Los ojos son la mejor parte

by Monika Kim, Albert Fuentes Sánchez (Translator)

Un impactante debut que combina terror, crítica social y una narrativa que no podrás soltar.

Cuando su padre abandona a la familia, la vida de Ji-won se desmorona. Su madre se consume en la desesperación, su hermana menor se viene abajo y ella se refugia en sus pesadillas. En sueños, recorre habitaciones teñidas de escarlata, rodeada de ojos azules y suculentos. Ojos idénticos a los de George, el nuevo novio de su madre, un intruso que se pasea por su hogar con arrogancia, devorándola con la mirada.

La casa se vuelve claustrofóbica; los ojos de George la persiguen dentro y fuera de sus sueños. Su obsesión alcanza tal punto que cualquier hombre con ojos azules la atrae de un modo que no comprende: fantasea con arrancárselos, con sostenerlos entre sus dedos, con probar su textura, preguntándose si al saborearlos liberarían un dulzor inesperado. Pero pronto imaginar no basta. Ji-won necesita más.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Audiobook, Contemporary, Adult, Mystery

368 pages, Paperback

First published June 25, 2024

About the author

Monika 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.

Reviews

[Esta · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

Wrote more about The Eyes Are the Best Part here.
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What on earth did I just read. RTC.
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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. 👁

[Monika Kim]

hi. 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

[Brandon Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly? Good for her.

[Cindy Pham]

i wish there was a more believable mental journey leading up to the main girly being ready to eat eyeballs but still, good 4 her

[Emily May · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!!!

[Lala BooksandLala · Rating 4 out of 5]

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...

[LTJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“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
- Food insecurity

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.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Monika Kim, Kensington Books, and Erewhon Books for providing me with an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) for review consideration. This horror book review reflects my honest, personal opinion.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ★

“How do I explain to her that the home I miss isn’t a place? It’s a time when my life made sense.”

In The Eyes Are the Best Part, Ji-won’s life starts falling apart after her father has an affair and leaves, and her mother begins dating George, a creepy new boyfriend who makes everything worse. As the tension builds at home, Ji-won’s violent fantasies and obsession with blue eyes pull her into something dark and dangerous.

Wow… I can’t believe this was a debut. It’s so well written! I would be even more surprised if I hadn’t absolutely loved Monika Kim’s second novel, Molka, earlier this year.

I’ve officially found a new author among my favorites!

Nearly everything worked for me in this: the detailed and complicated characters, the commentary on Korean Americans, and the horror itself. At times, the story felt really powerful, using memories and dreams to represent real world situations, and then disturbing to the max in the next moment.

And the horror REALLY goes there with the eyes. A lot more than I was expecting, and it came at the most unexpected moments. I actually gasped a couple times.

I loved Ji-won’s complicated but close relationship with her mother, but her relationship with her sister was the real standout to me. Their bond added so much heart to the story. I thought all the characters were well done and important, and they each added something meaningful.

The chapters were short and flew by. I literally couldn’t put this down.

My only complaint is that the ending felt a little too neat for everything that had been building, but honestly, I loved everything else so much that I’m still giving this the full 5 stars.

If you haven’t read this yet, I definitely recommend checking it out, as well as Molka!

—

Follow my Bookstagram for all things mystery, thriller, and horror novels!

instagram.com/joshxreads

[Katie Colson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had every anticipation for this to be a 5 star horror. In my top 10 of the year even. But I am very sad to tell you that I don't get the hype with this one.

We spend 75% of the book watching the mom cry and be utterly pathetic over men. The other 25% is her daughter's reactions to it, racism and a sprinkling of horror.

It felt very heavy handed in most of it's messaging. I wanted the gore and the freaky weirdness. But it happened far too late for me to be invested in any of it.

[Mai H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

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?

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books

[sakurablossom95 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 perfect!!!

