This book was not at all what I expected it to be. I knew it was in the horror genre, and the cover really drew me in, but all of the twists and turns in this book were completely unexpected. Some of it, without any spoilers, was hard to read as a woman, but I really felt for the protagonist and her family. The author was amazingly descriptive, and I could feel the despair and dismay in certain parts of this book. I would absolutely read it again and will be recommending it as well. It was a really incredible or novel.

Prepare your stomach; you’ll want to be an adventurous eater for this one. Though on second thought, don’t try this at home. Monika Kim is exploding onto the horror scene with her debut novel The Eyes Are The Best Part. We follow Ji-Won, a Korean-American girl trying her best to adjust to college amidst a tumultuous home life. In the chaos she adopts a fixation from her mother’s cultural lessons: eating fish eyes brings good luck. You can experience the full tale when this arrives from Erewhon Books on June 25th. Read on to figure out why I think you should.

It’s summer. It’s the time for vacation reads. Hear me out, this is a vacation read. It is fast-paced with short chapters, making it ideal for binging or reading in random spots of downtime. It’s a conversation starter, have you seen that cover? But also maybe a deterrent for the wrong company at the beach. Again, have you seen that cover? The only thing really making this not a summer read is how heavy it is. It feels light, I read this so quickly, but it tackles some difficult topics. And I don’t just mean the eyes—we’ll get to those.

Ji-Won’s family is falling apart. Or rather, it has fallen apart. The inciting incident of this novel is the leaving of her father and her mother’s subsequent new boyfriend. Her Appa and this new boyfriend, George, highlight two pervasive cultural hurdles Ji-Won is grappling with as she tries to start her new life. First, from her Appa, we see an unhealthy belief in fate. His basis is the Korean concept of Saju, which tells him he has bad luck. From George, she experiences first hand the fetishization of Asian women, yes. Deeper than that, though, she sees her mother’s fragility and dependence. Combine the two? Ji-Won is struggling.

Which brings us back to the eyes. Her mother is so insistent that eating the fish eye will bring good fortune. And Ji-Won so desperately wants to cheer up her mom after her father leaves that she decides to finally give in. That bite changes everything. If you are squeamish at all about eyes, get ready. The descriptions of eating them, and there are many, are visceral. If you like body horror that has you squirming, this is a must read for those alone. It’s not just eating the eyes, though. Ji-Won starts dreaming about them. Certain eyes in particular. George’s eyes.

I haven’t seen it discussed yet, but this felt very much like a nod to Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”. George’s eyes are blue, after all. An obsession with a man’s blue eyes? An obsession that grows more and more violent? All-consuming? I hope it was intentional, I believe it was, and I loved it. Because those traits Ji-Won sees in her parents, in George and the men like him—they make her angry. She refuses to accept that her fate is set or that she must be grateful for any male attention. Even more, she is angry to see her mother treated so poorly, her sister treated so poorly.

The Eyes Are The Best Part is a story of rage: feminine rage, cultural rage, obsessive rage. Monika Kim does not shy away from these feelings, just as she does not shy away from her depictions of Ji-Won’s urges. I’ve only scratched the surface here. Kim managed to pack a lot to chew on in this book. And the bites are bloody, delicious, and addictive. Getting to follow this descent into madness, getting to ask if it even qualifies as such, was such a joy. I am truly surprised this was a debut, and cannot wait to see what this author does next.

I recently read The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim, and it was a harrowing experience. This debut novel dives deep into the
psychological and physical unraveling of its protagonist, Ji-Won. After her father's abandonment, Ji-Won's life spirals into a nightmarish journey filled with grotesque obsessions and violent compulsions, including a chilling fixation on consuming human eyes.

The book's first-person perspective effectively draws you into Ji-Won's disturbed mind, making her actions simultaneously
horrifying and compelling. The satirical edge, particularly in its portrayal of male characters, adds a unique layer to the narrative. Despite some plot holes and tonal inconsistencies, the raw portrayal of Ji-Won's descent into madness is gripping and unforgettable. If you're a fan of psychological horror that pushes boundaries, this book is worth a read.

<i>thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!</i>

wow. this was one of those horror thrillers that just knocked the wind out of me.

we follow ji-won who is in university and trying to keep the remnants of her family together after her father leaves them for another woman, her mother begins dating a man (who is a disgusting pig), her sister coping with the major changes in their lives, and the insatiable hunger she has within her for something sinister. her horrifying nightmares lead her to see nothing but blue eyes everywhere, similar to the ones her moms new boyfriend has, and she decides to do something about it.

this book explored themes of misogyny, racism, and cannibalism in a tasteful way. the body horror scenes in this gave me the creeps which is a telltale sign that it was executed well!

the writing was fantastic! vivid imagery and beautiful prose. the author portrayed the relationship between a first generation child and an immigrant parents, sibling dynamics, and self-discovery perfectly. ji-won is obviously unwell, and the author did such a great job of capturing her slow unravel and descent into chaos.

the ending was so satisfying and i enjoyed spending time with ji-won and her broken messy family! this was a great debut!!

