“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐’𝘮 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩.”

Well this was a juicy little morsel 😋. A female serial killer from a Korean-American perspective.

Ji-Won is struggling thru college while also struggling with home life. Surrounded by racism and asian stereotypes as well as cultural fetishization, she develops an unhealthy obsession with eyeballs.

I really enjoyed this one. The main character was so well done, with great descriptive writing, and not to mention a great ending 🙌.

A debut psychological horror to put on your radar that will be unleashed on the world this June 🤩.

I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

4.5 stars!
Looove a good unhinged female rage plot line! 😙👌🏻
I really enjoyed following Ji-won on her tumultuous spiral to avenge her family and truly found myself rooting for her…cannibalism and all..
This book touches on themes of misogyny and racism with some crazy twists!!
Thanks NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I enjoyed the horror and the squeamishness in this book, it was interesting to see a young woman and her descent into serial killings particularly how gruesome the killings were. The book felt a bit long though and I struggled to always pay attention as it felt slow at points.

This book is weirdly good, in all the best ways. It’s a bit repulsive in parts, but that fits in with the story.

When Ji-Won’s mother starts dating a misogynistic, racist man, Ji-Won goes through some odd obsessions about craving eyeballs. We’re taken on a journey through her rage, her nightmares and her need to bring the family back together.

It’s hard to believe that this is a debut author. She does a wonderful job with great characterization and descriptive emotions. Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

I am torn between 2 and 3 stars for this one. It was good, proper horror and the writing was, for lack of a better word, easily digestible. Monika Kim has created a fabulous FMC in Ji-won. She stressed me out, she is so messy, I was rooting for her and cringing for her at the same time. But a lot of the dream sequences or dark fantasies were redundant, and the ending felt totally abrupt and unfinished. But I still definitely enjoyed it and would recommend it to all the people looking for examples of "Good For Her" horror.

The Eyes Are the Best Part is a crazy ride with Ji-Won , our Korean American girl whose life is just going off the rails.

First her dad leaves the family for another woman and her mom starts dating a truly disgusting man with a fetish for Asian women.

Ji-Won has a past of not being the best person and causing drama but her decent on an unhinged killing spree is next level.

I do not have a trigger of eyeballs but man the description that Monika Kim writes made me audibly react.

I so thought the ending was going to explain her actions with a neat little bow but I was pleasantly surprised. And sounds like a sequel could be on the horizon.

Thank you to Net Galley , Erewhon books and Monika Kim for the e-Arc in exchange for my honest review.

For Ji-won revenge is a dish best served with a side of eyeballs.

This the most gruesome and best horror that I have read in many many years.

The way the main characters repressed rage takes a deadly turn is fascinating. I support her rights and her wrongs.

The ending gave me CHILLS!

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-arc.

One thing I love about books is the title and this title had me wanting to read it immediately! I was so invested in the characters and the development of Ji-won. This had horror written all over it, I am one for gore and this was it but it may not be everyone's cup of tea. I had devoured this book and can't wait for everyone else to get their hands on it!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to get an ARC of this incredible book! <3

First of all, I stayed up past my bedtime to finish this book, which I never do, but I couldn't put it down until I knew how it ended.

I know "unhinged" is kind of a buzzword right now, but this book is absolutely 100% unhinged in the best way. The author does such a great job of creating a super likeable, empathetic main character that is just... insane. You're made to want the best for Ji-won, but you know nothing but terrible things are going to happen. The emotional moments in the book felt like a gut punch. I loved the relationships between Ji-won, Ji-hyun, and Umma, and the way that Ji-won was so protective over her loved ones and used it to justify all her horrifying actions. The setup is devastatingly sad, the horror is brilliant and utterly bizarre, and the ending very much satisfied all of my built-up internal feminist rage!

10/10 recommend to everyone who is not squeamish! I loved this book so much that I will absolutely be buying it upon release to support the author.

It's been a good while since I've read an unsettling horror novel that didn't rely on SA or child @büse to hit its mark. The Eyes Are the Best Part is a fascinating read that shows the slow unraveling of a budding serial killer.

Ji-Won's life is turned upside down when Appa leaves. Umma is heartbroken and despondent. Soon, she begins leaning into the superstition that eating fish eyes will bring good luck. Umma believes that if she eats them, Appa will come back. Ji-Won and Ji-Hyun are young and horrified at the thought of eating fish eyes.

One day, Ji-Won decides she's had enough of Umma's depression and decides that she'll eat a fish eye to try and cheer Umma up. She's surprised by how much she enjoys the texture and flavor of the eye.

Not long after, Umma announced that she's seeing someone. She brings Ji-Won and Ji-Hyun to meet George. He has hauntingly blue eyes that capture Ji-Won's attention. George is a decidedly terrible person, pushing Ji-Won into mental disarray. His introduction to the family is ultimately Ji-Won's undoing.

Monika Kim's debut novel is sure to be a hit. I cannot wait to see what else she puts out.

Thank you to Monika Kim, Netgalley, and Kensington Books for the advance copy of The Eyes Are the Best Part!

Very well written, fast paced novel that touches on very real issues with increasing realization that we are the monsters that sometimes we fight so hard to keep away from.

Title: The Eyes Are The Best Part by Monika Kim
Genre: Psychological Thriller/Horror
Pub Date: June 25, 2024

⭐ 3.75/5

🥢 Descent Into Insanity
🧿 Korean FMC
🥢 Feminine Rage

We watch as a sleep deprived college student decends into insanity. A Korean college student decends into madness as the men in her life continue to disappear or disappoint. After a fateful meal with her Umma, she's consumed with the thought of eyes between her teeth.

