This book was incredibly visceral and horrifying. Set in NYC during the beginning of the Covid pandemic, Baker blends the reality of that time including the horrific heightening of racism with cultural lore and the paranormal. The story packed several punches and went places I could never have expected and I was eager to pick the book up every time I had to put it down. I finished this book almost three weeks ago, and I have thought about it at least once a day everyday since. While definitely not for the faint at heart, this book is important social horror and I loved every heart breaking bit of it. The beautiful cover echoes the beauty of the story within.

This book was terrifying and profound. It put a spotlight on a true life horror. The writing is beautiful. This audiobook was very well done.

This one took me awhile to get through, but overall I thought it was great. I loved the social commentary on COVID and how Asian people were treated mixed with the very creepy paranormal elements of this story. I truly felt like I was transported back to 2020 and even though that sounds awful, reading this with the knowledge I have now was even more impactful. This is a ghost story that really tackles systemic racism in a fresh and thought provoking way. I thought this was going to be a straight forward story about a woman’s sister who was murdered and that there would ultimately be a reveal as to who the murderer was, but this is far more than that!

I really grew to love the main character Cora and the side characters in this book. I was entertained, I was spooked, and I laughed quite a few times. The writing was fantastic and the story truly kept me wanting more and totally unsure of where it would go next. I thought the ending was a little bit unsatisfying and I would have liked a little more, it felt a little abrupt. Aside from that I thought this was great and such a haunting story. I also thought this was even better on audio. Thank you Harlequin audio - Natalie Naudus did a fantastic job! The pacing, the voices she used for each separate character, and way she conveyed Cora’s emotions were all so well done. I definitely recommend audio for this one!

Went into this one totally blind and ended up really liking it! Bat Eater is such a wild mix of ghosts, serial killers, creepy vibes, and deeper topics like race and COVID. It’s super unique and way more emotional than I expected.

Not gonna lie, it took me a little bit to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked. The audiobook (narrated by Natalie Naudus) is SO good and would definitely recommend listening that way.

Heads up though, this book is dark. Like really dark. Lots of heavy topics like racism, hate speech, death, graphic violence, even animal cruelty. So definitely check the trigger warnings.

Also… that cover?! Absolutely gorgeous. Horror + pretty art is a yes for me!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

🦇"When you're drowning and someone grabs your hand, you don't ask them where they're taking you."🦇

🥀It's fricken bats in here!

📓Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng
👩🏻@kylieleebaker
🗣@htpbooks @harperaudio
📅April 29th, 2025

🧠My Thoughts🧠
I honestly thought I would have more to say about this when I finished it. I enjoyed it so much, and I wrote down so many good quotes, but as I sit down to write this review, I have no idea what to say. Although this is fictional, it felt so real because I honestly wouldn't put it past nasty ass white men to do the shit that was done in this book.

It's not often that a book leaves me speechless, but this book... this god damn book... did it. Read this. It's beautiful and scary and fucked up. Oh so very fucked up.

💬ⓆⓄⓉⒹ: Has a book ever left you speechless?

#bateaterandothernamesforcorazeng #bateater #kylieleebaker #mira #harperaudio #htpbooks #alc #audiobook #bookreview #audiobookreview #netgalley #covid #covidhorror #haunting

Thank you for Harlequin Books for a free advanced reader and listener copy of this book. Thank you as well for sending me a gifted print copy as well.

JAW. ON. THE. FLOOR.

This book was a masterclass in horror and suspense, while also touching on race relations and the rise of Asian American hate crimes caused by the rhetoric surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. Just the right amount of gore, Kylie Lee Baker left me with chills running down my back.

Right at the beginning of the pandemic in NYC, Cora is with her sister in the subway when an extremist pushes her sister in front of a train, calling her a Bat Eater. Soon after, Cora becomes a crime scene cleaner, because after all, she’s already seen the worst thing possible.

Cora ends up liking being a cleaner. Being stuck in a Tyvec suit all day unable to talk to her coworkers is perfect. However, the crimes are revolving around East Asian women, and bats are being found at each of the scenes.

Meanwhile, Cora’s aunt tries to get her to believe in and participate in the rituals needed to keep her out of danger from hungry ghosts.

The author broaches topics of loss of a loved one, grief, child abandonment, being biracial in the US, the tug and pull of families that mean well, and the horrific treatment of East Asians in the US, particularly during the pandemic.

