Aviary

by Maria Dong

A young woman undertakes a terrifying journey—and a terrifying transformation—in this genre-blending speculative suspense novel set in South Korea and the US which mixes fantasy, gothic vibes and queer longing, with a shot of feminist body horror.

Fairytales are for children.
Until the day we awaken in a place full of monsters,
being softly enveloped by the dark.

Nineteen-year-old undocumented immigrant Hee-Jin lies on the floor of her cramped Seoul apartment, listening for footsteps.

But the knock on the door isn’t the police finally coming to deport her to North Korea. Instead, sprawled on the doorstep is a disfigured, bird-like corpse—and it has her eyes. Her younger sister, artist Hee-Young, is meant to be on an art program in America, not dead of a strange overdose.

But in Hee-Young’s pocket is a plane ticket and US passport. Seeing her chance for freedom, Hee-Jin steals her sister’s identity and takes her place, determined to uncover what really happened to her.

But the deeper she dives into the program’s strange workings, the closer she gets to the monstrous secret at its heart.

A page-turner of a mystery filled with gorgeous, creepy Korean folklore and imagery, Aviary, written by critically acclaimed Korean American author Maria Dong, is also a story about power, violence, exploitation—and transformation. And, above all, it's about the choices women make from within a system where all the available options are bad ones.

Genres: Horror, Lesbian, Queer, Gothic, Adult, LGBT, Fantasy

321 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 7, 2026

Reviews

[Zana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Midsommar meets... current events?

Part thriller and part social commentary, this novel was dark and depressing as hell. If you're a fan of social thrillers like Get Out or Parasite, then Aviary might be the novel for you.

The main plot was pretty straightforward and hit all of the thriller story beats, so there was nothing new there. The villain reveal was also pretty predictable, hence why this wasn't a 4 star or higher read for me.

But what this novel really excelled at was Hee-Jin's characterization, which was the most interesting POV out of the two. An undocumented immigrant in Korea who found a lifeline out by impersonating her artist sister? Even though Hee-Jin has zero art skills?

Sure, why not.

Side note, you seriously have to suspend your disbelief for that plotline. I'm not joking. (Hee-Jin attempted to work with clay, while pretending to be an actual artist in a studio with other actual artists, and that was difficult for me to wrap my head around.)

There was another POV character, Callie. But honestly, I wasn't too fond of her. I liked her mixed race representation, but other than that, she wasn't really an interesting or sympathetic character.

While the Midsommar vibes and the social commentary were pretty predictable from the get-go, I actually enjoyed reading about Hee-Jin's experiences in Korea as a poor and undocumented immigrant working under the table to survive. With no papers and no schooling, it wasn't difficult to see why she'd concoct a scheme to steal her sister's identity and create a new life for herself abroad. The bits and pieces we get about Korean culture and history were also some of my favorite parts of this novel.

Other than that, the plot for this story was pretty predictable, or else I would've rated this much higher. I think if you're new to thrillers with social commentary, you might enjoy this. If you're a fan of this genre, I'd recommend that you manage your expectations.

Thank you to Severn House and NetGalley for this arc.

[Violet · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great start, using tropes I quite enjoy, the young woman who gets a job in a fancy corporation or group or foundation (Ling Ling Huang used that very same premise recently with both Natural Beauty and Immaculate Conception), here a young woman who grew up in China and Korea, a priori the daughter of a North Korean refugee, who starts a new life in an artist residency in Pittsburg. As per the trope, not everything is what it seems, there's a lot of secrets, mysterious older men with lots of money, new drugs and malevolent technology...

I found the execution a bit messy, the character is often drugged, dreaming, having hallucinations and there are many characters, so it wasn't particularly straightforward. Which is fine but the whole raison d'être for the weird mansion and maniac project didn't feel clear to me when I reached the last page, which was a shame.

Free ARC sent by Netgalley.

[megs_bookrack]

ARC received. Thank you, Severn House!!