Thank you Kensington Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Kiki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted desperately to enjoy this, so imagine my surprise and disappointment to discover that it is one of the most poorly constructed books I've read in some time. One of my biggest complaints is the book's dogged resistance to seeding anything ahead of time; Ji-won will encounter a situation that requires a tool or an object of significance, and we will then pause for a flashback of that tool or object of significance, then resume the narrative with the tool or object of significance to hand. Why on earth am I hearing about Ji-won's pocket knife, which is apparently very important to her as a symbol of her father's love, for the first time right before she's about to use it? Are we taking a stance against foreshadowing? This also happens with Ji-won's friends and her backpack, neither of which elicit any emotional response despite the book urging the reader to react; "isn't this sad? Isn't it scary that she lost the backpack?" except it isn't, because I'm only just finding out about it now. The way the book is constructed, cluelessly, carelessly, makes this read like a discovery writer's first draft, and I take no pleasure in saying that at all, and nor does it escape me that this is not wholly the author's fault. I am mystified as to how an agent and an editor missed these glaring errors. I followed this author's journey on r/Pubtips, read her excellent query letter and first pages, and cheered her on when she received a staggering TEN offers of agent representation within days. That's an incredible achievement. I expected the book to be amazing, except it just isn't, even after presumably a round of edits with the agent and the editorial team at the publishing house. I say "presumably" because that's what's supposed to happen, though I struggle to believe it did, and "round", singular, because a book this shoddy can't have been edited more than a single time before it found its way onto shelves. It is simply impossible for it to have gone through more than one round and still come out the other side in this state. But then, I don't know how this can be the case. Short deadlines? The book deal was announced in June 2023 and the book hit shelves in June 2024, but deal announcements often face delays. The author's query post on Pubtips, i.e. the final version of the query that was sent to agents, was posted on 14/11/22, and she signed with the agent very soon after that, so... Yes, there was time to edit this. It just doesn't seem to have happened.

I will say that the structure is not the worst thing, though it is a close second, because the worst thing is the numerous formatting and grammar errors sprinkled throughout the book, for which there is absolutely no excuse. "I giggled" used as a dialogue tag; pronoun "he" capitalised within a dialogue tag, as in, "Why are you upset with me?" He asks; the wrong font used to tag a text; a whole paragraph aligned right when it should have been justified; among various other issues. This kind of shoddy writing and editing is not what I expect from a book published by an imprint of a multi-million dollar corporation. Or maybe it is and this is all darkly ironic.

What I did enjoy was this book's sharp critique of the fetishisation of East Asian women; I respect that immensely. That said, I have some issues with the depiction of Alexis, of the same flavour as I had for Moira in Evocation, which is that she is written as an angelic, flawless figure, practically perfect in every way, and she herself feels more like a personal defence than a character. What purpose is she serving other than to be too pure for this world? Does she have a point of view other than "destiny is real because I said so, no I will not explain what I mean" in philosophy class?

(Also: in this book, what with its context, adding that "the men in the class were all in agreement" with Geoffrey's argument against destiny is clearly signposting that this is a sexist male viewpoint, which severely annoyed me and felt antithetical to a feminist message. The insinuation that logic and reason are male traits, and that women are naturally more spiritual and believe in magic and other baseless woo-woo is offensive and misogynistic. Point blank.)

By and large most of the characters are flat, workmanlike as narrative devices, lacking much flair or interest; at one point Ji-won rattles off a list of flowers that are blooming around her college campus, using their correct names, and it's something that might seem innocuous but to me is indicative of shallow characterisation. Does the average Jane know the names of all the flowers blooming in spring? No, probably not, so you have to explain to me why she knows them, and you could say, well, that's general knowledge, but consider this: why does Ji-won know all the specific names of the dishes her mother makes at home? Easy; she knows them because they are her cultural cuisine and she is Korean. That makes perfect sense. If she was of a different cultural background, we would want to know how she came to know what these dishes are. So we understand that her knowing the names of the dishes says something about the character, and therefore knowing the names of the flowers should also say something about the character, except it doesn't, because we never see her take an interest in plant life, or the natural environment around her, or art, or biology, or anything that would explain why she knows what the flowers are. Ji-won knows the name of the flowers because the author knows the names of the flowers. Not one iota of thought went into the construction of this character and it shows.

I don't know where to begin with the ending: the police officer waves the knife around, claiming it to be the murder weapon, even though mere minutes have passed since George's death with no forensic investigation having taken place yet; the hospital apparently does not have CCTV; Ji-won asserts that the backpack Geoffrey stole from her, which is full of her belongings, which she has been seen with on campus, which she was seen looking for in the days leading up to the murder, which contains a pocket knife that her family can confirm belongs to her and is covered in her fingerprints, will serve to convict him for murder; and Ji-won is now setting out to murder her father, who does not have blue eyes, even though the whole thematic thrust of the story was focussed on specifically destroying blue eyes as a representation of the white male gaze. Ji-won wakes up in hospital and the doctors have apparently discovered a brain tumour, and we're indirectly told that this brain tumour was causing her to obsess over eyes, because now when she pictures George's blue eyes she no longer has any desire to eat them. A single scene later, she kills George and eats his eyes. So wtf was the point in the brain tumour?

