom starts dating racist, misogynistic George, Ji-won is repulsed. But she can’t stop thinking about his beautiful blue eyes…and how much she wants to cut them out and eat them.
Yup, this book is weird! It features a main character who craves the taste of human eyeballs. And yet, it completely works. It’s beautifully written and full of twists and turns. It shrewdly skewers the racism and misogyny faced by Asian women, and Ji-won is a protagonist you’ll find yourself cheering for…cannibalism and all.
July 11, 2024
When I picked up this book about a female serial killer, I never expected to be laughing and giggling so hard throughout the story. This dark and unexpected comedic tale follows Ji-won and her family as they navigate life after their good-for-nothing father abandons them. The impact on the family is profound, particularly on the mother, who withdraws into herself—until she meets a white man she believes will rescue them.
The depiction of the Asian fetish by a certain character was incredibly unsettling and evoked intense rage in me during several scenes. The author does a fantastic job of highlighting the grossness of such fetishization and its effects on the characters.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was the accurate portrayal of life as the oldest daughter in an Asian family. Ji-won's daily struggles and responsibilities are depicted with authenticity, making her a relatable and compelling protagonist.
While the plot starts off a bit slow, the buildup towards the second half is well worth the wait. The story, narrated from Ji-won's point of view, keeps you on your toes, as you can't always trust what you're reading. Ji-won is unapologetically crazy and prone to hallucinations, adding an unpredictable and thrilling element to the story.
The dream sequences are particularly intense, with vivid descriptions of eyeballs and squelching noises creating an unforgettable, if somewhat disturbing, imagery. Despite the discomfort, these scenes are so well written and add to the overall dark humor and horror of the story.
By the end of the book, I found myself wholeheartedly supporting Ji-won—not just her rights, but also her wrongs. Her character is complex, flawed, and utterly fascinating!! Ji-won had some really unexpected lines of dialogue throughout the book that had me laughing out loud. The lines were crazy but the delivery was perfection!!!
Thank you, Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The depiction of the Asian fetish by a certain character was incredibly unsettling and evoked intense rage in me during several scenes. The author does a fantastic job of highlighting the grossness of such fetishization and its effects on the characters.
One of my favorite aspects of the book was the accurate portrayal of life as the oldest daughter in an Asian family. Ji-won's daily struggles and responsibilities are depicted with authenticity, making her a relatable and compelling protagonist.
While the plot starts off a bit slow, the buildup towards the second half is well worth the wait. The story, narrated from Ji-won's point of view, keeps you on your toes, as you can't always trust what you're reading. Ji-won is unapologetically crazy and prone to hallucinations, adding an unpredictable and thrilling element to the story.
The dream sequences are particularly intense, with vivid descriptions of eyeballs and squelching noises creating an unforgettable, if somewhat disturbing, imagery. Despite the discomfort, these scenes are so well written and add to the overall dark humor and horror of the story.
By the end of the book, I found myself wholeheartedly supporting Ji-won—not just her rights, but also her wrongs. Her character is complex, flawed, and utterly fascinating!! Ji-won had some really unexpected lines of dialogue throughout the book that had me laughing out loud. The lines were crazy but the delivery was perfection!!!
Thank you, Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
June 7, 2024
Ji-won’s life takes a turn when her father has an affair and leaves them. She’s a college freshman, and ends up going from a straight A student, to failing. Her dreams are horrifying, yet enticing.
In them, she walks through rooms full of eyes, specifically blue eyes. All the same shape as George, her mother’s obnoxious and racist new boyfriend.
As victims start accumulating around her on campus, Ji-won’s hunger and rage have yet to be satisfied.
This book had some very intense scenes and I loved it! One of my favorite parts was how the title was apparent throughout the book. I get so confused when I’m reading, I finish, and the title made no sense. That was not the case here, you know almost right away, and it is a theme throughout the book. This book had a lot going on for being so short, it touched on misogyny, racism, toxic relationships, cannibalism, and violence just to name a few, and they were all well done! This is a horror book where things get gory, and it made me cringe in the best way, though it isn’t one I would want to read while eating! The pacing was fast and drew me in right from the start. I stayed engaged throughout the entire story and couldn’t wait to find out how things wrapped up. I appreciated the ending and felt it was perfect for what had happened.
This book was fantastic for a debut, and I wouldn’t have guessed it; I didn’t know until the end!
Thank you to the publisher for my early copy
In them, she walks through rooms full of eyes, specifically blue eyes. All the same shape as George, her mother’s obnoxious and racist new boyfriend.
As victims start accumulating around her on campus, Ji-won’s hunger and rage have yet to be satisfied.
This book had some very intense scenes and I loved it! One of my favorite parts was how the title was apparent throughout the book. I get so confused when I’m reading, I finish, and the title made no sense. That was not the case here, you know almost right away, and it is a theme throughout the book. This book had a lot going on for being so short, it touched on misogyny, racism, toxic relationships, cannibalism, and violence just to name a few, and they were all well done! This is a horror book where things get gory, and it made me cringe in the best way, though it isn’t one I would want to read while eating! The pacing was fast and drew me in right from the start. I stayed engaged throughout the entire story and couldn’t wait to find out how things wrapped up. I appreciated the ending and felt it was perfect for what had happened.
This book was fantastic for a debut, and I wouldn’t have guessed it; I didn’t know until the end!
Thank you to the publisher for my early copy
April 17, 2024
Ji-won is angry. Her father has moved out to be with his mistress leaving her to console both her mother and younger sister. She's in her first year of college and is struggling in her classes. All of her high school friends have moved on, no longer needing her in their life, and she's fed up with all of it.
