I loved this book! I am honestly surprised I’m not hearing more buzz about it because it was captivating and unique, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. The story follows a Korean family in Los Angeles. Dad leaves, mom melts down, daughters struggle, mom finds new creep with an obvious fetish for Asian woman, and boom, eldest daughter starts to develop some seriously eerie and repulsive dreams and obsessions.

This story has quite a few layers and is part serial killer origin story, part cultural tale, and part family saga. It’s truly unique, and I was so impressed with how engrossed I was while reading. I would highly recommend to anyone who likes something a little different and isn’t afraid of some graphic detail that could make you a little queasy.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for access to this arc!

Thank you Kensington books & Monica Kim for this read!

I wanted to love this book but it took me a long time to finish. This book tackles some really horrific and pressing real world horror and blends it with revenge. I loved the strong female character and the contrast to the evil of the villians. I did feel a bit hard to connect to the protagonist and it was definitely a slower burn. I didn't feel the action happened until around 60%. It was hard to put down after the 60% mark and the pace definitely quickened. There were some satisfying moments but overall this missed the mark for me

This book creeped me out, and I LOVED it. What a gory read, that I couldn't put down. Fantasticly chilling and gripping. Would definitely recommend.

This is a new release psychological horror from Monika Kim. In this book, we are Looking at a young Korean-American girl, Ji-won Lim whose life has so badly fallen apart that she slowly and steadily rises into being a serial killer on her college campus. After her father abandons her, her sister, and mother, it sets off this chain of events to Ji-won slowly losing her reality where her thirst and hunger to kill must be sated in order to keep living her mundane life.

First off, thank you to NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book was an arc given to me by Netgalley a few months ago and can I just say WHY DID I WAIT TO READ THIS ARC FOR SO LONG!!!!! (I hate being a mood reader!) This book was great. It was a fast paced read, it was creepy, it had a surprising ending, and overall it had all the things I like in a psychological horror.
It amazed me how Ji-won was our protagonist and how I simultaneously disliked her as well and loved her. I also, while not feeling bad for her, also felt bad for her at the same time. It was interesting to watch her character development from loving and dependent daughter to a serial killer on the brink of despair.

There was a lot of moving pieces in this book, mainly with the different characters, and even though I was surprised by the ending, I was left with questions to be answered. I am hoping there will be a book two to continue Ji-wons journey because even if this is a standalone, I would, in fact, read a second book or a interconnected second book to this one. I ate it up and couldn’t get enough.

I overall gave this book 4 stars ⭐️. The plot was great, I loved the character development, and I loved the horror serial killer parts also. Creepy and yucky without making me gag 😄 I just wish I had more answers to some of my questions.

Thank you again to Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"There's an energy thrumming in my veins. An anger. Fury. The desire to punish, to exact justice."

I devoured this book. It was the perfect book to satisfy my craving for a revenge story. It was just so good. Unhinged female characters are right up my alley, and this book delivered.

If you expect this to be a fast-paced slasher, it's not. The story takes its time. We're introduced to Ji Won's family and the situation they find themselves in after her father leaves.

The story slowly becomes more unhinged as Ji Won struggles to adjust to life with her mother's new boyfriend. She becomes obsessed with eyes. Things escalate from there. I'll leave it at that, I'll just say things get juicy. Pro tip: do NOT eat while reading this.

The author perfectly blends psychological horror, gore, and social commentary. It touches on racism, sexism, and the fetishization of Asian women.

I know that this book won't be for everyone but it was definitely for me. If you're like me and you enjoy a slow decent into madness, read this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books, Erewhon Books, and the author for providing me with an ARC for review.

I enjoyed this book. The pacing was off in some parts but not so much that I couldn’t finish the book.

"The Eyes Are the Best Part" by Monika Kim is a chilling feminist psychological horror novel that brilliantly explores the making of a female serial killer from a Korean-American perspective. Ji-won’s life spirals into chaos after her father's extramarital affair leads to his departure. Her mother is distraught, her younger sister is confused, and Ji-won’s college grades are plummeting. Her dreams, however, are horrifying yet strangely alluring, filled with rooms of bloody, succulent blue eyes—the same eyes as George’s, her mother’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George’s presence in their claustrophobic apartment is unbearable, and Ji-won decides that he deserves nothing from her family.

