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.

I want to start this review by saying I normally steer clear of anything mentioning the pandemic or covid and I am just getting into really being able to listen to audiobooks... sometimes I zone out and miss half the story, so I need a good narrator!!

That being said, I really enjoyed both the book and the narration!!

I don't know much about Asian culture, and even though I knew there was a lot of racism during the pandemic, this put it in a different light for me.

I enjoyed the relationship between Cora, Yifei, and Harvey, and how they grew together over the course of the book and Cora's struggle with hungry ghosts. It becomes evident that Cora has had some mental health struggles in the past and I felt for her because you could tell she still felt that shame and fear that everyone would judge her based on her past.

The narration flowed nicely and kept my interest throughout the book! I would definitely listen to this narrator again.

Honestly really enjoyed this! I was partially worried because it involves the pandemic and I don’t like to go back to that. But this was written so well!

I found it interesting to get the perspective of a crime scene cleaner. I also loved that it touched base with how people were treated during the pandemic and how they are “bat eaters”. It was a horrific time and this book executed it very well. I loved every bit of it.

Bat Eater is such a wild ride! I really liked Cora's perspective because it was a little unreliable. It was hard to know what she was imagining and what was real. I think that helped add to the stress and darkness of the story. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book, but I love the combination serial killer, ghost, COVID plot.

I would warn readers that this book is graphic and gory (Which I enjoy) but it may not be for everyone.

I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator.

Kylie Lee Baker has officially become an auto-buy author for me! I really enjoyed The Scarlet Alchemist duo, and I loved that Bat Eater couldn't be more different, but was just as good.

Bat Eater blends the very real horror of the Covid pandemic and the resulting violence against East Asian people with hungry ghosts and plenty of blood and gore. Cora is a crime scene cleaner who is terrified of germs and dealing with significant emotional trauma.

What I think worked so well is that some of the most disturbing parts of the book were the scenes that didn't involve ghosts or body horror, but just the reality we lived through during the early days of the pandemic. It also opened my eyes to an extra layer of hell other people lived through that I hadn't experienced.

I listened to the audiobook, and Natalie Naudus was perfect in bringing Cora to life. I've listened to quite a few books narrated by Naudus, and she always delivers a great performance!

Thank you, Net Galley and Harlequin Audio, for an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for this honest review.

4.5 stars because this book is ahead of its time. Most books that are written about the pandemic are books that trigger me so much i end up not enjoying it, but this one I feel opposite. Now grated it is still triggering because of the racism and assault against Asian women and content but it was so good. The gore, the body horror, the beautiful ways that this author woven into this story was so captivating. I highly enjoyed this and would definitely recommend this to my audience. The narrator did a great job of keeping the reader engaged.

Thank you Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for the free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I am in no way, shape, or form, a horror girlie. But this book blended horror and the paranormal with the reality of the pandemic so seamlessly that I was engrossed the entire time. Told from the point of Cora Zeng, a half-Chinese college graduate trying to recover from witnessing her sister's murder, we a thrust back in time several years to the height of the pandemic in New York City. Cora has just graduated from college with a Fine Arts degree, but nowhere to flex her skills, so she accepts a job as a crime scene "scrubber". But soon she notices a pattern of murdered Asian women that seems to be flying under the radar of the NYPD, all while being haunted by a ghost of her own...

Sometimes, I almost block out that the pandemic even happened, not out of denial, but everything that occurred during that time just seemed to exist in this almost dream-like state. Like, did that even happen? But as Baker so expertly shows, millions of Asian Americans will never forget that time period. The blatant racism that exploded seemed to spread just as insidiously as COVID-19. And to be quite honest, I'm not sure that we ever recovered. But I digress. I was completely surprised by the paranormal element that emerged as Cora's story developed, but I absolutely loved how it tied in aspects of Asian culture that otherwise may have been left out. There is an undercurrent of tension throughout the entire story that drives the narrative and had me listening to my ALC at every opportunity. Baker's writing is eerie, but beautiful in its own right, and had me hoping and praying that Cora would it make it through this story alive. There are frequent graphic mentions of mutilated corpses and the aftermath of crime scenes, so if that's something that makes you squeamish, just be aware.

