I don’t have the words to tell you how much I loved this book! It was… horrifying. In the best way possible.

It’s a mark of a truly wonderful author when you, as a reader, can physically feel a characters emotions. And I felt that way with Cora. I understood her anxiety and uncertainty of the future.

I remember being around the 7% mark and just KNOWING that this was going to be a 5 star read for me. And I was right. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book. The themes of violence, racism, mental illness, and grief were very prevalent. I love that the author didn’t shy away from such horrific subject matter.

The pandemic was a really terrifying and uncertain time for all of us, but I know that as a white woman, my experience was very different.

𝐵𝑎𝑡 𝐸𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑂𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑁𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑎 𝑍𝑒𝑛𝑔 is full of body horror, extreme violence, and Asian hate. It was incredibly painful and gruesome to read but also entirely consuming. I read the whole thing in a day and a half. I could NOT put it down, even when it was scaring the heck outta me. There were certain moments that literally made me gasp out loud, and I even cried.

10/10. Absolute perfection.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and MIRA for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is a chilling and evocative thriller/horror novel that masterfully intertwines themes of trauma, cultural identity, and the supernatural against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. The story follows Cora Zeng, a crime scene cleaner in Chinatown, as she navigates a nightmarish reality filled with brutal violence, hungry ghosts, and a haunting personal tragedy.

Cora's life is irrevocably altered after witnessing the horrific murder of her sister, Delilah, who was pushed in front of a train by a man who shouted "bat eater." This event shatters Cora's sense of reality, leaving her haunted by both her inner demons and the physical remnants of the crime scenes she cleans. The novel's exploration of Cora's psychological turmoil is deeply immersive, drawing readers into her struggle to distinguish between reality and hallucination.

Baker's depiction of the pandemic and its accompanying anti-Asian racism is both poignant and timely. The narrative does an excellent job of weaving social commentary into the horror elements, which made me confront the stark realities faced by East Asians during this period. The gritty portrayal of Cora's job and the eerie atmosphere of Chinatown during the Hungry Ghost Festival add layers of authenticity and dread to the story.

The character of Cora is compelling and relatable, her resilience and vulnerability making her journey both heart-wrenching and inspiring. The side characters are equally well-developed, adding depth to the narrative and making Cora's experiences feel even more personal. The novel excels in creating an emotional connection with its characters, making the reader invested in their fates.

The horror elements are skillfully executed, with a perfect balance of psychological tension and supernatural terror. The recurring appearance of bat carcasses and the eerie manifestations of hungry ghosts create an unsettling atmosphere that kept me on edge. Baker's writing is vivid and descriptive, effectively conveying the "ick factor" that horror enthusiasts crave while maintaining a sense of realism and depth.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a beautifully crafted horror novel that stands out for its unique concept and emotionally charged narrative. Kylie Lee Baker has created a haunting tale that not only thrills and terrifies but also offers a profound commentary on cultural identity and the impact of trauma. This novel is a must-read for fans of horror and those who appreciate stories that resonate on both a personal and societal level!

**Review is scheduled to post to my blog on January 27th, 2025!**

What an amazing perspective of the pandemic. This book will or should shake you to your core. Told from the perspective of Cora, an Asian American, you will feel the raw emotions of that population during the Covid pandemic. Told as psychological thriller mystery expertly woven into the fabic of the story, it brings a bright light to the horrific racist actions that escalated during the pandemic. You will not be disappointed. 5 stars.

This read more like a thriller to me than horror. It started with a bang then slowed down. Our girl Cora's job is to clean up crime scenes, and she can't help but notice it's all Asian girls being targeted and the police keeping quiet about it, with the rise of anti- Asian hate and hate crimes.
The way she and other Asian people are treated in this book is honestly disgusting and the sad part is.....things like this really happened/happening. I remember seeing a video on YouTube during the pandemic of a man who grabbed an Asian girl by the hair and just started to kick her, out in the open, on the street. Did anyone stop him? Help her? No. I remember being SO angry about that. That I couldn't help, that someone filmed, that the man got away and worst, that there were witnesses who did NOTHING!
That was/is the reality. There were paranormal elements to this story, with a focus on ghost month, but the real horror was the serial killer on the loose that the cops refused to find. The reality of just how many deaths and the kind of deaths executed WERE horror! And....SPOILER ALERT......




