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Molka
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50 copies available
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molka (n): the Korean term for spy cameras secretly and illegally installed, often to capture voyeuristic images and videos
Dahye can't believe her luck when she finds herself in a whirlwind romance with handsome, charismatic Hyukjoon, the heir to a multi-million dollar fortune.
But then a shocking revelation threatens: the couple has been caught on a spycam amid Korea's growing molka epidemic, and the video is all over the internet. When Hyukjoon flees the country to avoid the intense public scrutiny, Dahye is left to grapple with the ramifications on her own; and the demons from her childhood, long dormant, begin to surface.
Amid the chaos, she catches the attention of Junyoung, a nerdy, introverted IT tech at work. Junyoung harbours a dark secret: he has been spying on the women at work with his own hidden cameras. As Dahye's life begins to unravel, she unknowingly becomes the sole target of Junyoung's perverse obsession.
When the facts surrounding the invasion of her privacy come to light, Dahye is faced with the humiliating truth. Her pain and hurt turn to rage as she faces her past. Her desire for vengeance is insatiable, and she will not rest until the men who have wronged her have paid in blood...
Dahye can't believe her luck when she finds herself in a whirlwind romance with handsome, charismatic Hyukjoon, the heir to a multi-million dollar fortune.
But then a shocking revelation threatens: the couple has been caught on a spycam amid Korea's growing molka epidemic, and the video is all over the internet. When Hyukjoon flees the country to avoid the intense public scrutiny, Dahye is left to grapple with the ramifications on her own; and the demons from her childhood, long dormant, begin to surface.
Amid the chaos, she catches the attention of Junyoung, a nerdy, introverted IT tech at work. Junyoung harbours a dark secret: he has been spying on the women at work with his own hidden cameras. As Dahye's life begins to unravel, she unknowingly becomes the sole target of Junyoung's perverse obsession.
When the facts surrounding the invasion of her privacy come to light, Dahye is faced with the humiliating truth. Her pain and hurt turn to rage as she faces her past. Her desire for vengeance is insatiable, and she will not rest until the men who have wronged her have paid in blood...
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 28, 2026
33948 people want to read
About the author
Monika Kim
4 books1,619 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 388 reviews
December 14, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
I’ve often thought, I wish I could be a fly on the wall. To hear what people say about you when you’re not in their presence. To hear the unfiltered and unencumbered. People in an unobserved state are fascinating to me, but that’s about where someone’s voyeuristic curiosity should start and stop.
This book ratchets up that voyeurism to 100. The men in this book are villainous and vile, and deserve everything coming to them in this story. And come to them it does.
This taps into the female revenge trope, and injects a healthy dose of novelty into its veins. It spends most of the story with our protagonist in the dark, as we look in with horror and sympathy, but once she becomes illuminated, her fearlessness and ferocity prevail. Dayhe is a well rounded main character. She is vulnerable and frail. She is fierce and powerful. She is flawed and relatable.
Kim spends most of the novel ramping up the despicability of the men, and the systems that enable female subjugation, and does so very effectively. It’s hard to know who the real villain is, the men or the institutions that give them license, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter. Both work in concert to monstrous ends.
The supernatural element felt slightly out of place in the story, but it wasn’t enough to pull me out of it. I enjoyed this book immensely. A very solid sophomore showing for an author on the rise.
I’ve often thought, I wish I could be a fly on the wall. To hear what people say about you when you’re not in their presence. To hear the unfiltered and unencumbered. People in an unobserved state are fascinating to me, but that’s about where someone’s voyeuristic curiosity should start and stop.
This book ratchets up that voyeurism to 100. The men in this book are villainous and vile, and deserve everything coming to them in this story. And come to them it does.
This taps into the female revenge trope, and injects a healthy dose of novelty into its veins. It spends most of the story with our protagonist in the dark, as we look in with horror and sympathy, but once she becomes illuminated, her fearlessness and ferocity prevail. Dayhe is a well rounded main character. She is vulnerable and frail. She is fierce and powerful. She is flawed and relatable.
Kim spends most of the novel ramping up the despicability of the men, and the systems that enable female subjugation, and does so very effectively. It’s hard to know who the real villain is, the men or the institutions that give them license, but in the end, it doesn’t really matter. Both work in concert to monstrous ends.
The supernatural element felt slightly out of place in the story, but it wasn’t enough to pull me out of it. I enjoyed this book immensely. A very solid sophomore showing for an author on the rise.
January 17, 2026
5/5 stars!!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review to come! 🫶
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I am sad to say it, but Dahye does not in fact pop off in this one. I loooooved The Eyes Are the Best Part so when I heard Queen Monika was coming out with Molka I just had to get my hands on it. I know the original scandal & I also know Monika's talent so this was one of my highly anticipated reads going into 2026 & I'll be honest I did not love it....not even remotely as close to how much I loved her debut. One thing I'll give Monika Kim is she reminds me how much I don't trust men. She really knows how to write the most despicable men & in this one every single one of them is just diabolical.
This started off really strong, especially with Junyoung being the creep that he is & trying to figure out how he's going to fit into the story, but then it just progressively gets slower & slower. I understand the purpose of this book & appreciate the awareness the author was trying to raise with it & it's commentary throughout but this was just way too slow for how short it is.
The only redeemable character in this entire book is Bora. Our mc, Dahye has close to zero personality & if i'm being completely honest she was kind of dumb. Me, you & everyone else's mother brothers sisters & cousins could see Hyukjoon was a walking red flag from 5 miles away except for Dahye apparently & I have astigmatism in both eyes with -6.50 prescription ok, there's no reason for Dahye to have been this blind to how awful Hyukjoon was. Junyoung is a level 10 perv & by the sixth mention of his erections I was ready to report his ass for fictional harassment.
I think my main disappointment is how misleading the synopsis is. Respectfully, you cannot claim Dahye's desire for vengeance is insatiable & this is a story about female revenge & then deliver one & a half scene of very mid revenge at the very end. Literally nothing happens until 85% of the way through & when it did... dare I say it was anticlimactic. We were scooping eyes out & eating them for snacks in the last one, where is the vengeance/rage everyone is talking about?
it's not a bad book by any means but with how great her debut was I expected a lot more blood to be shed. Maybe if we spent as much time diving into the obsessing, plotting & eventually enacting actual revenge as much as we spent hearing about Junyoung & his penis this would have been a 5 star.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
This started off really strong, especially with Junyoung being the creep that he is & trying to figure out how he's going to fit into the story, but then it just progressively gets slower & slower. I understand the purpose of this book & appreciate the awareness the author was trying to raise with it & it's commentary throughout but this was just way too slow for how short it is.
The only redeemable character in this entire book is Bora. Our mc, Dahye has close to zero personality & if i'm being completely honest she was kind of dumb. Me, you & everyone else's mother brothers sisters & cousins could see Hyukjoon was a walking red flag from 5 miles away except for Dahye apparently & I have astigmatism in both eyes with -6.50 prescription ok, there's no reason for Dahye to have been this blind to how awful Hyukjoon was. Junyoung is a level 10 perv & by the sixth mention of his erections I was ready to report his ass for fictional harassment.
