Euuuugh this made me feel so slimy! Ji-won's slow spiral from tightly-wound, uber-responsible daughter to serial killing eyeball cannibal is weirdly relatable and far, far too detailed for comfort. We watch Ji-won's grip on sanity slip while juggling her mother's willful blindness to her racist and objectifying boyfriend, her hyper-cognizant little sister watching everything, and the friend who, well, may or may not be a friend. And then that ending!!!!! Hooo, that was a ride.

Thanks to NetGallley, the author, and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

bro wasn’t lying when she said the eyes are the best she tried and tested it
read it if you like
- unhinged women,
- books with female rage,
- revenge, gory details

I started this book thinking it would be a quirky litfic about a child going through hard times and finding herself. Man was I wrong!

The story begins with Ji-won, a Korean-American, who has a disturbing life at home, her father has left the family and Ji-won being the eldest daughter now feels responsible for her mother and younger sister. Things are already shaky for the family until Ji-won's mother introduces the girls to her boyfriend -- a white guy who has a thing for oriental women, and no, age is not a concern for him. Ji-won and her younger sister feel objectified and unsafe in their home. Outside her home, Ji-won has to go through her day listening to racist remarks as well.

Understandably, Ji-won is angry, she is in a rage, but she also feels helpless, she can't help herself, she can't save her mother or sister from the man in their house. So the story takes a turn as Ji-won finds a very unconventional way of taking her revenge on the world.

The story is full of slow-burn horrors, eyeball obsession, has you on the edge of your seat, will making you feel bad for the main character, but also disagree with her actions, and then root for her safety as well.

I didn't love the characters or their actions, but it was a thrilling horror and an amazing debut by the author!

Check trigger warnings before you read it and come with a strong stomach!

THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART by Monika Kim

Genres: Thriller, Contemporary, Crime

I don’t even know where to start trying to explain my thoughts about this book. It’s classified as a horror, but in my opinion it’s really not. Horrible, yes. Horror? No. And with “horrible” I actually mean what the protagonist did was despicable. She’s despicable, period. To be honest, all the male characters in this novel is despicable, but I think that’s intentional.

When I saw the cover for this book, I was incredibly excited to read it. The title also had me very curious. Let’s face it: the book cover and title is awesome.

There’s a lot to unpack here, but what it boils down to for me is that I was confused as heck throughout the entire story. What is Ji-won’s motivation for eating eyes? Why blue eyes specifically? This is never explained, and that was the one question I kept asking while reading; the one to which I needed an answer.

I could understand Ji-won’s anger and resentment towards her father for leaving them. How that turned her into a serial killer obsessed with eating blue eyes? No idea.

The other big thing was that I felt disconnected from the characters as well as the plot. None of these characters are remarkable in any way. It felt as though I was reading this entire book with a frown on my face. I couldn’t figure out, for the life of me, what was going on with this girl. Don’t even get me started on the relentless dream sequences. There are way too many of those in this book.

It wasn’t all bad though. The parts I did enjoy were the ones in which Ji-won takes revenge on those who she considers wronged her or her family. At the same time, I couldn’t understand why she was being horrible to her friends. It is explained, but I wasn’t convinced. I hate saying bad things about a book, but this is honestly the best I can say about it – that the chapters about revenge were the only enjoyable parts in this story.

My first thought after I read the final sentence at the end was “huh”. This story is just weird. I mean, I’ve read some disturbing things in my time and this is nowhere close to being the worst of it, but man, this book is just…well, weird.

I think bookclubs will have a marvellous time trying to figure out the main character.

Trigger warnings are given at the start of the story so readers who are sensitive to certain themes will know what to expect. The writing isn’t great, but this author has potential and I’m actually curious to see what she’ll write next.

2.5 Stars from me.

Speaking directly to the author here: I loved this book, but I do think you ruined trying fish eyes(and hopefully all other kinds mentioned in the story) for me forever.

It’s stories like this that are why I read horror. It’s not just a mindless gore fest. It explores real issues while also giving you a slow build psychological horror.