Nobody was brought to justice! 😫
Many didn't get justice irl and I was just wanted the killer(s) to pay! Pressure was put on the cops of NY, but no arrest to corrections were made. In fact, the cops got PAID leave! Like "you didn't do your job, but here is some paid vacation time for your effort" 🤦‍♀️
That bothered me. Cora also didn't do much until the end. Her two friends had more ideas about how to help her and that didn't get them much either.

That being said. Once the serial killer aspect got rolling, the novel got interesting. Wonder a true horror fan would enjoy it 🫣 haha
The poor bats too 😅
All because stereotypes and propaganda are taken to heart for mysterious reasons to me. I don't understand where some people's logic goes when they set blame to ANYONE related or not related to a situation smh
This novel should be a stark reminder of what went down recently. Like Cora said, everyone decided to pretend that nothing happened and move on. But of we don't want to become like the Nazis or Americans of the 1940s and slave era, we need to think critically and seriously remember what we did/didn't do for those who needed our help.

Good story, just wish it had a better ending 🙈

What an absolute wild ride! I knew Kylie Lee Baker would crush adult horror after reading her horror-leaning YA fantasy. This follows Cora who is grieving the racially motivated murder of her sister during the Covid pandemic in NYC. She also has OCD. She was such a compelling character to follow, and the plot of this book was so wild!!! Fantastic read with a lot of important messages about racism and tolerance.

Absolutely superb! Anyone who enjoyed Japanese horror movies in the 2000s will take to this story.

This has been the only work of fiction I’ve read that has successfully incorporated the COVID pandemic into its plot without feeling contrived. The social commentary about anti-Asian racism was poignant and I appreciated the detail that the perspective presented.

This gritty tale follows the perspective of an Asian-American woman who is a crime scene cleaner in the USA during the COVID-19 pandemic, as she deals with the death of her sister, hungry ghosts and possibly a serial killer. Totally did not expect this book to be the emotionally charged ride that it turned out to be. I loved our protagonist Cora and all the side characters. This book makes to connect to its characters, making the journey even more personal and heartbreaking.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a COVID based horror novel with themes of racism, classism, greif, mental illness, and Chinese folk horror (hungry ghosts, and July was the perfect time to read this ARC!). This book is SO GOOD!! I usually do not like books based around COVID, but this one used the isolation experienced by Asian Americans to highlight the racism throughout the US, and New York City, in particular, during the first year of COVID lock downs. It’s got ghosts, a serial killer, and terrifying imagery! I gave this book 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 and will definitely be buying a physical copy for my shelves! 🖤

This book is entertaining, heartbreaking, and captures what it must have been like living in a big city during the beginning times of the pandemic.

Read this if you like:
• ghosts 👻
• serial killer mysteries 🔪
• Chinese folk horror

This book publishes January 28, 2025!

Huge thank you to @netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

Another book in the recent trend of social horrors in the vein of Jordan Peele, Baker tackles the (now somewhat forgotten) anti-Asian sentiment at the height of the covid 19 pandemic. It was, to be quite honest, a tough read for me, but in a good way; I don't think a book like this would have been very effective or well-written if it DIDN'T feel gruesome to read. Incredible work about a tumultuous period that's been all but swept under the rug

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng" by Kylie Lee Baker is a gripping and terrifying novel that blends horror with themes of racism, trauma, and grief. Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, this book follows Cora Zeng, a biracial Chinese American crime scene cleaner grappling with the traumatic loss of her sister, Delilah, to a hate crime. Even though I am someone who mainly reads YA (adult horror can sometimes be a bit too much for me), I couldn’t stop myself from requesting this book because of the title, cover, and synopsis. I just knew this book was going to blow me away, not only because of those factors but also because I have read Baker’s YA “The Scarlet Alchemist,” and I absolutely fell in love with her writing. This book definitely did not disappoint!

The book opens with a shocking scene where Cora and Delilah are waiting for a subway. A white man calls Delilah "bat eater" and pushes her onto the tracks, killing her instantly. This tragic event sets the tone for the novel, highlighting the harsh realities of racism and the impact of the pandemic on the Asian American community. The twist at the end of the book truly shows the racism against the Asian American community and how some people are willing to sweep everything under the rug.

