There were so many aspects of Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng that made this book so enjoyable for me.

There is grief, ghosts, folklore, a group of lovable misfits with an insanely intriguing job. I felt a wide range of emotions reading this, sorrow, empathy, pure rage and even brief moments that made me cackle. I really thought this was a beautiful, heartbreaking story, and several weeks later I still think about it. I listened to this on audio, Natalie Naudus did an amazing job with it. This was my first read from Kylie Lee Baker, I immediately need more. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng published earlier this week and is going to be in my top faves for the year. Thanks to MIRA and The Hive for my advanced audiobook! 🖤

This is a review of the audiobook.

Happy pub day to Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by @kylieleebaker

NO NOTES! A five star read for me! In hungry ghost fashion I devoured this book! It drew me in from the very first page. This book was the perfect mixture of a horror story and important messages.

Let’s start with the horror. I really enjoyed this ghost story. Bakers writing did a great job bringing the words off the page. As I read late into the night I felt as though I could see the story happening all around me. I love when a book makes you feel like you are right there with the characters. I really enjoyed being creeped out by the different ghost encounters while also getting my true crime fix from the different crime scene clean ups. Also THE FEAST scene I had my jaw to the floor while reading and then disturbingly enough also got a good laugh. IYKYK. Although the ending left me feeling sad, I was content with how Baker wrapped everything up and didn’t leave me with feeling like I was without closure after connecting with the characters.

Now on to the importance of this great book. Kylie Lee Baker did a fantastic job creating a story line that not only showed paranormal horrors, but also the real life horrors Asian Americans face everyday and especially during the pandemic. Her writing was able to elicit so many emotions from me as a reader. I was angry, hurt and sad for Cora and the other characters as I read. I laughed with them, cried with them and it was a great way to see into the lives of someone different than myself. I live my life by trying to always be kind to everyone I come across each day and to teach my children the importance of kindness even when someone isn’t the same as they are. I think it’s a character trait that so many people today lack and I believe it’s important to keep writing and reading stories like this to see what’s outside your own bubble. Always be kind because you never know what someone else is going through.

I encourage everyone who reads this book to also read the authors note because it’s really meaningful and important.

Let me start with, if you love supernatural horror with gory elements then absolutely read this book it is amazing and incredible and will absolutely meet your expectations. With that said, there are so many human elements that are so beautifully represented in this book, that it makes it not only a great horror novel, but also a piece of social commentary. The representation of the Asian American experience during Covid was compelling and emotional. The representation of contamination OCD, which I happen to also suffer from, was phenomenal. I have never seen someone so accurately portray the things I deal with and struggle with, while I’m just trying to be a normal person who can function in society like anyone else. All and all the social commentary elements along with Kylie’s ability to stay true to the horror elements and giving them a constant presence throughout the book made this a hands down 5 star read for me.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng was an incredibly compelling horror novel that combined supernatural Chinese lore, gore, and real world fears of racism. I am not typically one to enjoy a pandemic novel (especially about COVID-19), but Baker wrote something so exquisite that this has become a very rare exception for me. This book had many layers that were effortlessly balanced. We follow Cora, a crime scene cleaner who is grappling with the grief from losing her sister and struggling with her identity as a biracial Chinese-American. Baker did an amazing job of getting the reader to feel the gamut of emotions that Cora has been experiencing which made for a visceral read. I couldn't help but root for Cora and feel connected to her struggle (which is dangerous territory in a horror novel). This is definitely not the easiest read, but a crucial one as it highlights human depravity and the violence that stems from fear and bigotry.

The social commentary in this book regarding Covid-19, the blatant racism and xenophobia is intense and necessary, especislly in a world still reeling from the aftermath of the pandemic; the way it explores death and grief is raw and real. This book is both horrifying and brutal but also necessary. A truly phenomenal read that will stick with readers.

𝘽𝙖𝙩 𝙀𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙉𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘾𝙤𝙧𝙖 𝙕𝙚𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙮 𝙆𝙮𝙡𝙞𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙚 𝘽𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙧 is set in New York during the early days of the pandemic. It follows Cora, a biracial Chinese American crime scene cleaner who’s grieving the loss of her sister Delilah who was murdered in a racist attack. When Delilah’s ghost starts appearing, angry and hungry, things only get more unsettling.

This book blends horror with grief and Chinese folklore in such a powerful way. The hungry ghost isn’t just a supernatural element; it’s a symbol of everything Cora has lost and everything the world refuses to face. You can feel the weight of her pain and rage in every chapter.