[Quilted.reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book absolutely wrecked me in the best way.Aviary is a genre bending gothic speculative horror that follows Hee-Jin a nineteen year old undocumented immigrant living in South Korea who is constantly waiting for the knock on the door that could destroy her life. Instead of the police what she finds is something far worse and deeply surreal: a disfigured bird like corpse on her doorstep that has her eyes. From there the story spirals into something dark, unsettling, and impossible to look away from.When Hee-Jin discovers that her younger sister Hee-Young who was supposed to be in an art program in the U.S. has died under suspicious circumstances, she makes a desperate choice. She takes her sister’s identity and travels to America in her place, determined to uncover what really happened. What she finds is a program that hides monstrous secrets beneath its glossy surface, blending Korean folklore, body horror, and feminist rage in a way that feels both intimate and terrifying.This book touches on so many heavy, important themes: cultural appropriation and fetishization, trauma, femme rage, queerness, sexism, oppression, racism, and the ways systems exploit women especially immigrant women for their bodies, labor, and creativity. The body horror isn’t there just to shock it’s deeply symbolic and purposeful. Every transformation feels like a metaphor for survival in a world that demands pieces of you just to let you exist.What really stayed with me is how Aviary explores choice specifically the choices women make when every available option is a bad one. There’s no clean escape, no perfect solution, just survival, rage, and transformation. The writing is haunting and filled with eerie imagery pulled from Korean folklore.If you love gothic vibes, queer longing, feminist horror, and stories that are unapologetically angry and strange, this book deserves a spot on your shelf. Aviary isn’t just a story it’s an experience.

[Mariah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aviary is a psychological narrative that guts your core through that chill in your bones and leaves you thinking about it for days. A queer narrative that deconstructs the horrors of societal expectations. A modern gothic with a Korean American perspective that is rich in diction and riveting loud register. Maria Dong’s voice shines brightly through her protagonist that deconstructs the western social norms. The Korean-American perspective is explored through the character’s psyche and her language. This delivers a bloody wrench into the throes of a narrative that experience otherness within the horrors of the human condition.
The monster’s around us are hidden in plain sight because they appear to be hidden behind charm and excessive deceit. Hee-Young is determined to discover her truth and that comes with gut curdling shocks that will twist your insides. The sheer detail of the narrative is both descriptive and horrifying at each discovery with the protagonist. There is something riveting about the way writing can both gross you out with its description but intrigue you to discover the horrors of the monster within. There is always something inherently speculative when you discuss the human condition and the way it destroys your body physically and mentally.
What does it mean to be stuck in a mystery that drives you through leagues of madness? There is a toll to pay when we discover secrets that were mean to say buried. That is the nature of a Shelley style monster that exists within the human condition. There is this need to question our environment because our intuition is warning us of the wave of horror. That is the predicament our protagonist finds herself in when she takes the US passport to unravel the secrets. The sapphic longing will have you on the edge of your seat wondering when it will happen – if it happens.
Truly an eerie novel that shines brightly in the aviary of horrors and wonder. I enjoyed every moment of this narrative and read it in a day. But I have still been thinking about it and anticipate it may be lingering for a hot moment. This is the horror to dive in before the season gets spooky. Take a walk this spring into the dark side of humanity and how we battle those demons around us. Thank you Maria Dong, Severn House, and Netgalley for this advanced digital copy. All opinions are my own.

For more recommendations, reviews, and tarot readings, check out my blog https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com/

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I don’t think I read the whole synopsis when I requested a copy of the book and just saw Korean folklore and said sign me up as I love learning new things from other cultures. Recently I have not been gelling with horror books about art/artists so when I got to the part in the book where you find out the sister was involved with some art program in the US I did think oh, this is what this book is? And was a bit disappointed as I was loving the story up until then…until I read on and loved it just as much as I did the first parts. It was a great read.