Ji-won's descent into darkness is marked by her increasing obsession with sating her hunger and rage, no matter the cost. As victims begin to accumulate around her campus, her deceptive and manipulative nature comes to the fore. Monika Kim's debut novel is not just a tale of revenge but a profound exploration of misogyny, racism, and cultural fetishization. Kim's narrative is both disturbing and compelling, making it impossible to put down.

This book touches on various heavy themes, including cannibalism, sexism, racism, PTSD, infidelity, and child abandonment. Kim’s portrayal of Ji-won’s unraveling is both horrifying and mesmerizing, and her critique of societal issues is sharp and insightful. The novel’s title is woven seamlessly throughout the story, and the intense scenes are described with a gory yet captivating detail that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish.

"The Eyes Are the Best Part" is a bold and innovative work that marks Monika Kim as a powerful new voice in horror literature. The book's combination of psychological horror and social commentary creates a unique and unforgettable reading experience. The complex character development, especially Ji-won's, and the well-crafted plot make this a standout novel in the genre.

Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This review reflects my honest opinion.

The Eyes Are the Best Part is not a story for the faint of heart and truly fits within the horror genre. Monika Kim has written a story with a lot of intellectual depth surrounding culture as a whole and cultural appropriation. The elements of horror come alive on the page and can be quite frightening at times. However, toward the middle to end you really have to suspend some disbelief and the story starts to get away from itself. The beginning and the end felt like two different books. If you want an unhinged main character, deep horror elements and are ready to go with the flow of a story, pick this one up.

I don’t think I was the right reader for this one. I found the pacing to be weird, very up and down and I contemplated DNFing. I am glad I continued though because the ending was just so good, but I wish it got there sooner.

this is the type of slow burn story I love! Ji-won and her family were such fascinating characters to follow. although this is marketed as horror, it really reads more as a coming-of-age story for Ji-won with some creepy elements thrown in, the 'dark' things don't really start happening until well into the book. Kim's writing is really the highlight of this novel, I can't wait to read more from her!

The Eyes Are the Best Part is a fun, thrilling read perfect for fans of women's rights and women's wrongs. Ji-won's father has left, and her mom has started dating George, about as lewd, unaware, and fetishizing as they come. The stressors in Ji-won's life lead her to fantasize about and crave eyes. After all, the eyes are the best part of a baked fish and eating them brings good luck! I'd highly recommend this story for anyone who appreciates descriptive horror and feminine rage.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advance copy for review.

4.5 ⭐️ Good for her.

This is a book for those who support women’s rights, but also women’s wrongs. When Ji-Won’s father abandons their family, it’s up to her and her sister to pick up the pieces. Their mother Umma is a shell of who she was. One night, she makes fish and insists the sisters eat the eyeballs for good luck. Ji-Won does and from that moment forward she becomes obsessed with eyeballs, especially blue ones. Umma surprises Ji-Won and Ji-Hyun when she introduces them to her new boyfriend, George. George, who is particularly vile, but has the most enchanting pair of blue eyes. Ji-Won begins to have horrible dreams, and soon she can’t tell what’s real and what isn’t.

It’s easy to say this book will be one of my favorite horrors of the year. There are some truly gruesome moments, but also a commentary on men and fetishization of Asian women that is just as gross if not moreso than the bloody bits. It just made my skin crawl.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon for the review copy. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This was fantastic, go in to it knowing nothing and come out of it feeling, well, you'll see.

This book was an absolute trip. It's somehow delicate and vicious with the writing style where the lines of "okay that's reasonable" to "what the fuck" are blurred.

I am a big fan of Sayaka Murata (Convenience Store Woman etc.) and while I hate to draw comparisons, The Eyes Are the Best Part certainly has similar vibes and writing style and execution.

Monika Kim is a debut author and I will absolutely read anything they write.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Kensington Books for a free e-arc of this title in exchange for a review.

This is described as a feminist, psychological horror and I fully agree. Definitely don’t read this if you’re squeamish about eyes, I’m not but I still found it bordering on too gruesome. That said, I still really enjoying reading this, I finished the entire book in one sitting. It’s fast paced and addictive, all the characters are realistic. I think I’ve met each character in real life at least once. I feel like there may have been a deeper meaning that maybe I wasn’t smart enough to catch but I still think it was a good take on fetishization of BIPOC women and the real struggles that result from it. Overall if you’re looking for your next unhinged hot girl revenge thriller this is it.

