Terrifying, terrific, and beautifully written. This book will keep you up late reading it, and then up later, worried about hungry ghosts hiding in your bedroom.

Cora Zeng is going through it. The setting is NYC, peak COVID-19 pandemic. She lives with her older sister, who she idolizes yet seems to also resent. She seems to struggle with a mixture of anxiety and depression, though it’s hard at first to tell exactly what’s going on with her. And then, right in chapter 1, her sister is murdered right in front of her in what appears to be a hate crime.

I absolutely loved this book and the layers it contained. Cora’s loneliness and grief are so deeply explored, and the backdrop of the pandemic was such a powerful plot device. Cora is not only dealing with the death of her sister, a worldwide pandemic, but also the extreme xenophobia & racism that made itself abundantly clear during that time period. Cora, a biracial Asian-American who is not close with either parent, grew up caught between the two worlds of her identities, and she spends much of the book trying to connect with each side.

So there is all of that, which on its own would make for a strong book…but this is also a really well done, legitimately scary ghost story. I’ve never read a haunting like this one, and there are some truly terrifying scenes.

This is a fantastic book with a lot of depth. Highly recommend if you like light horror with purpose.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely love this book! It takes place during Covid so if that's something you do not like / a trigger, keep that in mind. Also, big triggers for gore, racism against Asian (namely Chinese), and murder. This is by all means not an exhaustive list of triggers, just points I noticed while reading.

The main character is a very interesting person to follow because we are not sure how much, in the beginning, is actually going on versus just her imagination. This really explores the sharp rise in Asian-hate crimes and racism during Covid. Some more insidious than others. The ending was such a gut punch and honestly infuriating, not due to any fault of the book but simply due to the fact that this occurs in real life. Crimes against certain races are simply ignored and its devastating and maddening.
This book really reminded me of Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore. I got the same angry and helpless feeling of what do you do when everyone in power seems to just ignore or worse cover up issues being done to different races when if it were done to a white person, it would absolutely be all over the news and dealt with swiftly, no matter the cost.
The horror aspects of the book really had me questioning my decision to read parts at night with few lights on! Very well written and really had me eyeing all the shadows in my room, terrified.
Highly recommend!

This freaked me out on the best way! I wasn’t sure when I first started it if it would be for me, but it took my by surprise and held me in a chokehold. This book is so creepy atmosphere but also emotional! Highly recommended, especially for a fall.read!!!

Where to start with this review. I finished it about a week ago and I haven't stopped thinking of it, and haven't formed coherent thoughts to write an actual review.

It was painful at times to read, as an Asian woman who faced a fair amount of racist comments during the pandemic. Horror isn't generally a genre I read either, because I am afraid of everything, but I have really enjoyed this author's other works. This did not disappoint. It was scary in a very real way as we were seeing anti-Asian crimes rise in numbers with not a whole lot being done about it. I do wish the book had gone in a different direction but it was realistic and that is what is so unsettling to me.

However, it's so well written and I'd recommend it to people even if horror wasn't their thing!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA for my unbiased arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I immediately knew reading the opening chapter that this book would really stick with me. Kylie Lee Baker does such a brilliant job of capturing how claustrophobic and isolating the COVID lockdown was. I also could not get over how well she got the rampant racism that was and is still commonplace in society that only really came to the notice of non-SEAs and non-EAs during COVID. This book deals a lot with Cora's trauma regarding the murder of her sister, Delilah, and her struggles with OCD and of course, racism. On top of that, Cora's job was also one that I remember being interested in when I was working in a funeral home spring of 2021: crime scene clean-up. There's also a serial killer targeting Asian women...the same women that Cora cleans up after.

This is generally a pretty spooky and haunting book. It's definitely something that will stay with you for a long while after you've finished it and moved on to another book. Especially as anti-asian crimes still continue to go on uncared for here in the U.S.

I could tell from the first chapter that Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is one of those novels that will stick with me. This novel was bleak and horrifying, but it captured the feeling of Covid isolation and the rampant racism, tension and violence of the summer of 2020. This book struck a perfect balance between storylines; there was a Chinese folklore based hungry ghost story line but there was also everything regarding Cora’s struggle with trauma, OCD, and anti-Asian racism. I would recommend the read but know what you’re getting into and what your personal triggers are before diving in.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was absolutely amazing, and I read it in one sitting! I loved the FMC, Cora. She sees her sister die by being pushed in front of a train, she cleans up messes of dead bodies after they have died (strangely Chinese women), and ghosts (her sister)! This fast-paced book will absolutely have you on the edge of your seat and it was fabulous.

