Ji-won’s life is turned upside down when her father has an affair and leaves them all behind. Her mother and sister are distraught and Ji-won begins having horrifying, yet delicious dreams about… eating eyeballs. Yes, you read that correctly.

This book starts out slowly, as more of a family drama, with the dissolution of Ji-won’s parents’ marriage. Ji-won and her family are Korean, and her mother begins dating a white man soon after the divorce. This man, George, sets off something inside Ji-won, who has suffered from racism as an Asian-American woman and thinks George’s comments about her and about Asian women in general are hurtful and gross.

Then the book morphs from family drama to slow, suspenseful psychological horror. Ji-won’s nightmares often have real life consequences and her obsession with eyeballs (especially blue ones!) becomes more and more macabre.

I couldn’t put this one down. I appreciated the slow burn of the writing as the author built up the suspense. Ji-won starts out as a sympathetic character and slowly turns to… something else. This isn’t a roller coaster ride, in your face, jump scare kind of horror book. But it is scary nonetheless. If you’ve ever wanted a female revenge story with a gory twist, this is definitely the book for you.

NOTE: Content warning for graphic body horror and cannibalism.

The Eyes Are The Best Part
Monika Kim
4⭐️

Pub Date: 6/25/2024

Reading this book is like watching a Korean-American drama... but a disgusting and severely degenerate one! It starts off already interesting but it initially dove more into the family drama aspect. Seemed very mundane and focused on the day to day life of the characters. But the author drops interesting bits and details that kept me hooked. The person doing the "deed" seemed so inconspicuous. I wouldn't have guessed that person to be unhinged. Warning that this book is gory and disgusting. The descriptions about texture, sound and just overall, the events were all unsettling. Definitely made me queasy.

Plot isn't insane but it's agitating hidden in the normal. But it achieved what it wanted to do. I was very disturbed. I couldn't stop reading. Basically devoured this story (no pun intended).

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for a gifted e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a wild ride! Reading the description alone doesn't make it any justice and the story, even though is more like a slow burn, definitely caught me off guard many times. At times it felt a bit intense for me to continue and I had to take breaks because it can get pretty gory and descriptive, but it was excellently written and I powered through. In the end, the racism, bigotry and misogyny were the true horrors. Definitely recommend this one!

wow, what an incredible debut! the writing was exceptional; i felt it was similar to sayaka murata’s and i’m a fan! there was more depth to this than i anticipated and it’s something i crave in stories. ji-won’s character, although very unhinged and unsettling, grew on me throughout the story. monika kim writes racism, cultural fetishization, bigotry, and misogyny into the story in a way that we all see it but hardly speak about it. although gruesome at times, i think the true horror in this was george. it’s a very slow story but the pacing felt right. love a full circle moment and this book is exactly that. 4.5/5 stars

I so wanted to love this creepy book, considering how bonkers the cover is, but I just can't get on board with a surreal horror novel when so much happens in dreams. There were unfortunate plot holes, twists that didn't make sense, and lots of frustrating story beats. I needed some better character development and stronger writing, unfortunately. As much as I want to recommend this unique take on a serial killer story for October, this just isn't the one.

Because who doesn’t love a delicious story about the delicacy of eating eyeballs? Not really a ‘horror’ feel to the story but definitely one that would suit perfectly well alongside The Eyes of My Mother in story. As a first time read from the author, I will enjoy awaiting her next release.

Best horror book of the year! This is binge-able with all the repulsion and feels. Highly recommend.

This was a very unique read and the ending was perfect. The cover is beautiful. I will be recommending and look forward to future works from the author.

What a delightfully disturbing read! I found the plot a bit shaky at first but there's a twist near the end that ties everything together nicely; I give it an extra star for that. The plot felt a bit shaky before that twist.
I also appreciate the ending, most things are resolve and yet the ending is still open, giving the reader something to ponder.

Thank you NetGalley and Erewhon Books for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

It feels maybe a little wild to say this was fun—because it was, though there are plenty of repulsive parts, especially concerning how white men treat Asian women—but I had a lot of fun reading this. Ji-won’s descent into unhinged behavior felt almost like a natural progression and I thought the pacing was breakneck but made a lot of sense and served the story well.

I thought the horror aspects of this were unsettling and compelling, and while this absolutely requires some suspension of disbelief, I liked the blend of horror (eating human eyes) with the horrors of being the eldest daughter and a Korean American woman in the US. The men were terrible, yes, but also felt realistic in the worst way possible. There were some parts that felt a little predictable, and other parts that really caught me off guard (that ending, wow!), but ultimately this was a captivating horror novel I struggled to put down with a very satisfying ending. I’ll definitely keep an eye on what else Kim has to write!