This book is marketed as "good for her" but it's not "good for her" when she murders a homeless guy. I couldn't care less about the others, because it's not as if they didn't have it coming, and they comply with the theme of attacking the systems that oppress you, but when you punch down by murdering someone sleeping rough, you can mwah, kiss your revenge theme goodbye. If Ji-won had wrestled with the incident in some way, in any way that wasn't a selfish "omg I'm so weird??", I wouldn't be saying any of this, but no. That doesn't happen. And look; I'm never opposed to books about horrible people doing bad things, because I am media literate, in fact I eat that shit up, but if you're going down that route you need to then pivot thematically because your book is no longer saying what you want it to say. It's no longer "good for her". Now it's a critique of your character as well as the system. But that's not what's going on here. There's no thematic complexity borne of this incident. Homeless Man is just a red shirt crash test dummy. I can't...quite put my finger on it...but there might be a problem with your feminism... How about we put the question to the class?

FIN

[Jillian B · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Flo Camus · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.3⭐] 𝙇𝙤𝙨 𝙤𝙟𝙤𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙡𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙟𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚 es una novela de terror psicológico escrita por Monika Kim y publicada en 2024. La historia nos presenta a Ji-won, una joven coreano-estadounidense cuya vida se ve trastocada tras el abandono de su padre. Su madre se aferra a un nuevo hombre, George, un sujeto arrogante, racista y misógino que invade la casa con sus ojos azules intensos. Lo que comienza como una sensación de incomodidad pronto se transforma en una obsesión macabra: Ji-won empieza a fantasear con arrancar y devorar esos ojos.


Lo primero que quiero decir es que este libro es brutal, grotesco y perturbador en el mejor de los sentidos. Me encantó cómo la autora trabajó el cambio psicológico de la protagonista: esa transición de una chica que lidia con la frustración y la marginalidad, a una psicópata devorada por sus propios impulsos. Lo que más me impresionó fue el nivel de detalle de las descripciones, todavía recuerdo una escena muy concreta en la que Ji-won se come un par de ojos: estaba leyendo sola en la sala de profesores y, de repente, grité un “¡Nooo, qué asco ctm!” en voz alta (no voy a poner textualmente el insulto, pero es uno chileno). Justo en ese instante, entró un alumno a buscar algo y me miró mientras se mataba de la risa. Tuvimos que hacer un pacto silencioso: él fingiría que no me escuchó soltar el garabato y yo haría como que nunca entró sin tocar la puerta. Ese nivel de realismo en la escritura me hizo reaccionar de manera física; el asco era tan palpable que no pude evitarlo.

Más allá del asco que produce la novela, lo que verdaderamente me conquistó fue la crítica social. Monika Kim construye una novela que no se queda solo en lo gore: habla del racismo estructural que enfrentan los inmigrantes asiáticos en Estados Unidos y de la hipocresía de una sociedad que se cree moralmente superior. Hay un momento en el que se describe cómo los inmigrantes celebran el 4 de julio con un fervor casi forzado, como si tuvieran que demostrar constantemente que “son igual de estadounidenses” que los demás. Ese detalle me dejó pensando porque refleja con crudeza la presión de tener que validarse en un país que, aunque les otorgue ciudadanía, no deja de tratarlos como extranjeros.

También, me golpeó fuerte el tema del fetiche hacia las mujeres asiáticas. El libro retrata con mucha precisión ese fenómeno de hombres occidentales que buscan relaciones con asiáticas porque las perciben como “exóticas”, obedientes o simplemente distintas. Me parece muy ilustrativo porque son dinámicas que, si bien están presentes, no siempre se visibilizan ni se cuestionan. Leerlo en esta historia fue duro, pero necesario porque la autora logra exponerlo sin tapujos.