The story doesn’t hold back when it comes to showing the racism and fear that Asian communities experienced during the pandemic. But that’s what makes it so important. It’s raw, emotional, and at times uncomfortably real.

I do wish some of the side characters were more developed, and the pacing dipped in a few places. But overall, this is one of the most original and emotionally charged horror novels I’ve read recently.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

this reminded me of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was eye-opening. Humans can be cruel sometimes. Are the conspiracy theories true? Are they trying to control their citizens?
this is worth reading. it was hard to follow at times, but overall this was a good book.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is a dark and raw book. Taking place at the start of the COVID pandemic, Cora is an Asian woman living in New York. After a tragic racist attack happens, Cora is left unmoored. She takes a job as a crime scene cleaner. She and her coworkers start to see a pattern in the crimes they clean up after, a pattern that leaves them hunting for a serial killer that is targeting Asian women. This story almost immediately devastated me and then continued to do so throughout. This is a genre-bending look at racism, mental health, and grief. It is unsettling and gory. I really felt for Cora and connected to her. There are many layers to this story, and it is well done by the author. It shines a light on uncomfortable subjects, and is thought-provoking. 4/5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me access to an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Publication date April 29th, 2025. This review will be found on Instagram, StoryGraph, and Goodreads indefinitely.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is an absolutely gripping supernatural horror/ thriller novel that will sink its teeth into you and not let go.

Cora Zeng is a 24 year old germaphobe who is half Chinese and half American. Her sister Delilah has always guided Cora through and now, during the height of the pandemic, Cora needs Delilah more than ever. But one day a trip to get some much coveted toilet paper ends in tragedy when a masked white man pushes Delilah head first into a subway train, yelling "Bat Eater" into her face. Four months later Cora is still haunted by her sister's violent death. Working as a crime scene cleaner, Cora is able to focus her energy and cleanliness into her work and the routine helps quiet but not silence the grief. After being called out to multiple crime scenes all involving Asian women, Cora and her coworkers begin to suspect someone is targeting Asian people. At every scene there is also at least one bat left as a calling card. And if the grief of Delilah's death and a possible serial killer isn't enough for Cora, add in The Hungry Ghost festival that Auntie Zeng has been trying to get Cora prepared for and no wonder it feels like she is losing her tenuous grip on reality.

This is definitely one of those books that will stay with me for a long time! Creepy, disturbing and atmospheric, I found myself fully immersed into Cora's story. I love the way that Kylie Lee Baker has masterfully layered a supernatural horror and a gripping thriller on top of a sharp and incisive look at the prejudice and racism that controlled our world during the pandemic and after. I absolutely loved Cora as our main character! She is flawed and relatable and her vulnerability and emotional turmoil pulls you deep into her fractured mind. This book is one I am going to be thinking about for awhile and I highly recommend checking it out!
Content and Trigger Warnings:
- Racism
- Violence
- Grief/trauma
- Blood/gore
- Mental Illness
- Supernatural horror
- Animal cruelty/corpses

Thank you to NetGalley, Kylie Lee Baker, and HTP/MIRA for this ARC!! Publication date: April 29th 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW.
This was heavyyyy but amazing horror.
I have not picked up a book who is set during the early days of COVID, so I was worried this wouldn't be something I would enjoy but it's so well written and I LOVED CORA and her crime scene clean up crew, Yifei and Harvey, so so much. This is a whole other level of grief horror and something I haven't experienced before in a novel.

Bat Eater has found a way to combine a deeply creepy mystical horror/thriller and lay those distinct pieces over the top of very real and very poignant commentary about the state of racism, prejudice and hate that continues to be rampant in the United States.

My only gripe with this amazing horror novel is that I would have loved to spend even more time with Cora, Yifei and Harvey as a trio, honestly my favorite part of the book was them trying to unravel what is going on with Cora.