Only read if you want a good story that will anger you, disgust you, and might get you some questions for reading in public.

After she tries a lucky fish eye for the first time, Ji-won begins having disturbing yet intriguing dreams full of eyeballs. Her waking life is stressful, and her dreams provide a satisfying escape. Her father had an affair and left her mother. Her mother has started dating a horrible, white man. Her sister is distraught. Ji-won’s grades at college are suffering.When people start dying, Jo-won gives into her urges, and now she wants more.

I devoured this book in enjoyment comparable to Ji-won’s pleasure at eyeball eating. I got invested quickly, and honestly, was rooting for Ji-won against these lackluster men.

The character arc is fascinating, and the supporting characters are well developed. There are a couple of twists and turns that help with plot propulsion and tension. All around, solid horror.

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

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want a repetitive and lazily written revenge thriller about snacking on eyeballs?

On my do not read list.

Pre-reading:
What a cover. I know nothing about the plot, but I’ve heard it’s v gory.

Thick of it:
Men ain’t shit.

Oh no. Is the feast dad? (Not yet.)

That’s a lot of emotional abuse.

It’s giving nice guy™.

Tbh bored. Not into the writing style.

Oh god, ew

Not to be completely tone-deaf deaf, but I am now craving Chinese food.

Filial piety can get fucked. Respect is earned not given.

Toothpaste ice cream

Blue eyes like the cover.

EW.

Did she just hallucinate and murder someone?

I love tomato season, but I am so grossed out.

I wildly dislike Geoffrey.

Lesbians?

Oh, real shocker that Geoffrey doesn’t like other women. Man, fuck that guy.

Ew

Everything is blue 🎶

I’m boreddddd

This reads like YA.

How does that not come up with like racist search results or the evil eye, you know?

Listen, I am never team Geoffrey, but I’m gonna need the book to explain to me why it’s rude to get her chopsticks. Is it just because it’s so impersonal to her likes and interests? From a practicality standpoint, it would be a good gift. Here’s something you can use every day. That’d be sweet if the gift giver wasn’t such an asshat.

This book is so fake woke and preachy.

Yeah, and if you do that, then he’ll murder you.

This isn’t a good for her. Like she’s just sinking to his level.

Gaslight Gatekeep Girlboss.

You’re not like other girls sin

I am exactly like other girls. Other girls are the best.

I feel like Geoffrey or her sister has to be following her. (Yup.)

It’s a little American Psycho with the is it real or is it all in her head? But like it’s so lame.

I fully just gagged. Granted, I’m eating while reading this like an idiot, but I did just gag.

She’s gonna be full of some nasty infections.

Hey Google, can you get pink eye on your tongue?

The gore descriptions are very repetitive.

It’s always cat dudes.

Prophetic dreams are such lazy writing.

If you’re so good at technology, can’t you just look up the history of the file?

I’m so checked out from this book.

This isn’t how the police work. This is so frustrating.

Post-reading:
What an absolute dud.

Here’s your disclaimer: I am never a good for her girly. I am firmly in the cool motive, still murder camp. The book reads like a jaded revenge fantasy because all men are just inherently evil. And that’s fucking lazy. For an unhinged protagonist and narrative to succeed for me, it’s gotta be coupled with biting social commentary. It needs to at least dip its toe into satire territory. It’s gotta have that nuance.

This doesn’t. I’d argue that aside from the repetitive body horror, this reads YA. It’s hard to pin down an age for the characters. The three family members read exactly the same. They have the same voice. The gore made me gag at one point, but it really loses any brownie points when you continue to describe the horror the exact same way with the exact same phrases.

The plot is simultaneously meandering and godawfully predictable. You’ve read or watched this plot before. It’s not doing anything new.

And the messaging is shit. It infantilizes and victimizes her mother and absolves her of any guilt. She’s a grown woman who’s a massive emotional manipulator. She’s not innocent here. Our main character sucks. She’s incredibly unlikable and unsympathetic.

The book is plotholey when it comes to police investigations and basic security footage. It’s tone-deaf when it comes to rape culture commentary. The solution is not to become a predator in the exact same way that men are. The solution is not to gaslight and frame people for crimes they didn’t commit.

