Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is one of my favorite books of the year. Absolutely heartbreaking and scary. A true fear that a lot of Asian women faced. A MUST READ!

I feel like sharing this book with as many people as possible is my new mission!!

"Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng" is a story full of surprises and harsh realities from the very first chapter. When I started reading, I didn't know what to expect, but if I had to guess, it would have said something about self-knowledge and personal growth amidst the adversities brought about by derogatory prejudice against human beings. In the first chapter, I saw that I was completely wrong!!

With an engaging writing style, Kylie Lee Baker narrates in a scenario of pandemic and chaos that is very familiar, adding elements of horror, shock, and humanity. Coraline Zeng is a peculiar character and different from what one might expect in a protagonist. With her traumas, doubts, and fears well explained, she brings them to the surface, making it clear that she does not see herself as a heroine under any circumstances. Quite the contrary, she is a recluse and avoids the stress of making choices, but she is still a person who is in control of herself and, precisely because she knows herself so well, knows that she does not have big dreams or aspire to great things.

During this reading I found myself becoming attached to the characters and what motivated them, increasingly curious to know where everything would end. From the doubt as to whether what Cora was going through was real, to the various attempts to know how to appease the ghosts.

One of my new favorites that I will recommend to the four winds, hoping that it will have a greater reach and recognition.

I found this story to be incredibly interesting. It combined so many forms of grief and horrifying experiences. Allowing others to see the impact from a perspective they’ve never tried to understand. I was in New York when COVID hit, it truly was a terrifying no man’s land. It’s interesting to revisit it from a new perspective while following a mystery and gaining new cultural knowledge.

A haunted protagonist, a pandemic, and hungry ghosts combined by a talented writer make this a chilling tale that will haunt me forever.

Content warning: violence against women; blood & gore; animal cruelty; police corruption; racism; profanity

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Although quite grim and graphic throughout, it had a much deeper message about the impact that the Covid pandemic had on Asian people. I really appreciated learning more about Chinese culture and superstitions regarding loved ones who have died.
Overall I really liked this book and will be checking out this authors other work!

Thank you, Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA, and Netgalley, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

As you can possibly gather from the rating of this one, I absolutely adored this book. I had read this author's YA fantasy duology (The Scarlet Alchemist) previously and found the writing to be funny while never missing the social commentary. When I read the description for Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng, I was expecting to like it, but this has exceeded my expectations.

Set during the aughts of the pandemic, this book follows an Asian-American who cleans crime scenes and is visited by a ghost after the murder of her sister (this happens in Chapter 1, so not a spoiler!). While Baker explores all the ways hatred-fueled attacks against the Asian communities in America, she focuses specifically on the serial killing of Asian women all over New York, as our main character is cleaning crime scenes after crime scene.

The serial killings are what pushes the plot forward, and the great mystery to uncover, but the Chinese folklore comes to life is an intrinsic part of this, too. The way our main character deals with this ghost and all her "visions" is by diving deeper into tales and traditions, which deeply enrich the narrative and bring the horror elements to life.

The way Baker crafted the horror scenes and details, as well as our main character's psychic were very well developed and even made me think of the subtle horror style of Shirley Jackson (in particular, the style of The Haunting of Hill House). So, if you enjoyed that work, I would highly recommend this one!

Overall, I think what made this book stand out was how firmly rooted to our reality it felt, and specifically to an uncertain moment in time when most were afraid. The social commentary is pointed and very welcome when people are conveniently forgetting how the discourse around COVID turned problematic and racist very quickly.

this book was so frickin great. I felt sick at the racism, and sicker knowing people actually experience that. I was really rooting for Cora the whole way through, and even the "casual" racism pissed me off. I wanted to believe the best in people but they kept proving me wrong, which is quite accurate to real life.
I loved her coworkers, and I loved watching the relationships and different dynamics play out.
I enjoyed the ending, even with the parts that broke my heart. 💕

This was such a great read! I really enjoyed reading from Cora's perspective and the discussion surrounding how certain victims of crimes are treated compared to others. The story also takes place a few years after Covid so it's still pretty fresh in people's minds the discrimination and attacks that were happening at the time. The story kept me engaged throughout and the reveals at the end were unexpected. Definitely will be reading more of Kylie Lee Baker in the future.

Wow this book was fantastic, gripping onto you and doesn't let go. This starts out with a stunning act of violence that catapults Cora and the readers into a story about grief, family and power. Add on a blend of cultural beliefs and mental illness all set in New York City during the pandemic it leaves and enduring impact.

Somehow taking place during the early days of the pandemic adds to the story shining a spotlight on the blatant and hidden racism that were amplified during these days. This is a wonderfully written book displaying the almost poetic thoughts of Cora juxtaposed with the horrific imagery from her job as a crime scene cleaner and the further violence she witnesses.

