a grotesque meditation on the fetishization of asian women in western culture, complete with a gross-out climax that made me cringe. would’ve preferred a little more character development in our secondary cast, but had so much fun with this one.

The Eyes Are the Best Part
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Author: Monika Kim

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Kensington and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

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.

My Thoughts: This was a creative take on horror. A more subversive, intense, creative storyline about a woman and her family, our protagonist is absolutely unraveling when her fantasy world and realistic world collides. A poignant family falls apart, they feel so broken, and must scrape against the ashes to rise again as a family. A Korean-American immigration reflection flared with horror that is nightmarish. Ji-won awakes in the middle of her parents split, her father (Appa) has left after an affair, and has left her mother (Umma) distraught. As her mother begins to heal, she starts a relationship with George, who is obnoxious and annoying, his eyes, blue-piercing, is all she sees in her nightmares that start to bleed over into reality. Ji-won is unable to control her anger/rage and it boils over into her relationships, her school life, and even her family life. Towards the end, she really has a hard time depicting between what is in her head and what is in front of her. Will Ji-won become a serial killer, or will it all stay fantasy for her? Will this new relationship her mother is harvesting blur the lines?

The story is narrated by our protagonist, Ji-won, in her POV. Ji-won was supposed to go to college with her high school friends, but did not get accepted into that college. She is left alone to navigate local college and has to start over essentially. Our supporting characters of Alexis and Geoffrey really shines through and brings another element to this story. The characters were well developed with depth, mystery, palpable tension, and were intriguing. The author’s writing style was complex, multifaceted, twisty, captivating, and compelling. The author does more than create a horror novel, Kim has touched on some sensitive topics, such as racism, misogyny, cultural expectations, and hypersexualism. The story has some well created twists just at the right time for maximum effect. The ending is pretty brilliant.

TW: cannibalism, racism, misogyny, depression, gore, violence, and child abandonment. This is a slow burn mystery with some twists, some were unpredictable, while others were not. The story is weird, compelling, dark, disturbing, and captivating. I did not want to delve too much into the plot as it would give away the best of the storyline. I think if you can go into this one blind with the only expectation being you will be entertained, that would be the best reading experience. I would recommend this book to other readers, especially anyone who loves body gore mixed with horror flare.

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

This story is about Ji-Won, a college age Korean-American girl whose parents separate at the beginning of the book. Her mother is a sweet but naive older woman who begins dating a white man that fetishizes asian women.
While these changes are occurring in Ji-Won's life, she forms an obsession with consuming blue eyeballs.

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. The eye horror was incredible. It wasn't overdone, it wasn't masterfully sprinkled in just enough to leave you wanting more.

This book is wild and I read it one go :0 what else could I ask for in a serial killer novel.

Huge thanks to the publisher for the NetGalley arc!

Wonderfully grotesque and a delightful new voice to horror, The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim is a disgustingly beautiful work. True female villains are often under-utilized, and I loved that Kim brought one to the table. Eye horror happens to be one of the things that squicks me out the most, but I tore through every page of this book. I'm also a forensic psych student who specializes in women with empathy interruptions, so following the making of a female serial killer, who are often forgotten in both studies and reports, was a fascinating premise that lived up to the hype. I'm also a fan of social horror, which was woven into the book with a strong voice without sacrificing the gore. In short, this book was everything I was hoping Maevefly would be. Thank you for Kensington Books for providing a review copy.

This book was truly fascinating.

While we all can admit we can be easily fascinated with serial killer stories, they tend to be about men already in the throes of their crimes.

This felt like a truly original take on the making of a female serial killer. We got to see family dynamics, cultural backgrounds, and the way emotions shifted drastically.

The way Ji-won fixated on certain aspects within her tumultuous life and became obsessed with eyeballs was really something. I found myself drawn to the story and finished it in one sitting.

Thank you NetGalley and Erewhon Books for gifting me this ARC. I enjoyed it and will be looking forward to more books by Monika Kim in the future.

4.5 Stars

A novel exploring the makings of a female serial killer, “The Eyes Are the Best Part” follows Ji-won as she navigates the difficulties of her freshman year of college and her broken homelife.