I think my main disappointment is how misleading the synopsis is. Respectfully, you cannot claim Dahye's desire for vengeance is insatiable & this is a story about female revenge & then deliver one & a half scene of very mid revenge at the very end. Literally nothing happens until 85% of the way through & when it did... dare I say it was anticlimactic. We were scooping eyes out & eating them for snacks in the last one, where is the vengeance/rage everyone is talking about?
it's not a bad book by any means but with how great her debut was I expected a lot more blood to be shed. Maybe if we spent as much time diving into the obsessing, plotting & eventually enacting actual revenge as much as we spent hearing about Junyoung & his penis this would have been a 5 star.
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC!
🌟🌟🌟✨/5
Monika Kim's sophomore novel 'Molka' is a great addition to the 'true horror often lies in heinous acts committed by humans' literary canon. This book made me deeply uncomfortable and angry right from the first chapter and that's how I knew it was (mostly) going to be a hit.
As always, I appreciate books that provide trigger warnings right at the beginning. Please do not overlook them; the book gets very dark. I also appreciate the author's note. I wasn't aware of Molka scandals before reading this book, so the author's note was both enlightening and very disturbing for me. She mentions how it became extremely rampant (and resulted in other crimes like rape and blackmail) and how the perpetrators were often never given the punishment they deserved.
Monika Kim excels at writing men so vile they make your blood boil right from the moment they enter the story. Along with the protagonist Dahye, the other perspective was of Junyoung, the man who installed cameras in every single one of the women's restrooms. I'm sure you can imagine how horrifying the reading experience was. I had to put down the book several times because I couldn't read on. Dahye was a protagonist who was far from perfect and quite flawed, but also someone I (obviously) felt empathy for. She had been living in the shadow of her 'perfect sister' for years. In the present, her life was wrecked by a Molka scandal. Oh, and the ghost of said sister (who committed suicide a few years ago) may or may not be haunting her. Misogyny is a prevalent theme in 'Molka', and there were a lot of subtle moments along with the main plotline that highlighted this. I like how, in some capacity, the book made a point about how misogyny is carried from generation to generation, and how people like Junyoung end up how they are because of how they were raised. The revenge scenes were satisfying but a bit abrupt, considering nothing...violent/female rage-ish happened for most of the book.
Although I'm glad the story wasn't wrapped up in a neat little bow by the end (that would've done the subject matter a great disservice), some more explanation about the ending would've made it better. I have mixed feelings about the ambiguous note the book ended on. In some ways, 'Molka' was similar to Kylie Lee Baker's 'Bat Eater'. However, Baker's novel wove together social commentary and chilling supernatural elements in a better way than this book did. For me, the ghostly and realistic aspects of 'Molka' didn't come together that well. That, and a particular plot point that wasn't addressed at all made me knock down a star from my rating.
For the most part, 'Molka' succeeded at what it set out to achieve. It is a necessary book despite of it's shortcomings, and I appreciate the author raising awareness through her work. As the author's note says, the story is not meant to make you lose hope. At its heart, it is about resilience of women and female solidarity. I can't wait to see what Monika Kim comes up with next!
🌟🌟🌟✨/5
Monika Kim's sophomore novel 'Molka' is a great addition to the 'true horror often lies in heinous acts committed by humans' literary canon. This book made me deeply uncomfortable and angry right from the first chapter and that's how I knew it was (mostly) going to be a hit.
As always, I appreciate books that provide trigger warnings right at the beginning. Please do not overlook them; the book gets very dark. I also appreciate the author's note. I wasn't aware of Molka scandals before reading this book, so the author's note was both enlightening and very disturbing for me. She mentions how it became extremely rampant (and resulted in other crimes like rape and blackmail) and how the perpetrators were often never given the punishment they deserved.
Monika Kim excels at writing men so vile they make your blood boil right from the moment they enter the story. Along with the protagonist Dahye, the other perspective was of Junyoung, the man who installed cameras in every single one of the women's restrooms. I'm sure you can imagine how horrifying the reading experience was. I had to put down the book several times because I couldn't read on. Dahye was a protagonist who was far from perfect and quite flawed, but also someone I (obviously) felt empathy for. She had been living in the shadow of her 'perfect sister' for years. In the present, her life was wrecked by a Molka scandal. Oh, and the ghost of said sister (who committed suicide a few years ago) may or may not be haunting her. Misogyny is a prevalent theme in 'Molka', and there were a lot of subtle moments along with the main plotline that highlighted this. I like how, in some capacity, the book made a point about how misogyny is carried from generation to generation, and how people like Junyoung end up how they are because of how they were raised. The revenge scenes were satisfying but a bit abrupt, considering nothing...violent/female rage-ish happened for most of the book.
Although I'm glad the story wasn't wrapped up in a neat little bow by the end (that would've done the subject matter a great disservice), some more explanation about the ending would've made it better. I have mixed feelings about the ambiguous note the book ended on. In some ways, 'Molka' was similar to Kylie Lee Baker's 'Bat Eater'. However, Baker's novel wove together social commentary and chilling supernatural elements in a better way than this book did. For me, the ghostly and realistic aspects of 'Molka' didn't come together that well. That, and a particular plot point that wasn't addressed at all made me knock down a star from my rating.
For the most part, 'Molka' succeeded at what it set out to achieve. It is a necessary book despite of it's shortcomings, and I appreciate the author raising awareness through her work. As the author's note says, the story is not meant to make you lose hope. At its heart, it is about resilience of women and female solidarity. I can't wait to see what Monika Kim comes up with next!
Want to read
January 15, 2026South Korean horror!! Honestly those are the best of the best, very excited to get into it:)
Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and the author, Monica Kim for the early eARC!
Publication date: April 28, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley, Kensington Publishing and the author, Monica Kim for the early eARC!
Publication date: April 28, 2026
Want to read
March 11, 2025I will read any "good for her" revenge book that Monika Kim writes. So excited for this!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“All pigs go to the slaughterhouse to die.”
Going into this without having read 'The Eyes Are the Best Part', I approached the story with a clean slate and no set expectations. What I found most impressive was the sheer readability of the prose. For a reader with a demanding schedule, the author’s straightforward and uncomplicated style is a breath of fresh air. The narrative moves forward with such clarity that I never felt the need to 'rewind' or double-back to track the plot—a rare and appreciated quality for anyone short on time.
There is no denying the power of the source material here; the author clearly draws from the 'Burning Sun' scandal to create a cast of truly repulsive male antagonists.
This novel is a morbidly fascinating dive into the systemic failures of the Korean justice system. While it leans into familiar cinematic tropes—specifically the 'damsel vs. chaebol' dynamic found in many K-dramas—the story is grounded in the harrowing real-world violations women face daily. Even when the plot takes a turn for the surreal or unbelievable, the female rage on display remains deeply resonant. In a world where legal systems so often fail victims, the protagonist's quest for revenge offers a cathartic and immense satisfaction that transcends the limits of reality.
It could have been much grittier and more gruesome; however, while it wasn't as extreme as I’d liked, the eventual comeuppance for the vile male characters still made for a satisfying, if predictable, conclusion.