Then three months later her mother begins acting differently. She often overhears her on the phone in the bathroom giggling leaving Ji-won to wonder if she's met someone.
And she has. George. Let's just say when Ji-won and her sister meet George they are less than impressed. He's a white man that is obnoxious, opinionated, and that has a fetish for Asian woman and he makes them both sick with his lingering gaze. Imagine their surprise when their mother tells them he's moving into their home.
"God. I thought I was in a nightmare." "I didn't mean to scare you." "You? Scare me? he scoffs. "what's there to be afraid of? Little Oriental girls are nothing to worry about." "Oriental? What am I, a rug?" "You young kids get offended so easily. And at the silliest things. Back when I was a child, 'Asian' and 'Oriental' had the same meaning. He shakes his head and sits up. "It's nothing to be offended about. Like the word 'mongoloid'."
His words hit me like a physical blow. I should have killed you in your sleep.
There is one thing George has that Ji-won wants more than anything and that's his succulent bright blue eyes. Oh, how tasty they must be. 👀
We've all met men like George before. He's disgusting and despicable in every way imaginable so I was happy to root for Ji-won to take this bastard down. Ji-won is, after all, one of my new favorite unhinged narrators. This book touches upon sexism, racism, misogyny, and culture and Kim does an excellent job exploring all those avenues.
Beware, this is also not for the faint of heart. Gory depictions of eyeballs galore. Just look at the cover (I love it! 😍) and you've got an idea of what your getting yourself into here.
An amazingly wild debut. I'm excited to see what Monika Kim treats us to next. I know I'll devour it. *GULP* 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my complimentary copy.
Then three months later her mother begins acting differently. She often overhears her on the phone in the bathroom giggling leaving Ji-won to wonder if she's met someone.
And she has. George. Let's just say when Ji-won and her sister meet George they are less than impressed. He's a white man that is obnoxious, opinionated, and that has a fetish for Asian woman and he makes them both sick with his lingering gaze. Imagine their surprise when their mother tells them he's moving into their home.
"God. I thought I was in a nightmare." "I didn't mean to scare you." "You? Scare me? he scoffs. "what's there to be afraid of? Little Oriental girls are nothing to worry about." "Oriental? What am I, a rug?" "You young kids get offended so easily. And at the silliest things. Back when I was a child, 'Asian' and 'Oriental' had the same meaning. He shakes his head and sits up. "It's nothing to be offended about. Like the word 'mongoloid'."
His words hit me like a physical blow. I should have killed you in your sleep.
There is one thing George has that Ji-won wants more than anything and that's his succulent bright blue eyes. Oh, how tasty they must be. 👀
We've all met men like George before. He's disgusting and despicable in every way imaginable so I was happy to root for Ji-won to take this bastard down. Ji-won is, after all, one of my new favorite unhinged narrators. This book touches upon sexism, racism, misogyny, and culture and Kim does an excellent job exploring all those avenues.
Beware, this is also not for the faint of heart. Gory depictions of eyeballs galore. Just look at the cover (I love it! 😍) and you've got an idea of what your getting yourself into here.
An amazingly wild debut. I'm excited to see what Monika Kim treats us to next. I know I'll devour it. *GULP* 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my complimentary copy.
June 29, 2024
Another Asian buddy read with Mai~
Surprise, surprise! Mai and I absolutely loved this! (Which is high praise coming from a couple of lifelong haters.) I haven't had this much fun since reading Yellowface. The Eyes Are the Best Part easily became an instant favorite.
This is BIPOC thriller/horror at its finest. There's a satirical bent to this story that's the icing on the cake. *chef's kiss* I was expecting pure horror on a Hannibal type of scale, but in this instance, I was very pleasantly surprise that it didn't turn out to be what I'd thought it'd be.
It was more complex than just "chick goes on a killing spree and eats raw eyeballs." This story has a deeper layer and tackles both the micro and macro aggressions that comes with being BIPOC in the US, specifically being an Asian American woman.
And of course, with Mai and I being Asian American women, we both related to Ji-won's struggles.
Like Yellowface, this story is full of marginalized anger, and is a revenge story of sorts. If you can't relate to the racism, misogyny, fetishism that BIPOC women face, or if you can't even sympathize, then I truly envy you. It's hard out here.
I loved this book for its witty lines, real takes on issues like WMAF relationships, being the elder daughter, and the struggles of being a young adult in a messed up family dealing with lots of trauma.
And of course, Ji-won's slow dive into insanity was absolute perfection.
There was a twist at the end that I liked. But just as equally, I also liked how it didn't explain Ji-won's... fetish for munching on blue eyes.
I'd highly recommend for horror thriller fans looking to diversify their bookshelves.
Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for this arc.
"How can you be an alpha male when you need your daughters to translate your bills for you, to make your doctor’s appointments for you, to help you read the billboards on the side of the road?"
Surprise, surprise! Mai and I absolutely loved this! (Which is high praise coming from a couple of lifelong haters.) I haven't had this much fun since reading Yellowface. The Eyes Are the Best Part easily became an instant favorite.
This is BIPOC thriller/horror at its finest. There's a satirical bent to this story that's the icing on the cake. *chef's kiss* I was expecting pure horror on a Hannibal type of scale, but in this instance, I was very pleasantly surprise that it didn't turn out to be what I'd thought it'd be.
It was more complex than just "chick goes on a killing spree and eats raw eyeballs." This story has a deeper layer and tackles both the micro and macro aggressions that comes with being BIPOC in the US, specifically being an Asian American woman.
And of course, with Mai and I being Asian American women, we both related to Ji-won's struggles.
