A book based on the culture of a man with an Asian fetish.
Kyoko, a woman seeking vengeance for her mother’s suicide, is stalking Daniel down because she believes he’s the reason.
Beautifully written, likable characters. Has some steamy scenes not fade to black. While this book does have some memorable moments I felt that at times this book would lose momentum.

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group Putnam, and the late Katherine Min for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kyoko wants to avenge the death of her mother, which she blames on violinist Daniel. She fails until the night Daniel attempts suicide--she saves his life but still takes him captive. But Daniel can't stop thinking about Alma the love of his life, who coincidentally also attempted suicide.

Told from multiple points of view and time periods, this is a unique novel that confronts ethnic and gender stereotypes. It was hard to remember that the flashbacks date not from the 1960s as it seems but far more recently. #TheFetishist #NetGalley

I'm still unsure of what I just read, but I'm also glad I read it!?! It was interesting to go in reading this as a revenge story against a man that fetishized Asian women, because you don't get stories like this often. I was cheering the daughter on, even though I found her to be unlikeable at the same time. Actually I wondered the whole time why any of the women even glanced at Daniel twice. Why did they give him the time of day? The writing and style was beautiful, but maybe I missed something? I don't know, overall it was a good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

- When I finished THE FETISHIST, I thought, “What the heck just happened? That was awesome!”
- If you’re looking for a book that is slightly unhinged, funny, and yet filled with deep emotions, this is the book for you. It’s also a weirdly fast paced for a character-based story; I couldn’t put it down.
- I heard about this book because it was published by Min’s daughter after Min’s death. I wish we’d been able to see more from her, and I also hope people will pick up this strange little book and appreciate what she did give us.

This book was truly something special. I know it’s only January, but I am certain this will remain on my list of favorite reads of 2024. I’ve had this on my Netgalley shelf for almost a year now actually, I’m not sure why it took me so long to really dive into it? But once I got into the nitty gritty I was physically unable to put it down. I also didn’t realize when I first requested it on Netgalley last year, that this was published posthumously. Cathy Park Hong wrote a beautiful introduction that gave some insight into how intently this book was labored over by the author before her death, even without plans to publish it. As I was reading, I could truly feel just how much time and care was poured into this book, and into these characters. I wish I could give it a million stars.

This story is broken up into a few different parts, following a few different characters, whose lives are all intertwined by one man: Daniel Karmody. First, there is Alma, a former cellist prodigy who was Daniel’s former lover and ex-fiancé, now suffering from MS and also in a coma brought on by a failed suicide attempt. Then, there is Emi, recently deceased, previously part of the orchestra that Alma and Daniel were involved in, and one of Daniel’s former flings. And lastly, Kyoko, Emi’s daughter, who is hellbent on making Daniel Karmody pay for the emotional havoc that he wreaked on Emi, believing this is what ultimately led to her mother’s decline in sanity and ultimately her death.

The story starts out with Daniel’s own failed suicide attempt, which is interrupted by Kyoko and her boyfriend Kornell. After months of planning, they kidnap him and keep him locked in their basement, as Kyoko decides how she wants to kill him. As Daniel comes to terms with the fact that he has in fact been kidnapped by Emi Tokugawa’s daughter, he reminisces on the events of his life that have led him here. And in these reminiscent musings, at the center of everything, is Alma.

Meanwhile, as Alma has similar dreamlike memories from her comatose state, she also thinks back on the events that have led her here. And as you can likely guess, at the center of her memories, is Daniel. Bouncing between Alma and Daniel, we get a glimpse into their past, their messy relationship and their even messier demise. As we weave in and out of the past and present, diving into the psyches of Daniel, Alma, Kyoko and Kornell, it all comes together and expands into a rich and detailed story of love, loss, ego, revenge, and acceptance.

This story was EVERYTHING, I am so obsessed with every part of it. It weaved together a cast of characters that were so rich and flawed and real, that it felt by the end like I’d known them all for years. And don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loathed one of these characters (I wonder if you can guess who lol), but regardless, they just felt so REAL. Their inner monologues were just so impeccably written, and felt natural as anything.

A central theme in this book is Daniel’s fetishization of Asian Women, and I think that the way this was explored by the author was so necessarily blunt and honest, but also hilarious and sarcastic. At one point we see Alma break her experience with fetishizers up into three different subcategories which she refers to: The Cultural Ambassador, The Carnal Colonialist and The Rational Revolutionary, each with their own unique description so specific and spot on, oozing with sardonic flair.