My thanks to NetGalley for a digital arc and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
Going into this without having read 'The Eyes Are the Best Part', I approached the story with a clean slate and no set expectations. What I found most impressive was the sheer readability of the prose. For a reader with a demanding schedule, the author’s straightforward and uncomplicated style is a breath of fresh air. The narrative moves forward with such clarity that I never felt the need to 'rewind' or double-back to track the plot—a rare and appreciated quality for anyone short on time.
There is no denying the power of the source material here; the author clearly draws from the 'Burning Sun' scandal to create a cast of truly repulsive male antagonists.
This novel is a morbidly fascinating dive into the systemic failures of the Korean justice system. While it leans into familiar cinematic tropes—specifically the 'damsel vs. chaebol' dynamic found in many K-dramas—the story is grounded in the harrowing real-world violations women face daily. Even when the plot takes a turn for the surreal or unbelievable, the female rage on display remains deeply resonant. In a world where legal systems so often fail victims, the protagonist's quest for revenge offers a cathartic and immense satisfaction that transcends the limits of reality.
It could have been much grittier and more gruesome; however, while it wasn't as extreme as I’d liked, the eventual comeuppance for the vile male characters still made for a satisfying, if predictable, conclusion.
My thanks to NetGalley for a digital arc and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
January 9, 2026
Thank you to the publisher for an early copy! 4.5 stars
Loved the female rage!! What a hard hitting story
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThF6RyCD/
Loved the female rage!! What a hard hitting story
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThF6RyCD/
January 8, 2026
Whoa, this was something.
This is my first time reading a book by Monika Kim, and I’ve heard good things about The Eyes Are The Best Part, so naturally, when NetGalley sent me an advanced copy of her new release, I was ready to take it on.
And I quite liked it.
Although the constant mention of Junyoung’s privates already felt like an act of harassment, I pulled through because I appreciated the awareness the author was trying to convey. I mean, in a world where women are preyed upon, taken advantage of, and abused, this book is a testament to the idea that a person’s privacy should never be invaded, mocked, or spread around for laughs.
The men in this book were all creeps and pigs, and they deserved what happened to them. I felt completely sorry for Junyoung’s mother.
The pacing got a bit slow in the middle and didn’t pick up until about 80%. The revenge part was anticlimactic, and I felt like two more chapters were needed. I just wanted a proper ending, I guess.
Overall, this is a fun book, and after getting a taste of Kim’s writing, I’m definitely going to read The Eyes Are The Best Part next.
Thanks for the ARC, Kensington Publishing!
This is my first time reading a book by Monika Kim, and I’ve heard good things about The Eyes Are The Best Part, so naturally, when NetGalley sent me an advanced copy of her new release, I was ready to take it on.
And I quite liked it.
Although the constant mention of Junyoung’s privates already felt like an act of harassment, I pulled through because I appreciated the awareness the author was trying to convey. I mean, in a world where women are preyed upon, taken advantage of, and abused, this book is a testament to the idea that a person’s privacy should never be invaded, mocked, or spread around for laughs.
The men in this book were all creeps and pigs, and they deserved what happened to them. I felt completely sorry for Junyoung’s mother.
The pacing got a bit slow in the middle and didn’t pick up until about 80%. The revenge part was anticlimactic, and I felt like two more chapters were needed. I just wanted a proper ending, I guess.
Overall, this is a fun book, and after getting a taste of Kim’s writing, I’m definitely going to read The Eyes Are The Best Part next.
Thanks for the ARC, Kensington Publishing!
November 24, 2025
Book Stats:
📖: 288 pages
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Erewhon Books
Format: eARC
Series: Standalone
General Thoughts:
This book taught me a lot about this current issue in Korea that I did not know existed. Well, I found the book to be pretty predictable in terms of who everybody was going to end up being. I found the way the story was told to be pretty original and unique. The fact that the story addresses a real life larger issue makes it all the more harrowing as you read.
I could not help but feel increasingly bad for our FMC as the events unfolded around her. The female rage that she embodied was totally mesmerizing and all encompassing for me. I felt very emotionally drawn to what she was going through.
I wanted every single man in this book to get their just desserts. Pretty happy with the way things ended up. The pacing was a little off me at times. I felt like there was a couple of slogs there in the middle that were hard to get through. But ultimately did not overall affect my enjoyment of the novel.
Disclaimer: I read this book as an eARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
📖: 288 pages
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Erewhon Books
Format: eARC
Series: Standalone
General Thoughts:
This book taught me a lot about this current issue in Korea that I did not know existed. Well, I found the book to be pretty predictable in terms of who everybody was going to end up being. I found the way the story was told to be pretty original and unique. The fact that the story addresses a real life larger issue makes it all the more harrowing as you read.
I could not help but feel increasingly bad for our FMC as the events unfolded around her. The female rage that she embodied was totally mesmerizing and all encompassing for me. I felt very emotionally drawn to what she was going through.
I wanted every single man in this book to get their just desserts. Pretty happy with the way things ended up. The pacing was a little off me at times. I felt like there was a couple of slogs there in the middle that were hard to get through. But ultimately did not overall affect my enjoyment of the novel.
Disclaimer: I read this book as an eARC from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
January 17, 2026
Such a bummer to report that this was not my cup of tea. The Eyes Are the Best Part was one of my favourite books of 2024 so my hopes/expectations were high for this one. The beginning of the book was strong and did a good job of creating discomfort, anger, and disgust. But as the story went on it really lost me. Somehow following the pervy guy was more engaging than following Dahye, which is such a shame. Her character just felt so dull. Also some things that were thrown in here just felt unnecessary and unbelievable. Ultimately, I felt pretty disconnected from the story even though I love reading about female rage and the patriarchy. I don’t think this one will stick with me. Regardless, I will still be keen to look out for Monika Kim’s next release.
Thank you very much to NetGalley for an early copy for review.
Thank you very much to NetGalley for an early copy for review.
October 23, 2025
4/5 stars
Probably one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read, Molka legit kept me up at night because I was so MAD!! Every man in this book is straight up EVIL and SINISTER and it made me sick. Thank God for Dahye, my avenging angel, for saving it all.
We follow two POVs in modern-day Seoul. Junyoung is an IT assistant for an accounting company who has planted cameras in all the women’s bathrooms for stalking purposes. I have never wanted a man to die so much in my life. His POV is repellant. There are no redeeming factors to this man, although it was interesting seeing how he became the way he is.
The second is Dahye, an employee at said accounting firm, whose sister Eunhye committed suicide about 10 years ago, something that still haunts Dahye everyday. Junyoung falls hard for Dahye — in a sociopathic, stalker-ish way — and the results are pretty fucked up.
Dahye is the beating heart of the book and I honestly would have preferred we just got her POV, because Junyoung disgusted me so much. However, his POV did make the ending more impactful and the narrative was more interesting because of him. Still, I never wanna read from this man’s POV ever again.
Exploring Dahye’s grief and guilt at losing her sister, especially when they had such a complicated relationship, was exceptional. Kim is at her best when writing about interpersonal relationships, and it really shines here. This dynamic was the highlight for me, and I adored the way Eunhye was portrayed: complex and with flaws, but still an older sister and all the love that comes with it.