Admito que el inicio me pareció un poco lento. Kim se toma su tiempo para asentar el trasfondo familiar, mostrar el deterioro de la madre, la tensión con George y la pérdida de Ji-won como estudiante ejemplar, pero con paciencia uno entiende que esa lentitud es deliberada porque, cuando llega el giro hacia lo macabro, el contraste es todavía más impactante.

Otro punto que me fascinó fue la crítica patriarcal. Ji-won rompe con todos los moldes impuestos: no es sumisa, no busca ser aprobada, ni siquiera intenta cumplir con lo que la sociedad espera de ella. Se convierte en un monstruo, pero este monstruo nace de la opresión, de la invisibilización y del dolor. En cierto modo, la novela se siente como un grito contra las cadenas que aprisionan a tantas mujeres asiáticas en un mundo patriarcal y racista.


Finalmente, puedo decir que 𝙇𝙤𝙨 𝙤𝙟𝙤𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙡𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙟𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚 ha sido un debut impresionante. Es grotesca, es violenta, es incómoda, pero también es profundamente crítica, lúcida y reflexiva. Me gustó el equilibrio entre lo visceral y lo intelectual, entre el horror gráfico y la denuncia social. 

[Alexia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly what I needed after experiencing a string of disappointing reads lately. The book was profoundly unsettling and deeply disturbing, yet I found myself completely captivated from start to finish. The plot aligned perfectly with the blurb, offering no surprises in that regard, but it was the execution that truly grabbed my attention.

The protagonist, Ji-Won, is an 18-year-old girl plagued by some truly haunting dreams. Her vivid descriptions of the nightmares are spine-chilling, particularly when she recounts her perceptions of human eyes—how they taste and the peculiar texture they possess. It's remarkable how the author brings these grotesque visions to life, but I must admit, reading about such repulsive details made my stomach churn. While I appreciate Ji-Won's fascination with eyes, I personally found myself wishing for less graphic detail. The imagery was intense, and while it added to the overall atmosphere, it definitely left me feeling a bit queasy!

George was perhaps the most revolting and loathsome character I’ve encountered in quite some time. His obsession with Korean women bordered on a disturbing fetish, revealing not only his superficial view of relationships but also a troubling objectification of an entire culture. Beneath this grotesque facade, he was steeped in misogyny, often expressing contempt for women while simultaneously using them to fulfill his own selfish desires. His hypocrisy was glaring; he held others to standards he was utterly unwilling to meet himself. To make matters worse, his predatory tendencies revealed a deeply unsettling aspect of his character—he was attracted to minors, showcasing a troubling disregard for innocence and consent. In every aspect, he embodied the worst of men, a toxic blend of entitlement, exploitation, and moral depravity.
I found myself eagerly anticipating the moment when Ji-Won would finally confront him. It was hard to contain my excitement.
And Ji-Won did not disappoint me; she delivered exactly what I wanted.

Ji-Hyun emerged as my favorite character throughout the story. There was something about her resilience and depth that resonated with me on a personal level. Perhaps it was her unwavering determination to protect her sister or the way she navigated challenges that made me feel such a strong connection to her. Whatever the reason, I couldn’t help but root for her every step of the way.
Or maybe it was cause she wasn't eating eyes like her sister? Who knows.

The mother in this book was infuriating to the point where I often found myself wishing I could reach into the pages and give her a good slap. The emotional turmoil she inflicted on her daughters, Ji-Won and Ji-Hyun, was staggering. She constantly made them have to take the role of the parent in the relationship, and she literally ignored them when a man was involved, making their lives a cycle of dread and self-doubt. If I had been in Ji-Won or Ji-Hyun's shoes, the moment I turned 18, I would have cut all ties without a second thought. The idea of remaining in contact with someone who caused so much pain would be utterly unthinkable.
She was a profoundly sad woman, trapped in a cycle of seeking approval from men. Her entire self-worth seemed to hinge on their validation, causing her to overlook her own intrinsic value. Throughout the book, it became painfully evident that she was unable to break free from this pattern, and by the end, she had learned nothing from her experiences.

The situation became even more baffling when considering her daughter, who had nearly lost her life at the hands of a man. Despite this, she continued to lament over the same man, clinging to a toxic attachment. At that moment, I found it impossible to empathize with her plight any longer; my patience had worn thin, and I felt no compassion for her. Her choices and the lack of growth were just too frustrating to bear.