Hee-Jin has spent her whole life trying to be invisible. To not rock the boat, to not have anyone notice her as that could get her deported. She learned the lessons well from her mom and hopes that one day she will be able to live a life less full of worry and stress. When her sister. Hee-Young, dies on her doorstep and she finds her US Passport and a plane ticket back there leaving in a few hours she takes it and pretends to be her sister. She hopes to find a better life in the US, and gets roped into pretending to be her sister in the art program she was participating in, which of course doesn’t go the way she planned. She has to figure out what is really going on and what really happened to her sister.

This whole book was such a fun read. I loved the writing and how everything started to get so dream-like at times. If I had one slight complaint it is that I wanted more of the shows in the aviary! The whole situation was so strange and I loved it. You know pretty much right away when Hee-Jin arrives at the art house what is going on (maybe not exact details, but in general) and I thought that might detrack from the story, but somehow it didn’t. I also got to the end and didn’t have all the answers, but again I was fine with that. I was so involved in the story and didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book

[Jazmyn Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up to 4

This is an immensely powerful, thought provoking, terrifying novel. With almost a stream of consciousness writing, Maria Dong's prose is beautiful, haunting, rich with history and folklore. I absolutely loved the inserts of folklore, and tales, as well as the painful, visceral history Koreans have endured. As horrific as this novel is, it's full of powerful topics written in such a mindful way. This book isn't just a mysterious thriller with body horror, it ambitiously covers racism, sexism, cultural appropriation and fetishizing, cult like behavior, and more. I'm finding myself continuously pondering Hee-Jin's situation, stuck in a foreign place, yearning for answers about her sister, it's no wonder she would lose some of herself, while also rediscovering her passions and loves. This is definitely a book that sits with you, one you'll think about late at night, or pouring your morning coffee. Truly impactful.

Hee-Jin and Hee-Young have always dealt with struggles, after their mother dies they don't see eye to eye. Hey-Jin staying behind, while Hee-Young tries to be something more and find herself. Hee-Jin just wants to be the shadow on the wall, to creep through life unseen, undetected. When her sister end up on her doorstep, dead, she wants answers. No, she NEEDS answers. Taking Hee-Young's passport and papers, she boards a plain and goes to Pennsylvania, where her sister was staying. Taking over her identity, and her place in an artistic program, Hee-Young - now Hee-Jin - must navigate this new world, while gathering clues about her sister's death. Finding, and losing parts of herself, she truly transforms anew.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkly psychological and off-putting, Aviary leads you down to the depths of depravity and disorientation to tell a story of loss, perseverance, and the small flame of hope that blooms when all seems terrible.

The best part of the story for me was the focus on the beginning with Hee-jin and her trials and struggles with living in South Korea as an undocumented immigrant. It felt raw and is a powerful commentary on the fear and danger of living this way when no other options are available. Once the setting moves to the main location, the house felt indescribably difficult to picture overall, despite the author's precise descriptions of its rooms and framing.

The plot itself was easy to follow and beyond the details of the mysteries of the house, it was a bit predictable to know where things were generally heading. Still, there were instances that made my skin crawl and made me feel quite uncomfortable and paranoid - echoing the emotions the main characters are feeling too. Hee-jin was a likeable character despite her traumatic upbringing while Callie (our other POV) was difficult to like and engage with as a reader. While she is an important piece of the puzzle, I couldn't enjoy her chapters nearly as much as Hee-jin's.

If you're looking for a horror-leaning thriller with small narratives of social commentary weaved throughout, this book would be a good one to pick up and read.


Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher Severn House for allowing me an eARC to read and review.

[Jerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no doubt Aviary will be on many "2026 Favourites" lists, and for the first 25% of the book, I was confident it would be on mine as well. I thoroughly enjoyed my introduction to Hee-Jin and her struggles in Korea as an undocumented immigrant. The complexities of her family relationships and her fear of discovery/persecution were riveting. The discovery of her sister's corpse on her doorstep was a compelling (and disturbing) mystery that I was eager to dive into.