The ending was really poetic and well-done. But be warned, the book is BLEAK. I mean it. There is little hope for change and women are punished to the max for just about anything. But if you can charge through, you’ll find a stunning and disturbing book about female rage.
I will read anything Monika Kim writes and this book is just further proof why.
Probably one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read, Molka legit kept me up at night because I was so MAD!! Every man in this book is straight up EVIL and SINISTER and it made me sick. Thank God for Dahye, my avenging angel, for saving it all.
We follow two POVs in modern-day Seoul. Junyoung is an IT assistant for an accounting company who has planted cameras in all the women’s bathrooms for stalking purposes. I have never wanted a man to die so much in my life. His POV is repellant. There are no redeeming factors to this man, although it was interesting seeing how he became the way he is.
The second is Dahye, an employee at said accounting firm, whose sister Eunhye committed suicide about 10 years ago, something that still haunts Dahye everyday. Junyoung falls hard for Dahye — in a sociopathic, stalker-ish way — and the results are pretty fucked up.
Dahye is the beating heart of the book and I honestly would have preferred we just got her POV, because Junyoung disgusted me so much. However, his POV did make the ending more impactful and the narrative was more interesting because of him. Still, I never wanna read from this man’s POV ever again.
Exploring Dahye’s grief and guilt at losing her sister, especially when they had such a complicated relationship, was exceptional. Kim is at her best when writing about interpersonal relationships, and it really shines here. This dynamic was the highlight for me, and I adored the way Eunhye was portrayed: complex and with flaws, but still an older sister and all the love that comes with it.
The ending was really poetic and well-done. But be warned, the book is BLEAK. I mean it. There is little hope for change and women are punished to the max for just about anything. But if you can charge through, you’ll find a stunning and disturbing book about female rage.
I will read anything Monika Kim writes and this book is just further proof why.
August 10, 2025
I've been waiting for Monika Kim's follow-up and this did not disappoint. Because girl once again took "fuck around and find out" very seriously. In Molka, the dark world of voyeurism is explored and further brings anxiety to many peoples' fears of being spied and violated in unfamiliar places and vulnerable moments. Creepy shit man.
As with The Eyes Are the Best Part, it is SO satisfying to read Monika Kim's once again annihilate the men who take because they can. This is the kind of horror that terrifies me--the human monsters, the horror that touches upon our anger and fear of reality. I was enraptured.
Ugh, I never love being the first review here; I tend to have a difficult time conveying my thoughts and I would never want to do a disservice to a book, especially one I loved.
Thank you to the publisher for the early read. Ya'll are amazing and make me such a happy gal!! <3
As with The Eyes Are the Best Part, it is SO satisfying to read Monika Kim's once again annihilate the men who take because they can. This is the kind of horror that terrifies me--the human monsters, the horror that touches upon our anger and fear of reality. I was enraptured.
Ugh, I never love being the first review here; I tend to have a difficult time conveying my thoughts and I would never want to do a disservice to a book, especially one I loved.
Thank you to the publisher for the early read. Ya'll are amazing and make me such a happy gal!! <3
November 20, 2025
I loved the author’s note at the beginning of this. It’s extra upsetting that molka scandals are a real thing that happens to women on a fairly regular basis. On some level I knew about inappropriate public surveillance, but I didn’t know how prevalent it was or how powerless the victims are to find any sort of justice. (There's also a lot more going on in this story, and all of it is tough to read about.) "Molka" as a novel is gross and uncomfortable, but it’s written that way on purpose. I was infuriated by the end of it. But Monika Kim is a great writer, and if I only read the easy stories then I would miss out on some of the important ones. (Though I will caution that this was not a great time, a lot of the time.)
Kim is also the author of “The Eyes Are the Best Part.” I liked that one, but even with the darker subject matter I liked this one more. (Kind of a weird thing to say about such a repulsive plot, but it was so well-written and interesting, and I was involved with where the story was going to take me even as I felt the anger and stress of the main character.)
Kim is so good at writing from the perspective of an absolute dirtbag. The villains of this story, especially the one whose POV we follow, were a little too convincing. Any time I'm confronted with the evil of human nature, that's the thing that gets under my skin the most. But "Molka" also has a supernatural element on top of the gritty realism, which I won't go into detail about since it doesn't appear to be mentioned in the synopsis. But if that isn't your thing, you might not be thrilled about that aspect. Even now, I can't decide how I feel about that subplot. There were things about it that I liked, but others that took me out of the action and felt as though they belonged in a different book.
Overall, I was consistently shocked by the twists and turns in this novel multiple times. None of the characters are saints, not even main character and victim Dahye. It is a dark, complicated and disturbing book and I was enthralled. Boy, do I have very mixed feelings about that ending, though! (I do understand why things happened the way they did.) I will definitely read more from Monika Kim!
This story contains graphic depictions of domestic abuse and sexual assault, so please be aware.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Sexual harassment, Misogyny, *Domestic abuse, *Sexual assault, Suicide.
Kim is also the author of “The Eyes Are the Best Part.” I liked that one, but even with the darker subject matter I liked this one more. (Kind of a weird thing to say about such a repulsive plot, but it was so well-written and interesting, and I was involved with where the story was going to take me even as I felt the anger and stress of the main character.)
Kim is so good at writing from the perspective of an absolute dirtbag. The villains of this story, especially the one whose POV we follow, were a little too convincing. Any time I'm confronted with the evil of human nature, that's the thing that gets under my skin the most. But "Molka" also has a supernatural element on top of the gritty realism, which I won't go into detail about since it doesn't appear to be mentioned in the synopsis. But if that isn't your thing, you might not be thrilled about that aspect. Even now, I can't decide how I feel about that subplot. There were things about it that I liked, but others that took me out of the action and felt as though they belonged in a different book.
Overall, I was consistently shocked by the twists and turns in this novel multiple times. None of the characters are saints, not even main character and victim Dahye. It is a dark, complicated and disturbing book and I was enthralled. Boy, do I have very mixed feelings about that ending, though! (I do understand why things happened the way they did.) I will definitely read more from Monika Kim!
This story contains graphic depictions of domestic abuse and sexual assault, so please be aware.
Thank you to NetGalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Sexual harassment, Misogyny, *Domestic abuse, *Sexual assault, Suicide.
January 5, 2026
"All pigs go to the slaughterhouse to die."
This is my real fear come to life. I’ve always been leery of going into a public place to use a dressing room or even the restroom due to the thought that people could be watching. Two-way mirrors, cameras, and now we have to deal with cellphones. Sometimes I hate technology. It’s always in the back of my mind and now it’s going to be my first thought after reading this.
Humans scare me more than anything else. Most people are afraid of the dark, ghosts, and even the boogeyman. Humans terrify me more than those. You never truly know what’s happening behind those cold dead eyes and I honestly don’t want to find out.
This book should put the fear in everyone. Every single page has me on the edge of my seat because I never knew what was going to happen next. Not only was I terrified, I was also angry. This brought forth so many emotions and I couldn’t help but devour this book. It was so damn good.