I absolutely loved this book. Cora was such an amazing character that we see grow throughout the book. Seeing her finally become her own person was just what my cold little heart needed. But don’t think this book was all about the feels. It was gory as heck and is definitely a horror novel. Theres a serial killer on the loose and trust me they don’t care if crime scenes are messy. Anddd I love that Cora and her friends are just crime scene cleaners?! During COVID?! Idk why but I thought you had to go to a special school or something to do that 😂Anywhooo there’s also the perfect amount of dark humor/sarcasm to lighten the mood every once in a while. I highly highly recommend picking this one up

Bat Eat and Other Names for Cora Zeng was my first pandemic book on COVID and it did not disappoint! From the first chapter, you’re thrown into the horrors of what’s to come in this book. Cora witnessed the death of her sister that was a hate crime, and now four months later she’s working as a crime-scene cleaner where life still isn’t normal and may never be. I’m sure you can relate to Cora in one way or another. This book was filled with dark, eerie, and gory moments that also had mystery and cultural aspects. The inclusion of the Hungry Ghost Festival made for an interesting read with its important role the festival played in the book. The character dynamics were one of my favorites in this book and I loved the relationship that Cora built with her co-workers. This book doesn’t shy away from the violence and racism against Asian Americans and reflects many themes that makes for a powerful read.

Thank you to The Hive and HTP Books for the gifted copy!

THIS BOOK WAS A LOT. That's not a bad thing, but holy cow, make sure you know what you're getting into. As someone with OCD, I found there were parts of this story that made it way harder for me to read, just because Cora herself seems to have some OCD tendencies, and I wasn't prepared for that. It isn't anything bad, but I had to brace my brain so that I didn't take her intrusive thoughts and allow them to become my own.

ANYWAY- now onto the actual review.

In this story, we start in NYC 2020. COVID just hit, and it's a nightmare. Then we immediately experience a hate crime by a white man, which leads to Cora's sister's death. Fast forward a few months, Cora is a crime scene cleaner and she and her colleagues start to notice a pattern in the apartments that they are assigned to clean...they belong to young Asian women, and there are bats present. Oh, and did I mention that this is all during Ghost Month (the seventh month of the lunar calendar/typically around July or August)??? Cora starts to see a hungry ghost that follows her around, and she is quite literally haunted by it, because she never believed in any of this kind of stuff before.

So this book is quite literally a murder mystery, a ghost story, and lit fic about the atrocities faced by Asians and Asian-Americans during the pandemic. It was scary, it was emotional, it was riveting. We watch Cora deal with her grief and come into her own.

Definitely check trigger warnings because there are some grisly topics here. Lots of death.

Beautifully written, engaging, and morbid. The holy trifecta for me! I really enjoyed the way things were described in these passages, and despite some things being easy to predict, or the story taking out around while knowing the end, I really enjoyed the process. I'll be on the lookout for more KLB!

I am going to admit when I first started this book for maybe the first 20% I didn’t think that this book was going to be for me. I continued reading though and found the further I got in the more I enjoyed the book. I think this is a very interesting look at the pandemic mingling it with mythology and beliefs. If you like horror or darker mystical books this book will be right up your alley. I think that Cora’s idiosyncrasies added to the story. Covid was a hard time for everyone but for someone who is a germaphobe I know it was harder. I feel horrible that anyone even used the term bat eater during covid, but this idea of bats being at every crime scene added to this story in a unique but sad way. This book really does grow on you the more you read it and I hope that others find it as interesting as I did.
Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

This book chewed me up, spit me out, and whispered, “you good?” (Dear reader, I was not.)

When I tell you this book has one of the most EPIC first chapters I’ve ever read, I am not exaggerating. My jaw hit the floor, my eyes bugged out of my head, I pulled the covers up to my chin and settled in for a long night of reading because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to put it down. Some books whisper, some books shout, BAT EATER sinks its teeth into your flesh and drags you into the shadows.

When Cora Zeng, a young woman with severe OCD, suffers an unspeakable trauma, she takes a job as a crime scene cleaner and finds herself haunted by more than just the ghosts of her past. There’s a serial killer in New York City, and they’re killing Asian women.
Set during the pandemic amidst the fear and rising violence against Asian Americans, Bat Eater doesn’t flinch. It asks you to stare down what hurts (and haunts) and asks you to sit with it. To listen.

This is horror in its most visceral, terrifying form. Steeped in Chinese folklore, the hauntings drip with dread, and there are some truly gruesome moments I wish I could scrub from my brain (in a good way?). Baker’s writing is lyrical, brutal, and tender all at once. It’s horror with heart that will haunt you long after the last page. This isn’t just a ghost story. It’s a reckoning.

Finally, I have to acknowledge the author’s note. I put a few quotes in the photos above, but this line really stood out: “Do not let your empathy stop at the borders of your own community.”

Not only is this one of my favorite books of the year, it’s also my new favorite horror novel. A must-read for horror fans.