'Appa always said that Thanksgiving was the most American of holidays, and that we needed to celebrate to show everyone else that we belonged, that we were good Americans, too.
“It’s harder for us because we are Asian,” Appa said solemnly. “We have more to prove.”'
Like Yellowface, this story is full of marginalized anger, and is a revenge story of sorts. If you can't relate to the racism, misogyny, fetishism that BIPOC women face, or if you can't even sympathize, then I truly envy you. It's hard out here.
I loved this book for its witty lines, real takes on issues like WMAF relationships, being the elder daughter, and the struggles of being a young adult in a messed up family dealing with lots of trauma.
And of course, Ji-won's slow dive into insanity was absolute perfection.
There was a twist at the end that I liked. But just as equally, I also liked how it didn't explain Ji-won's... fetish for munching on blue eyes.
I'd highly recommend for horror thriller fans looking to diversify their bookshelves.
Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for this arc.
June 17, 2024
Read this if you loved Natural Beauty. Read this if you're an Asian woman. Read this if you've experienced yellow fever from a white man. (I'm so glad I turned off comments from non-friends. A lot of you can't handle this.)
The main character is Ji-won. The setting is Los Angeles. This isn't the rich Los Angeles you're used to seeing on shows such as Beverly Hills, 90210. This is the underbelly of the city, a working class Korean American family sharing cramped apartment quarters and just trying to survive.
Ji-won's father has just left her, her mother, and her younger sister in order to start a family with his affair partner. Reddit, this is not, but maybe it is.
Umma, after going through bouts of depression, and not curing any of it, decides Korean men are the problem, and unironically waxes poetic on the glories of white men. She brings one home.
George, the classic conservative middle-aged white man with yellow fever, stares at the girls, condescends to "speak" unintelligible Korean to them, and threatens to leave an American Chinese restaurant when a waitress of Chinese descent feels harassed and sends her white colleague out instead.
"'You know, I learned a lot of Korean when I was back in Seoul, but it's been such a long time...and to tell you the truth, pronunciation isn't my strong suit.'"
George is not the only self-obsessed white man. There are Ji-won's fellow students, one of whom she befriends, named Geoffrey. The longer it takes him to declare his very obvious feelings, the more wrinkles I felt grow on my skin. I will be sending the author my Botox bill.
"'I'm a nice person, okay? I'm not like those other guys you know. Like your mom's boyfriend. I don't have yellow fever if that's what you're worried about. You know how much I read. I've studied pretty much every topic relating to race and gender. Fetishization is a form of oppression. I'm not an oppressor. I'm an ally! My feelings for you—no, my love for you—goes way beyond race. I love you for who you are on the inside.'" 🤮🤮🤮
All the while, we get a little background on how Ji-won lost her high school friends. Her not getting accepted to UC Berkeley is miniscule in the scheme of things, but I felt it was a little overplayed how petty she behaved with people she considered her friends. At this point, I began to believe she was a bit of an unreliable narrator. Is her descent into madness real or imagined?
The ending is a wild ride, and I truly don't want to spoil anything, but we've all seen the cover, yes?
📚 Buddy read with Zana
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books
The main character is Ji-won. The setting is Los Angeles. This isn't the rich Los Angeles you're used to seeing on shows such as Beverly Hills, 90210. This is the underbelly of the city, a working class Korean American family sharing cramped apartment quarters and just trying to survive.
Ji-won's father has just left her, her mother, and her younger sister in order to start a family with his affair partner. Reddit, this is not, but maybe it is.
Umma, after going through bouts of depression, and not curing any of it, decides Korean men are the problem, and unironically waxes poetic on the glories of white men. She brings one home.
George, the classic conservative middle-aged white man with yellow fever, stares at the girls, condescends to "speak" unintelligible Korean to them, and threatens to leave an American Chinese restaurant when a waitress of Chinese descent feels harassed and sends her white colleague out instead.
"'You know, I learned a lot of Korean when I was back in Seoul, but it's been such a long time...and to tell you the truth, pronunciation isn't my strong suit.'"
George is not the only self-obsessed white man. There are Ji-won's fellow students, one of whom she befriends, named Geoffrey. The longer it takes him to declare his very obvious feelings, the more wrinkles I felt grow on my skin. I will be sending the author my Botox bill.
"'I'm a nice person, okay? I'm not like those other guys you know. Like your mom's boyfriend. I don't have yellow fever if that's what you're worried about. You know how much I read. I've studied pretty much every topic relating to race and gender. Fetishization is a form of oppression. I'm not an oppressor. I'm an ally! My feelings for you—no, my love for you—goes way beyond race. I love you for who you are on the inside.'" 🤮🤮🤮
All the while, we get a little background on how Ji-won lost her high school friends. Her not getting accepted to UC Berkeley is miniscule in the scheme of things, but I felt it was a little overplayed how petty she behaved with people she considered her friends. At this point, I began to believe she was a bit of an unreliable narrator. Is her descent into madness real or imagined?
The ending is a wild ride, and I truly don't want to spoil anything, but we've all seen the cover, yes?
📚 Buddy read with Zana
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books
May 27, 2024
3.5 Stars
This was an interesting perspective on the serial killer genre. This one is very focused on the Korean American experience. I liked those parts but I have no doubt that ownvoice readers will enjoy those aspects on a whole other level.
This is a well written novel with a heavy character focus. I liked the book but I will admit that I did not love it as much as I expected. I just found myself not connecting enough with the narrative.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher
This was an interesting perspective on the serial killer genre. This one is very focused on the Korean American experience. I liked those parts but I have no doubt that ownvoice readers will enjoy those aspects on a whole other level.