Cora, a germaphobe dealing with obsessive-compulsive tendencies, is haunted not just by the memory of her sister's death but by Delilah's hungry ghost, a concept rooted in Chinese folklore. The supernatural elements are seamlessly intertwined with the very real and visceral horror of Cora's day-to-day life, cleaning up crime scenes predominantly involving young Asian American women targeted by a serial killer. The killer's signature—leaving mutilated bats at the scenes—adds a chilling layer to the story. The concept of hungry ghosts is something I’ve never come across before, and the hungry ghosts were so unique, both with their appearances as well as their actions. The hungry ghosts added so much creepiness to the book because they not only appear in the shadows at night but also in the daytime. I also really liked how the horror and the mystery aspects intertwined throughout the book.

Baker does not shy away from the gruesome details, delivering scenes that are stomach-churning and heart-throbbing. The horror is not just in the supernatural elements but also in the stark depiction of racism and its brutal consequences. There were also some unexpected deaths in this book that definitely shocked me. There is definitely a lot of gore throughout this book and some descriptions were hard to read, so you should definitely be aware of this before going into the book.

Cora's journey is supported by her coworkers, Harvey and Yi Fei, who become her close confidants and partners in their mission to help Delilah's spirit find peace and to catch the serial killer. Their unconventional bond and the lighter moments they share provide a much-needed respite from the novel's relentless tension. Their camaraderie and the depiction of found family amidst chaos are beautifully portrayed.

Overall, this book is a powerful and thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. While it is not for the faint of heart, it is a must-read for fans of horror and those interested in exploring the darker aspects of human experience.

I’m iffy on how to rate this book because there were some aspects of this book that I liked and some that I didn’t entirely enjoy. I liked the horror elements towards the end of the book. I found the “horror” aspect of this book to be like horror movies where majority of the horror scenes were thrown during the last thirty minutes of the movie. Not going to lie, the washing machine scene and the bed scene were insane. I also liked how the book focused on OCD and advocated against the Asian American hate and the slurs that were thrown at East Asians- especially during the COVID era.

What I didn’t enjoy was the pacing of this book. I thought the first half of the story was boring. The ghost storyline had potential but the execution of it didn’t impress me that much. Also, this is based on preferences but I didn’t entirely enjoy Cora’s character. She seemed too bland for a fmc and it was probably done intentionally because her character centered on her being a shadow to her sister, but she didn’t stick out to me much.

Lastly, thank you to Netgalley, the author, and to whoever was involved in making me receive a free arc in exchange for an honest review!

I am floored. This is exactly how horror novels should be written! Cora's story is gory, unforgiving, downright horrific at times, and hits so close to home for me as a Chinese American. I loved the combination of Chinese folklore, a mysterious serial killer on the loose, and the stark, realistic depiction of anti-Asian hate crimes amidst the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York.

Every character was written exquisitely. The author crafted such a distinct and true-to-life main character with Cora Zeng; her mental health struggles, her tenuous relationship with her family, and her challenges in figuring out who she really is after her sister's murder felt very raw and real. Seeing her growth is where this book shines for me, particularly at the end when she unleashes her anger and yells at a white man that she is a bat eater and everything else he is afraid of. I also adored the clean-up crew trio of Cora, Harvey, and Yifei, and how they all harbored complicated and traumatizing pasts but found solace in their friendship.

Furthermore, the pacing was so well-executed that I felt there wasn't a single wasted moment. It truly felt like I was watching a horror movie, lulling me with perfectly-placed pockets of levity and safety before Cora was plunged into another tense, frightening situation. Some parts may have been slower, but each build-up felt purposeful in unveiling more details about hungry ghosts and the murders, culminating in a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, Kylie Lee Baker's prose is impressive, immersive, and thought-provoking. Even her author's note at the end is articulate in acknowledging how "there is no justice for Asian Americans without justice for all BIPOC" and that we must acknowledge the danger of white supremacy and systemic racism. While this was my first book from her, it won't be my last by a long shot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I got approved for the arc of this novel. The cover is beautiful and the concept behind this book is EXTREMELY relatable being someone who is Chinese herself. I have experienced the Anti- Asian hate crimes that were caused by the pandemic that the main character in this book also goes through. Thank you to the author's note that expresses this frustration.

I have read both The Scarlet Alchemist and its sequel and immensely enjoyed it. I was intrigued to see how the author would tackle horror. She did give us a taste of horror in her last fantasy novel. Those of you who have read it would know.

