Pros:
- I love stories with unhinged characters and Ji-won defiantly meets that qualification
- I enjoyed the body horror. I didn't think it was too much, but I've read some pretty graphic horror books in the past so take that with a pinch of salt.
- The microaggressions Ji-won and her family experienced were well done. There were so many moments where I cringed so hard/felt so much secondhand embarrassment from some of the comments other characters made toward Ji-won and her family.
- The plot was fast-paced

Cons:
- I do wish Ji-won would've descended into her "madness" a bit more gradually, but that's a personal preference.
- Another personal issue I had was the "true crime" aspects of the novel. There were a few points where the crime elements of the story just felt unrealistic. Nothing major just something I noticed and bothered me a bit.

Overall:
I devoured this book. I could've easily finished this in one sitting; I couldn't put it down.

i was enjoying this book until i was not. i am going to put it down for a while because i'm not in the headspace to read something like this.

This was more a study of one young women’s descent into madness than a horror story, at least for the first 50% of the book. Then Ji-won turns extra CRAZY!

This was an ok read. I am not Asian but as a woman I could understand her anger, fears, etc at the world and men in her life even though I didn’t overly like her. I loved the ending.

Though not overly horrific imo there are some squeamish parts involving murder and cannibalism of a definitely twisted variety (clue on the cover).

**Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-ARC I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

I'll be giving this a neutral rating because of what I felt from what I read, but also from the way I DNF'ed (skipped around 10-15 chapters so stopped around chapter 28, and skipped to around chapter 40 and dnf-ed at ch 48). First, thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to have found out about this book for many reasons: the title is amazing I love how the author tied in Korean culture with the thriller aspect she delves into within the story. Also the author is Korean-American and while not necessarily the same experiences, I was excited to read a literary thriller fiction that would delve into experiences that I felt like I would personally relate to at times. And the author nailed it. I might not be an oldest sister, but the struggles and burden that I think a lot of children of immigrant families go through and experience, was portrayed so well in the novel. I think I even teared up a little in some times because of how emotionally the situation and feelings the main character was struggling with resonated with me as well.

However, that being said, I felt like the story ended up falling short for me in terms of the narrative. While I normally love short chapters, the chapters were consistently short and it felt like there was so much we were going through but nothing substantial was happening. To sum up my overall experience and feelings while reading the e-arc, I would have to say extremely intriguing premise, but personally not very engaging. While I was looking forward to our main character's spiral that is triggered by many real and relatable reasons, I think it would have been better if the plot itself was faster-paced. At times, it felt like it was a collage of experiences which could either be relatable to some, or eye-opening (in a sense) to others, but not very well interwoven within the narrative, if that makes sense.

I did enjoy what I read, but the slow-pace and more of a collage of experiences than a downward spiraling narrative, was not for me. However, I do look forward to the author's future works and I'm excited to see what else they will write!

Thank you to both NetGalley & Kensington Books | Erewhon Books for the ARC copy of this one.

Unfortunately, this one did not work for me. I felt so bored in the beginning and truthfully I don't think I ever got super interested in it. This was an incredibly slow story that just never got enough momentum anywhere for me. I enjoyed the eye piece, but it became so repetitive that I was ready to just get through this and be done with it.

The characters were bleh and then very cliche for the males. It was more annoying than enjoyable, so sorry to the author that this one didn't work for me :(

This was incredibly graphic and disgusting, and I loved every second of it. Highly recommend it for genre fans who don't mind the ick.

The Eyes Are the Best Part is an absolutely awesome psychological and body horror novel. The imagery is amazing. There is also important social commentary happening as well. There are plenty of trigger warnings, so anyone wanting to read should do their research. This is a really great debut novel and new voice in horror, and I am looking forward to reading much more by this author!!

Absolutely phenomenal! Unhinged and packs a punch in such little chapters. Will never look at an eyeball the same way again.