Dahye was a bada**b**ch and I loved her. She’s the friend I need in my life. Ride or die. It broke my heart to see her go through something horrific. Then I sat here cheering her on as she finally put karma into place. Revenge is the best dish served straight from her fridge. Just don’t eat anything that she’s cooking.
‘Molka’ was a hell of a horror novel and one I’m going to recommend to everyone. Revenge is so delicious in this intense and terrifying novel where the scariest thing is humans and they get everything they deserve!
This is my real fear come to life. I’ve always been leery of going into a public place to use a dressing room or even the restroom due to the thought that people could be watching. Two-way mirrors, cameras, and now we have to deal with cellphones. Sometimes I hate technology. It’s always in the back of my mind and now it’s going to be my first thought after reading this.
Humans scare me more than anything else. Most people are afraid of the dark, ghosts, and even the boogeyman. Humans terrify me more than those. You never truly know what’s happening behind those cold dead eyes and I honestly don’t want to find out.
This book should put the fear in everyone. Every single page has me on the edge of my seat because I never knew what was going to happen next. Not only was I terrified, I was also angry. This brought forth so many emotions and I couldn’t help but devour this book. It was so damn good.
Dahye was a bada**b**ch and I loved her. She’s the friend I need in my life. Ride or die. It broke my heart to see her go through something horrific. Then I sat here cheering her on as she finally put karma into place. Revenge is the best dish served straight from her fridge. Just don’t eat anything that she’s cooking.
‘Molka’ was a hell of a horror novel and one I’m going to recommend to everyone. Revenge is so delicious in this intense and terrifying novel where the scariest thing is humans and they get everything they deserve!
January 13, 2026
Wow is all I can say. The rage I felt reading this book was overwhelming. I think I yelled a few times. I highlighted a bunch and made notes. The men sickened me and pissed me off. Some of the women did too. I’m not crazy about the ending but it was so creative and different I can’t be mad about it lol. Holy shit the body horror! It lagged a little in the middle when Dahye was being investigative but still I think it’s going to be one of my best of 2026. Monika Kim definitely knows how to write female rage horror. Five stars
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an advance copy!
January 30, 2026
Dahye is an ordinary lower-middle-class office worker living in Seoul. When she meets Hyukjoon, the heir to a wildly successful entertainment company, she thinks her dreams have come true. Suddenly she’s eating Michelin Star-meals, picking out clothes with a personal shopper, and going out with the type of man every girl wants to date. But this isn’t a romance novel…so it turns out this is not Dahye’s happy ending. She and Hyukjoon have been caught having sex by a camera someone hid in their hotel room, and now the images are all over the internet. Hyukjoon takes off for New York, leaving Dahye to deal with the fallout. Meanwhile, a coworker has fallen for Dahye, but he’s hiding dark secrets of his own.
Dahye, however, is no passive victim. She’s about to take violent revenge on the men who’ve wronged her, with the help of a supernatural entity.
Monika Kim, author of the breakout hit The Eyes Are the Best Part, proves with this second novel that she is no one-hit wonder. This book contains similar feminist revenge themes to her first, but with an added supernatural element that only further enhances the story. This was such a page turner that I read it in one day, even though it’s not a particularly short book. It also raises awareness of a very real issue not limited to Korea—men who invade women’s privacy for their own sexual gratification. Watching Dahye enact her revenge was so very satisfying.
Kim has cemented her status as an autobuy author for me!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC of this book!
Dahye, however, is no passive victim. She’s about to take violent revenge on the men who’ve wronged her, with the help of a supernatural entity.
Monika Kim, author of the breakout hit The Eyes Are the Best Part, proves with this second novel that she is no one-hit wonder. This book contains similar feminist revenge themes to her first, but with an added supernatural element that only further enhances the story. This was such a page turner that I read it in one day, even though it’s not a particularly short book. It also raises awareness of a very real issue not limited to Korea—men who invade women’s privacy for their own sexual gratification. Watching Dahye enact her revenge was so very satisfying.
Kim has cemented her status as an autobuy author for me!
Thank you to the publisher for giving me access to an eARC of this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a read.
Monika Kim is an amazing author when it comes to women taking back their spaces, their identities, and in this case their worth, from men. In this, we meet a female who is being leered on by a co-worker. This co-worker ends up developing a crush on her. In the meantime, she crosses path with a guy who seems too good to be true.
Slowly, he starts showing his true colors, and in that, we discover the reason behind the title. Molka comes from videos taken without the consent of a female (and rare cases a male) by someone with means and a way of pushing the blame of these improper videos onto the one who didn't know what they were doing.
There is also a supernatural aspect, in which the sister of our female lead died and her ghost is coming back to haunt the female lead. The sister you come to discover has unfinished business with her own gentleman that she knew and encourages the female lead to seek revenge on her behalf.
I guess this is one of those stories that people will react differently to. While I reacted strongly to the first book she released, with this book I didn't react too strongly to it and found it not as creepy or tightly written. Yet, if someone who has known someone who had their life ruined by a video done without their consent or is a victim of said issue, they might respond to it higher. So in this case, I don't think it's a bad book it just going to hit people differently.
Nevertheless, I am always here for whatever the author writes and who it reaches.
Monika Kim is an amazing author when it comes to women taking back their spaces, their identities, and in this case their worth, from men. In this, we meet a female who is being leered on by a co-worker. This co-worker ends up developing a crush on her. In the meantime, she crosses path with a guy who seems too good to be true.
Slowly, he starts showing his true colors, and in that, we discover the reason behind the title. Molka comes from videos taken without the consent of a female (and rare cases a male) by someone with means and a way of pushing the blame of these improper videos onto the one who didn't know what they were doing.
There is also a supernatural aspect, in which the sister of our female lead died and her ghost is coming back to haunt the female lead. The sister you come to discover has unfinished business with her own gentleman that she knew and encourages the female lead to seek revenge on her behalf.
I guess this is one of those stories that people will react differently to. While I reacted strongly to the first book she released, with this book I didn't react too strongly to it and found it not as creepy or tightly written. Yet, if someone who has known someone who had their life ruined by a video done without their consent or is a victim of said issue, they might respond to it higher. So in this case, I don't think it's a bad book it just going to hit people differently.
Nevertheless, I am always here for whatever the author writes and who it reaches.
Want to read
April 16, 2025is Monika Kim going to pull off another thrilling psychological horror i will absolutely devour? YES. I BELIEVE IT AND I NEED THIS.
January 17, 2026
I had chills - literally, not figuratively - upon finishing this harsh, taut, gripping novel set in present-day Korea that explores social problems of gender-based and sexual violence, particularly cyber sexual abuse, video voyeurism, and stalking, with the gritty intensity, graphic visuals, and eerie folkloric elements of a Asian horror film.
If you’ve already read the author Monika Kim’s acclaimed debut novel, The Eyes Are the Best Part, you’ll be unsurprised to hear that you’re in for another ride with this one: expect an uneasy, if riveting read. Expect infuriating injustice and acts of depravity committed by vile misogynists within corrupt patriarchal systems. Expect desperate, fed-up victims of crime driven to the limits of sanity and the brink of vengeance.