The book was both scary and addicting to read. There is quite a bit of body horror in here. Being someone who cannot even watch horror movies, I was sucked into this world every time I opened the book. There is a mystery involving a killer in this book that the main character Cora is trying to solve and she is joined by her friends/co workers Harvey and YiFei. I love the relationship between these three people. Their interactions throughout the book were some of the lighter moments.

Cora is a complex main character who is dealing with a lot of emotions. Sometimes she cannot express those emotions into words and communicate that to others. I found her very relatable at times. There were a few plot points in this novel that shocked me. The author does not hold back. I gasped when I came across a certain part.

The author's writing is as good as I remember it from The Scarlet Alchemist and it's so easy to read. I am excited to read the author's future works and I would recommend this to people who enjoy reading horror or someone who wants to read something different.

I will update this one soon after I finish processing this book. The book cover and initial premise drew me to request the book, and I absolutely dove right in. I definitely think it's worth checking out and I recommend this read! :)

In the wake of her sisters brutal murder during the early days of the pandemic, Cora Zeng becomes a crime scene cleaner. While cleaning up after one particular murder of a young Asian woman, Cora finds dead bats in the drain and the vents. At many of her next scenes she finds more dead bats accompanying the remains of young Asian women. Meanwhile, Cora is shirking her cultural responsibilities during Ghost Month and not honoring her dead sister. As the month goes on, reality begins to blur and Cora wonders if the ghosts really are there.


Kylie Lee Baker truly is a great story teller. You can viscerally feel Cora’s fear throughout the book. I wish we got a bit more background on the family situation with Cora’s parents/Delilahs parents though. The ending felt a little unresolved too with the final two deaths.

I really wanted to read this book after reading “The Scarlet Alchemist”. In the Scarlet Alchemist I really enjoyed the dark side of the story so I was expecting this book to be even better with the horror! And it definitely was! This book had crime scene cleaners, ghosts, and a killer so I was hooked in the beginning.

As I kept reading though, the pace was just very slow for me and Cora’s personality was very detached. I really loved the plot in the beginning but I was definitely expecting a different ending. Even though this book played out differently than I anticipated, I really enjoyed reading it. The book is in 3rd person, but I actually liked that and the writing was good. I just wish it had a faster pace.

The side characters in this story, Yifei and Harvey, were really interesting. I loved how Cora became close to them and I loved reading their adventures together in such a shitty work environment. As someone who went to school for Forensic Science, I really really loved the crime scene cleaners aspect of this book and reading about all the horrible stories through Cora’s perspective. It’s definitely dark.

The authors perspective of the Covid pandemic was also very eye opening because I heard about all of the hate towards Asians during this time but having this perspective gave me more insight into how people were treated on a daily basis because of Covid and the Sinophobia that people had.

So overall, I enjoyed reading this book but it is not my favorite work of the author. I gave this book 3.5 stars 🌟 but I would definitely read it again! I do think this book had a lot of great horror elements and a new perspective on the pandemic through Cora’s life as a crime scene cleaner. The ending definitely surprised me (I won’t spoil it) but I would love to keep reading more books from this author!

Thank you to the author & Netgalley for the ARC!

First, shout-out to NetGalley for the Advance Read of this title.

This book started with wild action and never gave up. Every time we'd hit a slight lull, the book would take off again.

<spoiler>it starts with Cora's sister being decapitated by a train in NYC, falls into mysterious/paranormal activity that made me wonder if Cora was actually seeing these things or if she was hallucinating. I've read too many thrillers where it's gone one way or another</spoiler>

Was this a dark book in general? Yes. But the topic is also dark. And venturing back and reliving it was dark. But Baker does an amazing job capturing the fear as an Asian in America. She strikes the tone perfectly about fears about COVID as a whole. She nails the feelings and I was right back there in 2020.

I remember the man who rushed me while I was out on a hike because I am Asian. I remember the racist comments, even the ones not directed at me but still put out into the universe. I remember how it felt. I remember going to NYC for a friend's wedding right after so many news reports about violence against Asians on the subways and in the streets. I was absolutely terrified. Baker perfectly captured that experience with not only its fear, but it's heartbreak about the only place that I have ever called home.

I also love the call to action at the end. This isn't about Asians vs the world, there are many who have paved the way, the way this country operates on blame is still erroneous, and we must move and work together to fix it.