This novel manages to pull off a lot in under 300 pages. At times the set up can seem slow, but the payoff when all those simmering feelings explode is so good. Ji-won’s descent into madness seems to be awakened when she eats her first fisheye, but as the novel progresses you learn about questionable mistakes she’s made in her past and how she tends to blame everything on a supposed family curse. Despite Ji-won’s disturbed mind, you can’t help but root for her. The men in her life are absolutely terrible and you want every bad thing they have coming to happen.

There is also a lot of commentary on race, immigration, generational trauma, gender roles, and more. This book is so deep without sacrificing the gory and entertaining bits. This is a must-read for any fan of the horror genre.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In The Eyes Are the Best Part, Ji-Won is confronted with a family that is falling apart. Her father has found a new love and her mother is left in pieces, heartbroken (but with the continued hope that he will return). Until she meets a new boyfriend: George, a racist and misogynist man who soon moves in with Ji-Won, her sister and mother. At the same time, Ji-Won increasingly has strange dreams and visions about eyes in the same icy shade of blue as George's. This story derails into a fever dream in which Ji-Won tries to balance a social life, her studies and at the same time suppress her persistent anger and hunger while more and more victims are falling around the campus.
A pretty gruesome book, which for me was a bit too long. In any case, it is worth reading to the end!

I think the premise of this was fascinating but it did not quite work for me. I liked the ominous sense of the writing and love the cover design, but think it would've been more successful to me if the pacing was faster. The main character had a tone that I struggled to connect with. It was hard for me to relate to her in a way that made me want to keep hanging out with her thoughts. I'm approaching 40 and think this would've been much more of a hit for me a few years ago in my life.

Wow! I could not put down this slow burn thriller! The author uses masterful storytelling to weave undertones of sexism, fetishization, and emotional abuse into this serial killer bildungsroman. Kim did such a great job of portraying the helplessness that so many women feel in the face of harassment and the pressure of social norms that favor men. As the plot builds momentum, it's difficult to decide who truly deserves the reader's sympathy. I would recommend this book to my feminist ladies, my women's lit patrons, and certainly for a fun book club discussion! I think the novel will be too slow moving for my mass market thriller patrons. 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars.

They say “Revenge is a dish best served cold” now you can add, “but The Eyes Are the Best Part”.
Love a serial~ish~ killer, unreliable narration, and pure female rage.

“The eyes are the best part” is a bloody-good book that makes note of the commonplace fetishization of people of Asian origin. Ji-won exemplifies a character who’s had enough of everyone else’s shit and is willing to take matters into her own hands. Overall, I think this is a very interesting read, even though there were certain areas that could have benefitted from being more fleshed out. A solid 3/5 read.

The Eyes Are The Best Part
By: Monika Kim
Publish Date: June 25, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and the author, Monika Kim, for the advanced copy of The Eyes Are The Best Part.

Have you ever wondered what fish eye would taste like? It is a delicacy and offered to the guest of honor in some cultures. Fish eyes contain a unique taste that can be quite intriguing once consumed.

Ji-won's parents have divorced and she lives with her mother and sister while they try to cope with their father leaving suddenly to begin a new family. Ji-won's mother typically eats the fish eyes and encourages her daughters to try, just once. Grossed out, Ji-won and her sister say no every time. One evening Ji-won's mom is upset over her father, so Ji-won decides she will show her growth and maturity by tasting the eyeball. After thàt moment, Ji-won becomes obssessed with eyeballs, especially the blue eyes of her mothers new boyfriend. But, since are they off limits, Ji-won tries to live a normal teenage life while harboring this unusal obsession. The problem is, in order to enjoy a human eyeball, the person must die. This doesnt stop Ji-won from getting what she wants....

This book was equally gross as it was intriguing.

Congratulations, you've been invited as the guest of honor! So, grab your plate and fork, and take a seat at the table for dinner! If you looking for a bit of a shock, psychological roller coaster and drama this book is for you! I recommend it for these reasons, you wont be disappointed!

THIS BOOK WAS CRAZYYYYY....

The imagery and the detail that this author portrays was fascinating to me and added such a wonderful horror and disturbingness that could not be beat.

The only thing I wish was that there was a little more gore.... I know that sounds horrible, but I really wanted to experience the true spiral that this main character went down and it was only half the way there.

Other than that this book was fascinating and I would love to read more from this author.