The father played a significant role in the absence of a nurturing presence within the narrative. He chose to leave his family for a younger woman, abandoning his responsibilities as a parent. This decision had lasting effects, particularly on his daughters. Despite knowing that one of his daughters was in the hospital, he showed no inclination to visit or offer support.
It honestly made me so angry, and I found him a coward.

With all that said, I must emphasize that Ji-Won was a truly inept serial killer. Her clumsiness was astounding; it’s hard to believe she wouldn’t have been apprehended almost immediately in real life. She left behind a chaotic trail of evidence at every crime scene, making it all too easy for any competent investigator to connect the dots. I appreciated the ending, as it tied up the narrative nicely, but it felt a bit too neatly resolved, almost as if everything was packaged in a shiny bow. It left me wishing for a more complex outcome that reflected the gravity of her actions.

In conclusion, I found myself completely captivated by this book. Although I don't believe it truly fits into the horror genre, it nevertheless managed to evoke a profound sense of unease within me. The atmosphere created by the author was deeply unsettling, with vivid imagery and thought-provoking themes that lingered in my mind long after I put it down. The psychological tension and moments of dread made it a compelling read that kept me on edge.

[Sadie Hartmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title/Author: THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART by Monika Kim

Page Count: 284 pages

Publisher: Erewhon Books

Format: Own the physical from Night Worms | Read the Kindle Unlimited Copy

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: Debut book

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978164566...

Release Date: June 25th, 2024

General Genre: Horror, Psychological, Asian American, Feminist

Sub-Genre/Themes: Serial Killer, Murder, Cannibalism, Social Commentary, extramarital affairs, college, feminine rage, Unhappy families; Real-life monsters; Body horror, Obsession

Writing Style: Own voices, Creepy; Disturbing; Suspenseful; Gruesome

What You Need to Know: With her life in disarray after her father's infidelity and eventual abandonment of his family to live with his new girlfriend, Ji-won is plagued by horrifying yet enticing dreams of bloody rooms full of eyes. This makes sense since she lives with her depressed mother who only derives joy from eating fish eyes.
"Fish eyes are good luck. If I eat them, maybe it will bring your father back."

When Ji-won's mother brings home her new boyfriend George, she is overcome by hunger and rage that can only be sated by deceit, manipulation, and murder as victims accumulate around her college campus.

My Reading Experience: The title itself gives you a clue as to where we're going with this one. And that gruesome cover! The tension builds slowly, allowing readers to savor the creeping dread before it bursts into full-blown, psychological terror about a lonely, college-age woman driven to act out in unspeakable ways. But it's not just about the acts of violence; it's about how the author explores what it means to see—and be seen. Eyes are a central theme here, not just as tools for sight, but as symbols of power, control, and sometimes, cruelty. The author uses the eyes of her characters to express or communicate a full range of emotions. It almost became like a game to catch all the uses of the words 'eye' or 'eyes'. I searched my Kindle copy and came up with 255 uses :)

For horror fans, it’s the kind of book that leaves a lasting impression because it's fresh and provocative. I enjoyed the slow build-up to the climax with the escalation of Ji-won's intrusive thoughts.
My only real complaint is the connective tissue between what has happened in Ji-Won's life and how this launches her into serial-killer mode. It seemed far-fetched. So many of the characters feel like cartoonish stereotypes--especially the mother's Republican, White, Dad-bod, Boyfriend who blatantly fetishizes Asian women.

Final Recommendation: A must-read in the category of female serial killers, cannibalism, and women who go off the rails with unhinged, insane behavior. The body horror, and descriptions of eating eyes, are very detailed and disgusting. If that sort of thing makes you squeamish, maybe sit this one out--it's a lot!

Comps: My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, I Was A Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones, Maeve Fly by C. J. Leede, Natural Beauty by Ling Ling Huang

[Annie ˖ ࣪✦: * ˚ ✦ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋰˚☆ 4
ೃ⁀➷
This book had me curling my feet from how peculiar the narrative was. The premise was so unconventional, I was simply obsessed. I read this book because I was looking for recommendations that aligned with the movie, Jennifer’s body, and after finishing this - I can definitely see the similarities. It checked out what I was looking for, but the unambiguous ending left me without satisfaction. Other than that, I really enjoyed the uncanny vibe throughout this book.

