Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng follows a young Chinese American woman whose sister was brutally murdered in a subway station during April 2020 of the COVID 19 pandemic. Now, months later, Cora finds herself working as a crime scene cleanup crew but is seeing ghosts and trying to uncover a potential serial killer targeting Asian civilians of New York.

This book was unlike anything I have ever read before. There are layers, and each layer gets better and better. I liked the horror tie in with Chinese folklore of "hungry ghosts", the real life experiences of COVID 19 pandemic and the banter between three of the characters. It was brutal and gory in some parts, but also mysterious and intriguing in others.

I can't really explain the entire plot without giving away spoilers, but for a debut novel, this is such a unique twist on the genre and makes me want to read more like this.

<i>Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Publishing for allowing me to read this book in return for a honest review.</i>

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is a paranormal horror thriller taking place during COVID-19.

The story follows Cora Zeng, a 24-year-old Chinese American living in NYC during COVID-19. Cora witnesses the horrific murder of her sister, Delilah by the hands of a white man who called them “bat eaters”. Cora, who now has to figure out how to live her life on her own, becomes a crime scene cleaner where she sees the brutal aftermath of horrific murders… of East Asian women where bat carcasses are also present.

Cora knows her mind is something no one wants to know or figure out, which is why she refuses to believe in the Hungry Ghost Festival, where the gates of hell open. Cora soon realizes that she’s being haunted by a Hungry Ghost who she believes is Delilah. Is this all in her head? Is the Hungry Ghost helping her figure out who murdered Delilah and the other woman? Can she trust her own mind?

This book is beautifully written where you can see into Cora’s mind and how cruel the world is. It starts off with a “wait..WTF” right from the first chapter and then keeps pushing the reader through to see what’s going to happen next. I loved the mystery aspect to it all. The book was such an amazing read, and I will definitely be recommending it to others. It made me stop and think of how truly terrible people can be to others they view differently. I did have several questions towards the end of the book but overall, it was still very good. I was not disappointed by the end at all.

Layers upon layers upon layers of primo reader vibes.

Part ghost story part murder mystery tangled with racism, grief, folklore, a serial killer and the pandemic. Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner who because of her traumatic past, is completely unfazed by her gruesome job. Good Gawd, was this fantastic!

For me, this is perhaps the first great horror story that is centered around the COVID pandemic. But it goes beyond just a contagion story to deal with social issues, namely anti-Asian xenophobia in a way that is tragic and terrifying. Despite the darkness and the melancholy that envelops this work, there is also a good amount of dark humor reminiscent of Grady Hendrix. Overall; 2025 for horror is off to a great start with this excellent work and Kylie Baker has shown to be a new great author in the genre who can blend together humor, social commentary, gory horror, and some truly suspenseful moments. If there was one letdown, the reveal of the perpetrator of the murders could have had a bit more suspense involved with personal danger to the main protagonist, but it is a small critique for an otherwise fantastic book.

This book was a wonderful blend of horror and social commentary. I loved the story line and really cared for Cora. This is the third book I’ve read by Kylie Lee Baker and the writing was just as witty and fast paced her other novels. I would definitely recommend this book to the others, especially those wanting to diversify their reading.

What a blend of horror and mystery that tackles racism through folklore, religion, and tradition.

One thing’s for certain, this book that gotten me to think about how there are too many whom we appreciate and know we don’t appreciate enough, and when we finally realize this fact, or is able to bring ourselves to act on it, it might already be too late.

A horrifyingly necessary read. Kylie Lee Baker made me so uncomfortable, so jumpy, I felt like I had to sleep with the lights on, the hate the characters receive makes your stomach feel hollow and your heart like lead. And because of that, this book is 110% a must read.

Cora is a fascinating character to live this story through. She is a rightfully anxious narrator walking through this horrific world, while also coming to blows with the state of the world, and the world beyond. . . It was all just brilliant.