This is a well written novel with a heavy character focus. I liked the book but I will admit that I did not love it as much as I expected. I just found myself not connecting enough with the narrative.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher
July 24, 2024
“There’s an ugly voice inside my head. It’s not real, it hisses. None of this is. Just kill him. Taste his eyes.
I want to. More than anything. So what if it’s real?”
✦ yummy yummy in my tummy 👁️ 👄 👁️
✦ this was kinda deranged, but in a fun way. very well written. would love to read more from this author.
I want to. More than anything. So what if it’s real?”
✦ yummy yummy in my tummy 👁️ 👄 👁️
✦ this was kinda deranged, but in a fun way. very well written. would love to read more from this author.
June 25, 2024
I've got a question for all serial killer/cannibals out there . . . how do you know the eyes are the best part if that's all of your victim you ever eat?
Seems a bit wasteful to me . . .
I guess I just prefer more frugal cannibals who use EVERY part of the corpse.
Ji-won has discovered she has a taste for eyes . . . blue eyes, anyway. I would feel a bit more sympathetic to her if she chose her victims Dexter-style: only those deserving of having their lives cut short, and their eyeballs devoured, but our heroine is a picky eater - blue eyes are the tastiest, and the ONLY eyes on the menu.
This certainly held my interest while it turned my stomach. I enjoyed Ji-won's family dynamics, and, honestly, I wouldn't mind reading a continuation of their adventures. Who knows . . . maybe our girl will develop a taste for liver with fava beans . . .
Many thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for the ARC.
Seems a bit wasteful to me . . .
I guess I just prefer more frugal cannibals who use EVERY part of the corpse.
Ji-won has discovered she has a taste for eyes . . . blue eyes, anyway. I would feel a bit more sympathetic to her if she chose her victims Dexter-style: only those deserving of having their lives cut short, and their eyeballs devoured, but our heroine is a picky eater - blue eyes are the tastiest, and the ONLY eyes on the menu.
This certainly held my interest while it turned my stomach. I enjoyed Ji-won's family dynamics, and, honestly, I wouldn't mind reading a continuation of their adventures. Who knows . . . maybe our girl will develop a taste for liver with fava beans . . .
Many thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for the ARC.
March 2, 2024
thank you to netgalley for my e-ARC!
this one had so much social commentary in terms of racism towards Asians, and as a Filipino woman, not all of it was relatable, but the majority sure was. This book explores the horrors of misogyny & racism & has many good for her revenge moments.
If you loved Maeve Fly, you'll probably enjoy this one as well.
p.s. it's under 300 pages but has over 70 chapters, so that's another reason I had a blast lol
this one had so much social commentary in terms of racism towards Asians, and as a Filipino woman, not all of it was relatable, but the majority sure was. This book explores the horrors of misogyny & racism & has many good for her revenge moments.
If you loved Maeve Fly, you'll probably enjoy this one as well.
p.s. it's under 300 pages but has over 70 chapters, so that's another reason I had a blast lol
May 6, 2024
Feast your eyes on this…a young woman with an insatiable hunger for human eyeballs. Truly revolting and captivating in equal measure.
Not for the squeamish nor the faint of heart, The Eyes are the Best Part draws us into Ji-Won’s downward spiral from a floundering student with family troubles to a full-on psychotic murderous madwoman by journey’s end. It’s very satisfying, and I found myself rooting for Ji-Won even as her psyche unravels. The more she indulges in her worst impulses, the stronger her will becomes.
The abrupt ending left me wanting more, though. There was more meat on the bone here to explore, and it felt like things were tidied up too quickly and without enough fanfare. Perhaps a sequel is in the offing?
My thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Twitter | Instagram
Not for the squeamish nor the faint of heart, The Eyes are the Best Part draws us into Ji-Won’s downward spiral from a floundering student with family troubles to a full-on psychotic murderous madwoman by journey’s end. It’s very satisfying, and I found myself rooting for Ji-Won even as her psyche unravels. The more she indulges in her worst impulses, the stronger her will becomes.
The abrupt ending left me wanting more, though. There was more meat on the bone here to explore, and it felt like things were tidied up too quickly and without enough fanfare. Perhaps a sequel is in the offing?
My thanks to the publisher and Edelweiss for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Blog | Twitter | Instagram
July 18, 2024
4 stars
Female Rage: The Novel, The Eyes Are the Best Part is a ferociously told, surrealist story centering around the female experience of a Korean-American collage student. As an Asian first-gen immigrant myself, I greatly resonated with Monika Kim's depiction of the breakdown of a nuclear family in a foreign land, as well as various forms of racism in America.
Even though it is marketed primarily as horror, the first half of the novel reads more like a brutally candid character study with a dash of the macabre. I've seen The Eyes Are the Best Part's marketing material mentioning Michelle Zauner's Crying in H-Mart, and that is actually a very spot-on reference point for this portion of the narrative. The horror and violence does amp up drastically in its later half, offering numerous instances of nightmare-inducing visual (I will not be seeing eyeball the same way after this).
The one critique I have is regarding its conclusion, which feels a bit like the author simply ran out of steam — various plot details are explained away in quick succession with great amount of convenience, and I would've preferred to have what was suggested in its open-ended closing to be actually depicted on page.
Despite the slight premature ending, as a whole The Eyes Are the Best Part hits home emotionally, I sympathize with the rage and pain of its female protagonist, and they are expressed with blood-dripping style and gusto. Maeve Fly by CJ Leede comes to mind as a comparable (but also vastly different) reading experience.
***This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***
Female Rage: The Novel, The Eyes Are the Best Part is a ferociously told, surrealist story centering around the female experience of a Korean-American collage student. As an Asian first-gen immigrant myself, I greatly resonated with Monika Kim's depiction of the breakdown of a nuclear family in a foreign land, as well as various forms of racism in America.