I think the ending is actually what shocked me most of all, because it definitely went in a direction that I was not expecting, and at first I didn’t know how I felt about it. I am still thinking! But I think I am leaning toward accepting it. Maybe? Undecided. If you’ve read it I’d love to know what you think! This book has so many layers, so many messy characters, so much to think about, and I just loved it so MUCH UGH !!!!!!

First thank you to the publishers and NetGally for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review. This book was not what I was expecting but turned out to be such a beautiful and thoughtful experience. As someone who has MS I really understand the pain and sadness behind the character which made her so much more real for me. I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be suggesting it.

I didn’t know what to expect from this book going in, as sometimes I think introspective tales bordering on satire sometimes don’t subvert their topics as much as they hope to. As I got further into this book’s weaving of fetishistic conversations from a variety of racial and gendered perspectives, I became more and more invested in what Min (both the late Katherine and her daughter who finished the book for her, Kayla) had to say.

As a biracial daughter of a white father and an Asian mother, the discourse around fetishism, Yellow Fever, and rice kings is nothing new to me. I firmly believe my parents love each other deeply and genuinely, and thus don’t fall into these categories, but I know plenty of people who do, and either way, my family history is not the focus of this review, just extra context for what I say next, which is this:

This book is masterful. The chapter entitled, “Alma and the March of the Rice Kings” alone had me shrieking into the void over the incisive and clever commentary put forth by the author. As is, I believe, the goal of the novel, I didn’t find any of the characters overly likable, but I was invested in the vengeance narratives that a few characters were on the path of, which feels close.

Overall, I think the study of these characters allows for insightful discussion and criticism of the nastier levels of interracial WMAF relationships. I found in a few places, the novel drifted towards slightly stereotypical depictions of Asian women, and while I know the intent overall was to turn stereotypes on their heads, not every one landed. However, I truly enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it!! 4⭐️, and extra tender thoughts towards Kayla for helping to posthumously finish this novel for her mother.

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Published posthumously, it’s impossible to summarize this book without sacrificing some element of the story that is critical to understanding its beauty. To be brutally honest, I feel like this might have just been too advanced a book for me— not in themes or in plot, but in the style of the writing. However, that is not the fault of the book, so I’m still giving it 3/5 stars for a plot that I’ve never seen attempted before, and for the the writing that was beautiful, even though I wasn’t able to fully appreciate it.
If you are interested in a gripping revenge plot connected to the fetishization of asian women by white men, I would absolutely recommend this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this eARC.

this was... a book. neither good nor bad, neither here nor there. i went into the fetishist not knowing what to expect (because really, the blurb doesn't give much away). i did walk away from it satisfied though. it is a dark, and sometimes violent, exploration into a set of characters' tendencies and thought processes and histories.

you have kyoko, who is stricken by grief, daniel and his yellow fever, and alma, who deserved better.

the fetishist is a character study above all else and had i been more prepared for that, i would've enjoyed this more. this, to me, is a darker, more twisted normal people (in a very loose sense)

This will be a short review. I absolutely loved this novel. It was very well written with characters I found fascinating, especially Alma. Daniel is insufferable and I still enjoyed his character. The book really touched on the idea of having preferences rooted in racism and stereotypes and how those preferences can be harmful to everyone involved. What I found really striking about Daniel was how real he seemed to the men who think like him. The white men (and other men of color) who see Asian women as doll-like, petite, beautiful and a monolith. The generalizations of Asian women are so incredibly harmful because they are not seen as women with their own personalities, dreams or strength. Like Daniel, many fetishists have a savior complex when it comes to Asian women, even more than white women. Alma represents the type of Asian women many fetishists can't handle. Alma is beautiful, yes, but also accomplished, fiery and determined, a woman who is passionate in every way. The relationship she has with Daniel is the real highlight of the book because readers get to see how someone like Daniel can be a fetishist and still be in love.

I wanted more of Kyoko and Kornell, who felt like an afterthought on some level. I understand why Kornell was not featured prominently in the book because technically the story isn't about him. But I felt some endearment towards him almost immediately and wanted more backstory. I felt like he could be considered a fetishist as well but from a different perspective. I think in some aspects, the book touched on that part of him but I wanted more.