4.5 Stars: Gripping and emotionally charged the beginning of 'The Eyes Are the Best Part' by Monika Kim sets the tone for the rest of the book. There's an air of desperation and finality to Umma's story. I recognize some of my own mother's struggles in Umma. Even the fake marriage proposal to a con man happened to mom. I remember helping her make flower bouquets knowing it would never happen. I identified with Ji-won in everything but her chosen delicacy. Personal struggles aside, the first quarter of the book is a domestic drama with lots of depression and piggish men. The pacing is quick but the subject just didn't hold my interest. There are dream scenes that cause the main character to fixate on eyeballs but other than the eating eyes analogy, as deep as that may be, it didn't feel like a horror story.

My best advice is keep reading. I did like the cultural, and racial juxtaposition with American life and the ugly truths the characters laid bare. I wasn't expecting a modern, American 'Pachinko' -esk horror story. The writing is solid and as the fixation the main character is having starts to take over her life, the horror part of this novel emerges. It reminded me a little of 'Night of the Mannequins' in that the reader experiences the psychosis right along with the mc. Stomach churning at points, I can't say I enjoyed reading this book but it was very successful as a horror novel. I apologize Monika Kim for doubting you. Great writing.

TW for suicidal actions, depression, mental illness, vividly described eating scenes.

Female rage and quirky horror! There were some many disgusting descriptions, and it is not for the weak stomachs. I thought it was good but not the typical horror that I enjoy. Give it a try if you do not get queasy.
3.75/5
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the e-arc

Delicious! What a delightful and quirky book! It made me queasy, it made me laugh and it made me think. This new horror novel won’t be for everyone but I loved it. If you love weird, gross, creepy books like I do then this one is for you!! Feminist rage with a crunch!

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Eyes Are the Best Part, but I was drawn in by the eye-catching : ) cover art. I really enjoyed this book. The descriptions are so vivid. Monika Kim really knows how to paint a picture.

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

The Eyes Are the Best Part is a slow unraveling of a Korean-American young woman who, once cracked from the pressure of her life, transforms into a serial killer with an appetite for eyes.
While the first half the story is more a coming of age tale with commentary on feminism, racism, sexism, etc, it had a constant edge of something sharper buried beneath it all. We watch our main character battle through shifting family dynamics, the unending demands of college, and budding friendships and romantic entanglements knowing that all of it will eventually become too much. The pacing in the beginning of the book is studious and observant and not always as interesting as what I knew we were building towards. Yet, at the 50-60% mark, the story jumps off the tracks and spirals in a delicious tangle of gore and insane choices that are a joy to consume from a safe distance.
Despite the two halves of the story feeling incompatible at times, I found that I couldn't stop reading as soon as the eyes started being swallowed.

I cannot believe this was a debut novel! In the great tradition of unhinged women, this is one that will stick with me for some time to come and offers a lot of additional aspects to set it apart from many of the other novels written in this subgenre. The author has a very distinctive voice that made this one unputdownable from start to finish. This book is equal parts weird and really graphic at times and kind of the perfect combination of everything I love in a book.

Ji-won is such an amazing main character. As a young woman going through a tremendous amount of change at once with her father walking out on her family and dealing with keeping things together for her mother and sister to her mother then meeting someone new who ends up being absolutely ghastly, we really get to examine a women on the verge of a nervous breakdown, who has tried to keep it together for too long and just can’t do it anymore. And things explode in a beautifully horrific fashion as she finds a hunger that can’t be satiated except with eyeballs. Obviously this is where things take a weird turn, but the way that the author blends Ji-won’s rage against not just her situation but against the constant racism and fetishization she sees amongst the white males in her life is just so well-done. I love a revenge story, and in this one, Ji-won’s motivations do not seem that outlandish as you see how men objectify her and treat her as an Asian woman.

This book is definitely not for the faint of heart (especially if you have a thing with eyes) as there are some truly graphic and disturbing scenes where the author goes into excruciating detail. No pun intended, but I devoured these scenes and was in awe of Kim’s descriptive ability to really bring such violence to life. I feel like the ending of this one may be a little divisive, but I really liked it and thought it wrapped things up neatly..

