This was a delicious, fast-paced thriller, centered around the fetishization of asian women (particularly from white men), as well as the way that generational trauma unfolds upon everyone. I found it easy to follow, as well as a realistic portrayal of a serial killer in the making. Some parts felt a bit like they weren't fleshed out, and didn't entirely make sense to me as a result-- I would have loved to see more between Ji-won and Alexis. Nevertheless, an excellent feminine rage thriller!

Delicious! Fast paced, page turner with a problematic protagonist that you can’t help but root for.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

5 stars.

I started this book at the end of 2023 and finished it the beginning of 2024, what a wonderfully disturbed way to start the new year! I loved every second of this book.

Ji-won is headstrong, smart, and unhinged. What more could you want in a young woman? She sees and understands more than she lets on and she’s going to grab this problem by the eyes (wait that’s not the right phrase?) and solve it!

This book is for those of us who support women’s rights… AND wrongs 🤪


Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, I can’t wait to add this to my shelf upon its release.

This was sooo awesome! I couldn’t stop reading all day. Creepy in the best way. Loved it!
Recommend to anyone that likes horror!

The Eyes Are The Best Part took me by surprise in the best way. Kim’s writing was phenomenal and I love how she incorporated a family storyline into the horror. We need more strong female authors in the horror genre and I look forward to reading more of Kim’s work.

I had high expectations for this and it was absolutely brilliant! The narrator Ji-won had me hooked into the story straight away and Monika Kim managed to perfectly balance horror alongside heartfelt and emotional moments.

I am a total wimp when it comes to scary books, but OMG I could not stop reading this. It was twisted and disgusting in the most addictive way. It had so much to say about misogyny, race, and class, but doesn't beat you over the head with it. I'm so excited about this debut and can't wait to see what other amazing grossness Monika Kim will come up with next. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book delivered the bizarre, unhinged, hot girl horror I wanted. I loved the slow descent into deeper and deeper rage as Ji-won faced the hardship of parenting her own mother and consoling her younger sister while dealing with racism and misogyny. The imagery was deliciously disgusting, and the story had so many unique elements.

The only reason it is not a full 5 star is a couple details seemed just a bit too convenient or totally random, and I wanted a little more complexity and exploration from Ji-won and Alexis's relationship.

This one is for fans of the unwell women literary genre, Eliza Clark, and Mona Awad—The Eyes Are the Best Part is both an inventive psychological horror and an extremely impressive debut novel. Monika Kim is an author I’ll be keeping on my radar for sure!

Kim’s book is a clever analysis of the male gaze with a pretty fantastic on-the-nose eye-eating metaphor as the main plot, but it also hits on female rage, sexism, the fetishization of Asian culture, performative activism, and the pressures of family members coming apart around you. The horror sequences are well-written, as is the book in general—this has strong prose for a debut and a consistent tone. The beginning was somehow cozy despite how dark it was, and the author does a great job inserting the reader into the life of this family and their dynamics while keeping the focus on the protagonist. Also, every single eyeball-eating description had me wanting to protect my eyes; I could practically feel myself eating one. That kind of immersion is rare in horror and definitely praise-worthy.

A lot of the characters and symbols are pretty heavy-handed, almost satirical, but I think it works—it actually adds some footholds to Ji-won’s unreliable narration and makes for a fun read. Geoffrey is always an over-the-top activist; George is always an over-the-top racist. Both of them get called out hard, and the book quickly becomes impossible to put down. At about 35% I was totally engrossed and ended up reading the rest in one sitting. Recommended!

Five star read! Brilliant psychological and body horror that was both extremely creepy and provided interesting social commentary. Kept me guessing and I definitely didn't see the ending coming. Ji-won was such a compellingly written character that I found myself rooting for her even as I became more and more horrified by her actions. A truly mind-bending book! Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Book for and ARC copy of this book.
I tried really hard to love this book. I just didn't. I'm not sure if it was the writing style or the story itself. It felt like it took a really long time to get anywhere in this story at all. So much to the point that I actually ended up not even finishing the book. I may go back and try to finish it at some point but I'm doubting I ever will. It wasn't really what I had expected the book to be and while some parts of the book were absolutely gruesome and the author was EXTREMELY detailed about eating eyes and the taste, the feel, and other details I began wondering if the author actually ate eyeballs in real life, aside from the gory details though it just wasn't the kind of story that drew me in and kept me reading to the end.

This was a fantastic horror story! It took a little bit to really get to the horror but once it gets started, it really delivers. I found the main character very engaging and the way in which she deals with the issues around her are....interesting to say the least. I would definitely recommend this to any horror fan!

Wow!this was masterful mama's little psycho. This was so twisted in the best possible way. I totally enjoyed this. I received this as an ARC and voluntarily choose to reveiw. From Netgallery.