This is a dark book but feels more thought provoking than depressing for me. It both tore at my heart and provoked my rage. Definitely a top read of the year so far.

Thanks to the publisher, HTP books and The Hive for providing advanced access to the ebook.

Set right after the start of Covid lockdowns in NYC, we meet Cora and her sister, Delilah, on the date of Delilah's untimely death. Months later we reconnect with Cora at a crime scene where she is employed as a cleaner with her kind of friends, Henry and Yifei. As the trio end up at crime scene after crime scene of Asian women brutally slain, Cora knows there's something very wrong happening and it's not just the hungry ghost of Delilah haunting her. I really felt for our characters and even if Cora is a bit unreliable of a narrator at times, the story unfolding was so gut wrenching I just needed to know what would happen. Henry and Yifei do provide some comedic relief at times that kept me and Cora from falling completely into despair. My favorite character, other than Cora, is Auntie Zheng. She is such a firecracker, but also such a support in times of need. I love her.
It was probably one of the first pandemic books I've read, and it was a stark look at the realities of the time, specifically the anti-Asian hate that ran rampant.
I highly recommend this book even though I was very upset by the events that unfolded.

BAT EATER!

That’s the last thing Cora heard before some mysterious dude pushed her sister Delilah off the subway platform. Fast forward a few months, and now Cora’s a crime scene cleaner, but she’s been noticing some weird stuff happening at the scenes. Is it a serial killer, or are there hungry ghosts involved?

This book was a quick and fun read! As I got into it, I found myself really wanting to unravel a few mysteries: will they ever find out who pushed Delilah, and is she actually trying to reach out to Cora from beyond? If you’re into mysteries, definitely add this to your reading list, and make it a priority. You won't regret it!

"Cora thinks about a time, before the pandemic, when she truly thought the worst monsters were the ones inside her own head. When she thought people were good, that they would save each other."

Crime scene cleaner Cora Zeng is still reeling from a horrific incident that left her sister dead when she begins noticing food missing from her fridge, and hunks chewed from her furniture. It seems she is being visited by a Hungry Ghost. And, if that's not enough, she and her coworkers are starting to believe there is a serial killer preying on young Asian women.

This was excellent. Though certainly gory and disturbing, the novel is well written and thought provoking. I had honestly forgotten about all the violence perpetrated against the Asian population during the recent pandemic, and this brought it all back in stark black and white (and red).

I highly recommend this one to fans of thrillers and horror.

"But the thing about hungry ghosts is they don't care if you believe in them."

Cora Zeng cleans up crime scenes in Chinatown, and finds it far less horrible than when she had witnessed her sister getting pushed in front of a train while being called "bat eater." She is more concerned by germs, viruses and the bare hands of strangers. Reality has also been a little off since her sister's death. As she ignores the upcoming Hungry Ghost Festival, she tries not to focus on the fact that the latest crime scenes she's been cleaning up are all of East Asian women with bats left behind. It's never a good idea to ignore hungry ghosts...

Cora's anxiety and OCD worsened with the pandemic, much like it did for many in that time period when no one knew what was happening. As a half Chinese woman, she was also subject to the incredibly harmful racism that increased in larger cities. She witnessed her sister’s murder in the subway, and tried to avoid thinking about it or acknowledging it. For those steeped in Chinese folklore, this is exactly how hungry ghosts are born. The ghost month means the veil between worlds is thinner, and the hungry ghosts seek fulfillment any way they can.

My heart went out to Cora in the beginning. She thinks so much, and fears her own thoughts and perception. She feels unwanted by both halves of her heritage, but the way she was shuffled between households means she's not exactly wrong, either. She wants so much to belong, yet never felt part of anything. Even with her unconventional profession, she doesn't quite bond with her coworkers at first. As the story progresses and she trusts them more, there's still a reserve due to her own anxiety.

What an interesting story. Totally didn't know what I was going to step into. I had no idea it was about the pandemic. Definitely unique and a must read novel with a real haunting atmosphere. Cora - the dry cleaner turned corpse cleaner - like oh my god is that a thing? And honestly there are moments I'm thinking what in the world is going on but in a really good way. The supernatural vibe was awesome. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Like other people, I avoid reading anything related to COVID because of how close it hits home, but this book was so crazy entertaining and moving that I kept reading.
Cora's messy little family dynamics and the stark contrast between her Auntie Zeng and Auntie Lois, especially with their cultural and religious backgrounds are so interesting to read about. I imagine her Auntie Zeng would have reacted so much differently as her Auntie Lois did in that scene where a stranger spat on her face in a violent act of racism. It's also interesting how she thinks of going to her Auntie Lois when she wants to run away with Yifei instead of her Auntie Zeng because of how her Auntie Lois will probably be "safer" since she is white and lives in a well-to-do neighborhood and would less likely be the victim of the perpetrator(s) of the hate crimes.
I never thought of horror books to be so philosophical, and yet Kylie Lee Baker's way of tackling racism, jealousy, germaphobia (possibly OCD?), and not having dreams about the future is really good and made me highlight a bunch of parts in the book. There are some parts that are quite meandering and feel gratuitous or unneeded, like the author just really wanted to put in something quotable even though it was unnecessary for the scene.
The book has really gory descriptions even outside of scenes related to death and body disposal, so for readers who do not like things like that, you might want to put down this book.
I like Yifei (Coworker 1) and Harvey (Coworker 2) and how their relationships evolve from cordial animosity to something a lot like friendship. Harvey definitely reads as someone who dies first because he's too nosy and Yifie is like the final girl while Cora is the hesitant protagonist who wants nothing to do with all that's happening and just want to lead a normal life.
I also loved the elements of Feminine Rage in the book, and how Cora decides to fight back towards the end. All in all, this book deserves all the horror book prizes and recognition it can get.