All in all, this is a really great novel, one I absolutely plan to recommend to my readers.

I found this a book that was highly compelling, and it was hard to put down during my subway commutes. Grateful to find out about this author, that's for sure!

At times icky and cringy, The Fetishist explores how it feels to be an Asian woman desired and perhaps even fetishized by white men. I am not an Asian woman, and as such I cannot relate on the level needed to feel the outrage the author likely instills in those who do. That being said, I enjoyed the various characters' journeys in self-discovery, guilt, and forgiveness. The author masterfully interwove their relationships over the years and was able to paint all in both positive and negative lights. I also enjoyed the classical music theme as well as that which was less classical in nature. Despite this being very character-driven, there is quite a lot of action happening throughout the book... love, hate, hook-ups, infidelity, attempted murder, kidnapping, and a whole lot of music references!

Note: this is a posthumous publication facilitated by the author's daughter. What a tribute and a legacy of love!

Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The Fetishist was definitely the good kind of three-star read! This book is fun, poignant, and very well-written—I was sad to learn that this is being published posthumously, especially as (for me) Katherine Min was a local author. Her style is extremely visual and encompassing, and most of the time I felt like I was experiencing the scenes with the characters. I love it when a scene can make me want to leave a room I’m not in, and I got that experience several times while reading this one. The author manages a good balance of humor, sadness, and dark moments; she also has great character-building skills. Everyone who was introduced felt like their own person with their own motivations, voice, and well-thought-out story.

Stylistically, a lot of this book had a similar vibe to the unhinged/unwell women literary genre, and I think if you like Mona Awad/Ottessa Moshfegh style storytelling, there’s something for you in The Fetishist. The plot itself is brief, taking most of the time to delve into the characters and the world, with female rage, revenge, racial fetishization, and grief being the thematic focus. I think Katherine Min had a strong, individual voice that came through brilliantly in her writing. At no point did I know where this was going, but when it all tied up at the end, her message was clear. That was great! I think where it lost me a little was the delivery. As strong as some of the lines are, I felt that it was pretty surface-level in the exploration of the themes. I thought there was room for more and a stronger emphasis on the fetishization throughout.

In particular, I think more time was needed on what Daniel experienced while being held hostage after a suicide attempt. I don’t think there was enough time spent on his thought process there, and it made the basement scenes/the way that the entire plot wraps up so neatly come off as a lot cheesier than I think it needed to be. A lot of glossing over was done in all the places I wanted more.

I also do feel that Min played into a few stereotypes herself with Kornell and Kyoko, in particular in the sex scene that they share where we can see that it’s not just Daniel’s perspective warping things. While I believe that playing into stereotypes can be done effectively in literary fiction to serve a purpose, I didn’t feel that that was happening here, or that it was in any way subversive. I did feel a bit uncomfortable with some of the descriptions and definitely think this would have been better with one more round of editing and more depth to the themes; I was so close to four-starring this but felt slightly let down by the execution.

this was incredibly weird in a really good way.

i found the writing style evocative but focused, the pacing a little wonky but in a creative rather than disruptive way.

the characters were specific and finely wrought.

and there was literally no guessing what the hell was going to happen.

ARC copy provided by NetGalley.

The thing that strikes me most about The Fetishist is that everything in it - every masterful turn, every perfectly strung sentence - is meaningful. Doubly so, after the author's death; this book was published posthumously by her daughter. And so it seems, every story here, within and without the narrative, asks what we should make of legacy.

The characters all had unique and bracing voices, though some of them I wish we had gotten more interiority out of (Kyoko, namely). The narrative was beautifully crafted and carefully tended throughout the novel. The sense of disruption of linear time never felt out of place. It felt perfectly in sync with how each character had lost their sense of linearity and existed as every version of themselves at once.

I will admit I cried at the acknowledgements. And that something in this book genuinely moved me. What an incredible last novel from an incredible author.

This was brilliant. The Fetishist brought everything to the table: the complexity of interracial relationships, intersectional Asian feminist theory, punk rock versus classical music, kidnapping and murder - all of it brilliantly woven together with themes grief, lost love, and contradiction. It highlighted the value of commodity and identity but against the fragility of life. I was touched deeply by both the forward and afterward that breathed life into who Katherine Min was as an author: passionate, daring, and a spirit who lived every second of her life. What a well-deserved amplification of all those things she has left with us in The Fetishist.