Female rage in this book is GOREgeous!
"...the eyes in the pile of rice. The irises, still blue, watch me."
I knew before starting that there would be some uncomfortable scenes with eyes being eaten, fish and human, but it all was so disgusting and beautiful I couldn't stop reading. Right away it starts with a shudder, there's couple scenes that made me uneasy, and I was tearing up and crying by chapter 5. Describing fish eyes as food, and most of the food scenes weren't easy to read. But I was brave, and then it started getting really, really interesting. I was infuriated and sad for her umma, and I wanted to shake her several times when she kept doing things that made her daughters uncomfortable. And the way she was enamoured with that white guy and turned blind eye to everything and he kept being disgusting and a creep and I I wanted his eyes to be on the dinner menu.
"The eye on the plate looked exactly like George’s eyes. Blue. A blazing, luminous blue."
✨female rage✨🤝🏻✨literary cannibalism✨
👁️👄👁️🤌🏻
I was obsessed months ago even before I knew what the book was about, and now that I've read it I know it'll be living rent-free in my brain.
And that ending! Delicious ending! Perfect! No notes! Something in me healed while I was reading the ending.

Following Ji-won’s descent from struggling teen to (minor spoiler, but likely no surprise) eyeball chomping serial killer, Monika Kim’s truly original debut, The Eyes Are the Best Part, takes bloody aim at racism and misogyny.

From Geoffrey’s “nice guy” antics, to George’s vile fetishism, to Ji-won’s father’s sudden, painful absence, men are constantly letting Ji-won, her sister Ji-hyun, and their mother down. And Ji-won, carrying her desperately lonely mother and trying to protect her younger sister, is bearing the brunt of it, pushed devastatingly close to breaking point time and time again. And when she breaks, she BREAKS.

A “good for her” horror will always find its audience, and despite its flaws, The Eyes Are the Best Part is no exception. The gore is rich and, in the best way, often hard to stomach, and it’s satisfying watching horrid men meet horrid ends. But a truly tantalising premise was let down by a certain shallowness to its characters and general proceedings, turning what could have been a genuinely engaging examination of micro-aggressions and feminine rage into a novel that just misses the mark. It’s strong nonetheless, but - as Ji-won herself might attest - sometimes you just want a little taste of something more.

I really wasn't a fan of this one. It was just really gorey without any suspense. There weren't any twists. The commentary on family and belonging was lacking. Not for me.

Overall, "The Eyes are the Best Part" is a poignant and thought-provoking debut that lingers in the mind long after the final page. Monika Kim's storytelling prowess and her ability to delve into the complexities of identity and history make this novel a compelling read for anyone interested in narratives that blend the personal and the universal with grace and insight.

Thanks to Kensington Books and Monika Kim for the chance to read ‘The Eyes Are the Best Part’! The cover is striking, especially if you have an eyeball fear like I do (never let your 7 year olds see a movie where a character gets their eyes taken by a mummy, people). I'm a huge fan of how certain aspects of this character were revealed throughout the book. I hope that readers are able to see how the author is layering these hints to then come to a head in the end. I wish that there was just a bit more though. It left me kind of unsatisfied.

Not for the squeamish nor the faint of heart, The Eyes are the Best Part draws us into Ji-Won’s downward spiral from a floundering student with family troubles to a full-on psychotic murderous madwoman by journey’s end. It’s very satisfying, and I found myself rooting for Ji-Won even as her psyche unravels. The more she indulges in her worst impulses, the stronger her will becomes.
The ending left me wanting more, though. There was more to explore I think. But overall a very different and fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC! 🔪👁️🍽️

I loved this so much!

The chapters are rather short and the writing was accessible, which made this a quick and easy read, although at times I found some of the dialogue to be a little awkward.

I am not easily grossed out, but the writing and the descriptions of some of the gory bits were legit gruesome, but also impossible to look away from.