I must admit I was confused for the beginning of the book, but once I realized what was happening it was pretty interesting. I'm not sure if I can say it necessarily fits the horror genre, but I think eyeballs make basically everyone squeamish so if you're not into descriptive horror this might not be for you! I did appreciate the feminine rage wasn't for one political side or the other because honestly, there are disgusting people on both sides 👏

Always check TW: Take my star rating with a grain of salt, as I went into this book blind and it was just a little too gory for my taste!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Kensington Books for the review copy!🫶

Just absolutely excellent. I enjoyed every bit of this book. Ji-won is a perfect hyperbolic example of claiming agency in your own life. The pacing was excellent, the unreliable narrator trope was done well, and the complicated relationship between sisters and mother was poignant and compelling. Loved it.

Ji-won is a college student that lives with her mother and younger sister. Her life is not in a great place at the moment, and the unfortunate events only continue. Some weird things happen at school and at home, and her mom is also in a bad place. She finds herself with a crazy craving for eyeballs as she slowly turns into a serial killer out for revenge against anyone that has wronged her.

I did find this book a bit slow, but it was still able to keep my attention. A few more added twists and turns in there would be a nice addition!

WOWWWW!!! I seriously read this book within 24hrs, and I have no NOT had a book do this to me in forever, or actually even ever! I had the luxury of time to read and started this novel, and I did not want to stop at all, I couldn't stop. I was compelled to keep going.

The writing style is captivating, and easy to read, follow, and connect. I loved the flow of the story, and did not even expect the twist and turns at the end. The way this story just kept giving and giving, and I didn't even had a second to think of what I wanted I was so enthralled in the book. I liked all the characters and getting to know each of them as well and how the all interacted.

The amount of gore that was a bit of a sprinkle here and there to amp this novel a bit more horror genre was perfect, it was not over the top but had me gripping my kindle with my jaw dropped, and my stomach turning a little. It was perfect!

This was definitely not at all what I had expected since I’d imagined a Korean-American female serial killer a la American Psycho style book but this was so much more than that!

The Eyes Are The Best Part isn’t just your regular ol’ gory horror with no substance.
You’re able to clearly see the threads of Ji-Won’s mental health as it spirals out of control not only from trauma and grief, but also from the constant fetishisation and sexism that surrounds her as a Korean-American woman.

It shows perfectly where her rage comes from, where her obsession with biting into salty blue eyes comes from, and what effect the manipulation and neglect of the men around her has on her mind. I can’t speak on the fetishisation of asian women, but I do think the parts that clearly shows the sexism at work was masterfully done and oh so accurate. Geoffrey and his nice guy attitude absolutely triggered something in me and I c haven’t been able to stop thinking about all the manipulative guys like that I’ve met.

This is honestly an amazing book and it’s perfect for anyone who sometimes likes their horror to have some depth. Or anyone who’s obsessed with women’s rights and wrongs — because honestly, Amy from Gone Girl has got nothing on Ji-Won.

/// ARC courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley.

When Ji-won was faced with her parents' sudden separation, her life took a complete turn. Distraught, Ji-won's mother started eating fish eyes because she believed that it would bring her good luck. It didn't take long before her lonely mother came home with George, a self-absorbed white man who shamelessly fetishize Asian women. When the pressure increased from her derailing grades and clashing circle of friends, Ji-won started dreaming of interestingly, deliciously looking blue eyeballs, much like George's.

This book is "I support women's rights, but I also support women's wrongs" in a nutshell. The story centers around multiple characters, but delivers through Ji-won's point of view as an unreliable narrator. Her character was a multidimensional one, and it's hard to give her a black and white judgment, since you witness everything unraveling from her perspective, giving you an in-depth look at her motives. Scarily enough, I actually agree and root for her multiple times throughout the story, because the men in this book are beyond infuriating. Kudos to the author for being able to come up with such authentic characters.

Another thing that I liked was the writing style. The author wrote with such flexibility, narrating the ambiance and nuance dreamily, yet giving a direct and sharp explanation when necessary. Some might find the body gore within this story to be too much, which I completely agree with. I had to pause in between because the description made me nauseous. But I do think that it takes skill to be able to come up with such vivid nightmares and terrors. I'm definitely going to look up more of the author's work in the future.

Thank you Erewhon Books and Kensington Books for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Stress of college, her family falling apart, and her inability to keep friends affecting her life… what’s a girl to do?

It’s creepy, disturbing, and a look into the fetishization of Asian women.

Ji-won is in a transitional state in life; just starting college, her parents have recently separated, and she has lost her friend group. Before she knows it, her mother is dating a new guy and Ji-won's mental state is truly being tested, as is evident by her new hallucinatory obsessed with eating eyeballs (primarily those of her mom's new boyfriend.) The action and violence of this book was perfectly balanced with commentary on racial fetishization and Ji-won's personal growth. An absolutely over-the-top, vengeance fueled ride. Would recommend for fans of They Never Learn and Maeve Fly.

i kinda just want to run round screaming about how much i love this book, but i’ll try to keep to it talking it up on social media, instead.
ho. ly. shit.
😍👏😍👏😍👏
incredible.
i‘m struggling for the words.
all i can say is if you dropped the girl from “gone girl” into “hexis” and kinda steeped it in “a tell-tale heart”, and served it with a table full of banchan that would be “the eyes are the best part”.

5/5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 scars. 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

i received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
(and will be purchasing it in physical form as a trophy for my bookshelf as soon as it comes out!)