Unfortunately, once Hee-Jin makes her way to America and we're introduced to the other characters, things started to drag and my attention drifted. I would have loved to spend more time dealing with the difficulties of travelling internationally without proper documentation, entering America with limited English, the culture shock and terror Hee-Jin surely would have experienced, but this portion of the story is glossed over within a few paragraphs.

Overall, while ambitious and thought-provoking, the final product didn't resonate the way I wanted it to. I think I'll revisit this in the future to see if this was a case of 'right book, wrong timing.' The themes of exploitation, trauma, racism, cults, Korean folklore, and female revenge are ones I typically appreciate exploring, so I wouldn't be surprised if my opinion changes on a second reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC!

[Kate Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

Cultural appropriation, fetishization of Asian culture, and sexual abuse through the lens of psychedelic body horror.

Hee-Jin waits in her Seoul apartment for the police to come and deport her to North Korea. She has no papers and no way to live safely in the world. But the knock that comes to the door isn't the police, instead it is her younger sister Hee-Young, who is supposed to be in America participating in an art program, not dead of what appears to be an overdose on her sister's doorstep. In her pocket is a plane ticket and US passport, and Americans can never tell the difference between Asian women anyways, so Hee-Jin decides to steal her sister's identity to figure out what really happened and hopefully find a way to safety.

She arrives in America and agrees to help the head of the art program, pretending to be her sister to keep the program going, also allowing her to investigate what really happened to Hee-Young. But as she becomes deeper involved in the program and its strange rituals, it seems there may be no way to get out of here safely, especially when no one is telling the truth.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this novel.

[Lauren Bayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feminist body horror thriller is captivating, terrifying, and thought-provoking. This highly-ambitious book explores issues of exploitation, Western perceptions of non-Western cultures, the vulnerabilities of young girls, and the impact of trauma on decision making. I found it hard to breathe the entire time I was reading.

Maybe this is stupid of me, but I wish there was more explanation of how the central metaphor came to be? In terms of animal-related body horror, this reminded me a lot of Sorry to Bother You, but that at least had an explanation for why that element existed. It kind of took me out of the story to not know WHY or HOW it was happening, but maybe I am just used to genre fiction. I also can't decide if I really appreciated having Callie's perspective or if I wish it was all Hee-Jin, I'll need to reflect more. Either way, I was still invested in the book and the unraveling of this house of horrors.

Note: I would consider this a 3.49, so basically a 3.5 but rounded down to a 3.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jess Reads Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC.

Hee Jin finds herself in a strange and dangerous situation. Her younger sister is dead, dumped at her doorstep. As an undocumented immigrant in South Korea, Hee Jin needs to decide what to do. She could call authorities and face whatever comes her way, or she could assume her sister’s identity and escape to the US. Maybe a new and better life awaits her.

Wow this was a very intense read. Lots of sensitive subjects being touched on, and very timely. The issue on citizenship, being undocumented, racism, rich men doing terrible things because they’re drunk on power and greed. Most of these issues are not new to us, it’s just disappointing we are still battling the same problems.

Hee Jin is a morally ambiguous character, but she does what she has to do to survive, and it’s not something I could ever begin to imagine. She’s tough, she’s resilient, but it comes with so many struggles. A very likable character for sure. Not gonna lie some parts did get a bit confusing but it did not affect the overall plot for me.

If you’re up for a timely, horrific, and rather heartbreaking read, pick this one up.

[Oliver Pickup · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to @severnhouseimprint and @netgalley for the advance copy.

Body horror? Check. Dual, disturbed protagonists? Check. Hallucinations and a sprawling, creepy mansion helmed by a suspicious, wealthy, benefactor? Double check.

Our story kicks off with a nightmare scenario: your sisters body arrives on your doorstep, her mouth stained an inky black and her face covered in spines. The mystery deepens when you discover she possessed a US passport she shouldn't have had. Driven by a need for answers, the protagonist makes a desperate choice; take the passport, board a flight, and assume her dead sisters identity.

Aviary is a visceral, gritty, exploration of abuse, addiction, and the intersection of art and multiculturalism. It forces the reader to question who can truly be trusted when you are a stranger in an even stranger place.