Nothing about this book worked for me, and I don’t think you should pick it up.

Who should read this:
No one
Revenge thriller fans

Do I want to reread this:
Nope. Wouldn’t pick up the author again either.

Similar books:
* The Fetishist by Katherine Min-revenge thriller, examination of the fetishization of Asian women
* How to Kill a Guy in Ten Ways by Eve Kellman-poorly written revenge thriller
* Man’s Best Friend by Alana B. Lytle-poorly written revenge thriller, gaslighting
* The Night of the Storm by Nishita Parekh-poorly written revenge thriller, gaslighting
* The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden-poorly written revenge thriller, gaslighting
* None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell-poorly written revenge thriller, gaslighting
* The Maid’s Diary by Loreth Anne White-poorly written revenge thriller, gaslighting
* No One Knows Us Here by Rebecca Kelley-poorly written revenge thriller, gaslighting
* A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon-poorly written revenge thriller, gaslighting
* American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis-only in that it’s also psychological horror

While many have called this a "female American Psycho", I think both books lose some complexity in calling this that - it's it's own book, a harrowing, weird fever dream that's not as scary as it is surprising and tender in equal parts. The ending came too fast!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Overall I enjoyed this propulsive “good for her” story and was captivated from start to finish. I appreciated how the author highlighted themes of cultural appropriation, misogyny, and performative activism as well as Asian fetishization. I also loved the final twist. I also felt that the body horror was very well done and uncomfortably visceral. The reasons I didn’t give this one five stars were:

1.) The writing was very basic in my opinion and not very “quotable” which is something I look for in 5 star books. However, this did make it easier to follow and quicker to fly through so this could be a positive for a lot of people.

2.) There were a couple of tiny details that weren’t explained & some very minor plot holes that weren’t tied up.

Other than that, I loved this book and would still recommend it if you have been “eyeballing” it 😜. Thank you to @netgalley and @erewhonbooks for the eGalley!

CW: “Mukduk”/unaliving, c@nnibalism, violence

SYNOPSIS:

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. Her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.

In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Salivatingly blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George has already overstayed his welcome in her family’s claustrophobic apartment. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescending toward Ji-won and her sister as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. No, George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that.

For no matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm a big fan of books that discuss the creepy, weird, and abnormal, and this book covered all of these bases. The complexity of Ji-won left me devouring every second of this book.

Thank you for giving me this copy!!

This is a deliciously dark and creepy tale of a young woman’s descent into madness as she obsesses about eating people’s eyes.
I gave Monika Kim’s debut horror novel four stars! I can’t wait to see what nightmare inducing stories she comes up with next!
Note - This is not for those with a weak stomach or for the faint of heart!

In some cultures, it’s believed to be good luck to eat the eye of a fish.

Refusing to do so for many years, Ji-won finally agrees to eat one at her Umma’s insistence. Since her Appa left her Umma for another woman, 18 year old Ji-won wants to make her Umma happy and figured a little luck couldn’t hurt. Ji-won’s 15 year old sister, Ji-hyun, remains disgusted.

Surprisingly Ji-won loves it! And wants more. She craves them. She dreams about them. She fantasizes about what a human eye would taste like beginning Ji-won’s descent into madness.

When Umma declares, some months later, that she has a boyfriend named George she’d like her daughters to meet, they’re stunned and less than excited to meet this strange man. When a lunch date is arranged to meet George, the first thing Ji-won notices is his clear blue eyes. She imagines they would taste incredible.

As George ingrates himself more into their lives, Ji-won continues with her classes at the local college, meeting a few classmates who seem kind. But some students are frightened as a couple of people are found dead both near the college and near the students houses, being found with their eyes removed.

Ji-won can’t stop obsessing over eyes since, after all, as her mom said “the eyes are the best part.”

Thank you to NetGalley, Monika Kim, and the publisher for gifting a copy of the book in exchange for a candid review.

We meet Ji-won in a particularly tumultuous point in life, as many things are changing around her. As we watch her lose all rationale, the mission becomes an obsessive consumption of eyeballs.