While “enjoyed” doesn’t seem like quite the right word given the discomfort involved in reading Kim’s engrossingly grotesque, hyper-imaginative and metaphor-heavy renderings of such difficult but important topics, I’ve appreciated and valued both of her works so far.
I think we are at a cultural moment that demands we lean hard into the horror genre and other genre fiction to fully illuminate the social justice issues currently plaguing us. Monika Kim, along with Kylie Lee Baker, are two authors I think are successfully leading the charge in that effort. (I’ve promised myself I’ll stop raving about Baker’s Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng in my reviews for every other book, but this isn’t the day! - and I’m far from the first to compare these two authors and their recent lauded works.) Like Baker, Kim is an author to continue to watch, and I can fully envision either one writing a Beloved or The Handmaid’s Tale-caliber novel in our future that, unfortunately, will likely require such novels more than ever.
I was thrilled and honored to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing / Erewhon Books. Molka is scheduled for publication on April 28, 2026.
If you’ve already read the author Monika Kim’s acclaimed debut novel, The Eyes Are the Best Part, you’ll be unsurprised to hear that you’re in for another ride with this one: expect an uneasy, if riveting read. Expect infuriating injustice and acts of depravity committed by vile misogynists within corrupt patriarchal systems. Expect desperate, fed-up victims of crime driven to the limits of sanity and the brink of vengeance.
While “enjoyed” doesn’t seem like quite the right word given the discomfort involved in reading Kim’s engrossingly grotesque, hyper-imaginative and metaphor-heavy renderings of such difficult but important topics, I’ve appreciated and valued both of her works so far.
I think we are at a cultural moment that demands we lean hard into the horror genre and other genre fiction to fully illuminate the social justice issues currently plaguing us. Monika Kim, along with Kylie Lee Baker, are two authors I think are successfully leading the charge in that effort. (I’ve promised myself I’ll stop raving about Baker’s Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng in my reviews for every other book, but this isn’t the day! - and I’m far from the first to compare these two authors and their recent lauded works.) Like Baker, Kim is an author to continue to watch, and I can fully envision either one writing a Beloved or The Handmaid’s Tale-caliber novel in our future that, unfortunately, will likely require such novels more than ever.
I was thrilled and honored to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing / Erewhon Books. Molka is scheduled for publication on April 28, 2026.
December 7, 2025
I think it's a story that invokes a lot of different feelings from you. It was gross and rage inducing while filling you with paranoia.
I really enjoyed the writing and the premise and what Monika was going for. I just think for such a short book the pacing is too slow and repetitive and that it fell flat. Spend 80% being stuck with vile men and a main character who spent so much time pining for the worst kind of man, treating the one good friend she did have like trash until we finally DID get any kind of revenge plot.
Thank you to Kensington Publishers and netgalley for the arc.
I really enjoyed the writing and the premise and what Monika was going for. I just think for such a short book the pacing is too slow and repetitive and that it fell flat. Spend 80% being stuck with vile men and a main character who spent so much time pining for the worst kind of man, treating the one good friend she did have like trash until we finally DID get any kind of revenge plot.
Thank you to Kensington Publishers and netgalley for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Molka is a dark psychological horror novel from the author of The Eyes Are the Best Part, and it digs deep into themes of grief, voyeurism and power with a simmering thread of female rage running through it.
Unsurprisingly, Monika's writing is addictive and I devoured this in one sitting!
Set largely within an ordinary Seoul office building, the story follows multiple POVs, including Dahye, whose life begins to unravel after a hidden camera scandal exposes just how fragile women's safety really is in Korea. Alongside her is an unsettling IT technician who watches from the shadows and takes a particular interest in her.
I really appreciated how the novel weaves its perspectives together and how grounded the horror feels, especially knowing the real-world context behind the molka epidemic in Korea (which the author explains in the foreword). The first half is slower and more observational, and while I did wish the revenge element went further (and lasted longer), the build-up still kept me hooked!
This very much sits alongside And the River Drags Her Down and Bat Eater for me. Bleak, angry, and emotionally heavy with a touch of paranormal to it.
I did expect a little more after how much I loved the author's previous book, but overall this is still a disturbing, compelling read with an important message and it can easily be devoured in one sitting!
Unsurprisingly, Monika's writing is addictive and I devoured this in one sitting!
Set largely within an ordinary Seoul office building, the story follows multiple POVs, including Dahye, whose life begins to unravel after a hidden camera scandal exposes just how fragile women's safety really is in Korea. Alongside her is an unsettling IT technician who watches from the shadows and takes a particular interest in her.
I really appreciated how the novel weaves its perspectives together and how grounded the horror feels, especially knowing the real-world context behind the molka epidemic in Korea (which the author explains in the foreword). The first half is slower and more observational, and while I did wish the revenge element went further (and lasted longer), the build-up still kept me hooked!
This very much sits alongside And the River Drags Her Down and Bat Eater for me. Bleak, angry, and emotionally heavy with a touch of paranormal to it.
I did expect a little more after how much I loved the author's previous book, but overall this is still a disturbing, compelling read with an important message and it can easily be devoured in one sitting!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
this was my first book by this author and it was okay. it didn't mind blow me but it was interesting to see how it all played out.
the men in this book were definitely something else. I hated all of them because of how disgusting they were the way they acted towards women and spoke about them.
dahye wasn't my favourite either because she was self contradictory at times when it came to hyukjoon so it was hard to connect with her, but I loved when she took matters into her own hands lol.
the writing style was easy to get into but simplistic.
now, this book was depicted as this female rage and vengeance story, but nothing happened until like 85% into the book. it was such a small part of it that I wouldn't necessarily say it's this whole revenge thing. it was slow paced at times with no action or anything, you're just kinda following the characters' daily life. everything revenge wise is crammed at the end of the book. I was a tad disappointed not gonna lie!
it's still an interesting concept, just the execution of it wasn't my favourite. I still recommend it if you want to see men getting what they deserve by the end!
the men in this book were definitely something else. I hated all of them because of how disgusting they were the way they acted towards women and spoke about them.
dahye wasn't my favourite either because she was self contradictory at times when it came to hyukjoon so it was hard to connect with her, but I loved when she took matters into her own hands lol.
the writing style was easy to get into but simplistic.
now, this book was depicted as this female rage and vengeance story, but nothing happened until like 85% into the book. it was such a small part of it that I wouldn't necessarily say it's this whole revenge thing. it was slow paced at times with no action or anything, you're just kinda following the characters' daily life. everything revenge wise is crammed at the end of the book. I was a tad disappointed not gonna lie!
it's still an interesting concept, just the execution of it wasn't my favourite. I still recommend it if you want to see men getting what they deserve by the end!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Molka is the abbreviation for mollae-kamera (몰래카메라), which means "hidden camera" in korean. In recent years, this term has been extended to describe the criminal actions of voyeurs and sexual predators who use microcameras to illegally record women and spread their images on digital platforms like Telegram, sometimes for profit. In South Korea, this phenomenon represents a significant social issue, a symptom of deeply rooted gender discrimination in korean society.