This book is my literal worst nightmare and I loved every second of it. The pacing was perfect for this kind of thriller, the writing was poignant; so many lines from Lee Baker had me sitting in my chair just thinking for several minutes. The side relationships she has with her team was a terrific addition (I liked Yifei the most), they provided some lovely humorous elements to the novel (which I really needed haha love my lil ghostbusters). Cora’s grief was probably one of the hardest aspects to read, I think because of how it was written. You don’t ever want to experience what she went through and her grief, guilt, and complex feelings, are visceral, something you can feel down to the marrow in your bones. And the plot twist. Just?!?!
Truly just wow.


CW: Asian Hate, Xenophobia, Sibling Death, Gore, COVID-19, Pandemic, Mental Illness, Racism, Violence, Sexual Harassment, Animal Cruelty, Murder, Grief, Death

Immense thanks to HTP, MIRA and NetGalley for this ARC.

Cora Zeng is an unforgettable character trying to handle grief, a crime-scene cleaning job, conflicting family obligations, and the mystery of who is targeting and killing Asian women. It is a masterful work of fiction focusing on the real world horrors of racism amidst a pandemic, alongside more speculative horror elements. I found this to be a deeply disturbing read, with my emotions vacillating between tension, sadness, and dread. This is exactly what I look for in my horror books and I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for social commentary and nuanced horror.

A biracial crime scene cleaner, germaphobe haunted by a hungry ghost (who may or may not be her sister) amid the heightened anxiety of COVID and subsequent injustice and racism to Asians. This book is a lot, uber heavy...I think my run-on sentence portrays that well enough.

I am astounded. As gory (and it is seriously gory) as this book is, it was also akin to an emotional gut punch. I think most of us are aware of the disgusting racism and acts of violence against Asians, in particular at the onset of COVID and while this book is very much horror it is an ode to those forgotten, those denied justice, to BIPOC.

The author's note at the end was gutting and angering--anger not towards Baker but because I am reminded that the true monsters are humans.

I think this sneaks into the list of my favorite books I've read in 2024 <3

bat eater and other names for Cora Zeng

holy hell. yes yes and yes. YES PLEASE MORE OF THIS LET AUTHORS BE ANGRY AND LET THEM WRITE ABOUT IT!! I can tell this book was ripped out of the author. Not in a negative way, more like a ‘there’s no way for this story to stay inside’ way.

Cora Zeng watches her sister get pushed into a moving train and die. Instead of coping she gets a job as a crime scene cleaner and detaches as she scrubs down blood and brain fragments off of walls. When the cleaning crew finds a dead bat at a crime scene with yet another East Asian woman brutally killed, Cora starts to question her grasp on her mental state.

I don’t think you should know more than that going into this book AND CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS! please take care of yourself as this book has a lot of heavy themes including: blood/gore, violent death(on page), pandemic mention, racism and general violence (specifically racially motivated/slurs), OCD- related behaviors (excessive cleaning, contamination)

truly my only criticism is the ending 15% seemed to drag a bit but it does wrap up in as satisfyingly as a book this heavy can.

Also as a younger sister myself who has some similarities to Cora I think the author handled her mental health crisis and how someone would even handle this shit show of a situation quite well.

I can’t wait for more people to read this any for more adult books from this author!!

thank you as always to netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for my honest review!

The vibes were not here. I mean objectively speaking, I don't think anyone is really ready or willing to read a book indirectly about covid or having covid be a main character which she sure as hell was in this one.
But, I digress, there was nothing wrong with this book. It was a very interesting and much needed experience about living in the states during covid as an Asian (woman in this story). People were mean, they were very racist and arguably still are.
The vibes were sad, they were low, they were depressing and also made me wanna throttle so many people all at once.
The story was good though and the author letter in the back, bravo.

Now the bits I didn't like so much. It's a slowburn for sure. It takes a good minute to get to the heart of the story. At times it was a bit too slow for me.
The covidness of it all. I get it, it's an integral part of the story. However, it brought back lots of bad memories and pain for me so for that I didn't enjoy this as much as I should have. Maybe another 5 years and I would have been able to face the spirits of 2020 with a smile. But not today.

Umm.....WOW? What did I just read (in the best way?)