While the setup is haunting, the second half of the book shifts into high gear; the pacing becomes electric, making it nearly impossible to put down. If you’re looking for a dark, page-turning thriller that stays with you long after the final chapter, this is it.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story centres around young women trying to escape one bad situation by being dragged into another with the promise of a happy ending.

We follow Hee-Jin after finding her sister’s body at her front door, fleeing to America and assuming her sister’s identity and passport. She is ‘rescued’ by Shep with the promise of money and somewhere to live.

We also follow Callie, Sheps wife, who although is no longer in a relationship with Shep, still lives in their house with her daughter, Lisa.

Throughout the book we are reminded of Hee-Jins culture and the pride and respect she holds for it and how she is forced to dishonour her beliefs in order to follow rules. These parts of the story really gripped me and I would have loved more of this within the story.

I didn’t really bond with any of the characters and felt that not enough was happening. We never really do find out what’s going on and are only given the assumptions from the characters. I can imagine a lot of people would give this book 5 stars but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Jeff Wooten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Dong's Aviary is a beautiful, horror-fueled heartache. I was hooked from page one.
Hee-jin finds her sister dead on her doorstep—and seemingly going through some bird-like mutation. In fear of being discovered by South Korean authorities and deported to North Korea, Hee-jin has no choice but to take her sister’s passport and the one-way ticket to Pittsburgh and run.
Alone and desperate, she joins (or rather, rejoins under her sister's name) the shady—and seriously ominous—artist mentorship program at the Petite Sea House.
After that… things get weirder, and creepier, and soooo fall-out-of-my-chair entertaining. The tension builds with each chapter as Hee-jin unravels the secrets that led to her sister’s death while being forced to play along with the bizarre and unhinged goings-on of her new home.
Piece by piece, Hee-jin discovers what happened to her sister—and, more pressingly, what is happening to her.
There is so much to unpack here: loneliness, exploitation, and the price of creating art, but for me this was escapism at its finest. A chance to live through the eyes of someone I have little in common with, rooting for them, and hoping they find a way out of the nightmare they have found themselves in.
I loved every page of this original and mesmerizing siren song of a book.
Thanks to NetGalley, Severn House, and Maria Dong for providing me with this ARC.

[Megan Magee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a speculative horror that drenches one headfirst into a smorgasbord of genre-bending goodness. Lore, litfic, fantasy, feminine rage, and body horror converge here and it is both lush and delightful. When Hee- Young's corpse shows up at her older sister, Hee- Jin's, apartment, there is a ticket to Pennsylvania nestled within her pockets. This strange journey fills the reader's head with gorgeous prose filled Korean lore, and I couldn't get enough of said tidbits nestled within the book. At it's heart, Aviary is for the women who feel trapped in their bodies and minds, cages of society's making. This was more crime thriller noire with a touch too much going on in spots than anything, maybe not quite enough in others. I thought I'd find more of the "horror" than I did, and the second half lost its steam for me entirely- but I really enjoyed the first half, and the parts I highlighted are truly memorable. Thanks to Netgalley and Severn House Imprint for the eARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Severn House and NetGalley for the eARC of this novel! All opinions are my own.

Undocumented immigrant Hee-Jin is on her own in Seoul and struggling just to survive. Her sister turns up out of nowhere disfigured and lifeless on her doorstep with a US passport and a plane ticket to America in her pocket. Hee-Jin is desperate enough to take the chance and travel to where her sister came from to find out what happened to her. She has no idea what is waiting for her and what she is about to experience.

I cannot believe how much I enjoyed this creepy, haunting, maddening, thriller of a book. It is a stellar, whole-hearted five star read for me! The commentary on privilege, power, exploitation of the vulnerable, and the utterly powerless nature of being a young woman in this world is crafted beautifully. I definitely recommend this one if you like thrillers or horror or suspense.