Thanks to NetGalley, Monika Kim and Kensington Books for this e-ARC

this book was everything I didn’t know I needed! the details were so incredible; a literal movie playing in my mind. though I was queasy at times, it was enjoyable. the ending left me craving more!

What a roller coaster of a ride. The reader enters the world of a young college student and we have a first class seat as she slowly slips into madness. When the reader thinks they have her figured out, plot twist. If you want horror with beautiful writing, check this book out. You will not regret it.

The Eyes Are the Best Part begins as a family memoir. Ji-won is devastated by her father leaving their family for his mistress. Ji-won’s mother is alternately despondent and hopeful of a reunion. One day, the mother makes fish and insists that Ji-won eat the fisheyes for luck. Ji-won then has dreams of eyes, but not fisheyes, blue human eyes. When her mother finds a new boyfriend, Ji-won dislikes him intensely. And so starts Ji-won’s descent into madness.

The memoir part of The Eyes Are the Best Part has the typically slow pace of literary fiction. But don’t quit reading. The thriller section makes the lead-up well worth reading. Few books describe insanity from a killer’s perspective so creepily. And the twists at the end are fantastic. 5 stars and highly recommended to serial killer thriller readers.

Thanks to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Ji-won, a young Asian woman, has a lot on her plate: She is failing college, her dad just left the family, her mother is distraught, her sister lost. Also on her plate – a fish’s eyeball, because eating the eyeball brings good luck, her Umma says. Luck that she will need, because her mother’s new boyfriend has the bluest eyes and they just look so tasty...

"The Eyes Are the Best Part" is Monika Kim’s debut, and what a bold debut it is! This horror book doesn’t hold back and really goes there (I’m not gonna say where exactly, you have to find out for yourself). But I’m glad it does.

What I liked most about this book is how real especially the protagonist Ji-won felt. As the reader, I truly understood her feelings and why she acted the way she did. I don’t have to agree with a character's decission to understand their motivation, and that’s how I felt about Ji-won.

This is a strong debut and in my opinion a strong perspective on not only horror but, like many great works of the genre, on so many other things, including racism, misogyny and more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for the eARC.

This book was just so fun.

The main character is a teenage girl who has recently had some big changes in her life including her dad leaving, her mom dating a man that she hates, and navigating friendships at her first year of college. While there are good discussions on important topics, this seemed like a much more lighthearted take on weird girl fiction. It is still very gorey and quite graphic but I was able to read it in less than a day.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advanced readers copy.

Thank you to Kensington Books & NetGalley for an e-ARC of The Eyes are the Best Part!

Okay, this book was something and that cover is phenomenal. I love eyeball horror so much (love? Or hate might be a better word — cause it creeps me out & absolutely disgusts me, however, a strong reaction is exactly what I’m looking for when it comes to horror.)

This book hits but also misses? & I think the best way to review this is to break it down.

Likes:
- The concept of The Eyes Are the Best Part is amazing. Love it & I even love the messages woven within, but we’ll get back to that later.
- The development of Ji-won, or more so, the degradation of her mental stability. One of my favorite things is watching a character lead completely fall apart & go wild by the end of the story.
- The slow pacing, which is not normally something I enjoy but with this it works (see above point.)
- Of course, gore & eyeball horror.
- The emotion. This book, especially when it comes to Umma, has some heartbreaking scenes. It’s easy to feel for Umma & her daughters.
- The amount of hatred I had for the men in this that kept me supporting Ji-won.

Dislikes:
- The writing. This is a huge one for me & is what dragged this rating down. It just didn’t work for me & I can’t fully pinpoint the problems (well, I pinpoint one of them in the next point), however, this is a debut book & will 100% try another Monika Kim book in the future.
- The messages that I brought up before were a bit too obvious. We are told these messages, instead of fully seeing them play out, allowing us to figure it out on our own. I think subtlety would have worked much better for this one.

In the end, I’m glad I read this. There was still a lot of good, regardless of my complaints & I am very much looking forward to Monika Kim’s next one