🐟👀

Eyeballs won’t ever look the same to me after this one, especially now that I am aware they’re being consumed, by our heroine, Ji-won. Ji-won’s infatuation with eyes originated from her devouring a fishes eye. Her mother had the motto of proclaiming a fishes eye grants you luck, but Ji-won & and her sister had always been disgusted when their mother offers them the eye. Finally, Ji-won succumbs, and it unleashes a new obsession. This particular odd obsession was so profoundly unsettling, idvdid a good job with its delivery off being such a weird book. The mania Ji-won has for eyes escalates to another level as she now hunts for literal HUMAN eyes. How freakish is that? Ji-wons description when she would eat the eye like it was a gummy was so shocking. I would be stupefied for some moments because it was simply incomprehensible.


Ji-won is a little freak, and given any opportunity, she always after the eyes. The complete plot of this book was so captivating. The peculiar storyline had me invested - everything was off putting. Especially Ji-won’s mother’s boyfriend. He was such a weird character, he had a fixation on Asian woman. His dynamic with Ji-won was unsettling as she would literally fantasize about his eyes. Other than that, he got what he deserved.

🩸👀

Overall, I had such a fun time with this one. It pertained everything I was looking for. Despite the ending.

[Panic!_at_the_Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I didn’t read this correctly 😂. So many other people loved it, but I couldn’t connect to the book or the characters. Monika Kim is a beautiful writer, and she nails pacing, character development, and reader engagement. I finished the book wanting more — what that more is, I don’t know. I’d definitely read another of Kim’s books in the future, but I would pass on re-reading this one.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slay, queen.

[Brooke ☯︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to savor every bite. 👁️

The descent into madness after a life of being patronized, fetishized, and forgotten. Nailed the tension, suspense, and foreshadowing. I found that the further she derailed her life, the more I was rooting for her success. Girlfriend has got it bad for eyes, especially the blue ones. Her mother was fantastic as a character. She encouraged her kids to eat fish eyes for good luck. This story addresses racial and financial inequality. I do really like that in focusing on the eyes, there is objectification in removing the mechanism of sight, that parallels the objectification and fetishisation of Asian women. It is an interesting way to reframe the power dynamic. 👀


👁️I only have eyes for you
Because only your eyes will do 👁️🥹🩸

[Keila (speedreadstagram) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Susan Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the unhinged woman story I didn't know I needed. Ji-won, the FMC, is my new favorite. It is a slow descent into madness. It is a revenge story in the best kind of way. It has family drama, grief, and racism that will make you cringe. Enter George, the wealthy white, lying, racist, misogynistic POS boyfriend of Ji-won's mother. It was a pleasure to hate him.

This is an incredible debut by this author. I can't say I would very widely recommend this as it's not for everyone. It's not an edge of your seat jumpscare kind of story, if that's your thing. It's slow and gets there in a subtle way. It's absolutely gross, too, which I love. The ending, I thought, was perfection 👌

[TheConnieFox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will have to say that this has been the hardest book to rate! The cover of the book - I honestly don’t like it.

I was recommended by several people to read this book and I am so glad that I did. This book is memorable, conversational and incredibly disturbing. I feel like different parts of the book have different ratings - however I ended up giving it a 3.75 (bumped it up to 4 on Goodreads).

I absolutely loved the female rage, the culture representation and how some of the scenes in the book were completely unpredictable. Some scenes were very predictable, especially the ending. However, I have not read anything like this before. That is what makes this book unique. It’s gruesome, disgusting, horrific and filled with body horror. Sometimes I didn’t know if they were just dreams or if it was really happening. I felt really sad for the Mother and children. The things that happened to them were completely unfair and heartbreaking.

The characters are very multilayered. We continue to learn more and more about them throughout the book. What starts off as family drama, quickly turns into psychological horror and the ending is full on chaotic full body horror. It made me feel uncomfortable while reading it, but I simply just could not put the book down! This is not at all a “comfort” read. I will leave you with some of the themes in the book, along with some quotes.

Themes:

🔵 Misogyny & Male Entitlement
👁️ Feminine Rage
🔵 Asian Fetish & Racism
👁️ Mental Illness & Isolation
🔵 Cultural Conflict
👁️ Consumption as Power

Quotes:

“The eyes are the best part.”

“I am so angry I don’t know where to put it.”

“Blue eyes would taste amazing.”

“No one notices girls like me until we become something they fear.”