If I were to be a horror girlie, I think this is the perfect type of horror for me. Not just a story that thrives off of scary moments, but one that weaves in cultural and societal themes that are extremely relevant and give nuance to an otherwise seemingly straightforward horror novel. I will eagerly be on the lookout for more stories from Kylie Lee Baker.

This was intense, real and great. I’ve read a handful of books set during the pandemic and this one captured it and added a horrific salience. So well done.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of the audiobook for BAT EATER AND OTHER NAMES FOR CORA ZENG.

This book has quickly become my favorite listen of 2025 with its profound storytelling. Combining true tragedy with the traditions and beliefs surrounding hungry ghosts all while tying it into the mystery behind a serial killer was done so well. Emotional, shocking, and a great reminder of what loss and grief can do to a person especially in times of unforeseen circumstances. This book is beyond important in today’s world and to remind us what this country is capable of in the worst of times. I cannot recommend this book enough. It gives us every opportunity to truly look ourselves in the mirror and ask what we’ve created.

If you only listen to one audiobook this year, let this one be it.

Cora is a crime scene cleaner, witnessing some of the worst deaths in New York City when her own sister Delilah is pushed off of a subway platform, killing her instantly. Cory is really struggling the with her death and with many aspects of the pandemic when she realizes that someone is murdering Asian men and women and placing bats near their bodies. As she begins to be haunted by Delilah's ghost, she and her two coworkers try to uncover the perpetrator of the killings while tending to the hungry ghosts around them.

The narrator did an excellent job, imbuing the characters with distinct voices that helped enhance the story greatly. There were some poignant discussions of suffering from the effects of the pandemic and the impact that racism and Asian hate had on these characters. I did feel that the second third of the book dragged a little with much more of an interesting plot line and action in the beginning and the end. Overall there were some very interesting pieces to this unique story but it really wasn't for me. 3.25 stars.

I received this advance audio copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

HUGE thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to receive this audiobook as an arc

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is one of those books where it feels strange to say I loved it- because it is quite bleak and it hurt my feelings a lot, it was not a happy book. There’s this looming darkness that seems to settle over you as soon as you start reading.

So let me explain;

It’s been a while since a book has made me genuinely disgusted with humanity. This book really came out swinging with the racism, the first chapter involved our main character losing her sister due to hate crime. And that ball did not stop rolling. Just when you think that MAYBE Cora gets a moment to breathe, poor girl gets kicked down and then some.
The Sinophobia during the COVID-19 pandemic was, and is, horrible. Witnessing this through Cora’s eyes was heartbreaking. Seeing Cora and her friends getting called vile names, along with the destruction of Chinese-owned businesses, and even down to the targeted murders of Chinese people really hit me in the gut. And it was supposed to.

This book is so realistically horrific. It’s not slasher, cabin in the woods horror. It’s real world, every day horror; walk-outside-your-house-and-witness-it-with-your-own-two-eyes, kind of horror. And sometimes that is much scarier.

I did have a lot of fun with the Hungry Ghost aspect- I’m not overly familiar with East Asian culture but this has really inspired me to do more research! I also personally enjoyed the mental picture of (not) Delilah unhinging her jaw like a python around that man at the table (iykyk)

Every part of this book made me emotional, from the dedication ALLLLL the way to the authors note.

This book was so good! I was a nurse during the pandemic and that gave me a very one sided view of the pandemic. This look into the Chinese American perspective was so eye opening. Let’s also not forget the horror aspect of this story. So well done!