As an FYI, there is a LOT of violence against women (particularly Chinese/Asian women), and a LOT of anti-Asian racism in this book. If those things are going to bother you, absolutely do not pick this up. It's going to make you uncomfortable (at least, it should), and it's definitely not all rainbows and butterflies.

If you liked The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim and Mary by Nat Cassidy, but want something a little more gross, this is for you. I can't stop thinking about this book and Cora's incredible story!!

Cora experiences more trauma in these 300 pages than almost any other character in a nonfantasy setting. As if the COVID 19 pandemic wasn't bad enough in New York during 2020, she also loses her sister and....everything else that happens in this book. But BOY does she have a character arc that I LOVED. She goes from a meek woman who lets life just happen to her, cleaning up crime scenes because she has an obsessive need of things being clean to one who is FED UP and is willing to take matters into her own hands and stand up for those who have even less of a voice than she does.

We all love a good feminine rage moment, and Cora has hers too. But beyond just being that, it also intersects with race as well. She's not just angry and fed up as a woman--she's angry and fed up as a Chinese/Asian (because most Americans just assume everyone is Chinese), woman. Baker did an INCREDIBLE job capturing what it was like to be around during that time, the amount of racism that was (and remains) rampant, and the way violence was all but sanctioned.

This felt SO real, and was so well written--the gore, the suspense, the fear, it's all there. This was a GREAT book to start 2025 reading, and I really hope Baker writes more horror like this in the future. This was excellent!

Kylie Lee Baker’s best work yet!

I fear if I do not get my hands on a physical arc I will die, and then come back as a hungry ghost.

I don’t even know what to write for this review, I’m still speechless days after reading. This was utter perfection. How you you describe perfection?

This was EVERYTHING

Here goes nothing…

If you read this book and feel nothing, I must assume you have no soul.

KLB writes absolutely stunning prose that is full of so much emotion and imagery. The juxtaposition of aforementioned beautiful prose combined with detailed gore elicits visceral reactions to both body and mind.

The paranormal aspects (ghosts) and murder mystery had my heart pounding and my mind questioning the sanity of the narrator - often I found myself wondering if the ghosts were real. The portrayal of the Asian experience was raw and heart-breaking. Grief, family, friendships, and self-discovery are just some of the themes KLB tackles with unmatched skill.

This book is dark, yet there is light at the end. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is like nothing I have ever read - I feel privileged to have experienced it.

I fear so many of the 5⭐️ reviewers before me have done such an amazing job detailing the merits and nuances of this book, that anything I have to say with pale in comparison. Please go check out a few of my favorites if you need additional information to help convince you to pick up this book…
Mai's Review | Esta's Review | AM's Review

Thank you NetGalley and HTP for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed Bat Eater and Other Names by Cora Zengh. It’s the kind of book that sticks with you. The story dives into identity and the way we’re shaped by the names we’re given, the ones we choose, and the ones people stick on us.

This book won’t be for everyone, but I felt it was absolutely amazing. Brutally honest social commentary. Dehumanization running rampant. Heavy on the inner dialogue. Felt like a Covid fever dream, but all too real as to where our world is heading. What trauma and fear can drive a person to do.
The author’s descriptions of horror are strikingly honest and beautiful. This book solidified my heavy feelings of weltschmerz and misanthropy. It won’t be for everyone, but if you like The Grudge type horror with Jordan Peele social commentary, then I think you will enjoy this.
Don’t. Skip. The. Author’s. Note.

This was so scary!

I really enjoyed it. It’s a complex and multi-layered horror, with a few plotlines running through. You’ve got the main character and supporting cast, each with their own complicated relationships with their families and past difficulties. You’ve got the start of the COVID pandemic, with economic insecurity, job loss, and health anxiety. You’ve got Chinese folklore, centering around Ghost Month and the idea of hungry ghosts. You’ve got a series of murders of young chinese women, starting with the MC’s own sister in front of her. Finally, you have a pervasive and ever present thread of racism, with the anti-Asian sentiment that unfortunately was particularly out in the open during the context of the start of the pandemic. There are some times when this felt like a slow and eerie descent into madness, where I wondered about the reliability of the narrator, and other times when it felt like a thrill ride, with non-stop action.