🦇 FEELS LIKE: holding your breath for 300 pages, a scream stuck in your throat, cold chills coating your skin

🦇 READ IF YOU LIKE: Trauma + complex grief + OCD rep, gruesome deaths you can’t unsee, hauntings, scathing social commentary, horror with depth

*Thank you to @HTPHive for the gifted eARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC of this book to review!

I had intended to avoid any media about the pandemic at all costs. Luckily for me, I had no idea this book was set during that time. I was suprised at how much I loved this book and I am so glad I read it.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng follows Chinese-American and crime-scene cleaner, Cora, as she tries to navigate grief, mental health, and discrimination in the wake of the pandemic. To make matters worse, she's being hunted by ghosts and there is a potential serial killer on the loose. This book is blood-soaked and gory but with dark humor sprinkled in to provide comic relief. It is truly an enthralling, can't-put-down kind of read.

There is so much going on in this story in the best way. It's scary, depressing, thrilling, horrifying, all while providing a unique perspective on the pandemic. I highly recommend this book to a horror lover but check trigger warnings!

I absolutely devoured this novel. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is one that I’ll be thinking about for a long time. Truly one of the best horror novels I have read in a long time.

At the height of the pandemic, Cora Zeng is already struggling with the uncertainty of the world. Then her sister is brutally murdered in front of her. “Bat eater” is all the man says as he pushes her sister in the path of an oncoming train. “Bat eater” are the words that will haunt Cora throughout the days of her life. In the months following Delilah’s death, Cora becomes a crime scene cleaner. The gore doesn’t bother her. Not after what she witnessed. When Cora begins discovering bats at the scene of these crimes, all involving Asian women, she can’t help but wonder if there’s a connection between them and her sister’s death.

This book is gruesome and not afraid to go there. The descriptions of the crime scenes Cora cleans are visceral and the author doesn’t shy away from the goriest of details. My heart broke for Cora time and time again. In the beginning of the novel, she struggles with her relationship to her sister and the generations that came before her. She’s rather timid and keeps to herself. I love the found family she establishes with Harvey and Yifei, and the bond she strengthens with her Auntie Zeng. Cora’s growth to a full on badass over the course of the novel made her so easy to root for. And please make sure to read the Author’s note at the end.

I tandem read this with the audiobook and Natalie Naudus did a great job bringing this book to life. Her narration added so much to the story and really helped heighten the feeling of unease. This is one you’ll be looking over your shoulder while listening to.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio, MIRA, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Thank you HTP / Netgalley, #partner, for the advanced e-copy of Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng in exchange for my honest review.

As soon as I started hearing about this one, I knew I wanted to read it, even though I don’t tend to read horror. And no one is more shocked than I am by how much I loved it! ⁣
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Let’s start with this cover…I’m obsessed with it. It perfectly embodies this story and sums up exactly how I felt while reading it – I wanted to stop at times because it’s such a tough, gritty, dark, difficult read and yet I couldn’t put it down…I couldn’t walk away. I was consumed with the way Baker told this story – her writing is lyrical yet brutal – again, much like this cover. ⁣
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Pick this up if you like:⁣
🦇 NYC settings⁣
🦇 Creepy AF stories⁣
🦇 Chinese folklore⁣
🦇 True Crime Plotline/Serial Killer???⁣
🦇 Pandemic story with social commentary ⁣
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I cannot recommend this book enough…not only for the fantastic storytelling but also because of the way it forces you to reflect on your own experiences during this time and about the larger issues at hand – racism, cultural identity and more. It really is quite a powerful book and I implore you, once you’ve finished reading the book, the make sure you read the author’s note…it’s just as powerful as her story!

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a chilling and complex horror novel that manages to be both disturbing body horror, and a thoughtful look into racism, and specifically the domestic terrorism Asian American women faced during the height of COVID.
The main character, Cora, suffers from some form of OCD, as well PTSD from her sister’s death detailed at the beginning of the book. Her internal monologues give haunting insight to an extra layer of anxiety and suffering during the pandemic.
I was so enthralled by this book, it was hard to put down. There were many hard to read moments, not just the frightening moments of violence and haunting, but also the hatred and anger some of our population are capable of.
There were a couple moments I had to briefly stop to absorb what I had read because some scenes were so traumatic, that’s how invested in this book I was.
Bat Eater was my first book by Kylie Lee Baker, but it won’t be my last. It was beautiful, petrifying, and also quite educational about Chinese culture and mythology.

Thank you so much to HTP | MIRA for the digital review copy via NetGalley.