I loved how Ji-Won's descent into madness/cannibalism/serial killing was portrayed. The way her internal narration was written, of growing obsession and paranoia and justification of her actions, paired with the dream sequences, creates an immersive atmosphere of unreality that was unnerving to read.

I found myself relating a lot with Ji-Won's struggles to make and maintain friendships, as well as her struggles to handle all the changes in her life. Although she's manipulative and does some truly awful things (outside of murder), I can't help rooting for her.

I wished Ji-Won's attraction to Alexis was explored more. Given how much the book focuses on male entitlement and the fetishisation of East Asian women, I think it would have been interesting to see how Ji-Won navigates her own feelings of attraction towards women (or just one particular woman) as well as how this attraction affects the way she is viewed by men/society. But I understand that this is not the focus of the book so its fine.

The way the different elements of the story come together and culminates in that ending was sooo satisfying to read.

I know this book is a standalone, and I am not one to advocate for sequels to things that wraps up by itself, but I would LOVE to read a sequel to this.

This is wicked and I see why it is getting all the buzz it is. Definitely a horror but comes across in tone and character development as general fiction. A little bit twisted and centered around revenge. All the men in J-won's life are disappointments. So she falls back into herself and loses as she obsesses about eating eyeballs.

Part a commentary on society, pitting the eastern versus western values, and part a psychological horror story like none other I've read.

If you like horror, I'd skip reading too much about this one and just let it take you on it's wild ride.

What can I say about this book? I hope you don't like to snack while you read!! :)

The Eyes Are the Best Part is a horror book worth devouring. A tantalizing, juicy little horror story about Ji-won and the instability within her family. Her father left. Her mother is devastated. Yet she one day has a new boyfriend, and Ji-won and her sister do NOT approve.

There's a twist at the end that I literally gasped at. Totally binge-worthy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub Date: 25 June 2024

Actual Rating 3.5

Well. I’ve never read anything quite like this before. The work starts off slowly, allowing us to get situated in Ji-won’s life and her family. Things slowly begin to unravel as we follow Ji-won’s personal struggles relating to friendships, college, her relationship with her mother and sister, and her insomnia. I do love a good psychological unraveling, and I felt like the author did a good job incorporating that aspect into this book.

The characters were okay. They mostly felt somewhat one-dimensional and more like caricatures than real people. This wasn’t the case for all of them (specifically Alexis and Ji-won), but it was for most, especially the antagonists. However, they were written well enough to not detract majorly from the experience. Part of what contributed to the simplistic/caricature-like feeling was that the author spelled out the messages/themes very plainly without any subtlety; I think a more subtle approach would have been much better for this genre.

This book isn’t a scary horror, it’s a graphic and disgusting horror. There are some scenes in this one that are not for the faint of heart. I literally started squinting and squirming while reading those scenes and had to skim, which I guess speaks to the author’s ability to write immersive and descriptive moments. Aside from those few disgusting parts, I wouldn’t really classify this as a work of horror, which was a little disappointing.

If you’re interested in a psychological suspense with some disgusting moments, then you’ll want to read this. This was a strong debut work, and I’ll certainly read more from this author. My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

As someone who is really grossed out by eyes I thought this book would be too much for me but I'm so glad I gave it a chance. It was absolutely fantastic! I'm so impressed that this is Monika Kim’s debut novel.
I've been very into "good for her” books and movies lately, and I'll forever be rooting for Ji-won.
The gore is top notch disgusting- I literally gagged and had to put the book down a few times, yet finished in two days. The sense of dread built up slowly and steadily. But this book also had a lot to say and Ji-won’s experience is one of the best examples of intersectionality I've ever read.

I'd highly recommend to fans of body horror, feminine rage, and poc/immigrant experience stories.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC
4.5 stars i can't describe what exactly was so good about this i don't think it will be for everyone especially as there's not a lot of action in the first half but something about the writing and Ji-won's story kept me heavily invested. highly recommend if you want a feminist revenge story and you're not squeamish about eye gore because there's a lot