Wow! This book really shines. So incredibly good and extremely well-written. Despite addressing multiple heavy topics, Bat Eater manages to not get weighed down by any of that. This is a standout debut from this author and J ! A huge thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this ALC.

– I must admit I don’t read a lot of horror, but when my book buddy tells me to read a book it gets done. He rarely misses on suggesting a book I will like.

Bat Eater is a HARD book. If you don’t feel uncomfortable reading this book, I think you missed the real point. Whether we had negative thoughts about Asian Americans, refused to wear masks correctly, laughed at the pandemic in general, or made fun of those seriously scared by what might happen to them, I think COVID was a time each and every person could have done better. This book at its core shed a light on this and the racism that was real in America during this time, and that, by itself, is haunting.

But, looking at just the plot, this book is FREAKY! It is gory and scary between the terrorizing ghosts, horrific people, and gruesome crime scenes, but also has just the right amount of humor! I know that is hard to believe for a horror, but it does. Yifei was my favorite character. Seriously, I loved her and how she grounded Cora. Her dialog was written perfectly – so was the delivery. Natalie Naudus is an exceptional narrator not only adding life to Yifiei but also capturing Cora’s fear and anxiety.

Overall, this was a great horror story with a unique perspective on the pandemic. I think everyone should read this book!

Thank you @netgalley, @htpbooks, and @htpbooks_audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review. This one is out now!

Cora Zeng watched her sister die. She was pushed in front of a train, and it's haunted her ever since. She's been spending her time cleaning crime scenes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Lately though, all of their recent jobs have been the bodies of Asian women. What's worse Hungry Ghosts have started following her, and they will do anything to be fed.

So Kylie Lee Baker is an auto-buy for me, but this book is easily my favorite. Cora is such a well-crafted and sympathetic character. On this journey with her, I was on the edge of my seat and rooting for her the whole time. In fact, I was so captivated by this book, I couldn't put it down. I honestly have nothing bad to say about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. As always, Natalie Naudus was a great narrator. I can't recommend this book enough.

Wow! This book was one of the best horror books that I read this year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for giving me the opportunity to listen and review this book.

I don't typically enjoy pandemic fiction for a number of reasons I can't really put my finger on. This book was an exception. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a whirlwind of a book. I was completely sucked in from the start of the book to the end. There were twists I didn't see coming, emotions I couldn't stop feeling, and so much more.

Cora is such an incredibly relatable character. As someone who has OCD and anxiety, her spiraling felt extremely familiar. However, Kylie Lee Baker does a masterful job of portraying Cora's inner turmoil without sucking the reader into the spiral It kept me on edge, but didn't send me over the edge. I also often see twists coming, but this book kept me guessing until the very end. I'm excited to see what this author does next. This was a powerhouse debut.

What was I thinking?? Picking up a horror thriller book? Knowing full well it’s not something I normally would read? Oh God. It was very gory and unsettling, felt like a nightmare. But not gonna lie I was enthralled.

Set during the early months of Covid-19, the story follows Cora Zeng, a 24 y.o. Chinese woman who just lost her half-sister Delilah in the hand of a masked white man. But Delilah isn’t the only victim. Working as a crime-scene cleaner, she’s dealing with human entrails which mostly were Asian girls or women. And there’s always bats in the scene, like it’s the serial killer’s signature.

Serial killer on the loose while the police only brushed off the cases, hungry ghost looming around because it’s the Ghost Month, resurgence of Sinophobia, on top of already having mysophobia, Cora’s life was constantly on edge. And I felt like I was going insane alongside her.

I had to pause my reading several times because I couldn’t bear it, but I couldn’t just stop and drop the book. I had to know how everything unfolded. And it didn’t disappoint! It was a wild silent ride that constantly made me question which one is real and which one is a sliver of Cora’s thoughts. There’s some things that left unclear until the end but I’ll let them slide I guess. Also Yifei is my fav character and I wished her story could be more explored. Poor girl:(

Natalie Naudus was amazing in narrating this book! I enjoyed her performance so much, no notes.

This book got so far under my skin that I finished it, then immediately made a vaccine appointment!

This is a young adult horror novel set during the COVID-19 lockdown. It follows Cora, a young Chinese American girl with a phobia of germs, who is also dealing with a recent and shocking trauma.