This had a lot of great commentary alongside a thrilling violence spree. Definitely recommend for those who love an unhinged woman on a revenge mission.

When I picked up this book about a female serial killer, I never expected to be laughing and giggling so hard throughout the story. This dark and unexpected comedic tale follows Ji-won and her family as they navigate life after their good-for-nothing father abandons them. The impact on the family is profound, particularly on the mother, who withdraws into herself—until she meets a white man she believes will rescue them.
The depiction of the Asian fetish by a certain character was incredibly unsettling and evoked intense rage in me during several scenes. The author does a fantastic job of highlighting the grossness of such fetishization and its effects on the characters.

One of my favorite aspects of the book was the accurate portrayal of life as the oldest daughter in an Asian family. Ji-won's daily struggles and responsibilities are depicted with authenticity, making her a relatable and compelling protagonist.
While the plot starts off a bit slow, the buildup towards the second half is well worth the wait. The story, narrated from Ji-won's point of view, keeps you on your toes, as you can't always trust what you're reading. Ji-won is unapologetically crazy and prone to hallucinations, adding an unpredictable and thrilling element to the story.

The dream sequences are particularly intense, with vivid descriptions of eyeballs and squelching noises creating an unforgettable, if somewhat disturbing, imagery. Despite the discomfort, these scenes are so well written and add to the overall dark humor and horror of the story.
By the end of the book, I found myself wholeheartedly supporting Ji-won—not just her rights, but also her wrongs. Her character is complex, flawed, and utterly fascinating!! Ji-won had some really unexpected lines of dialogue throughout the book that had me laughing out loud. The lines were crazy but the delivery was perfection!!!

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

I know this novel is supposed to be a horror novel. Still, the feminist undertones and the author's discussion of the realities of many Asian American women were so well written. I also enjoyed watching the main character slowly give in to her madness; it was a delicious “good for her” moment. Plus, seeing George get what he deserved was incredibly satisfying.

Really good writing. Story felt mostly familiar with some curveballs. Uncomfortable reading in some parts but that added to the horror feel. All of the characters were handled well. Loved the ending.

There were so many plot holes and conveniences the I could not find myself invested in anything happening to the characters. It also was not helpful that all of the characters were cardboard cutouts. I wanted a story of feminine rage but what I got was a muddled peice that needed more editing.

read for summerween 2024: vlog coming soon

the eyes are the best part by monika kim is a brilliantly inventive and subversive feminist psychological horror novel that delves deep into the making of a female serial killer from a korean-american perspective. this book is not just about the grisly and thrilling elements of ji-won’s transformation, but it also profoundly explores the daily struggles and horrors faced by women of color, making it a truly compelling read.

one of the most captivating aspects of this novel is its exploration of the unique challenges that women of color encounter every day. the true horror of the story lies in the societal pressures, microaggressions, and blatant discrimination that ji-won faces, which are hauntingly relatable and powerfully depicted. monika kim masterfully intertwines these themes with the story of an unhinged woman seeking revenge, creating a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

at its core, this novel is about a young woman discovering the harsh realities of how the world treats her. ji-won feels overlooked and ignored by everyone, from her family to society at large. this sense of invisibility and the accompanying rage are palpable throughout the book, and i found myself deeply relating to her struggles. as a college student navigating a tumultuous life, i saw reflections of my own experiences in ji-won’s journey, despite the extremity of her actions.

the depiction of ji-won’s unraveling is both mesmerizing and chilling. her dreams, filled with horrifyingly vivid imagery of bloody rooms and succulent blue eyes, add an eerie and surreal layer to the story. the character of george, her mother's obnoxious new boyfriend, serves as a perfect catalyst for ji-won’s descent into madness, making her actions, though extreme, understandable in the context of her suffering and rage.

this book is a must-read for fans of unhinged women and revenge stories. monika kim’s writing is gripping, and her ability to weave together themes of familial disintegration, societal neglect, and personal vengeance is nothing short of genius. the eyes are the best part will undoubtedly be added to my list of go-to recommendations for unhinged women revenge stories. it is a powerful, evocative, and unforgettable read that will leave you craving more.

