Eye-Tea G-I-R-L

Feminist Psych Horror, brilliantly done.

A Korean/American girl is fed up with the male gaze, and becomes obsessed with eyes...

Loved it! I don’t want to spoil it for others, so again, loved it!
Looking forward to more from Monika Kim!! Thank you so much for the ARC!

First off, many thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this book as an ARC! I greatly appreciate it!

Ooh, boy, this one was grotesque! And I mean that in the best possible way! You know how people are all about unhinged women and supporting women's wrongs? If that's what you're into, this book is for you! It's a nasty one! It did get a little predictable in a few places, but that might just be a personal problem, since I watch a ton of horror movie and have basically seen it all. It was still super fun to read! All the racism poor (Poor? I don't think that's right) Ji-won experienced was gross, but it made sense to include it within the story. I liked the pacing, too! It was quite quick, with short chapters, which is always a plus for me.

I give The Eyes Are The Best Part five stars out of five! What a great read!

THIS BOOK!!!!!! WOW!

I started it on the 22nd of November and finished it on the 25th...3 days later. Once I started, I couldn't stop (sound familiar? 👀). As this current version of the story is an arc, I will try to keep my review as spoiler free as possible—but, nonetheless, you NEED to experience THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART firsthand to truly understand the rollercoaster ride it is.

Ji-won is an icon. She is angry (rightfully so), methodic (show us how its done girl) and just going through it. Kim has articulately crafted a character who, despite committing morally heinous acts, is so hard not to support. There is a righteousness to her claims, her thirst for power.

The innuendos and metaphors, every delicate detail carved into the fleshy layers of this story are just breathtaking. Reading this felt like being in a fever-dream that I couldn't quite wake up from, and I know it's going to sit in a spot in my mind for a long while to come.

The only reason this one gets 4 stars is because I truly hungered for more. The ending, whilst perfectly satiating, still had me yearning for Ji-won. I wanted to see who she became as she continued to evolve, what happened to her mother and sister, if she truly got away with the crimes she committed; and if her obsession was simply because of what we learn about her, medically, in the last few scenes, or if it's truly a sort of sickness rooted in her forevermore. I wished we could've seen more of her and Alexis; I don't think a story such as this particularly requires that romance to keep it plotting along, but it truly made me happy to see Ji-won with someone who made her feel safe and seen.

All in all, TEATBP is a vicious story demanding to be heard, with characters that will make your heart ache and your blood boil. Definitely pay close attention to the triggers for this one, as it's not for the fainthearted—but it is a very important story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc!

It feels weird saying this, given the subject matter, but I bloody loved this book! What a ride. It gave me the same vibes as the movie AUDITION did back when it came out. I wanted to cover my eyes (literally), but I just couldn't look away. The title and cover give a not-so-subtle nod to the premise, but this debut--by Monika Kim--is also wonderfully layered and thoughtful as it presents grief and trauma in an incredibly visceral way. I can't wait to see what this author does next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for an advanced reader copy.

This was a very engaging read!
I don't think it works all that well as a horror novel. The eye gimmick got old pretty fast, and I was never particularly scared or horrified. As a contemporary literary novel, though, this was very, very solid. I read it in one sitting; it's very quickly paced and easily digestible (no pun intended). The social commentary was also excellent--I definitely read a lot of this book peeking through my fingers because of the intense, audacious levels of cringe from certain characters. I related to the main character--probably more than I'd publicly admit--and I loved how terrible and messy and often tragic she was. I'd definitely read a sequel about her exploits as a serial killer.
Looking forward to whatever this author writes next!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc of this book!

4.25 stars. Incredible and taut. This story is ridden with everything I love. Unreliable narrator,, unhinged woman and eyes….lots and lots of eyes.

This gave me strong The Vegetarian / Night Bitch vibes. The Eyes Are the Best Part reads very smoothly - any disjointedness lends itself to Jiwon's decent into madness. I loved the 'villains' of this read and how they each brought something different to the table.

My first solid read in a while.