This was a short, quick read that brings us back to NYC during the early COVID days. Cora, an obsessive compulsive germaphobe (my interpretation even though I’m not sure it was ever specifically stated) is just trying to live her life after sister gets murdered. I felt Cora was so endearing and I honestly loved her and her weird quirks and compulsions.

At face value, not much happened - but the deeper message was so emotional and you could tell the author felt deeply about this. But I am quite certain Baker deserves jail for what she did towards the end bc how dare she?? I couldn’t believe what she did to my poor Cora 😭

As someone who HATES bats, parts of this one had me 🤢 but don’t let that discourage you bc I swear it wasn’t that bad - I just get grossed out by weird things. I also totally understand if you’re hesitant to pick up a pandemic themed book, because I was too. But this one had so many more layers to it than just the pandemic story.

🎧audiobook was AMAZING. Natalie Naudus had such a soothing voice and was a new narrator to me but I have no idea why she isn’t narrating more?? I loved her and need to listen to anything else she’s done - she’s got a Julia Whelan/Eunice Wong type of voice that just makes you want to keep listening.

Overall, I highly recommend this one! Thank you so much to the publisher and the author for allowing me to be an early reader.

Arc review ✨

I have so many thoughts about this book! Thank you first off to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for an honest review. I was very excited to have a chance to read this.

First of, wow, this book started out with a bang- just horrifically heartbreaking and the dread continued the entire book. Unfortunately, while it had one of the strongest intro scenes in a book I’ve read in a while.. as we went on it felt like a rough rollercoaster - really high highs and really low lows. After the first intense scene it got slow until around 30% when we are introduced to a supernatural aspect as well as a murder mystery which should have hooked me…. But it dragged until around 70%. When it did pick up again, I found it had lost my interest and nothing could get it back. I believe that had to do with the supernatural parts. My main thought while listening to it was that while supernatural aspects usually are a plot device that I love in a horror book, in this one it didn’t work for me. I was more interested in the POV of our characters experiencing the pandemic and horrors they experienced as well as the serial killer spin.

Added to note that the audio narrator did well. Even though I ended up going at 1.75x speed after 80% as I just wanted to move on :( bummer. Was no fault to the narrator though, the story was just not gripping me further.

In the end I did finish this book, but I’m left feeling a bit unsatisfied. It wasn’t a bad book and you will see many reviews raving about it. I just think it didn’t work out for me personally.

I usually avoid pandemic-themed novels but I made an exception for this one since it sounded incredible. This was my first novel by Kylie Lee Baker and I will definitely be reading more! I listened to this on audiobook and absolutely loved how the narrator really conveyed the atmospheric horror aspects in a way that had me looking over my shoulder for ghosts. “Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng” is a gory supernatural horror story intertwined with a tense serial killer murder mystery. But it’s also a realistic portrayal of Covid with incredible social commentary that doesn’t shy away from topics such as racism, hate crimes, and more. This is definitely one you don’t want to miss if you enjoy dark horror novels! 4.5 stars.

Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for ALC of this book!

This is such a strange, weird and intense book. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is set during the pandemic and highlights what it was like to be Asian during that time. As Cora works to find her sister's killer, she begins to think there may be a serial killer on the loose, hunting Asian victims. As time passes she slowly unravels and is the killer hunting her? Filled with phobia, ghosts, and gore this book gives serious spooky vibes and I had to keep the lights on while I was listening!

The audiobook narrator, Natalie Naudus has a very calm and soothing voice. She added a lightness that I didn't expect to find when I hit play.

A book about ghosts, but the living are far scarier.

Cora earns a living cleaning crime scenes during the pandemic. When she begins finding bats at the scenes where Asian women are killed, and the ghost of her sister pushes her to investigate, Cora realizes that the racism that simmers under the surface of New York has become insidious.

I loved the body horror in this book. Eyeballs and fingers and goo, oh yeah. It feels sweaty and claustrophobic, with truly haunting imagery.

