TAKE ME OUT (AND I DON'T MEAN TO A RESTAURANT)

The Eyes Are The Best Part by @monikakimwrites ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
June 25, 2024

“She's too preoccupied to see my unraveling.”

A book that is such a damn vibe I made a playlist for it. Go check it out here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Fl...

College is the time to screw up and make bad decisions and Ji-won takes that to a different degree in this delightfully twisted horror story that takes “tasteful” to a whole new level.

After her father suddenly abandons their family, Ji-won will do just about anything to bring her mother out of her depression—including indulge her by eating a fish eye for dinner. That simple act eventually spirals her into obsession, revenge, and so much more.

Lyrically written and beautifully weaving Ji-won’s family trauma, twisted fantasies, and current dilemmas, it is so obvious why Kim’s book is so anticipated. She has done a beautiful job writing such a complex and fascinating character and manages to tell so much in under 300 pages.

The characters are dynamite. Ji-won is fascinating and complex. Her sister is the sister we want and hate. Her mother is layered and dynamic. Her love interest is someone I fell for immediately. Her friends are not just real friends—they're friends that hurt when they're betrayed, and we feel her twisted emotions, we understand her actions, as unhinged as they are, and Kim does a fantastic job of saying so much with so little.

And the white characters. As a white person, they are embarrassing and familiar faces that you know from your everyday life. George, the guy who spent a month in China and knows what “authentic” General Tso’s tastes like. The guy in class who puts enough coins in the nice guy slot and hopes that sex comes out. They appear on page and you know them immediately and it adds to the surreal status of the book because they're so viscerally real and Ji-won is so built up by her obsessions that she can't necessarily see it.

Kim also delves deep into the realm of what it means to be a Korean American in a society with these people, and with a pair of metal chopsticks, how she takes those eyes that stare at her and gets her power back, while losing part of herself in the process.

I am a character driven reader, and I was engrossed in the character of Ji-won and the macabre mind we are immediately thrust into by page one all the way through to the conclusion. This book is satisfyingly delicious and I couldn't put it down.

Pre-order it immediately if you love horror, literary works of fiction, or want a book that will both gross and engross you from its first captivating line to its stunning conclusion.

Kim is an author to watch. I can't wait to see what she produces next.



Apologies on the delay on this feedback, I am still learning NetGalley.

If you are looking for a horror story full of nonstop scares and sudden shocks, The Eyes Are the Best Part will not satisfy that craving. This novel unfolds slowly as a psychological revenge tale that builds tension carefully and creates a lasting, unsettling mood.

The plot centres on Ji-won, an eighteen-year-old Korean-American who deals with family issues while struggling to understand her cultural identity. The narrative begins as a touching look at immigrant experiences but gradually shifts into a strange and eerie story focused on horrifying eye-related imagery. The grotesque and nightmarish scenes stay with the reader long after finishing, making it unsuitable for those sensitive to graphic content.

I anticipated a straightforward revenge horror filled with gore, but instead discovered a story with significant depth. Monica Kim’s writing thoughtfully explores challenging subjects such as misogyny, racism, fetishization, and exoticism with sharp clarity. Through Ji-won’s voice, the book explores the difficult balance between honouring family traditions and living in a Western world that often treats people who look different as outsiders.

This book was exactly what I needed after a string of disappointing reads: unnerving, grotesque, and impossible to put down. While the plot followed the blurb closely, the execution was so intense it pulled me in immediately, especially through Ji-Won, a deeply disturbed 18-year-old haunted by graphic dreams involving human eyes. George, the antagonist, was one of the most repulsive characters I’ve ever read, a misogynistic, fetishizing predator whose obsession with Korean women and entitlement made my skin crawl. I waited eagerly for Ji-Won to confront him, and when she did, it was incredibly satisfying. Ji-Hyun, her sister, stood out as my favorite character, strong, grounded, and a necessary balance to Ji-Won's chaos. Their mother was maddening, prioritizing men over her daughters to the point of abandonment, while the father was an absolute coward who left them behind and never looked back. Ji-Won’s attempts at being a serial killer were laughably clumsy. Still, the psychological tension, grotesque imagery, and emotional complexity made this a deeply compelling read that stayed with me long after the final page.

Where do I even start? The Eyes Are the Best Part was one of my favorite books read in 2024. So much I immediately picked up a physical copy, and eyes a second version.