The themes of fear, hate, disease, isolation, family obligation and grief wind their way through the whole book. There were moments where I felt claustrophobic as I was drawn into Cora's life. I was rooting for her as she navigated her job, trouble with her aunt, lockdown, NYC and making new friends.

A slow creeping horror that mixes moments of levity and found family with existential dread.

Truly speechless about this book. It's one of the scariest books I've ever had the pleasure of reading, and in so many different ways. I love horror, especially horror that has something to say, and boy was this one impactful.

This book was INTENSE! Set during the pandemic, this anti Asian hate novel was horrifying and gory and something that really helped me understand that terrible time a little more. Like have we ever considered how much worse it may have been for others during the pandemic?

In this book, Asian women were being hunted. They weren’t being seen as human, and Cora, crime scene cleaner, was tired of literally scrubbing them off the walls. If you are a horror fan, I highly recommend this one! And I also recommend reading the author’s note!

Thank you so much Harlequin Audio for this ALC 🫶🏼

Thank you Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for granting my wish for this audiobook ALC!

This book sank its fangs into me. While set in a mist 2020 Covid-19 pandemic desolation, Kylie Lee Baker delivers a visceral, gory yet fiery novel of about murder-scene cleaner Cora Zeng. Cora has a hard time opening up to people especially after losing her guiding light of a sister, Delilah, during a rise in Chinese hate crimes. Baker does a phenomenal job crafting Cora with her sharp writing paired with Natalie Naudus’s mature narration. I became to like Cora’s coworker’s Yifei and Harvey along side Cora. This genre blending horror hit the spot appealing my love of mystery and horror with paranormal.

(LemonyReads System)
Characters/Depth/Growth - 9
Atmosphere - 10
World Building/Historical Accuracy - 9
Writing Style - 9
Pacing - 10
Plot / Conflict - 9
Dialogue - 8
Intrigue / Creativity - 8
Romance/Relationships - 8
Enjoyment - 10

I have been trying to figure out how I feel about this book. The story was so multi-faceted and all-encompassing that it was difficult to get a handle on it. There’s Cora’s interactions with her sister, and her sister’s murder; there’s Cora dealing with her feelings regarding that; Cora’s job where she inadvertently stumbles upon serial killer(s) and the racism that goes with it; then there’s the Chinese tradition and the hungry ghosts, and then there’s the pandemic to deal with also. There’s so much to unpack and despite the jumble it seems to create, it all works together. The story moves pretty swiftly and sweeps you up into the various things Cora contends with and I enjoyed getting to know all facets but it was a lot to take in.

I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.

“Everyone wants Asian girls to look pretty. No one wants them to talk.”

before i type anything - please know that this is a dark story, and i do believe that if you are asian this book is going to be even more difficult to read. this book (and review) discusses hate crimes against asian people during the peak of covid here in the states. just please use caution going into this book and make sure you are in an okay headspace to read about that. and i hope you are able to pick this one up, because it is for sure a favorite of 2025 for me.

this story is about a biracial girl named cora zeng, who has always felt not “chinese enough”, yet people have always shown her that she also isn’t white enough. and in april 2020, on a subway platform, when the world is feeling already empty, her sister is murdered right in front of her. then the story jumps to august of 2020, where cora is trying to learn how to live without her sister and how to carry her grief when she feels so extra alone. she does get a job to be part of a crime scene cleanup crew in chinatown, and soon starts to see a pattern with asian women being brutally murdered, and wonders if there is potentially a serial killer doing this. and on top of it all, she thinks she could potentially be seeing her sister’s ghost, who seems very hungry for something.

the hungry ghost festival / ghost month is celebrated sometime between july, august, and september, and it is the first day of the festival when she sees this ghost. with the help of her friends, and her amazing aunt, she tries to figure out what is going on in nyc and what is going on inside her mind, too. and hopefully she can before the last day of the hungry ghost festival.

again, this is a really hard book to read at times, but i really loved it. i think it’s powerful, i think it’s so beautifully written, i think it’s going to help a lot of people see what it can feel like to be a child of immigrants, especially when you’re trapped in a country that will never let you forget it, during a pandemic they blame on you to excuse their racism and hate. to me, this book is ultimately a story about a girl who is just trying to find peace. peace with her grief, peace with her family + identity, peace for her sister and all these other asian women who never deserved what happened to them.