Even though it is marketed primarily as horror, the first half of the novel reads more like a brutally candid character study with a dash of the macabre. I've seen The Eyes Are the Best Part's marketing material mentioning Michelle Zauner's Crying in H-Mart, and that is actually a very spot-on reference point for this portion of the narrative. The horror and violence does amp up drastically in its later half, offering numerous instances of nightmare-inducing visual (I will not be seeing eyeball the same way after this).
The one critique I have is regarding its conclusion, which feels a bit like the author simply ran out of steam — various plot details are explained away in quick succession with great amount of convenience, and I would've preferred to have what was suggested in its open-ended closing to be actually depicted on page.
Despite the slight premature ending, as a whole The Eyes Are the Best Part hits home emotionally, I sympathize with the rage and pain of its female protagonist, and they are expressed with blood-dripping style and gusto. Maeve Fly by CJ Leede comes to mind as a comparable (but also vastly different) reading experience.
***This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!***
November 22, 2023
Got this arc for review on netgally. When I saw the cover and blurb I was instantly intruiged and wanted to read it. Its unhinged and brilliant, loved reading about the family and the ending chapters have to be my favorite of the year.
June 5, 2024
This book is so freaking weird and not at all what I expected going in but that ended up being... better?
Other readers may disagree but I think the ending and overall pacing worked very well for the story. The first half is noticeably slower than the second (I didn't find it boring), as we get to know Ji-Won, her family, and the harsh misogyny/racism she faces as an Asian woman, but once the 50% hits the story takes off at a break-neck pace that's about as as Ji-Won herself.
Some questions were left unanswered so if you're looking for a neat, closed ending this may not be the book for you. I happen to enjoy ambiguous endings and thought this one was perfect for the story.
Thank you NetGalley/Octopus Publishing for the ARC
Other readers may disagree but I think the ending and overall pacing worked very well for the story. The first half is noticeably slower than the second (I didn't find it boring), as we get to know Ji-Won, her family, and the harsh misogyny/racism she faces as an Asian woman, but once the 50% hits the story takes off at a break-neck pace that's about as as Ji-Won herself.
Some questions were left unanswered so if you're looking for a neat, closed ending this may not be the book for you. I happen to enjoy ambiguous endings and thought this one was perfect for the story.
Thank you NetGalley/Octopus Publishing for the ARC
December 28, 2023
I had such high hopes for this and it was brilliant!
January 6, 2024
The Eyes Are the Best Part was my favorite thriller of 2023.
This story is about Ji-Won, a college age Korean-American girl whose parents separate at the beginning of the book. Her mother is a sweet but naive older woman who begins dating a white man that fetishizes asian women.
While these changes are occuring in Ji-Won's life, she forms an obsession with consuming blue eyeballs.
This was so fresh and different from most of the thrillers I read. My favorite thing about a good thriller is when I am just as invested in the characters as I am the plot, and Kim did a GREAT job with this. I loved Ji-Won and reading about her relationship with her sister, watching her make friends, and navigating these new changes in her life. I think this shift she is dealing with is something MANY of us can relate to, and it only made the story more compelling.
The eye horror was incredible. It wasn't overdone, it wasn't masterfully sprinkled in just enough to leave you wanting more.
If you love unhinged women and want to diversify your thriller/horror reads in 2024, you need to add this one to your list.
(Also I loveddd the ending!)
*Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*
This story is about Ji-Won, a college age Korean-American girl whose parents separate at the beginning of the book. Her mother is a sweet but naive older woman who begins dating a white man that fetishizes asian women.
While these changes are occuring in Ji-Won's life, she forms an obsession with consuming blue eyeballs.
This was so fresh and different from most of the thrillers I read. My favorite thing about a good thriller is when I am just as invested in the characters as I am the plot, and Kim did a GREAT job with this. I loved Ji-Won and reading about her relationship with her sister, watching her make friends, and navigating these new changes in her life. I think this shift she is dealing with is something MANY of us can relate to, and it only made the story more compelling.
The eye horror was incredible. It wasn't overdone, it wasn't masterfully sprinkled in just enough to leave you wanting more.
If you love unhinged women and want to diversify your thriller/horror reads in 2024, you need to add this one to your list.
(Also I loveddd the ending!)
*Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*
November 21, 2023
Like others, I stumbled upon this book's query and first 300 words in a critique forum. Since, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I have been waiting and waiting, and then I saw the book cover reveal, read an excerpt, and figured I just had to shoot my shot for an ARC. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed.
Ji-Won is a deliciously demented protagonist and this story of her unraveling, sparked by the departure of her father for another woman, is so tightly-written. The prose is sparse and so, so assured. No word is misplaced, and it seems every single sentence is constructed with intention. The chapters are relatively short, giving us a fast-paced journey through a meditation on misogyny, cultural fetishization, family dynamics, and female rage. Through all of it, Monika Kim still finds appropriate places to inject humor: a bumper sticker, t-shirts with buzz-phrases (and the person who wears them-a portrait of performative allyship).
While some might argue that dream sequences are overdone (as a general rule), by the time I settled into the book I still found myself on edge, wondering if each scene was a machination of Ji-Won's own psyche or simply the character's reality. I love when a book is able to transport me to a place where I feel like the protagonist's descent is my own. And as someone who contends with recurring dreams/nightmares, the pervasive nature of these scenes hit home for me.