🌟horrifying
🌟disgusting
🌟triggering
🌟haunting
🌟traumatizing

i am not a horror girlie so i had to put this down every time i got scared... which ended up prolonging the experience and had me living in this terrifying book for ten whole days.

i sincerely hope cora is living a much happier life in 2024, i would like to find her and give her the biggest hug

This was good and spooky but mainly scary how people treat each other. I loved the description throughout and really related to Cora and her paranoia with the pandemic. It was… a lot and then for Asian women, I can’t even begin to understand.

This book hurt my heart a little. Kylie writes so well and I loved her precious series as well. It doesn’t shy away from the truth and presents it in a way that makes you want to keep reading.

I was so excited when I was granted access to this book because I love mysteries/thrillers combined with more important themes of social injustices. It’s true that the most horrific thrillers are those that twist in elements of real life horrors.

First and foremost, I received an ARC copy for NetGalley. Thank you!

After a tough start, I can say that I actually enjoyed this book. The subject matter is a bit close to home and can be depressing for some to read but overall it’s a good story.

This book is so many things all at once, but pulls all of them off. It’s bone-chilling at times: it’s a gory, page-turning murder mystery. It can be incredibly bleak and nihilistic before turning around at break neck speed and being a story about finding light and friendship in the darkest, most hopeless of situations. It peels back the mask of how hate can spread and grow. This book flip flops between exposing the best and absolute worst characteristics of humanity.

The longest running metaphor showcases in full color exactly how grief can sink its teeth into so many aspects of a person life and how confusing and messy of a feeling it is.

I thought this was a brilliantly written book, not quite like anything I’ve read before. I’d definitely recommend to anyone that’s up for a dark read.

Big thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for letting me read this advanced copy.

"Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng" by Kylie Lee Baker is an intense, visceral ride that latches onto you and doesn’t let go. Cora's journey through the gritty streets of Chinatown, haunted by both literal and metaphorical ghosts, is a raw and unflinching look at trauma and identity in the face of relentless horror. Baker’s portrayal of Cora’s inner turmoil and the stark reality of violence against East Asians during the pandemic is both heart-wrenching and terrifying. The book is a masterful blend of psychological horror and cultural commentary, with the eerie presence of hungry ghosts and a chilling serial killer adding layers of dread. It's a haunting, powerful read that will leave you questioning what’s real long after you’ve turned the last page. If you’re into horror that cuts deep and stays with you, this one’s a must-read. 👻🔪📚

set during the covid-19 pandemic, the novel explores the rise of anti-asian hate crimes and overall rise in anti-asian hate that followed. cora zeng is a crime scene cleaner who watched her sister get pushed in front of a train and die in the very first chapter of this book, the man shouting “bat eater” as he did so. the novel follows her as she is left to deal with the grief and trauma of that event while still trying to live her life, going to work and trying to survive the pandemic. if that isn’t enough, the crime scenes she’s cleaning up have her and her coworkers wondering if a serial killer is rising in new york city, with bats showing up at the scene, and she’s been witnessing some strange activities… the hungry ghosts, maybe, that her aunt talks about every august.

this is the first horror book i’ve read in a while that really gave me chills and had me scared of the dark. the way that kylie lee baker writes scenes is beautiful and horrifying at the same time. every crime scene that cora had to clean up or mention of blood and guts left me feeling squeamish and uncomfortable, while the hungry ghosts that lie in wait in the dark spaces cora sees had me anxious. it was a book i both wanted to put down to give myself a break, but also didn’t want to stop because of just how good it was. the plot being put into covid was poignant, even to this day, and didn’t feel like a gimmick an author threw in just because or thrown in lazily as just the background to the story as i’ve seen in other books released post-pandemic. no, covid-19 and the rise in anti-asian hate were very intrinsically linked and it is shown throughout the novel. it’s amazingly done, even if a bit hard to get through (as many social commentary horror books are) and i couldn’t recommend it enough. i can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy.

a huge thank you to netgalley and harlequin trade publishing for the arc of this ebook in exchange for an honest review!

An incredibly powerful and disturbing read, one that hit a little too close to home for me. Set during the COVID-19 pandemic, this novel explores the staggering rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and the normalization of rampant Sinophobia through a horror lens.

Cora Zeng's sister Delilah has always been her blueprint, her lifeline. After witnessing Delilah's brutal murder, Cora is left traumatized and adrift. Abandoning her dreams of a career in fashion, Cora becomes a crime scene cleaner. After all, she's already seen the very worst – nothing can faze her now. However, Cora soon notices a spate of dead East Asian women, found alongside mutilated bat carcasses at the crime scenes. "Bat eater", her sister's murderer yelled – and perhaps, so did these women's killers.