Books like this cement the horror trope that the scariest monsters are other human beings.

Just a few years removed from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was uneasy about this book. Hell, I lived through it, so I wasn't sure I wanted to relive the psychological trauma and paranoia. But the treatment that Cora Zeng and her friends experienced was more horrific than any of the body horror gore in this book. And there are plenty of stomach-churning scenes to go around, even beyond Cora being a crime scene cleaner.

I wouldn't say I had a great time with this book - it's a truly unsettling horror story, after all. My heart ached for Cora and what she went through with her sister and what appears to be trauma-induced, undiagnosed OCD. She deserved peace, but the horrors persisted. Luckily, Cora persisted as well, becoming a stronger and more confident woman who helped uncover the killer and corruption behind a string of horrific murders of Asian women.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is unlike any horror novel I've read before. Author Kylie Lee Baker presents an almost lit fic horror story with poignant and elegant prose that makes even the most gruesome scenes sound elegant. It's a must-read for all fans of the horror genre as well as those interested in reading it with a highly relatable story.

I'd been looking forward to this one for awhile and it didn't disappoint. I loved the slow dread that built under your skin throughout, and I love that Cora embraces herself and pushes backa t a world who that is trying to bury her.

This was a horror in a multitude of ways, from the gore to human nature. Set in COVID-19. Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner dealing with obsessions, grief, and complexed family dynamics. The beginning was a bit slow but the narrative is compelling enough where it did not impact the experience. This is a violent, dark story with a strong social commentary about the pandemic, racism and xenophobia that can spark discussions and is worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

Kylie Lee Baker’s Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a haunting and visceral journey through grief, identity, and the supernatural. Set against the backdrop of pandemic-era New York City, the novel masterfully intertwines the horrors of reality with elements of Chinese folklore, creating a narrative that’s both timely and timeless.

Cora Zeng, a crime scene cleaner in Chinatown, is grappling with the traumatic loss of her sister, Delilah, who was pushed in front of a train by a stranger shouting “bat eater.” As Cora navigates her grief, she begins to notice disturbing patterns: an increasing number of murdered Asian women, mutilated bat carcasses at crime scenes, and a haunting presence that may be her sister’s hungry ghost .

Baker’s prose is unflinchingly visceral, immersing readers in Cora’s world of anxiety, compulsion, and the macabre. The novel doesn’t shy away from depicting the brutal realities of anti-Asian violence during the pandemic, making it a poignant commentary on societal issues .

For fans of horror that delves deep into the human psyche and societal horrors, Bat Eater is a must-read. It’s a chilling reminder that sometimes, the most terrifying ghosts are the ones we carry within.

This book is now officially in my top 10 books of all time. What a beautifully authentic and raw book about the impact of grief, loneliness, racial tension and anti-Asian racism, all taking place during the events of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have a bachelor's degree in East Asian studies, so I have read quite a lot of books in my time with similar themes as this one, and I firmly believe that this book MUST become required reading in university classes pertaining to race, society, global studies, American studies and Asian studies. This is a highly recommended read for anyone looking to begin to understand the impact of the pandemic and beyond through the viewpoint of an Asian-American person. It is heartbreaking but very real, and it's important that this viewpoint is not ignored.

Within only a few chapters of this book, I quickly became attached to our main character, Cora, alongside her coworker friends Harvey and Yifei. Through many twists and turns in this book, my heart broke for each of them one by one. Speaking as a huge fan of the horror genre, the horror in this book was immaculate and it had EVERYTHING: Chinese folklore, gore, ghosts, a serial killer plotline, suspense, mental health, and even some religious undertones. There is something in this book for every horror fan.

I genuinely wish I could read this book for the first time again just to re-experience the highs, lows, laughter and tears. I have been recommending this book to every single person in my life and will continue to do so for quite some time. I am soooo looking forward to any other horror novels written by Kylie Lee Baker in the future!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, MIRA Books and Kylie Lee Baker for the ARC of this book!