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark will be an obvious comp, and I imagine this book will sit neatly on shelves next to it. For me, this book is better (and I'm an Eliza Clark STAN). THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART has it all: delicious writing that is expertly paced; characters that feel so real that you can imagine yourself sitting in their 700 sq. ft. apartment with them, breathing in all of Umma's cooking and just waiting for George to get what is coming for him.
I can't wait until June 2024. I will be there on release day, hungering for this beautiful book for my shelves!
ARC E-copy kindly provided by NetGalley and Erewhon Books.
Ji-Won is a deliciously demented protagonist and this story of her unraveling, sparked by the departure of her father for another woman, is so tightly-written. The prose is sparse and so, so assured. No word is misplaced, and it seems every single sentence is constructed with intention. The chapters are relatively short, giving us a fast-paced journey through a meditation on misogyny, cultural fetishization, family dynamics, and female rage. Through all of it, Monika Kim still finds appropriate places to inject humor: a bumper sticker, t-shirts with buzz-phrases (and the person who wears them-a portrait of performative allyship).
While some might argue that dream sequences are overdone (as a general rule), by the time I settled into the book I still found myself on edge, wondering if each scene was a machination of Ji-Won's own psyche or simply the character's reality. I love when a book is able to transport me to a place where I feel like the protagonist's descent is my own. And as someone who contends with recurring dreams/nightmares, the pervasive nature of these scenes hit home for me.
Boy Parts by Eliza Clark will be an obvious comp, and I imagine this book will sit neatly on shelves next to it. For me, this book is better (and I'm an Eliza Clark STAN). THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART has it all: delicious writing that is expertly paced; characters that feel so real that you can imagine yourself sitting in their 700 sq. ft. apartment with them, breathing in all of Umma's cooking and just waiting for George to get what is coming for him.
I can't wait until June 2024. I will be there on release day, hungering for this beautiful book for my shelves!
ARC E-copy kindly provided by NetGalley and Erewhon Books.
July 11, 2024
female rage with a side of body horror, please!
June 25, 2024
Happy publishing day!
The Eyes Are The Best Part is a contemporary horror about the making of a serial killer that can’t stop thinking about eating salty, tangy, juicy blue eyes.
Ji-won, a Korean-American girl that has just started her first year of uni, has just had her life turned upside down: her father left the family, leaving a grieving wife and two heartbroken daughters to fend for themselves; her friends don’t talk to her anymore, and her grades are slipping.
In order to bring luck to their family, their mother shares with Ji-won and Ji-hyun an old Korean belief, that of gaining luck by eating the eye of a fish. The first page of the book opens on this scene, and as Ji-won and her sister gag and moan at the idea, their mother pops an eye in her mouth.
In the following months Ji-won’s mother starts dating again, soon after the separation, and she introduces her sexist boyfriend with an Asian fetish to her daughters: this is when Ji-won starts dreaming about his eyes, and she feels a sudden pang of hunger.
The novel is an enjoyable read, and it’s very easy to breeze through; it’s extremely explicit in the description of the gory parts (just imagining the consistency of eating eyes makes me feel a bit queasy, and the author goes in depth in those descriptions) which i appreciated a lot — the point of horror is to dismay and create a sense of disgust, after all.
This heavy handedness, though, is present even in all the other scenes that I would have preferred had been a little bit more subtle; I fear the author didn’t really trust the reader to pick up on the sexism and racism of the villanous characters, and decided to display them with blaring signs. But I guess the intent was to make the reader feel exactly as outraged as the protagonist, because I found the micro-aggressions Jiwon and her family had to withstand very grating — no wonder she wants to kill people, I kind of get her.
The ending left me a bit unfazed, but still the book is a solid read and I’d recommend it to someone that likes revenge stories, body horror and some truly disgusting (in a very positive way) vore.
The Eyes Are The Best Part is set to come out on June 25, 2024!
Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Eyes Are The Best Part is a contemporary horror about the making of a serial killer that can’t stop thinking about eating salty, tangy, juicy blue eyes.
Ji-won, a Korean-American girl that has just started her first year of uni, has just had her life turned upside down: her father left the family, leaving a grieving wife and two heartbroken daughters to fend for themselves; her friends don’t talk to her anymore, and her grades are slipping.
In order to bring luck to their family, their mother shares with Ji-won and Ji-hyun an old Korean belief, that of gaining luck by eating the eye of a fish. The first page of the book opens on this scene, and as Ji-won and her sister gag and moan at the idea, their mother pops an eye in her mouth.
In the following months Ji-won’s mother starts dating again, soon after the separation, and she introduces her sexist boyfriend with an Asian fetish to her daughters: this is when Ji-won starts dreaming about his eyes, and she feels a sudden pang of hunger.
The novel is an enjoyable read, and it’s very easy to breeze through; it’s extremely explicit in the description of the gory parts (just imagining the consistency of eating eyes makes me feel a bit queasy, and the author goes in depth in those descriptions) which i appreciated a lot — the point of horror is to dismay and create a sense of disgust, after all.
This heavy handedness, though, is present even in all the other scenes that I would have preferred had been a little bit more subtle; I fear the author didn’t really trust the reader to pick up on the sexism and racism of the villanous characters, and decided to display them with blaring signs. But I guess the intent was to make the reader feel exactly as outraged as the protagonist, because I found the micro-aggressions Jiwon and her family had to withstand very grating — no wonder she wants to kill people, I kind of get her.
The ending left me a bit unfazed, but still the book is a solid read and I’d recommend it to someone that likes revenge stories, body horror and some truly disgusting (in a very positive way) vore.
The Eyes Are The Best Part is set to come out on June 25, 2024!
Access to the ARC acquired thanks to NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 17, 2024
Star review in the April 2024 issue of Library Journal
Issue also features an interview with the author: https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/...