I would definitely read more Kylie Lee Baker. Her writing feels real, even with the ghosts. They are tangible in this title ans I love their inclusion in this writing. I don't know that I would buy it for my personal collection, given its darker nature, but this is definitely a deep book with experience behind its writing.

“But Cora knows that the face of fear is not an abstract what-if. Fear is born in the after, when the world peels back its skin and shows you its raw, pulsing innards, when it forces you to remember its name. Anyone who has seen the face of fear knows you should damn well be afraid.”

There’s potentially a serial killer on the loose in New York City – targeting East Asian women and leaving bats at the crime scene. Cora Zeng cleans up the scenes of these crimes for a living. While Cora is a germaphobe, the sight of all the blood and gore at work doesn’t bother her. It actually pales in comparison to the horror Cora experienced at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when she witnessed a man shove her sister Delilah in front of an oncoming train. The only two words the man shouted before fleeing the scene were “bat eater.”

Cora doesn’t want to think about the connection between her sister’s death and the murder scenes she sees at work everyday. In fact, she tries to ignore thinking about Delilah altogether. But when a hungry ghost starts to haunt Cora, she realizes that it’s probably a bad idea to ignore the desires of the dead.

This book was seriously so good. Kylie Lee Baker did a fantastic job at crafting a fully fleshed out main character. Cora Zeng had fears, flaws, intrusive thoughts, and an incredibly well-defined voice. Being firmly rooted in Cora’s head immersed me in the horror of the novel in a way I have rarely experienced before. I felt like I could genuinely feel the fear that Cora felt during the tensest moments of the plot. I was on the edge of my seat for every single page, biting my nails, my heart racing as I waited to see what would happen next. As a horror fan, I can firmly say that this is the best horror novel that I have read in years.

Another thing I really appreciated about this novel was its discussion of the xenophobia and rise in anti-Asian hate crimes that occurred around the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In my opinion, the best horror is always rooted in reality – the fact that moments in this novel mirrored moments from the recent past made the reading experience all that more unsettling.

I cannot wait for this book to be published so I can buy myself a physical copy. There were so many quotes in this that I highlighted, and I know there are so many scenes that will stick with me for a very long time.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A review was posted on my Goodreads account on 6/15/24.
An Instagram grid post will feature this book on 6/16/24.

Wow, wow, wow. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is definitely in my top 5 books of 2024 because what a ride this book was. Kyle Lee Baker has written a book with gore that managed to unsettle me and also comfort me. Funny how horror often does this.

The titular Cora Zeng is a twenty-four-year-old Chinese-American and the book takes place during the pandemic, which was not a fun time to be Asian let alone specifically Chinese. It’s made even worse for Cora, who suffers from a debilitating need to clean along with general anxiety. Luckily, her sister, Delilah, is always there for her. Until the day when a man pushes Delilah into a subway train after calling her a “bat eater.” A horrific series of serial killings comes to Cora’s attention soon after as well as a series of hauntings.

In the author note, Lee Baker thanks her editor, who called the first chapter of the manuscript “brilliant” and it really is. Somehow, I forgot that Delilah is pushed, but even if I had remembered, I doubt the horror of it would’ve changed that much. The fact that subways are the sites of so many violent incidents in New York City adds to the visceral description we get.

There’s also the shock from the fact that anyone would do this, and for what? Because someone who looked different was thought of as so subhuman or other in the perpetrator’s head? These are the horrors that Lee Baker captures and her ghosts and killer reflect them perfectly. I’m sure some readers won’t click as much with the book because the themes are very direct to the point of maybe being ham-fisted.

However, I think this book is the equivalent of “STFU!” by Rina Sawayama. It’s very clear what the intent is and seeing it so clearly from the first chapter doesn’t detract from its power. I felt like Lee Baker dipped into what it was like to be a Chinese American woman in NYC during the pandemic (check on all those boxes for me) on such an intimate level and she also managed to address the way racism and xenophobia continue to haunt all people of color. That a system that fails one group of people in one way fails us all.

Cora starts with so much fear at the beginning of the book, but her character arc was satisfying to me. I appreciate that Lee Baker captured the nuances of code switching, anxiety and self-loathing, and the difficult decisions we make to survive, even when it means sacrificing our dignity. One of my favorite things is seeing a fearful character being able to fully get angry. Cora gets this moment and more, and I love that she grew in multiple ways.