Note:

I gave this author’s book, “Molka” 5 stars! ⭐️

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[brina · Rating 1 out of 5]

actually garbage im so sorry to everyone who thinks this is a good book you are delusional i’m afraid

i do have guilt and confusion because everyone loves it except me but i’m gonna go with i’m right and you’re wrong

so terribly written and boring and the characters sucked and i felt like i was reading a fifth grade creative writing project

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect short read (under 300 pages) for those looking to let loose a little RAGE. At some point while reading this - I started loving it more and more due to the unreliable narrator. She’s sort of unhinged - but it’s one of those reads that makes you feel like she’s 100% justified??

- explore fetishes and racism
- women falling apart based on how men treat them
- a bit gory in parts (I def skimmed these parts - I have a WEAK stomach)

The ending was perfect… and felt harmonious..? Even as terrible as it was 🤣

[Zana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Asian buddy read with Mai~

"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.

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 1 out of 5]

TW/CW: Cheating, child abandonment, grieving, mourning, depression, suicidal mentions, divorce, sexual harassment, racial slurs, misogyny, cannibalism

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
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.
Release Date: June 25th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Writing flowed

What I Didn't Like:
1. Hate dream sequences in books
2. Endless plot holes
3. Repetitive
4. Confusing scenes

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Reading about Umma's husband leaving and the way she was just waiting on him to return was absolutely gut wrenching. I kept wanting to give her hug.

The whole thing that Umma believes that white men are the best to date and marry is insane. There is no guarantee that someone won't leave based on the race. The whole article seemed very racist. Saying that white men are superior to Korean men when dating. Humans leave humans no matter the race or even sexual orientation. I'm with Ji-won on this - you can't judge Koren men by the actions of one man.

Loving how much of a piece of crap their father is though. Barely even talks to them on the phone just with vague conversation. And he hasn't even seen them.

Knew George wasn't going to be good once you read the bumper sticker about welfare. The way George dismisses the pronunciation of their names and rather than try and get it right besides he'd rather just give them nicknames. How completely racist.

Thwack. I leap up and grab her, throwing her to the ground. She screams. The door creaks open and in the doorway, our doorway, is George. His eyes are twinkling. “Whoa, whoa. You guys having a pillow fight without me? At least let me watch!”
Yeah - nope nope how gross. This man needs to get the hell out.

I guess no one ever explained love bombing to Umma. George is pushing her so fast - relationship, meeting family (hers), moving in, and now engaged, all within a few months. It's at the point where Umma describes the proposal as "romantic" when they simply went to get meds at CVS and he asked her in the car to marry him that I now understand that Umma is a little delusional to what's happening. She's just so happy to not be alone that she's missing the red flags.

I'm 150 pages in and I imagine what's going to happen is Ji-won is going to take the sleeping pills, grab her knife from her bag, and cut out George's eyes OR she's going to drug him and remove his eyes.

Geoffrey has to be the one stalking Ji-won. The way he knew where her mother worked. God, and getting her chop sticks. Imagine being friends with someone for months and they get you the most stereotypical gift just being of your race.

I don't get how she's just finding all these random men dead or dying outside. Like they're just always out of it and she's able to attack them to cut their eye(s) out.

And now she's picked up the dude that was in the coffee shop he was saying things about Asian women being sexy. It's just like what are the chances of all the people in LA it being this dude. I also don't understand how this character is able to just randomly find blue-eyed people even when she can't see their eyes.

I didn't understand why the gas station attended didn't put a lock on the door outside if he says that people keep coming to the gas station to use it. I also don't know very many gas stations that have bathrooms outside in La that don't have a lock. Homelessness is a huge thing in La so why wouldn't they put a lock on it plus you have addicts it would do drugs and pass on him. That part didn't make any sense.

We also get this part where it said that she gets covered in his blood when she stabs him in an artery and that makes sense, but then she goes and sees Alexis and she's clearly covered in blood however Alexis never calls her out on it. Also also I guess she just walked into her house with blood on her clothing and her sister said nothing? I get its late at night but her sister is pretty nosy so she would turn the light on and ask what's going on.

Some parts of this book are absolutely confusing. We'll have parts that deal with her hallucinating and then some parts will just randomly jump into a dream in the middle of the day. I wish it was more linear so it made more sense. The jumping back and forth makes this very hard to follow what's going on.