Microcameras are hidden in public places such as subway bathrooms, hotel rooms, bars, gyms, and libraries, often installed in devices like fire alarms, lamps, or power outlets. But it doesn’t stop there: they can also be found in private homes, installed by boyfriends, husbands, or acquaintances. There is no place where women can truly feel safe and as if that weren’t enough, even when the perpetrators are reported and brought to justice, the legal system is often incredibly lenient with them. In the face of such an abuse of power and violence, many men are punished with little more than a metaphorical slap on the wrist.
This is the depressing and unsettling backdrop that kicks off the book and the story of the two protagonists: Junyoung, an IT technician who has exploited his knowledge to spy on the women of his workplace, and Dahye, a colleague who quits her job following a scandal (ironically, the scandal involves the distribution of intimate videos with her boyfriend).
It’s not surprising, especially after reading "The Eyes Are the Best Part" by the same author, to expect that this story will explode into a virulent, stormy, uncontrollable and insatiable rage. We expect violence, blood, death. Revenge. The plot itself promises them to us. However, this promise is fulfilled much later and not in a truly satisfying way.
Up until 80% of the book, we witness the disgusting daily life of Junyoung and the pathetic life of Dahye. We have to endure Junyoung’s misogyny, his sick sexual fantasies, and his delusions of grandeur. He’s a revolting man in his banality and, unfortunately, nothing he says or does seems unrealistic. Dahye, on the other hand, is a young, naive, and superficial woman, incapable of recognizing the true nature of the man she’s involved with. For most of the book, she's a passive character, devoid of ferocity and the spark of madness that so captivated me in Jihye, the protagonist of "The Eyes Are the Best Part". The much-talked-about “female rage” doesn’t belong to her; instead, it’s ignited and fueled by the ghost of her sister (an unexpected supernatural element in what was presented to us as a contemporary fiction book).
I was hoping for a more active, dynamic development, leading Dahye to become a sort of vengeful angel, dedicated to exterminating every man guilty of such crimes and very police officer complicit in their indifference. But this wasn’t the case. Dahye’s revenge comes after a long and painful wait, and it doesn’t satisfy the anger and frustration built up in the previous 200 pages. In fact, in the final scenes, I genuinely feared a lack of resolution.
This is not a bad book by any means, but I didn’t find it as compelling as its predecessor, nor, especially, consistent with the expectations set by its promotion. Although the theme is fascinating and socially significant, the narrative fails to land the necessary blows to do justice to its own topics. Perhaps this is intentional, reflecting the unjust reality we live in, but it weakens the cathartic power that this read could have had (and which I had hoped to find).
This book might appeal more to those approaching Monika Kim's writing for the first time, but for those already familiar with her work, it’s a less impactful and more disappointing read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Microcameras are hidden in public places such as subway bathrooms, hotel rooms, bars, gyms, and libraries, often installed in devices like fire alarms, lamps, or power outlets. But it doesn’t stop there: they can also be found in private homes, installed by boyfriends, husbands, or acquaintances. There is no place where women can truly feel safe and as if that weren’t enough, even when the perpetrators are reported and brought to justice, the legal system is often incredibly lenient with them. In the face of such an abuse of power and violence, many men are punished with little more than a metaphorical slap on the wrist.
This is the depressing and unsettling backdrop that kicks off the book and the story of the two protagonists: Junyoung, an IT technician who has exploited his knowledge to spy on the women of his workplace, and Dahye, a colleague who quits her job following a scandal (ironically, the scandal involves the distribution of intimate videos with her boyfriend).
It’s not surprising, especially after reading "The Eyes Are the Best Part" by the same author, to expect that this story will explode into a virulent, stormy, uncontrollable and insatiable rage. We expect violence, blood, death. Revenge. The plot itself promises them to us. However, this promise is fulfilled much later and not in a truly satisfying way.
Up until 80% of the book, we witness the disgusting daily life of Junyoung and the pathetic life of Dahye. We have to endure Junyoung’s misogyny, his sick sexual fantasies, and his delusions of grandeur. He’s a revolting man in his banality and, unfortunately, nothing he says or does seems unrealistic. Dahye, on the other hand, is a young, naive, and superficial woman, incapable of recognizing the true nature of the man she’s involved with. For most of the book, she's a passive character, devoid of ferocity and the spark of madness that so captivated me in Jihye, the protagonist of "The Eyes Are the Best Part". The much-talked-about “female rage” doesn’t belong to her; instead, it’s ignited and fueled by the ghost of her sister (an unexpected supernatural element in what was presented to us as a contemporary fiction book).
I was hoping for a more active, dynamic development, leading Dahye to become a sort of vengeful angel, dedicated to exterminating every man guilty of such crimes and very police officer complicit in their indifference. But this wasn’t the case. Dahye’s revenge comes after a long and painful wait, and it doesn’t satisfy the anger and frustration built up in the previous 200 pages. In fact, in the final scenes, I genuinely feared a lack of resolution.
This is not a bad book by any means, but I didn’t find it as compelling as its predecessor, nor, especially, consistent with the expectations set by its promotion. Although the theme is fascinating and socially significant, the narrative fails to land the necessary blows to do justice to its own topics. Perhaps this is intentional, reflecting the unjust reality we live in, but it weakens the cathartic power that this read could have had (and which I had hoped to find).
This book might appeal more to those approaching Monika Kim's writing for the first time, but for those already familiar with her work, it’s a less impactful and more disappointing read.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
December 30, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Brazen, and Monika Kim for the opportunity to read an arc of MOLKA. Last year I had the honor of reading an arc for her debut novel, THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART, which was not only one of my most anticipated books of 2024, but also one of my favorites. Getting an arc for her second novel has been a highlight for my 2025.
Like her first novel, Kim uses horror as a platform to address atrocities men commit against women. MOLKA discusses the massive problem of the use of hidden cameras, as well as the distribution of its footage, and the long-term suffering they cause women. It also covers the lack of intervention from public authorities and the nonchalant sentiment from other men on the subject. This book feels so important and perfectly captures feminine rage, a specialty of Kim’s writing that I admire so much. I would categorize this as “good-for-her” horror as we follow the FMC’s journey of revenge against the men who filmed her without her consent.
There were some moments where I wish we focused even more on the hidden camera issue, and the supernatural parts of this book felt a little off to me (because the subject is already horrifying enough as is). But ultimately the story was fast-paced and kept my attention from start to finish - it was hard to put down!
Kim does not shy away from gore in her novels, a detail that may be distressing for some readers but I believe to be important to the storytelling as well as the genre itself. I would highly recommend this book to fans of horror and women’s fiction, and I look forward to reading more from Kim in the future!
Like her first novel, Kim uses horror as a platform to address atrocities men commit against women. MOLKA discusses the massive problem of the use of hidden cameras, as well as the distribution of its footage, and the long-term suffering they cause women. It also covers the lack of intervention from public authorities and the nonchalant sentiment from other men on the subject. This book feels so important and perfectly captures feminine rage, a specialty of Kim’s writing that I admire so much. I would categorize this as “good-for-her” horror as we follow the FMC’s journey of revenge against the men who filmed her without her consent.
There were some moments where I wish we focused even more on the hidden camera issue, and the supernatural parts of this book felt a little off to me (because the subject is already horrifying enough as is). But ultimately the story was fast-paced and kept my attention from start to finish - it was hard to put down!