If you’re squeamish about eyes…don’t read this. This book starts out a little slow then goes full freaking throttle. We learn about Ji-won, her sister and her mother’s relationships, everyday struggles and how to deal with the men in their lives. I’m allll about a woman getting revenge and Ji-won sure AF gets revenge. I loved the weirdness, the serial killer elements and the overall chaos of this book. I’m obsessed and definitely recommend for anyone who wants to go on a wild ride

The Eyes Are the Best Part was so much fun. It was gross and it was relatable and it was quick. The main character had such a distinct voice and I was always shocked by her actions but not surprised. The characterization was great and the audiobook narration was even better. I highly recommend this book to experienced horror readers and new horror readers alike. Some scenes were gross but some scenes were just written wonderfully. Definitely worth the read.

A peek into the tumultuous period in Korean American Ji-won's life as she experiences her mother deal with the end of her marriage and the subsequent whirlwind romance between her mother and a misogynistic pig named George. Going in without expectations, I found this to be a fresh and engaging psychological horror with bits of girlhood realism, humorous quips and graphic nightmares. With the integrated social commentary focused around Asian-American fetishization and misogyny, that's where I found a lot of value in the writing when the horror aspect wasn't living up to what I had hoped. Overall, a good read and I enjoyed it.

**4 out of 5 Star Review: The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim**

I had high hopes going into *The Eyes Are the Best Part*, and I’m happy to say that it did not disappoint. Monika Kim delivers a gripping and unsettling exploration of themes like race, misogyny, trauma, and obsession, all through the lens of a protagonist who is as compelling as she is morally complex.

**Thoughts:**
This book takes you on a rollercoaster ride through the mind of Ji-won, a character who is unapologetically flawed yet incredibly relatable. As someone who has always had a soft spot for stories about unhinged women seeking revenge, I found myself glued to the pages, eagerly following Ji-won’s descent into madness. Kim’s writing is both sharp and haunting, making this a total page-turner.

What really stands out in this novel is how it handles the difficult subjects it tackles. The exploration of family trauma and the pressures of being an elder sibling, particularly in the context of Asian womanhood, is raw and poignant. Kim does a fantastic job of weaving these heavy themes into a narrative that’s both emotionally resonant and thrilling. Ji-won’s journey is messy and painful, but it’s also incredibly human, which made me root for her even when her actions were morally questionable.

The book is not without its gruesome moments, and fans of horror that doesn’t shy away from the grotesque will find plenty to love here. But it’s the psychological depth and the emotional weight of Ji-won’s story that truly sets this book apart.

While *The Eyes Are the Best Part* didn’t quite hit the five-star mark for me, it’s a powerful debut that leaves a lasting impression. If you enjoy dark, character-driven narratives that delve into the complexities of trauma and identity, this book is definitely worth picking up.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing, Erewhon, and NetGalley for the ARC. I can’t wait to see what Monika Kim writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

90/100 or 4.5 stars

This was a wild ride, and I loved it. There were only a few things that brought it down to a 4.5 instaead of a full 5.0 star, but this was a great time and I will definitely check out other works by this author!

Monika Kim’s bold, brutal novel The Eyes Are the Best Part sears with feminine rage and unflinching body horror.

Ji-won is not the perfect first-generation American daughter. She is friendless, average in academics, and lacks the intuitive emotional intelligence of her little sister, Ji-hyun, a quality that their mother claims makes the youngest more Korean. Reeling from the abrupt departure of Ji-won’s father, the women teeter on financial and emotional ruin. In an attempt to cheer up her mother, Ji-won eats a fish eye for the first time—a symbol of good luck. But it awakens an unnatural appetite within her, fueling her mental unraveling. She is left with one obsession: bright blue eyeballs.

Though her coping methods are gruesome, Ji-won has reasons to be angry. Her mother’s new boyfriend is a piggish white man who crashes into their lives with a fetishistic desire for Asian women. Her grades at college are slipping. The possessiveness of her pseudofeminist classmate becomes menacing. Again and again, misogyny and racism pursue her. And all this rage needs somewhere to land.

The world’s assumption that Ji-won is docile makes for good cover as she gives in to her violent impulses, directing them at men in her family and outside of it. In a moment of self-aware disgust, she asks, “Is this what it takes to make our fathers return to us?” Not all of the twists are shocking, but the intensity of Ji-won’s perspective carries the story to satisfying ends, cutting to her red-hot center and daring voyeurs to look away.

The novel The Eyes Are the Best Part bites a chunk out of the horrors of being young and marginalized, licking its lips all the while.