So Ji-won meets up with George through the dating app at 5:00 p.m. She drives them to a construction zone that's wooded but it's night time because she mentions it's dark but how did we get from 5:00 p.m. daylight to darkness? I mean it's summertime how would it be dark that fast? Did she talk to George for 4 hours? Did it take her 4 hours to drive somewhere? She mentions that she has to work quickly because Geoffrey will be arriving soon but when did she call Jeffrey to tell him to come meet her here? The last time we left off in the book was her telling Geoffrey to leave her alone even though he mentioned having her backpack and now she somehow meeting him here. What did I miss?

She wakes up in the hospital with zero idea of what had happened. Her family tells her what went down and that Geoffrey actually showed up and saved her from being strangled, which we know. They arrest him for trying to kill George. And inside all of this we find out that Ji-won has a brain tumor and they had to do emergency surgery when they did an MRI on her head. It just felt very weird and convoluted. Are we saying that the tumor is what caused her to have these blinding migraines and behave with murder?

Hospital doors don't have locks on them.

So let me get this straight George is in the room right next to Ji-won (yeah okay). She is able to just slip over to the room and kill George who is hooked up to monitors that regulate his heartbeat and blood pressure. No one notices he's dead though his monitor would sound that he coded. Hours pass and not one nurse notices. They pass out food to the patients, but why George not get food? He's right next to her. Wouldn't the person see him dead? I think this author has never stayed in a hospital or visited one. They never leave you alone, there is always someone in your room coming in and out. Anyways, she calls Geoffrey and frames him for the death of George. He's been there for 2 seconds and he has no blood on him. And also also also there are cameras in the hallways. Oh and she gives Geoffrey I'm imagining a butter knife because the hospital wouldn't give you like a steak knife they give you a butter knife. So he went with that into George's room.

Ji-won talks about how when they search his home they'll find the pocket knife that has DNA match to the other murders but what in the knife also have her fingerprints on it? It is her knife and she didn't get to wipe away her prints so her prints would still be on there.

So that's the end. Her next target will be her father.

Final Thoughts:
Lately there's been a resurgence with eye horror within the last few years. Some are hit or miss.

There are some disturbing images in this book. Just picturing a human body with holes and eyes in those holes makes me want to vomit.

Not only do you get this story of gore and violence, but we also get the clear tone of fetishization of Asian women. Plus the large amounts of racism. It's all so disgusting how people think it's okay to talk to another human being like that. Perhaps that's the author's way at telling us how people can't even see that they are being racist to people when it can come off very obviously.

I do wish there was more to the story. It feels like it's missing something. We get this story of her eating a fish eye and suddenly she escalates to eating human eyes. She starts hallucinating and having night terrors. It all just feels really rushed and random.

Once you get to the ending it felt rushed and full of countless plot holes;
• She left her mom's car at the coffee shop - she bought coffees too
• She mentions she called George to meet her at the construction site to talk but never explains why the car is still at coffee shop. If she was meeting George at the construction site would Umma's car be there with her and George.
• Geoffrey shows the police that she had called him after George was murdered but why wouldn't he show the police that she had called him before George was attacked to meet at that location
• Police do little investigation into understanding why she would ask Geoffrey to meet her at a location that she was also meeting George
• Ji-won mentions that Geoffrey was stalking her and she called him from the hospital to leave her alone, but don't find it weird that she'd call him to meet her in person if he was stalking her.
• George is murdered in the hospital and no one at the hospital notices despite monitors. Lady dropping off food never noticed either nor a nurse checking vitals
• Ji-won drives George's truck and has to pull the seat way up since it's mentioned before how much taller George is to her
• Knife found at construction site has Ji-won’s prints on it and came from her house.

Have you ever read a book and you were enjoying it greatly? Only to have the second half of the book turn into this totally different vibe. In the end for me that's what this book was. I was enjoying the tone of this book and how fast pace it was to read it. I loved learning about their culture and the foods they ate but when we got 75% into the book I started to find so many plot holes it was driving me insane. It also started to feel very repetitive with Ji-won saying/feeling/thinking/doing the same stuff. I'm convinced this book is 25% dreams & nightmares.

I will say I loved how the words flowed and loved the authors writing style. The author made me invested in their lives and wanting to follow along with each characters day to day.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Erewhon Books for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.