Kim does not shy away from gore in her novels, a detail that may be distressing for some readers but I believe to be important to the storytelling as well as the genre itself. I would highly recommend this book to fans of horror and women’s fiction, and I look forward to reading more from Kim in the future!
November 1, 2025
Molka by Monika Kim is a dual perspective horror novel that really dives into themes of consent, power, and revenge. This was easily my most anticipated book of 2026 so having the opportunity to read it early was a dream and luckily, I loved this novel even more than I thought I would.
There is something about the way Monika Kim writes that really works for me. While her prose is quick and staccato, there is a lot of depth to be explored. This is a pretty short read, under 300 pages, but I feel like I could discuss it for an hour and still not touch on everything that I want to.
This book will infuriate you. Not just because of what’s happening on page but because of how reflective it is of reality. This is an incredibly relevant novel and the author’s note at the beginning really adds to the experience. While this is a fiction novel, the things that happen in it surrounding hidden cameras are really happening every day. I don’t think I will ever be able to reflect on this novel without feeling anger and that makes it all the more impactful.
There are a lot of other things in this book that I want to discuss but they would be spoilers and since it is so long before this book releases, I don’t want to spoil anything but do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR. It is fantastic.
There is something about the way Monika Kim writes that really works for me. While her prose is quick and staccato, there is a lot of depth to be explored. This is a pretty short read, under 300 pages, but I feel like I could discuss it for an hour and still not touch on everything that I want to.
This book will infuriate you. Not just because of what’s happening on page but because of how reflective it is of reality. This is an incredibly relevant novel and the author’s note at the beginning really adds to the experience. While this is a fiction novel, the things that happen in it surrounding hidden cameras are really happening every day. I don’t think I will ever be able to reflect on this novel without feeling anger and that makes it all the more impactful.
There are a lot of other things in this book that I want to discuss but they would be spoilers and since it is so long before this book releases, I don’t want to spoil anything but do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR. It is fantastic.
December 19, 2025
Monika Kim's Molka is not an easy book to get through. The subject matter is disturbing and often enraging, but it's an absolutely necessary read. Before picking this up, I had no idea about the scope and severity of the hidden camera epidemic in South Korea, where women live under constant threat of being secretly filmed in bathrooms, changing rooms, hotel rooms, and even their own homes.
Kim does thorough, unflinching work documenting how deeply embedded this violence has become in Korean society. The book examines not just the crime itself but the failures of law enforcement, the complicity of online platforms, and the way victims are often blamed or dismissed. The statistics and personal accounts are jarring, and there were moments I had to put the book down to process what I was reading.
What makes this book valuable is how Kim contextualizes molka within broader issues of misogyny, technology, and power. She shows how these aren't isolated incidents but part of a systemic problem that reflects how women's bodies and privacy are treated as public property.
That said, I'm giving this four stars instead of five because by the end, it didn't feel fulfilling. After learning so much about the problem and sitting with all that heaviness, I was left wanting more resolution or hope or direction. The book does important work in exposing the crisis, but it leaves you feeling stuck in the darkness without much sense of what comes next or how things might get better.
Still, Molka is crucial reading for anyone wanting to understand digital sexual violence and the specific challenges women face in South Korea. It's informative and infuriating, even if the ending leaves you wanting more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
Kim does thorough, unflinching work documenting how deeply embedded this violence has become in Korean society. The book examines not just the crime itself but the failures of law enforcement, the complicity of online platforms, and the way victims are often blamed or dismissed. The statistics and personal accounts are jarring, and there were moments I had to put the book down to process what I was reading.
What makes this book valuable is how Kim contextualizes molka within broader issues of misogyny, technology, and power. She shows how these aren't isolated incidents but part of a systemic problem that reflects how women's bodies and privacy are treated as public property.
That said, I'm giving this four stars instead of five because by the end, it didn't feel fulfilling. After learning so much about the problem and sitting with all that heaviness, I was left wanting more resolution or hope or direction. The book does important work in exposing the crisis, but it leaves you feeling stuck in the darkness without much sense of what comes next or how things might get better.
Still, Molka is crucial reading for anyone wanting to understand digital sexual violence and the specific challenges women face in South Korea. It's informative and infuriating, even if the ending leaves you wanting more.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 stars Thank you to Kensington Publishing Corp. and NetGalley for the ARC.
"Only a woman could come up with something that twisted." - Janyoung
This one is tough for me to rate because it's probably more of 5 stars, but it didn't have same impact of "The Eyes are the Best Part" on me. I felt it wasn't written in quite the same literary prose. Even without that, It is SO good. Just like her debut novel, Kim takes off running and just doesn't stop!
She addresses today's social issues with the appalling truth. Kim is brutally honest and horrifically descriptive, while at the same time I was caught laughing out loud. I appreciated the author's note in the beginning of the novel that explains her stand and motivation in her writing. She really isn't crazy as one might first think...lol
I was nervous she may be a one-hit wonder author and am thrilled to state, "I remain a loyal fan".
Sincerely waiting for a 3rd novel,
Heather
"Only a woman could come up with something that twisted." - Janyoung
This one is tough for me to rate because it's probably more of 5 stars, but it didn't have same impact of "The Eyes are the Best Part" on me. I felt it wasn't written in quite the same literary prose. Even without that, It is SO good. Just like her debut novel, Kim takes off running and just doesn't stop!
She addresses today's social issues with the appalling truth. Kim is brutally honest and horrifically descriptive, while at the same time I was caught laughing out loud. I appreciated the author's note in the beginning of the novel that explains her stand and motivation in her writing. She really isn't crazy as one might first think...lol
I was nervous she may be a one-hit wonder author and am thrilled to state, "I remain a loyal fan".
Sincerely waiting for a 3rd novel,
Heather
December 6, 2025
This was a really hard book to write a review for given the sensitive but all too real struggles women face in Korea. Brace yourself for this read because you will HATE all the characters and their actions.
This book is full of perversion, manipulation, naivete, and the all too easy sexualization of women.
The writing is very good at bringing to light all of the effects that hidden cameras can bring. And the second half of the novel brings in the horror aspect as the characters start to unravel.
This is a read that will stick with you.
This book is full of perversion, manipulation, naivete, and the all too easy sexualization of women.
The writing is very good at bringing to light all of the effects that hidden cameras can bring. And the second half of the novel brings in the horror aspect as the characters start to unravel.
This is a read that will stick with you.
December 16, 2025
i binged this whole book in 24 hours! an incredible follow up to THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART, monika kim's debut novel. in molka, kim deals with the rampant issue of digital sex crimes in korea. following the traditions set forth in her first novel, kim delivers a gory revenge filled thriller with an ending that speaks to female rage in its most brutal form. i love that monika chooses to combine social issues with fiction, for an experience that brings to "life" real-life problems women are facing across the globe. i found myself enraged throughout the novel, knowing that the characters here represent the way men talk about and treat women in real life. from the "good guys" to the rich men you'd never "expect" (except that women DO) to commit acts of violence against women. i appreciate all of kim's endings, which feels like a release of the tension she creates throughout the novel. five stars all around, and i can't wait for more from kim!
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