A paranormal horror, mystery, social commentary all rolled into one, Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng explores the COVID-19 pandemic through the eyes of an Asian-American woman with crippling OCD.

Cora Zeng has always followed her big sister Delilah, whatever she said was what they did. Same university, same major, same everything. Cora doesn't know who she is and in March 2020, she's even more blindsided by the unknown when the world suddenly stops spinning in light of the pandemic. To make matters worse, Delilah is killed and Cora no longer knows how to function.

To make ends meet, and put her OCD to good use, Cora becomes a crime-scene cleaner in Chinatown, doing the job no one wants to do after gruesome deaths. When the gates of hell open for Hungry Ghost Month, Cora drops the ball and finds herself with a hungry ghost friend that wants her help to find her killer.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng touches on the isolation of COVID, the outward racism of many toward Asian-Americans, and life after loss all with the fore plot of murder mystery.

While it won't be everyone's cup of tea, it was definitely a twisty ride with an interesting road and I look forward to more from Kylie Lee Baker.

Kylie Lee Baker’s Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is an intense, gut-punch of a read that I couldn’t stop thinking about long after finishing. The story pulls you in and sets the tone right from the start and it doesn’t let go. Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner in NYC's Chinatown, struggling with the brutal murder of her sister and the rise in Asian hate crimes - particularly the serial killer targeting Asian women. As an Asian woman myself, the story resonated with me on a personal level, making it impossible to put the book down.

I usually avoid pandemic-related books for my mental health, but I felt compelled to dive into this one—and I’m glad I did. It’s raw, relentless, and unapologetically real. Cora’s inability to acknowledge her grief, and her dependency on her late sister Delilah, made her journey all the more heartbreaking. Baker masterfully combines this emotional weight with terrifying elements of Asian horror folklore. Even though I typically steer clear of Asian horror because it unsettles me so much, I couldn’t stop reading—though I’ll admit, this one was hard to tackle at night!

The last few chapters really knocked me sideways. It wasn’t just the ending—it was the twists and gut-wrenching moments that made my heart ache and race at the same time. This book is wild in the best way, and the emotional punches just keep coming.

While I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5, it’s only because there were a few moments where the story felt a bit heavy-handed. However, that doesn’t take away from how much I connected with it. I’ll definitely be reading whatever Kylie Lee Baker writes next—her writing is that good.

If you’re into folklore, intense gore/horror, and deeply emotional storytelling, Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a must-read.Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin for the eARC. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng releases on April 29, 2025

When I tell you, I did not expect the poetic metaphorical prose that was this book alongside some of the most original and grotesque body gore I've ever experienced.

Disclaimer: I did receive this e-book as a advanced reader copy through NetGalley. Thank you to Harlequin books and NetGalley for the free copy. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I had heard things about this author, but had never read anything by them. When I saw this book come up as a NetGalley arc I decided to give it a try because it sounded like a very interesting horror based novel. I have never been so happy to have requested an arc on the fly in my life.

This novel centers around Cora, an Asian woman who has been experiencing some massive discrimination and prejudice at the height of the Covid pandemic in New York City. Due to some off page incidences Cora has massive PTSD and a germaphobe problem. Which is only even more heightened due to the strict protocols surrounding Covid. We get so much Chinese mythology and a lot of the implications and traditions surrounding death of Asian people within this novel. It kept it very realistic and relatable and interesting. I was not expecting the lyrical prose that this would accompany with the very interesting and unique level of body gore that was found in the this novel. They were times during this novel where I was not 100% sure if the narrator was reliable or not or maybe possibly just hallucinating these things really happening to her? I found myself asking that question numerous times throughout this novel. The way I gasp screamed and spoke to this novel out loud as I was reading.

Needless to say, I absolutely finish this novel and downloaded more of this authors work. I cannot wait to dive back into this author's brain as it is a very unique and compelling experience.

Creepy! Can anything go right for Cora? This book touches on grief, the supernatural, gore, and the hardships of trying to navigate life through a pandemic.