Wow. This was incredible. So well written and emotional. I enjoyed the character’s development throughout the story as her life seemingly falls more and more apart. This book deals with a lot of deep issues such as race and traditional gender roles. It explores very specific types of characters that exist in reality such as fake allies. As a horror fan, I loved the gore and horrific components which lended itself so perfectly to the overall story and characters. I’ve already started recommending this, keep an eye out for it when it hits the shelves. Pun intended.

Such an amazing debut from Monika Kim! I’ve been loving literary horror lately and I love how this book NAILED it. Another one also for the unhinged woman genre!

Jiwon, the narrator, is such an interesting character and I love how she made me feel the horror and creepiness of the book. The book also tackled themes on race, gender, and power which makes it thought-provoking.

This book is nasty - and I say that with the utmost respect.

The Eyes Are The Best Part does what other books in the genre have tried to do recently and failed. It crosses that bridge too far, describes in gratuitous detail precisely what's happening, and does it with character development that feels right for the genre that it sits in. We're seeing the innermost of the characters, but only to the extent of what makes them fundamentally concerning.

Unabashedly horror, this book revels in the descriptions of terrible things that it picks up and runs with. I had moments of actual shudders, which at this point in the genre is a difficult thing to manage. I think there's so much that's gone into this book - and while it can be a little bit preachy in places with the message, and a bit over the top on dream sequences.

Additionally - the fake out on the reason behind everything that's happening towards the end is glorious. It does really pull some blindsides late in the game, which I really appreciated as well. I am so looking forward to further horror work from the author - and a very big thank you for the first horror I've enjoyed in a long time!

The Eyes Are the Best Part follows JiWon, a teenager full of resentment on a chase for something more tasty.

The writing, from the start, was impeccable. I found myself pulled in from the very beginning. The language Kim uses to construct the story makes you feel as though you see the words painted clear in your head. From the descriptions of the apartment to the bulbous blue eyes we are haunted with throughout the story, the writing style is one that I don’t think I’ve ever seen replicated before.

The characters are eased into you in a way that makes you feel for them, and even hate them. JiWon is what I want to call an unreliable narrator in some sense— which makes this novel even more enticing. We see every character through her eyes, yet I find myself understanding why she feels that way, and why her mother and sister feel the way they do, too.

I have never sped through a book as fast as I had this, which is rare and I’ve honestly never done this in years. Monika Kim does an amazing portrayal of pulling the reader in, and keeping them there, grasping and hungry to find out more. It kept me wondering what would happen next, unable to predict the plot. This occurred up until the very end. Nonetheless, even though I predicted what would happen, this didn’t make my read any less enjoyable. In fact— it made me like it even more.

If you want a gripping, eerie, and nail biting indicted book for you next read, I highly, highly, highly recommended this book. Even if you don’t want that, still pick it up!

Thank you to NetGalley, Brazen, and Monika Kim for an eArc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this - it's funny and distinctive and gruesome (I read some pages with my eyes half-closed), fast-paced, immaculately plotted, full of beautifully drawn characters and horrifying decisions. A deep, fun strangeness that absolutely makes sense on its own terms, and its narrator's.

3.75 ⭐️ rounded up. This was such an interesting book. I think the first half was focused on set up and commentary while the second half was the action and meat of the plot. I did have some trouble finishing the first half of the book but once I got to the second half i definitely went flying through! It was tense and gritty. I think how the relationships were written is my favorite part. Her relationship with the men in the book are very well written two sides of the same coin. I enjoyed the subtle commentary of her relationship with friends. Overall, I think the commentary and relationships are well written while the plot did not really seem be to be driven until the second half of the book. I still really enjoyed this book and would recommend to others in the future.

Ji-won, a new college student, is having a tough time this year. Her dad bailed, her mom's a mess, and she's barely scraping by in her classes. Then, from stage left, enters a new man with deliciously icy-blue eyes. Can Ji-won hold it together for her mother and younger sister?

Okay, so here's the thing: the girl definitely has some issues, no denying that. But, you know what? You can't help but feel for her. Monika Kim has, unapologetically, written a beautifully flawed character, in Ji-won, we want to root for. Even as the protagonist is displaying some major sociopathic tendencies you kinda just think 'meh' 🤷🏻‍♀️. Her mom and little sis, they feel so real! The author effortlessly blends in their backstories, making me both rage at them and cry for them.

The story moves along the plot at a fairly quick pace; there were a few sections I felt myself skimming over only because, personally, I believe there are only so many ways you can describe seafood. Anyways, I read this in only two sittings--and that's only because I started it during a drive. Not smart.

I am a sucker for neatly-tied-off -loose-ends and Monika Kim really said "Igotchuboo". The author had me on the proverbial edge of my seat (because I was definitely in fact a burrito on the couch) trying to figure out how Ji-won fix everything 👀 I am still over here just like "WITH ONE PHONE CALL?!?!" 😳 #goals

If you're in the mood for a contemporary take on what happens when you mix generational trauma, feminine-rage, and the patriarchy in a sleep-deprived college student...and you don't mind getting a lil messy? Read this!