This was great! Unfortunately the formatting of the ARC really wasn't compatible with my Kindle. I'm not sure what happened and it made reading incredibly difficult. No fault to the author, though! Such a vibrant voice, full of twists and turns. I'm grateful for the opportunity to read this amazing story in advance.

Move over because The Eyes are the Best Part is about to take 2024 by STORM!

This story follows a close knit Korean family. Featured most prominently is our main character Ji-won who is attempting to balance her school life, her loving sister, and her mother's burgeoning relationship with a despicable rebound. When Ji-won starts developing some rather alarming fantasies, the climax of this novel starts approaching and you'll never guess what happens!

Readers everywhere are going to absolutely devour this book. This book definitely sets off at a blazing pace. The emotional impact is what hooked me first and foremost here. This book delves into grief and relationships in a unique way. The main character always feels somewhat disconnected but the impact is still there. It pulled me in and wouldn't let me go. Also the racism that the characters experience brings some attention to some prevalent major issues in our society and it presents it in a creative way that infuriated me along with the characters!

Another component of this story that I really loved is just how well-written it is. The slow descent into madness caught me off-guard and I knew it was coming! It just was so well done. I loved it. And I think it offers a lot to readers of different genres. Mystery lovers are going to dive into the whodunnit aspect of this, horror lovers are going to squeal with the levels of gore, and thriller lovers are going to be glued to the edge of their seat trying to guess how the ending will play out.

Run, don't walk to pre-order and order your copies of this amazing novel!!

Got this arc for review on netgally. When I saw the cover and blurb I was instantly intruiged and wanted to read it. Its unhinged and brilliant, loved reading about the family and the ending chapters have to be my favorite of the year.

The book is gripping and poignant. It is filled with unexpected twists and sad reality of life. The author has portrayed the life of a Korean-American family, Ji-Won’s mother was harbouring a secret since Ji-won’s father left them alone. She filled her daughters with stories, myths and everything except reality. But Ji-Won has seen her family falling apart and her mother’s pain. But things turns out of to be different. And the unexpected happens in the plot. The ending was a bit scary.

The author has created such a touching backstories. Author has expressed each character’s emotions so well. I loved the part from where the story takes a dark turn and unexpected things happens. The beginning was a bit scary too. I won’t give the spoilers but would highly recommend it.

Thanks to the Publisher, Author, and Netgalley.

Not for the squeamish (though I imagine the lurid cover would scare the timid away!), this book is about a young Korean-American woman unraveling in a particularly gruesome way. I didn't like it as much as I hoped, largely because I found the characterizations either flat or overly stereotypical (the mom's boyfriend). Ultimately for horror novel completionists only.

This was just as unhinged as I hoped for after reading the summary, and it was surprisingly so much more than that.

Ji-won is an 18 year old Korean/American woman trying to keep her family and herself together after the abrupt departure of her father. When her mother starts dating George, a horrible white man with an Asian fetish, Ji-won loses her grip on reality; she develops an insatiable obsession with blue eyes, specifically George's.

It was so interesting to read about Ji-won and her life, her background was so richly detailed. There was some hefty character work in this book and they all felt like truly real people. I really felt for the characters, especially the mom. Monika Kim did an amazing job at infusing every scene with desperation. It was so addicting to read, and the chapters were so deliciously short that I kept saying, "just one more," and then suddenly I was done with the book.

The horror elements were so disturbing. Eye gore is a nasty one for me and I loved/hated the descriptions of Ji-won's eye consumption. There's not a heavy emphasis on gore and each scene involving it was aptly placed. There are a lot of dream scenes, but as Ji-won slowly devolves into madness, you really question the reality of some of the dreams. The true horror is the microaggressions and racism. It was so blood-boiling you just had to root for Ji-won in all her actions.

I can see this being a really hot book when it comes out!

I devoured this with the same fervor Ji-won devours eyes. The author masterfully balances moments of chilling intensity and thoughtful commentary with a poignant through-line focused on family. The pacing is perfect and, especially in the back half of the book, I could not put it down. There are a handful of moments where the reader needs to suspend their disbelief, but in this instance I didn’t mind at all. Another book for my “good for her” shelf!