Three Words That Describe This Book: strong narrative voice, oppressive dread, expertly constructed (please note, it is a debut!)
Draft Review: Kim has burst onto the Psychological Horror scene with an expertly constructed, visceral debut that unapologetically attacks a world that has not only allowed the pervasive fetishization of Asian women to persist but thrive. Ji-won is a lonely college student, who lives with her mom and younger sister in a small apartment. Their father has recently left them. As the novel opens, her mother is trying to gain good luck by eating the best part of their fish dinner– the eyes. Ji-won, both attracted to and disgusted by this act, begins to become obsessed by the blue eyes of the white men around her, especially those of classmate Geoffrey and her mother’s new boyfriend, George. Ji-won confidently leads readers through this unsettling story, earning immediate sympathy, even as she inserts serious doubt. The perfectly executed pacing ensnares readers even as the story's palpable anxiety evolves into repulsion, daring them, unsuccessfully, to turn their eyes away.
Verdict: With obvious nods to the serious issues that underpin Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and clearly inspired by Gillian Flynn’s seminal Gone Girl, this is a novel that every library needs to own. Much like the unsettling narrators in standout debuts from last year, Chlorine by Jade Song and Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede, Ji-won will stay with readers whether they want her to or not.
Notes:
I have so many things to say about how good this book is, but the best way to summarize without giving anything away is that I literally had to slow down my reading of this book because I was felling too anxious and scared.
I don't want to give anything away because it is so much better and more than you can imagine. Trust me. I read a lot of Psychological Horror. This is one of the best. How the tension is relayed and how Ji-won's character is built and developed was perfect.
I wish there was less in the publisher's description about what is to come because it tales away from what a good job Kim has done to insert unease from the first lines.
From my draft review: Ji-won confidently leads readers through this unsettling story, earning immediate sympathy, even as she inserts serious doubt. The perfectly executed pacing ensnares readers even as the story's palpable anxiety evolves into repulsion, daring them, unsuccessfully, to turn their eyes away.
Verdict: With obvious nods to the serious issues that underpin Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and clearly inspired by Gillian Flynn’s seminal Gone Girl, this is a novel that every library needs to own. Much like the unsettling narrators in standout debuts from last year, Chlorine by Jade Song and Meve Fly by C.J. Leede, Ji-won will stay with readers whether they want her to or not.
Ji-won makes Amazing Amy (Gone Girl) look tame. If you, liked Maeve Fly--- this is better.
Not sure why no one is noting the obvious nod to Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. The themes of the blue eye as a symbol of everything that is "good" or "perfect" in America, as seen through he eyes of a non-white person. Obviously different plot and tone but it is impossible not to see the nod to Morrison here.
Issue also features an interview with the author: https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/...
Three Words That Describe This Book: strong narrative voice, oppressive dread, expertly constructed (please note, it is a debut!)
Draft Review: Kim has burst onto the Psychological Horror scene with an expertly constructed, visceral debut that unapologetically attacks a world that has not only allowed the pervasive fetishization of Asian women to persist but thrive. Ji-won is a lonely college student, who lives with her mom and younger sister in a small apartment. Their father has recently left them. As the novel opens, her mother is trying to gain good luck by eating the best part of their fish dinner– the eyes. Ji-won, both attracted to and disgusted by this act, begins to become obsessed by the blue eyes of the white men around her, especially those of classmate Geoffrey and her mother’s new boyfriend, George. Ji-won confidently leads readers through this unsettling story, earning immediate sympathy, even as she inserts serious doubt. The perfectly executed pacing ensnares readers even as the story's palpable anxiety evolves into repulsion, daring them, unsuccessfully, to turn their eyes away.
Verdict: With obvious nods to the serious issues that underpin Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and clearly inspired by Gillian Flynn’s seminal Gone Girl, this is a novel that every library needs to own. Much like the unsettling narrators in standout debuts from last year, Chlorine by Jade Song and Maeve Fly by C.J. Leede, Ji-won will stay with readers whether they want her to or not.
Notes:
I have so many things to say about how good this book is, but the best way to summarize without giving anything away is that I literally had to slow down my reading of this book because I was felling too anxious and scared.
I don't want to give anything away because it is so much better and more than you can imagine. Trust me. I read a lot of Psychological Horror. This is one of the best. How the tension is relayed and how Ji-won's character is built and developed was perfect.
I wish there was less in the publisher's description about what is to come because it tales away from what a good job Kim has done to insert unease from the first lines.
From my draft review: Ji-won confidently leads readers through this unsettling story, earning immediate sympathy, even as she inserts serious doubt. The perfectly executed pacing ensnares readers even as the story's palpable anxiety evolves into repulsion, daring them, unsuccessfully, to turn their eyes away.
Verdict: With obvious nods to the serious issues that underpin Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, and clearly inspired by Gillian Flynn’s seminal Gone Girl, this is a novel that every library needs to own. Much like the unsettling narrators in standout debuts from last year, Chlorine by Jade Song and Meve Fly by C.J. Leede, Ji-won will stay with readers whether they want her to or not.
Ji-won makes Amazing Amy (Gone Girl) look tame. If you, liked Maeve Fly--- this is better.
Not sure why no one is noting the obvious nod to Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. The themes of the blue eye as a symbol of everything that is "good" or "perfect" in America, as seen through he eyes of a non-white person. Obviously different plot and tone but it is impossible not to see the nod to Morrison here.
March 28, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
You HAVE to add this one to your list of books with an unhinged FMC.