I also loved her relationship with two coworkers turned friends, Harvey and Yifei. Yifei in particular was amazing and I wish we had a second book with her. While I do think the background dumping done for these characters came truly out of nowhere and was one block of text monologue basically, their chemistry won me over.

I don’t want to spoil and say too much about the serial killings themselves but, wow. Definitely check content warnings.

Overall, Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is an incredible book that you should pick up. I’m running to get a copy as soon as I can in 2025 and I really hope Lee Baker continues writing this powerfully and continues with horror if she wants to.

Thanks to NetGalley and MIRA for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This review will be published on my blog (clearsummers.wordpress.com) and Goodreads on January 14, 2025. It will be published on Amazon on the pub date.

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: horror, contemporary horror, ghost stories

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 5/21, my review blog as of 6/11, and will be posted to Instagram 6/25.

TW racism/Sinophobia, covid, murder/gore

I wasn't totally sure what to expect coming into this book, but it is 100% a horror book. Not fantasy horror, horror...and I actually really liked it! While it is straightforward horror, I was invested in the story and the ghosts, and trying to figure out how the ghosts fit in with the other (arguably far scarier) stuff that was going on in the story.

Cora's story and the other murders go hand-in-hand. Cora's sister is murdered in the first chapter, and then time flashes forward to when Cora has already been working as a crime scene cleaner for a bit. As the story progresses, and the ghost(s) become more prevalent, Cora's journey of healing ties in with what's going on around the city and her journey of trying to figure out that mystery.

While this is a horror story, I liked seeing Cora make friends and start to come out of her shell a little. Even before Delilah's murder, Cora hadn't had the smoothest childhood, and even as an adult she deals with OCD. As a result, she has a tenuous relationship with her family members and almost no friends to speak of. Yifei and Harvey are pretty different people, and different from Cora, but somehow the three of them make sense together and I liked the budding friendship they form as they try to figure out how to satisfy Delilah's ghost. Yifei turns out to be a big asset since she's dealt with ghosts before, and while Harvey has seen one before, he has little experience with returning one from whence it came.

I liked Cora as a narrator and thought she had some interesting perspectives on things. As mentioned, she has a tenuous relationship with her family, on both her mom and dad's side, and so she's clung to Delilah for most of her life, resulting in Cora feeling as if she's not her own person (though she admittedly doesn't seem bothered by this). Part of Cora's story in this book is not only healing and coming to terms with some things, it's also about finding her own identity and connections. As the story progresses, Cora becomes friends with Yifei and Harvey, and she also becomes closer with her aunt on her dad's side. By the time the story ends, she may still not know exactly what she wants, but she feels more solid to herself and is eager to find her place.

I don't read a lot of horror, especially when it's not fantasy horror, so I found the ghost element interesting. The ghost can only come out in dark spaces, such as when the lights are off or in the dark crack between your closet door and the floor. I thought that was an interesting feature, and I second Cora's question of whether the ghost is gone or just invisible. The Hungry Ghost Festival also plays a big part in the ghost storyline and Cora's resistance to it, then slow acceptance follows the intensity of her ghostly encounters.

And as if being haunted isn't enough, East Asian women are also being brutally murdered around the city. Cora tries to chalk it up to coincidence at first, but as the crime scenes build and the pattern becomes more obvious, she's forced to acknowledge that something dark is afoot. Cora becomes invested in figuring out who is murdering these women, and Yifei and Harvey are on board with her plan, both also increasingly fed up with how the murders are being ignored/covered up (Yifei especially). This takes them down a twisty road that threatens to be even more dangerous than being haunted by a hungry ghost.

Related to the murders, and the book in general, is racism, and particularly the Sinophobia that reared its head during the covid pandemic. Delilah was murdered by it, as were the other women, and Cora deals with both subtle and overt forms of it throughout the book, from being told she scares people because she might carry covid to having someone spit in her face. We also see it with Yifei, whose roommate automatically assumed she didn't speak English. As Cora heals and develops in the book, she also gets angry and begins to want justice for the discriminations, both small and big, that have been piling up.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book and actually didn't find myself too freaked out by the horror elements (the ghosts and murders are definitely creepy though). I enjoyed reading Cora's story and seeing as she finds her footing in her life after everything that's happened. I'm going to be honest, I usually don't think the pandemic affected me very much (aside from not being able to watch TV shows set during the pandemic that actually acknowledge it exists), but I did get a little teary-eyed reading the Author's Note at the end.