This feminine rage story of Ji-won is fantastically written; gory body horror, unhinged, intense. I recommend this to everyone.

I wanted to love this, but it’s one of the most poorly structured books I’ve read. Key items appear only after they’re needed.

This horror novel is highly enjoyable and well done! It went in surprising directions I wasn't expecting and I absolutely couldn't stop reading. Recommend!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a very interesting book. I am a little sensitive and parts of this were extremely descriptive. Proceed at your own risk

I really liked this creative take on a female serial killer. I think the author added lots of commentary about the fetishization of asian women while still keeping the overarching story fun and a bit lighthearted. The descriptions of eating eyes made me squeam. This was a fast paced enjoyable read

This book surprised me a lot. It started off as a normal book where you keep wondering when everything will start to go down and then… well, let’s say it left me freaked out very much. I could have never expected the end.

I ADORED this book.
Watching our MC’s slow descent was truly a remarkable thing. Her fixation with eyes becomes an obsession which turns into a craving of sorts.

Once she sees the misogyny and racism behind some people’s “innocent” comments and actions is when she truly takes off her rose-tinted glasses.

I didn’t expect the ending, but it was a well deserved one on Geoffrey & George’s parts.

The writing was immersive and the pacing was perfect. I feel like everything happened in a truly timely manner.

I don’t think I’ve read a book in a while that’s captivated me as much as this one did. Despite the fact it took me so long to read, it was incredibly difficult to not finish it in one sitting.

Monika Kim will be an auto buy author from me from here on out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. I really loved this one. I would call it psychological horror. I will definitely read more from this author. I enjoyed the style and flow of the story.

Loved this - it had a little bit of everything I love to see most in horror, checking so many of my personal preference boxes along the way. Familial trauma and drama? Check. Body horror? Check. Symbolism and themes on social issues like racism, misogyny, and the horrible issue of Asian fetishization -- like, it's not a long book at all, but it is LAYERED! I hope the author writes lots more, I'll be keeping an eye out - ha!

I mean no disrespect but initally, the premise of the book reminds me of Sayaka Murata novels. That worked on me in the best way because I get to enjoy the book more. I love that it was written in first person pov that it makes it more thrilling to see things through the eyes of a seemingly unreliable main character. I'd like to think of this book as a horror magical realism since it used a real-world horror and incorporate psychological thriller elements into it.
I love the ending and I'm very satisfied with it. It might have implied of a possible of sequel but I feel that this book is enough already.
I'd want more for the author to create more amazing character like Ji Won.

Some scenes I was “ugggh” and had to read with one eye closed, like the dumpster scene. In the end I was like “you know what? Hell yeah let’s get em girl.”

Firstly, I am OBSESSED with this cover! It’s so pretty in a gross way (complimentary).

I absolutely flew through this book at the airport when my flight was delayed 5 hours.

As someone who is getting more into horror lately, I really appreciate books that use horror to comment on societal issues. In this good-for-her story, Monika Kim tackles misogyny, racism, and the fetishization of Asian women in a way that I really resonated with!

Overall I really enjoyed this, but at times the messaging felt very heavy handed and I honestly wished it leaned wayyy more into its weirdness! Still super strong, especially for a debut novel. I look forward to picking up what Kim writes in the future!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was an unnerving read, which is not for those who dislike body horror. However, it was really well written and kept me invested in the main characters descent into madness. I will be checking out more from this author in the future.

…..disgusting

2.5

This was okay but didn’t love it. This book follows the descent into obsession and madness after Ji-Won’s mother starts dating a terrible man. This was unhinged with a lot of great social commentary but I feel like it was too heavy handed and “on the nose” as I saw another reviewer say. I just didn’t connect with this one.


***thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC***

Excellently written, though I didn't end up finishing the book because it triggered too many feelings in me. I support women's rights and more importantly their wrongs.

Great book! It had all the fears of growing up. Make a choice. Turn the page or close the book. Enter the darkness if you wish!

Definitely gross, but you expect that going into this one! I did not realize eyeballs were made up of cartilage until googling while reading this book. Ji-won is going through a lot in her life and seems to be a little unhinged. This leads to an obsession with eyeballs (particularly blue ones) and a quest for revenge. I really enjoyed this horror novel and will be on the look-out for Kim's next book.