With the Hungry Ghost Festival looming, Cora starts to see Delilah's ghost, a desperate, gaping maw hungry for vengeance. Efforts to raise awareness about the dead women are rebuffed by the media and silenced by law enforcement, highlighting their complicity in a system where certain victims – immigrants, undocumented, non-English speaking – are seen as expendable. As Cora copes with her grief, loss, and anger, she strives to bring justice to the victims while trying to fend off the growing maelstrom of supernatural fury.

As an Asian woman, this was a particularly bitter and heartbreaking read. We worried about the safety of our elders, not only from illness, but also from the misplaced anger and hate that people harboured. We endured unhinged verbal abuse, like the man who yelled "fucking Chinese" at me as he rode by on his bicycle. Kylie Lee Baker paints a painfully realistic portrait of how so many people felt entitled to be abusive to those they perceived as Chinese – with complete impunity. Drawing from Chinese mythology, the Hungry Ghost Festival was a perfect vessel for exploring the the collective hunger and fury that lives in our veins, that flows from generational trauma and loss.

I don’t have the words to tell you how much I loved this book! It was… horrifying. In the best way possible.

It’s a mark of a truly wonderful author when you, as a reader, can physically feel a characters emotions. And I felt that way with Cora. I understood her anxiety and uncertainty of the future.

I remember being around the 7% mark and just KNOWING that this was going to be a 5 star read for me. And I was right. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book. The themes of violence, racism, mental illness, and grief were very prevalent. I love that the author didn’t shy away from such horrific subject matter.

The pandemic was a really terrifying and uncertain time for all of us, but I know that as a white woman, my experience was very different.

𝐵𝑎𝑡 𝐸𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑂𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑁𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝐶𝑜𝑟𝑎 𝑍𝑒𝑛𝑔 is full of body horror, extreme violence, and Asian hate. It was incredibly painful and gruesome to read but also entirely consuming. I read the whole thing in a day and a half. I could NOT put it down, even when it was scaring the heck outta me. There were certain moments that literally made me gasp out loud, and I even cried.

10/10. Absolute perfection.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and MIRA for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is a chilling and evocative thriller/horror novel that masterfully intertwines themes of trauma, cultural identity, and the supernatural against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. The story follows Cora Zeng, a crime scene cleaner in Chinatown, as she navigates a nightmarish reality filled with brutal violence, hungry ghosts, and a haunting personal tragedy.

Cora's life is irrevocably altered after witnessing the horrific murder of her sister, Delilah, who was pushed in front of a train by a man who shouted "bat eater." This event shatters Cora's sense of reality, leaving her haunted by both her inner demons and the physical remnants of the crime scenes she cleans. The novel's exploration of Cora's psychological turmoil is deeply immersive, drawing readers into her struggle to distinguish between reality and hallucination.

Baker's depiction of the pandemic and its accompanying anti-Asian racism is both poignant and timely. The narrative does an excellent job of weaving social commentary into the horror elements, which made me confront the stark realities faced by East Asians during this period. The gritty portrayal of Cora's job and the eerie atmosphere of Chinatown during the Hungry Ghost Festival add layers of authenticity and dread to the story.

The character of Cora is compelling and relatable, her resilience and vulnerability making her journey both heart-wrenching and inspiring. The side characters are equally well-developed, adding depth to the narrative and making Cora's experiences feel even more personal. The novel excels in creating an emotional connection with its characters, making the reader invested in their fates.

The horror elements are skillfully executed, with a perfect balance of psychological tension and supernatural terror. The recurring appearance of bat carcasses and the eerie manifestations of hungry ghosts create an unsettling atmosphere that kept me on edge. Baker's writing is vivid and descriptive, effectively conveying the "ick factor" that horror enthusiasts crave while maintaining a sense of realism and depth.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a beautifully crafted horror novel that stands out for its unique concept and emotionally charged narrative. Kylie Lee Baker has created a haunting tale that not only thrills and terrifies but also offers a profound commentary on cultural identity and the impact of trauma. This novel is a must-read for fans of horror and those who appreciate stories that resonate on both a personal and societal level!

**Review is scheduled to post to my blog on January 27th, 2025!**

What an amazing perspective of the pandemic. This book will or should shake you to your core. Told from the perspective of Cora, an Asian American, you will feel the raw emotions of that population during the Covid pandemic. Told as psychological thriller mystery expertly woven into the fabic of the story, it brings a bright light to the horrific racist actions that escalated during the pandemic. You will not be disappointed. 5 stars.