This was a work of horror indeed, in terms of both the reality aspects of it and the ghosts. The hatred towards the Chinese was immense during the pandemic, and unfortunately none of what was said in the book was surprising in that sense. We heard it all around us. It was sad to hear it from a first person perspective, and horrific the extent to which it went—- namely the catalyst event with her sister, the man, and the train.
The author did not shine away from gore, and some moments were surprising to me in a “oh dang that just happened” sense. While they may be ghosts, they do bite and can kill just as a human can. The haunting is one Cora can’t wake up from, as it’s not a dream.
This was definitely different than anything I’ve read before and I enjoyed the blend of realistic truths and fiction. The narration of the audiobook was also great, and I was completely immersed in the story.

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the listen!

If you had told me a month ago that I’d be emotionally wrecked over a book featuring a germaphobic crime scene cleaner, a serial killer, and literal hungry ghosts, I would have dunked my hands in sanitizer and laughed in your face. But here I am—raw, shaken, and 99.9% sure something is breathing down my neck.

This book? Absolutely unhinged. It’s a full-course horror feast—bloody, brutal, and seasoned with just the right amount of dark humor to make you choke on your own fear. The grief? Marinated in trauma. The ghosts? Starving. The protagonist? Hanging by a thread and fighting for her life (and possibly her sanity). And the serial killer? Let’s just say they’re not exactly leaving clean crime scenes.

Every page is dripping with paranoia, tension sharper than a butcher knife, and the unsettling knowledge that something sees you. You might not see it back, but oh, don’t worry—it’s there. Watching. Lurking. Licking its lips.

If you like your horror feral, your ghosts ravenous, and your protagonist one intrusive thought away from an existential crisis, you need this book. Just don’t read it alone. Or in Chinatown. Or near train platforms. Or… actually, maybe just wrap yourself in a salt circle and hope for the best.

Kylie Lee Baker crafts a multi-layered and melancholic tale of trauma, racism, family mythology, multi-generational cultural loss, and the uncertainty of daily living through the COVID-19 global pandemic and its impact on Asian American women in New York City, as experienced by Cora Zeng. Cora is an unsure, germ-phobic, and somewhat reluctant Chinese American woman living in the shadow of her sister Delilah, who she both idolizes and resents. The story begins with Delilah’s brutal racially-motivated murder, which leads to a spiral of events that unfold in the book in horrific, tragic, and gory details. Details which oft lay American society bare in its darkness, yet leave the reader with real moments of hilarity from a group of extremely likeable characters.
The expert narration by Natalie Naudus felt like being swept up a current peacefully, until you realized just like Cora, the current was not so peaceful.
Even though I read a synopsis before I listened to this book, I had no idea what I was in for as this book is so much “bigger” than any description can make it out to be. Yes it is horror, yes it is a story about Asian Americans, yes it is comedic and dark, yes it is many things, but I feel it is a necessary read for two reasons: the experience of Asian American women in America and how they are often not allowed to be other than what white society dictates they shall be, and how the pandemic was tragic for everyone yes, but it was more tragic for some than it was for others.
I feel very glad to have read this book. I devoured it. I’ve recommended it to everyone I can. It is excellent. I relate to Cora’s germ-phobia, her unsureness, her not knowing what will the world bring next? She is real. I find myself wondering about the real life Delilahs, the Hungry Ghosts that roam among us. This is not a book that will leave you quickly once you are done reading (or listening).
If you are squeamish this may not be for you, as there is quite a bit of body horror within. If you are a victim of male violence against women, I would check the trigger warnings and keep your safety in mind. If you’re in need of a good dose of Auntie wisdom, then you’re in luck and this is your book!
Overall, a difficult at times, buoyant at times, absolutely worthwhile to required read. One of the best horror books in recent memory. Male horror authors take note: if you’re killing off your female characters, this is how you do it. Women authors are doing the horror genre the justice it deserves and Kylie Lee Baker is at the front of the pack!