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. I loved the characters, even the ones I hated I still loved how they were written. The pacing didn’t feel consistent but I didn’t mind as it picked up where I was ready for it to. I loved how they portrayed the fetishization of Asian women and girls. As well as how they portrayed the self proclaimed nice guy. As a Hispanic woman in America, I can say that these portrayals of non-white women and girls was deadly accurate.

A chilling and gripping psychological thriller that is a tale of hunger and rage. It explores a female serial killer and family bonds.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you for this ARC!

I really love how the Author was able to blend her cultural experiences into the genre, I feel like you don’t really find that a lot. The book was a quick read for me and I really enjoyed it!

The Eyes Are the Best Part is definitely one of the most memorable and engaging debut novels I've ever read!

Monika Kim's haunting ideas moved me, and shall now live rent free in my brain. This story sucked me in from the start and refused to let go. I was thinking about it all the time, even when I wasn't reading it.

In this story we follow Ji-Won, who has just entered her first year of college. She lives in small apartment with her Umma and her younger sister, Ji-Hyun. Her Appa has deserted them for another woman, leaving Ji-Won as the logical next head of household. Umma is a mess, barely holding it together enough to make it to her job at the grocery store, and Ji-Hyun is just 15-years old. Ji-Won is feeling a responsibility to care for them both. It's not just her family situation causing her stress though. Ji-Won also didn't get into the college she once dreamed of with her best high school friends. She ended up losing those friends because of that.

Ji-Won's on her own now, at a new school, and she feels very alone. She doesn't have anyone she can open up to about all the pressures bearing down on her. She loves her sister and her Umma so much, but she needs to keep strong around them. When Umma brings about her new boyfriend, a startlingly-obnoxious man named, George, Ji-Won can hardly believe this is her life. George starts coming by the apartment, and then beginning to stay there more often than not.

It's during this time of incredible stress and change that Ji-Won first starts thinking about the eyes. In particular, blue eyes, just like George's. She desires them. She dreams of them. She wants to consume them; all the blue eyes. It's with no immediate plan in mind, more an act of opportunity, that Ji-Won first proceeds with these overwhelming desires. Once she starts though, it's empowering, fulfilling, and impossible to stop. Ji-Won is now the ruler of her world. It feels good.

This was incredibly immersive. Ji-Won is such a well-developed character. I loved following her story, being in her mind was a slightly disturbing place to be, but I got it. I felt what she was going through. I empathized with her as I would a friend and frankly, I was more than happy to go on this f*ed up journey with her.

I loved the relationships that Kim created here, particularly between the sisters. Their connection was palpable. I could feel how much Ji-Won cared for her sister, even when she was being bratty. She wanted to protect her and shelter her. It wasn't just that relationship though, every side character that Ji-Won interacted with, I felt like I knew the ins-and-outs of them. Kim took great care when creating this whole cast and it shows.

We get a couple of students, Alexis and Geoffrey, that Ji-Won meets at school and I liked watching those friendships evolve. That whole avenue of the story went in a direction I was sort of expecting, but I still loved it. I also thought the pace was spot on. It was perfectly-crafted for maximum impact, that's for sure. Once the spiral begins, she went quickly and with great flourish.

I'm obsessed with the quality of Kim's Horror imagery most of all. The body horror was fantastic. I read a lot of body horror and this, it got me. I was cringing. I was exclaiming things out loud that I can't type here. It was perfect. I never knew what vivid description was gonna come next.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the exceptional social commentary/social horror aspects. I felt this was so well done in that regard. In expressing Ji-Won's experience as a Korean-American young woman in modern-day California, Kim got the points across she needed to make.
This is an exciting story. It's exciting in its own right, in the fact that it's a gripping, disturbing story of feminine rage, but it's also exciting because this is Monika Kim's first novel. I'm so excited for more from her.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Erewhon Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I'm so happy that talent like Monika Kim's exists in the world. This book will def be on my BESTS List for 2024!!!