I think I had slightly overhyped this book for myself. While it was still really good, I feel like it took to long to get to where it was going

it’s okay. not my type of book and i basically ran my eyes throught the whole book and don’t remember a thing 🤬

Eyeballs really freak me out (even just thinking about the fact that they exist within my own skull can send me on a spiral) so I was feeling very brave (or dumb) when I decided to pick up this eyeball-centric horror story following a young woman who becomes fixated on eyeballs at a challenging time in her life and then becomes violent.

The most effective parts of this story were how grossed out I was at the depiction of eyeballs, and the realistic portrayal of the challenges of being a young woman, an eldest daughter, a family of immigrants, etc. Overall I found the story a bit predictable and was hoping for more of a shock factor, but the writing was solid and I would check out more from this author in the future.

Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.

3.5 Stars
This was an interesting perspective on the serial killer genre. This one is very focused on the Korean American experience. I liked those parts but I have no doubt that ownvoice readers will enjoy those aspects on a whole other level.

This is a well written novel with a heavy character focus. I liked the book but I will admit that I did not love it as much as I expected. I just found myself not connecting enough with the narrative.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher

Ji-won is just like any other girl. Doing her best to stay afloat during her first year of college, fighting with her younger sister who shares her bedroom, and hating her mom's new boyfriend. But when she finally tastes fish eyes, at her mother's behest for good luck, she realizes she might have a taste for the bluer things in life. This gory feminist horror was a quick read that really backed a punch.

I loved this book so much. I think the author does an excellent job of writing a narcissistic, unreliable narrator, that you still find yourself cheering on; you know, despite the selective cannibalistic tendencies. I do not recommend, however eating blueberries while reading, unless you enjoy playing chicken with your gag reflex.

I received an early e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. That being said I think this will be one of my favorite books of 2024 and already purchased a hard copy.

This was one of the BEST books I've read this year! I absolutely adored the writing style -- it's sleek yet full of tension, understated but evocative, and so uncanny in a subtle way I couldn't quite put my finger on (though it could also be full throated scary at the appropriate times). It's also a brilliant portrayal of Asian family dynamics, racial tension, and the problems women -- especially young women, especially eldest daughters -- face in a diasporic context where racial minoritization compounds the existing baggage inherited through immigration, class struggle, and the breakdown of familial relationships. It's also full of rage, understandably. I rooted for the female heroine all throughout the book, in spite of -- or perhaps because of -- all the terrible things she ended up doing because she had to. It was really hard to put the book down -- it was tightly plotted and full of page-turning, jawdropping moments of escalation, and the voice mesmerized me throughout. Can't recommend this enough.

Ji-won’s life spirals when her father leaves after an affair, causing her to fall from being a straight-A college student to failing. Her dreams, filled with rooms of blue eyes resembling those of George, her mother's racist new boyfriend, become both horrifying and enticing.

As victims start appearing on campus, Ji-won’s hunger and rage intensify.

This book is intense and gripping. One standout element is how the title's meaning is woven throughout the story. Unlike some books where the title feels disconnected, here it's immediately clear and recurrent.

Despite its brevity, it skillfully tackles heavy themes like misogyny, racism, toxic relationships, cannibalism, and violence. This horror story is gory and cringeworthy in the best way—definitely not one to read while eating! The fast pacing hooked me from the start, keeping me engaged until the perfect ending.

An impressive debut, which I wouldn't have guessed until finishing!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a wild story of both female empowerment, generational/cultural trauma, and family bonds. Amazingly written, fantastic characters, and a gripping plot, I couldn't put it down.

The Eyes Are The Best Part was such a fun read. I have been craving for a book that embraces a woman as a serial killer and this book DELIVERS! Ji-Won will stay with me for a while. She loves her family and is completely dedicated to them in her own twisted way. I loved that I found her to be abrasive and unhinged. She doesn't need rescuing. The more she embraces this new part of her, the better it gets. It’s dark, it can be a bit gory I guess but I felt like I could reason this transformation. There are a couple twists that were absolutely delicious. By far one of my favorite reads of 2024 so far. When I say I want to read horror, this is what I mean!!! I hope Monika Kim writes more in this genre. I’m a fan!

I received a free eARC of The Eyes Are The Best Part from NetGalley. However, my opinions are my own.

The story-telling was exceptional, with a well-crafted plot and complex characters. The author brilliantly depicted the protagonist's descent into insanity, making it a thrilling and chilling reading experience.

A psychotic twisted ride from start to finish, and I loved every single minute of it!