The Eyes Are the Best Part is not a thriller but rather a horror novel with gruesome details as the main character, a sympathetic young Korean woman, Ji-won acts out her darkest fantasies. The novel is well written but uncomfortable to read. This is not for readers that want to root for a heroine with a resolved ending but rather for those that enjoy diving in to the unspoken underbelly of humanity.

Ji-won’s life is in turmoil. Her father has left them, her mother is inconsolable and her sister is a ball of anxiety. When her mother offers fish eyes for dinner as a way to turn their misfortunes with good luck, it awakens something inside of Ji-won that fixates on the gelatinous, clear blue eyes. Can Ji-won put their life back in order and fight her inner demons?

I was so excited to read an arc of this book! I truly enjoyed this and it had everything I love in a horror. The dream sequences really tripped me out and this definitely got me in the spooky mood.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little backlogged on my ARC’s but working diligently to get caught up. I really liked the unique style of this book! I can honestly say it felt different than most things I’ve read and the story kept me intrigued throughout. Some parts were quite disturbing if you’re squeamish, but I don’t have any triggers so I enjoyed it. I would recommend to anyone who likes complicated family oriented horror stories!

As a horror lover, this book was delicious! I found the body horror, the sense of dread, and just the overall vibe of this book immaculate. I will admit that it took me a little long to get into, which is why I didn't give it a full five stars, but I think for being a debut, this was absolutely wonderful. I would be so happy to read more from this author!

The Eyes are the Best Part is a dark and disturbing page turner. The story was brutal and the characters richly developed. The story flows through the narrator Ji-Won dealing with dysfunctional family issues, misogyny and cultural stereotypes while descending into psychopathy. I enjoyed a fresh take on this type of tale and found this story compelling

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC!

my very first ARC, so thank you immensely to the publisher!

this book treads a fine line between fun body horror and feeling physically sick for me - which I suppose is a good thing if that's what you're into. i found myself having to put the book away at times feeling nauseous, but i'm sensitive about these things (yet still like to challenge myself).

The Eyes are the Best Part follows Ji-won, an 18-year-old unhinged girlie who has fair reason to be unhinged because, besides horror, this is a book about grief, misogyny, cultural differences, relationships with friends and family, and fetishization of asian women. it tackles really interesting subjects while progressively becoming more stranger, more upsetting, and yes, more unhinged. the book is quite fast-paced and keeps you on your toes, but i would've added an extra star had i not been able to guess quite easily where the plot was going, and had the characters been more layered and (particularly in the case of George and Geoffrey) not been so cliché.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing and wondering what was real and what was all in Ji-won's head.

amazing, showstopping, phenomenal. no notes. such a good book with a good balance of character/relationship development, suspense, and horror. if you love women's wrongs, this is the book for you.

WOW.OMG.OHHHH MYYYY GAWD

I literally just closed this book and there is so much I could go on and on about this one but all I can say ATM is ALL THE FREAKING STARS. HANDS DOWN MY FAVORITE BOOK I HAVE READ ALL YEAR SO FAR.

If you choose to pick this one up please do with much research and consideration. The plot is thick with female rage, disgusting male characters, unsettling descriptive scenes not for the squeamish, lots of eyeballs and some familial traumas that just down right broke me.

Told in a inner thought process type style of writing (much like one of my other favorites Maeve Fly) about a korean girl driven to initially start to loose her shit by the pressures of family members actions, school, and friendships. Watching our main characters morals slip away slowly bringing forth a hard to grasp and mentally unhealthy obsession. It really does hold a deep and dark perspective you just have to be willing to look below the surface to see it.

It's a slow burn for sure but trust me you won't even notice with the way it just sucks you in with the mesmerizing easy to consume writing style. And the short chapters are just an added bonus that make you feel like you are flying right through it. I for one struggled to sit it down.

I just loved it so much and I hope you enjoy it too 🖤

A huge thank you to @monikakimauthor @kensingtonbooks and @netgalley for the advanced copy of this devastatingly beautiful debut

The novel brazenly dives into the grotesque, turning the reader's stomach this way and that. Ji-Won, not JW, will not put up with your male gaze. You wanna reduce Asian women into obedient little dolls who will wash your clothes, cook your meal, and tolerate your infantilizing b.s., do so at your own risk. Don't be surprised if there aren't many Ji-Won's out there ready to savor the briny tang of your eyeballs.
Reader, we are not supposed to cheer for the villain, but in this book, I did. You will too.
There is mastery in the way Monika Kim tackles "yellow fever", fetishism, sexism, poverty, patriarchy, and so much more. No character overtly states these themes are addressed, because Ji-Won, our hero/villain, is too busy killing and describing the taste of eyeballs, the texture, and the pop between the teeth. Yes, reader. You will squirm, and then keep reading.
Body horror is my new favorite genre.