I feel like the Goodreads blurb for this one tells you a LOT about the story, maybe even too much? But at the same time, you sort of need to know what you’re getting into.

This was one of the bleakest books I’ve ever read. But it should be, because it’s a portrait of horrifying racism, specifically during the height of COVID. If you’re one of those people who roll their eyes and say, “Not a pandemic book!” then this novel is not for you.

I was immediately sucked into the story, which wasted no time at all revealing the darkness and cruelty that I was in for. It was a blend of true crime and supernatural. The main character, Cora Zheng, works as a crime scene cleaner with two friends as she simultaneously tries to process the fact that she’s seeing spirits.

Cora constantly thinks about the moment when her sister was violently murdered in front of her, and every time she revisits this memory it is still fresh, visceral, horrific. Just like the crime scenes she’s scrubbing away. There’s actually a lot more going on beyond this as well, if you can believe it! The crime scenes begin to seem as if they might be connected, and they appear to be racially motivated…

Cora is Chinese, and she experiences constant aggressive acts of Racism on the street. She’s also very conscious of germs and afraid of getting sick, so the pandemic is extra scary for her from that standpoint. Every time she leaves her house, it’s stressful to read about. On top of all of this, there’s also the ghosts that are following her around. The way that Baker described the unique spirits in the book was very creepy and frightening. There was one specific scene that absolutely shocked me in a good, scary way.

I really enjoyed reading this, even though it was a heavy and upsetting experience. The writing was very good, and the characters were well developed. Harvey got on my nerves with his constant insensitivity, but I loved Yifei. And learning about the lore behind “hungry ghosts” was really interesting. I didn’t know exactly where the plot was going to go, and I did not predict where it ended up.

One thing is bothering me, slightly: Is it really that easy to sneak into the subway tunnels when they’re closed? (Honest question. They don’t have metal doors or big gates or anything?)

I highly recommend this to anyone who likes horror and true crime, as it’s a capable mix of both. Just be aware of the depressing journey you’re about to take.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Hate speech/slurs, Racism, Graphic violence, Animal harm/death

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Wow this was so good. And by good I mean devastating, scary, horrifying and infuriating.

A complicated story of racism, hate crimes, the fear and mistrust brought by COVID and of ghost stories and how traditions and culture follow us

I was absolutely enthralled with this one. I devoured it. Kylie Lee Baker did an excellent job with the characters and story. The themes had some darkness but made the story have more depth. The characters, especially Cora, were well written, and the story was plotted so perfectly. The dark and grittiness of this was harsh but perfect for this novel. I highly recommend it. I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you Net Galley ARC, Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA, and Kylie Lee Baker

⋆⋆⋆⋆½ — incredible painting of the depravity inflicted onto east/southeast asians during the pandemic. absolutely horrifying, but more because of the "human" brutality depicted, rather than any of the horror elements. there's so many scenes where i was shaking with rage or wanted to break down sobbing—baker doesn't shy away from portraying the depths of human evil. neither does she shy away from portraying the heights of human strength. the scene where cora and yifei confront a certain reporter is perhaps one of the most impactful scenes i have ever read.

speaking of cora, i loved her so much. her fears and anxieties, her tendency to run from things until she's pushed over the edge, her relationships with her sister and aunts, how she dealt with her pain, everything about her was so relatable to me. kylie lee baker has an immense talent for illustrating lifelike, magnetic characters that are loveable from the first moment you read their name. this isn't true of just cora, but also yifei, harvey, and auntie zeng.

truly one of the best books i have ever read, and i cannot recommend this enough.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng follows twenty-something Cora as she works cleaning scenes. When Cora and her friends notice a series of deaths where mutilated bats are left behind with the victims, the trio begins to suspect foul play and begin their own research into a potential serial killer.

While all this is happening, Cora also experiences a supernatural horror - hungry ghosts are stalking her in the night and she has to find a way to get rid of them. With supernatural entities and human killers around every corner, how are Cora and company supposed to make it out alive?

I'm not usually a fan of books that revolve around COVID, but this novel felt like a perfect balance between fiction and reality relating to the emotions and experiences of COVID without using it as a crutch - the story flows and stands on it's own.

The characters of this book were also very real. I was rooting for them the whole time and (spoiler alert) each loss felt absolutely gut wrenching. While the story started out slow it picked up momentum at the halfway mark and kept me hooked with both the ghost and the serial killer storyline to the very end.

Thank you so much harlequin trade paperbacks (@htp) for the advance copy of this book. Wow seriously just wow. The craziest first chapter i have ever read and the hand Cora is dealt is horrible, but the horrors are just the beginning. After losing her job and the trauma that happens in the first chapter (no spoilers) Cora becomes a crime scene cleaner and notices a pattern of all the places her and her friends are called to clean something horrific has happened there to women of Asian descent and bats are found. Feeling this is the work of a serial killer with hungry ghosts steering them they attempt to solve the mystery of who is the killer they refer to as Batman. This all taking place in NYC at the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020. I cannot imagine what anyone of Asian decent in NYC or anywhere went through at this time nor do I want to. Reminding us humans are the worst monsters of all. 5 stars will recommend this book to everyone and while it may only be January this might be the best book of 2025.

This book is one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s dark, depressing, gruesome, gory, terrifying, funny, and at moments hopeful but also realistic and fantastical all wrapped in one.

As I was reading about Cora Zeng, I couldn’t help but want to just hug her. I haven’t felt so much love for a character in so long. She’s so broken and feels like she’s been living in the shadow of her amazing sister for her entire life. And for some reason she’s fine with that.

Trying to come up with words on what this book is about is insanely difficult. This book is a personification of pandemic fears written from the Female Asian perspective set in the largest city of America during the lockdown and after.

The pandemic is something we all lived through, but to feel the pain, fear, dread, and loss from a perspective that isn’t white is absolutely haunting.

What’s hard is, I want to shove this book into every single person’s hands, but I know that won’t go over well. The book is haunting and extremely gory. I haven’t read a book that actually scared me for many, many years.

This book is brutal. It doesn’t hold back. And it’s heartbreaking and shocking. The first chapter exploded and it never stopped. I was left feeling pain and sadness.

I want Cora Zeng to have a life filled with love. I hope if she’s out there, she’s smiling and happy. I haven’t wanted that for a character in a long,long time.

Just a phenomenal book. Will definitely live on my top horror books of all time.

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.