[Autumn Ketchum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This one touches on so many topics. Trauma, folklore, cultural appropriation/fetishizing, body horror, LGBTQIA, femme rage, oppression, racism, sexism, it’s got it all. I was engaged from the start of the book and clinging on to the words until the very end. Hee-Jin finds her sisters disfigured body at her doorstep, where she is living as an undocumented citizen in South Korea, she’s horrified, but her sister has a passport and a ticket to America that’s about to leave, so she sees this as her chance to be free. But when she arrives in America, she gets wrapped up in the place that “rescued” her sister and “rescues” artists from other countries. The women are being drugged, things get culty VERY FAST. So many twists and turns, I really loved this one. It tugged at my heartstrings in all the ways. Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC

[Angel Shadd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy smokes. Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC.

This was a wild ride. Like you know something wildly fricked up is taking place, but then it all clicks together. My jaw hit the floor. My pewter heart cracked.

Part feminist body horror, part thriller: Aviary does not disappoint. It’s not ever clear what is real and what is hallucination, but I came away from this feeling like this is one of those books that alters you a little bit. I can tell I’ll be mulling this over for a long time post read.

There are moments where I felt asked to question how i delineate good and evil. What makes a person a monster? Experience or something innate? Exploitation sits at the center of this narrative almost as uncomfortably as the large glass heart above Petite Sea House.

I’m glad I read this.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah, what a wild ride this book takes you on. This time couldn’t be better for this book to come out. Hee Jin has her chaotic life somewhat figured out, and has managed to fly under the radar being undocumented for years, until her sister shows up on her door step. She makes the choice to fly to America, where a man finds her and proposes an offer to her. She is trapped in a house with a powerful rich man, that brings his other rich friends to use these women as play things. This book will have you on the edge of your seat, and on a roller coaster of emotions. The dark truth of wealthy men luring vulnerable women with promises of an escape and money, and ultimately what happens to these women.

[Rocelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5⭐️ rounded up. I really appreciate how ambitious the author was with this genre-blending novel, but I’m afraid it was a bit too ambitious. There was just a little bit too much of everything: too many (changes in) povs, too many jumps in time, too many themes, too crazy plottwists. And it really did work for me until the second part of the book, when I started to get confused and lose my interest. Also I felt the pacing was off: some parts were dragging and the end flew by really quickly.

Such a shame as I had really high hopes for this book, because I’m usually a sucker for horror, cults, Korean fiction and female revenge.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for this arc!

[Debumere · Rating 2 out of 5]

A psychological journey that starts with poverty and fear of being found as undocumented immigrants to escaping for what is thought to be a better life.

Hee-young left first to go to America and then returned under very odd circumstances. In her place and using Hee-Young’s identity, older sister, Hee-Jin goes back to the states thinking the grass will be greener but quickly realises it is no better than what she left behind.

I found this hard to get into - it starts well, good structure then once all the other characters come in it gets muddled. I found myself finding the read a drag and was lost interest.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Severn for this ARC.

[Ashlee Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a slowburn filled with intriguing Korean folklore and body horror. I wasn't immediately hooked, especially with the POV switches, but I was curious about the mystery and the female characters especially. Dong does a great job meshing genre elements as we followed Hee-jin to America to find out what happened to her sister. It touches on a lot of traumas and abusive systems affecting young women of color with very strong cult vibes. A unique read for sure! Thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for the ARC.

[Danielle Heptinstall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aviary was beautifully written, with a brilliant mix of horror, trauma, darkness, secrets, & the paranormal! The fmc is subjected to such awful circumstances & somehow, handles it all with such ferocity. This book is the perfect read during times like we are facing now. Many secrets come to light, just like they have been in our lives, currently. I enjoyed this book so much, I really hope there will be a sequel!

[JXR · Rating 5 out of 5]

incredibly ominous with some super effectively horrific vibes throughout. would recommend this one. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

[Dave Musson]

Very quickly realised this wasn’t for me - much more thriller than horror and it just wasn’t clicking so I’ve DNF.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me give it a shot!