Fresh and engrossing, this horror story certainly deserves the hype. Our protagonist is Ji-won, the eldest daughter of an Asian-American family reeling after her father’s abandonment. As she struggles to shelter her little sister from the pain and keep her grades up, she’s surprised when their mother suddenly smiles again… and tells them she’s seeing a man. An obnoxious white man, with piercing blue eyes that Ji-won can’t stop thinking about. Soon enough, eyes are *all* Ji-won can think about, especially what they might taste like if she were to pop them into her mouth like the fish eyes her mother is so fond of.
But this isn’t mindless horror: there’s a solid heart beneath that explores the immigrant experience, family dynamics, sexism, Otherness, and in particular, the fetishization of Asian women. You can’t help but empathize with Ji-won as she reckons with her father’s rejection and gross men; you feel her growing rage and want her to act on it. And when she begins to accept that nobody is going to protect her and the women in her family… oh, that’s when the fun begins.
In some ways, this book reminded me of Mona Awad’s “Bunny” - it’s claustrophobic and hallucinatory at points, straddling the line between dreamland and the waking world. Is Ji-won out there killing people, or is she just losing her grip on reality? Part of the story also takes place in an academic setting and a dingy cityscape, and there’s (imo) a theme of repressed queerness here too.
This is an unmissable read for fans of Asian-American literature and body horror, and I’m looking forward to the author’s next works!
You HAVE to add this one to your list of books with an unhinged FMC.
Fresh and engrossing, this horror story certainly deserves the hype. Our protagonist is Ji-won, the eldest daughter of an Asian-American family reeling after her father’s abandonment. As she struggles to shelter her little sister from the pain and keep her grades up, she’s surprised when their mother suddenly smiles again… and tells them she’s seeing a man. An obnoxious white man, with piercing blue eyes that Ji-won can’t stop thinking about. Soon enough, eyes are *all* Ji-won can think about, especially what they might taste like if she were to pop them into her mouth like the fish eyes her mother is so fond of.
But this isn’t mindless horror: there’s a solid heart beneath that explores the immigrant experience, family dynamics, sexism, Otherness, and in particular, the fetishization of Asian women. You can’t help but empathize with Ji-won as she reckons with her father’s rejection and gross men; you feel her growing rage and want her to act on it. And when she begins to accept that nobody is going to protect her and the women in her family… oh, that’s when the fun begins.
In some ways, this book reminded me of Mona Awad’s “Bunny” - it’s claustrophobic and hallucinatory at points, straddling the line between dreamland and the waking world. Is Ji-won out there killing people, or is she just losing her grip on reality? Part of the story also takes place in an academic setting and a dingy cityscape, and there’s (imo) a theme of repressed queerness here too.
This is an unmissable read for fans of Asian-American literature and body horror, and I’m looking forward to the author’s next works!
January 15, 2024
I devoured this book in one sitting - Kim's writing style is smooth and keeps you hooked. The pacing isn't necessarily fast, but it never felt like it dragged. Highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a solid horror novel that stays with you long after you finish reading.
Received ARC from NetGalley.
Received ARC from NetGalley.
July 23, 2024
faaaaaantastic. and a debut? incredible. full review to come.
April 29, 2024
The Eyes Are The Best Part is a gripping debut by author Monika Kim. Told from the perspective of eighteen-year-old Ji-won as she struggles to maintain a semblance of normalcy in her life following the abrupt departure of her father for his mistress, the novel initially teeters between the conventional and the surreal.
Ji-won’s mother eventually finds comfort in a repugnant new boyfriend named George, her sister Ji-hyun is anxious regarding the state of their lives and her grades are dropping terribly. And then there are the dreams: the rooms with eyes on the walls that are are enticing and so very blue.
A desire to consume those eyes has awakened within Ji-won-following her decision to devour a fish eye during a dinner to please her mother-but it initially remains a macabre fascination
At least until the bodies begin to appear
The Eyes Are The Best Part is intense, engrossing, absolutely infuriating at times and very grisly. As a Korean-American young woman, Ji-won is forced to contend with the insidious intermingling of racism and misogyny: both depicted overtly by George, perpetuated subtly by Ji-won’s would-be “friend” Geoffrey and the latter even upheld by Ji-won’s own mother.
Ji-won is an intriguing and flawed protagonist: manipilative and envious, but also constrained by the expectations of and her desire to help her family. As Ji-won’s rage and desire to consume grew, I remained entranced and uneasy as I contemplated what would happen next.
The Eyes Are The Best Part is excellent novel and I look forward to reading Monika’s Kim’s writing in the future. Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Erewhon Books for granting me access to this ebook.
Ji-won’s mother eventually finds comfort in a repugnant new boyfriend named George, her sister Ji-hyun is anxious regarding the state of their lives and her grades are dropping terribly. And then there are the dreams: the rooms with eyes on the walls that are are enticing and so very blue.
A desire to consume those eyes has awakened within Ji-won-following her decision to devour a fish eye during a dinner to please her mother-but it initially remains a macabre fascination
At least until the bodies begin to appear
The Eyes Are The Best Part is intense, engrossing, absolutely infuriating at times and very grisly. As a Korean-American young woman, Ji-won is forced to contend with the insidious intermingling of racism and misogyny: both depicted overtly by George, perpetuated subtly by Ji-won’s would-be “friend” Geoffrey and the latter even upheld by Ji-won’s own mother.
Ji-won is an intriguing and flawed protagonist: manipilative and envious, but also constrained by the expectations of and her desire to help her family. As Ji-won’s rage and desire to consume grew, I remained entranced and uneasy as I contemplated what would happen next.
The Eyes Are The Best Part is excellent novel and I look forward to reading Monika’s Kim’s writing in the future. Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books and Erewhon Books for granting me access to this ebook.
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