Like others, I stumbled upon this book's query and first 300 words in a critique forum. Since, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I have been waiting and waiting, and then I saw the book cover reveal, read an excerpt, and figured I just had to shoot my shot for an ARC. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed.

Ji-Won is a deliciously demented protagonist and this story of her unraveling, sparked by the departure of her father for another woman, is so tightly-written. The prose is sparse and so, so assured. No word is misplaced, and it seems every single sentence is constructed with intention. The chapters are relatively short, giving us a fast-paced journey through a meditation on misogyny, cultural fetishization, family dynamics, and female rage. Through all of it, Monika Kim still finds appropriate places to inject humor: a bumper sticker, t-shirts with buzz-phrases (and the person who wears them-a portrait of performative allyship).

While some might argue that dream sequences are overdone (as a general rule), by the time I settled into the book I still found myself on edge, wondering if each scene was a machination of Ji-Won's own psyche or simply the character's reality. I love when a book is able to transport me to a place where I feel like the protagonist's descent is my own. And as someone who contends with recurring dreams/nightmares, the pervasive nature of these scenes hit home for me.

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark will be an obvious comp, and I imagine this book will sit neatly on shelves next to it. For me, this book is better (and I'm an Eliza Clark STAN). THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART has it all: delicious writing that is expertly paced; characters that feel so real that you can imagine yourself sitting in their 700 sq. ft. apartment with them, breathing in all of Umma's cooking and just waiting for George to get what is coming for him.

I can't wait until June 2024. I will be there on release day, hungering for this beautiful book for my shelves!

We follow the protagonist, 18 year old Ji-won Lim, her sister Ji-hyun, her mom “umma” (Korean for mom).
After her dad (appa) suddenly leaves the family, things start falling apart.
Ji-won starts losing grip on reality and the difference between waking and dreaming when her mom starts to date George.
She befriends “nice guy” Geoffrey and Alexis. Just note to all people in general, when a person says they are “nice” they are not. If a person is nice they will show it through their actions.
Alexis is delightful and I kept hoping there would be some romance between her and Ji-won.
The overt racism she experiences as well as well intended micro aggressions, Kim writes really well. I’m getting angry just reading it.
The chapters are super short, which constantly makes you think “well just another one” and poof you’ve finished already. I don’t really read horror that much, but this was absolutely fantastic. It has a gripping story, morally grey characters and great pacing. Will definitely be reading more of her work.
I could see this working as a limited series.

I've been frothing at the mouth for this book ever since it was just a query letter and first 300 words posted for critique on an online forum, and I'm thrilled to report it was just as unhinged and brilliant as I'd hoped. I devoured it (ha) in a sitting. Every element landed for me: the clean prose, the meaty character work, the tragic family drama, the tight plotting, the furious, ferocious treatment of theme. It was a desperate, feral ride with such masterful control of pacing and tension that it left me breathless, as well as screaming at the top of my voice I SUPPORT WOMEN'S WRONGS.

Loved it. Already one of my top releases of 2024. If you liked Eliza Clark's Boy Parts, you'll love this.

Massive thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the eARC!

4.5

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC!:)

Great pacing and execution, had me half-horrified and half-engrossed, unable to look away, loved the writing and build up of the story. I really felt for Jiwon and her family. The only thing is the ending was a bit abrupt and wrapped up in a clever way but required me to suspend my disbelief. Compulsive and enjoyable read!

SPOILERS BELOW




I’m not sure My Sister the Serial killer was the right comp, but the pacing definitely matches. I would’ve liked the friendship / (love?) with Alexis more developed bc their scuffle emerged and was resolved really quickly. The brain tumor bit felt unnecessary? But Jiwons psyche was very interesting

more books like these pls

Darkly funny and viscerally disturbing in all the best ways, THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART should be the next read for any horror-lover out there! Ji-won is an incredible protagonist, and Monika Kim does a wonderful job at bringing the reader along on this gory ride. You never once stop taking Ji-won's side, even when she's doing the most horrific things. Great book!