This novel feels like a mash up of Lolita and The Girl with the Dragon tattoo. With some psychological reckoning sprinkled on top. A bit on the nose at times, but a worthwhile read.

BOOK: The Fetishist
AUTHOR: Katherine Min
PUB DATE: 1/9/24 by G.P. Putnam Sons
PAGES: 304
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (rounded up)
GENRE: Drama/Literary Fiction

A BIG “Thank You” to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam Sons for gifting me this advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

FAV QUOTE: “Daniel hadn’t played it in a long time, but it hardly mattered – when you knew a thing by heart, it meant more than just by memory – it meant that it knew you, that it had found its way inside you, abiding there, and could always be reclaimed.”

SYNOPSIS: The rain has made everything cold and damp, and it's the perfect evening for Kyoko to exact her revenge. After years of rage and grief over her mother's death, Kyoko has decided who is to blame: a man named Daniel, a fellow violinist who had wooed her mother, Emi, during their time together in an orchestra, and then dropped her - driving her to her death. Kyoko follows the unsuspecting Daniel home and manages to get her rash kidnapping plot off the ground . . . and really, what could go wrong? The Fetishist is the story of three people - Kyoko, a young singer in a punk band who cannot find enough ways to channel her angry sorrow; Daniel, a seemingly hapless man who finally faces the wreckage of his past; and Alma, the love of Daniel's life, long adored for her beauty and talent, but who spends her final days examining if she was ever, truly, loved. It's a beautiful, piercing, and timely story that confronts race, ideals of femininity, complicity and visibility. Written and completed before the celebrated author's death in 2019, it's startlingly relevant and prescient, as wise and powerful as it is utterly moving.

REVIEW: This book was published posthumously by Katherine’s daughter, Kayla. I am so thankful to have been approved for this and to have read such a uniquely beautiful story! I stayed up late into the wee hours of the morning finishing this one as I couldn’t put it down, and it’s truly one that resonates. I don’t want to give anything away and think going in blind is a great idea! I highly recommend this one, and if you do, don’t forget to read the Acknowledgments at the end!

Happy Reading!

Such a strong start to the new year with Katherine Min's The Fetishist, a story of revenge and redemption that examines the fetishism of Asian women.

The book explores the past and present of three intertwined characters. Korean American cello prodigy Alma grapples with her self-worth and complicity after being cheated on by her fiancee, Daniel, an Irish American violinist who views Asian women as interchangeable. The woman he cheats with, overwhelmed by Daniel's disregard and her actions that caused the end of her own marriage, ends her life, leaving behind a daughter who grows up to be 23-year-old Japanese American punk rock musician Kyoko. It's been 20 years since Daniel and Alma separated, both still reeling from the aftermath. Daniel is ready to end his life, but Kyoko has other plans. She kidnaps the man who killed her mother and holds him hostage while she plots her ultimate revenge. Eventually, each character is forced to reckon with their own personal flaws and society's sexual stereotyping of Asian women at large.

While reading, you can feel the built-up feelings of resentment, grief, and regret coming off the page, offset by the author's touches of humor. Thank you to the author's daughter, Kayla Min Andrews, who decided to publish her mother's postmortem work, which was finished five years before her untimely death in 2019. This needed to be read.

Also, thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advanced copy.

There's a lot going on in The Fetishist - revenge, farcical comedy, memorable characters, lots of time spent traipsing through Italy (Florence!!!), classical music and punk rock, and, oh yeah the elephant in the room, our titular fetishist.

Min's author's note begins as follows: "This is a story, a fairy tale of sorts, about three people who begin in utter despair. There is even a giant, buried treasure (a tiny one), a hero held captive, a kind of ogre (a tiny one), and a sleeping beauty." She sets the stage and delivers. It's whimsical yet biting (not to mention racy), with brilliant chapter titles such as "ALMA AND THE MIRACLE CURE" to guide you along. Min doesn't hold back.

At the onset it's not clear how the pieces fit together, and the journey is layered as the past unfolds. Unexpectedly and perfectly. I don't want to talk about the plot in any more detail, it's best to go in cold and discover this fairy tale at your own speed.

There's a backstory to this novel - Katherine Min died before it was published and her daughter Kayla Min Andrews brought it to publication. We're lucky she did.

My thanks to NetGalley and Putnam Books for the ARC.