cora’s identity meant a lot to me, because my dad is asian and my mom is white, and that really is a rare asian american biracial experience for me to read about, even in 2025. also, it has gotten a lot better as of 2025, but i was really struggling with health anxiety induced ocd after 2020. the scene with cora going to the optometrist? that was truly me the last couple of years, with so many different kinds of doctors, and i would never wish it on anyone. so i just really wanted to write a little extra paragraph saying that i loved this book for so many reasons, but i also felt seen in many different ways that i was not anticipating.

in 2021 the world read about (and watched) a filipino elder being brutally beaten in new york while she was just trying to get to church. and i know that’s just one heartbreaking real story among so many during this time of a surge in these racially charged hate crimes, but i read that story over and over, while feeling so nauseous, with so much fear, for my devout grandma, who is also an immigrant from the philippines. and while being across the country from her, and the rest of my family, unable to do anything, unable to even pretend i could protect them. and i know so many asian americans have stories like this, some that have stories like cora’s and yuxi’s. and i wish i had better words to use here, but i don’t. especially with the racially charged escalation from our leaders, because of the protests going on in la right now, that are terrorizing and breaking apart more immigrant families and communities. but some people would rather close a glass door, look out, and pretend not to see the blood right in front of them. and then also pretend that their hands are now not covered in blood, too.

trigger + content warnings: graphic and detailed descriptions of violent hate crimes against asian women, racism, slurs, fetishization of asian women, grief, loss of loved ones, covid, the pandemic, murder, death, gore, unwanted touching, assault, health anxiety / ocd, intrusive thoughts, spider imagery, abandonment, cult mentions, drinking, talk of zionists, talk of nazis (in a negative light // of of these things in a negative light!), police brutality mentions, gun violence, talk of institutionalization, snuff videos and pictures of really graphic and disturbing crimes against asians, car crash, talk of child abuse and death, fire - this book gets really dark, please use caution and make sure you’re in a okay headspace

In Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng, a young woman reeling from the loss of her sister navigates grief, racism, and horror in a pandemic-stricken New York City while working as a crime scene cleaner.

This book pulled me in right away with its unique concept and atmospheric setting. Set in NYC during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, it felt like both a walk down memory lane and a haunting reminder of a moment in history when the world stood still—and when racism, particularly against people of Asian descent, surged in ugly and painful ways. The author does a great job intertwining those very real fears with horror elements that echo the main character’s inner turmoil.

I loved the unusual choice of making the protagonist a crime scene cleaner, which added an eerie and symbolic layer to the story—someone constantly cleaning up the messes of death while carrying the weight of her sister’s absence. There’s this heavy, aching sense of loneliness and identity loss, of living in the shadow of someone even after they’re gone.

The book also explores multi-generational conflict in a powerful and realistic way, especially within immigrant families. The themes of grief, cultural identity, and personal healing are all tightly woven into a story that manages to be both thoughtful and suspenseful.

The audiobook was well done and didn’t interfere at all with my comprehension or enjoyment. In fact, I thought the narrator complemented the author’s distinct voice and storytelling style nicely.

It’s a short read but an impactful one—thoughtful, well-paced, and deeply rooted in both personal and collective trauma.

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sisters Cora and Delilah Zeng are two art history majors living in New York City during the pandemic. The pandemic begins to pull the sisters apart before tragedy strikes, pushing Cora into a great period of darkness within and around her.

Desensitized by gore, she begins working on a crime scene clean up crew with coworkers who become friends forming their own Scooby Gang. This likeable trio begins to notice many of the victims of a local serial killer are East Asian women, their mutilated bodies left with a signature maimed bat.

As Cora continues going through her daily life, while enduring racist slurs and attacks in the city, ghostly occurrences begin to happen around her, then grow to a crescendo as the plot develops with folkloric horror. With the help of the Scooby Gang, Cora will try to understand these paranormal events and the murders that surround her.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is a multilayered read filled with realistic as well as fantastical horror. I found myself shocked, but not deterred by the body horror. It’s a quick read with much rich content to feast on from the paranormal folkloric elements to the serial killer murder mystery. A must read for fans of paranormal mysterious horror, folklore and the real darkness of humanity.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this ARC.