The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

Crying in H-Mart meets My Sister, the Serial Killer in this feminist psychological horror about the making of a female serial killer from a Korean-American perspective.

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. Her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.

In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Salivatingly blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George has already overstayed his welcome in her family’s claustrophobic apartment. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescending toward Ji-won and her sister as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. No, George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that.

For no matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.

A brilliantly inventive, subversive novel about a young woman unraveling, Monika Kim’s The Eyes Are the Best Part is a story of a family falling apart and trying to find their way back to each other, marking a bold new voice in horror that will leave readers mesmerized and craving more.

reading 2024 releases: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cijGk6bQas0

What a haunting story that touches on so many important subjects

read for summerween 2024: vlog coming soon

the eyes are the best part by monika kim is a brilliantly inventive and subversive feminist psychological horror novel that delves deep into the making of a female serial killer from a korean-american perspective. this book is not just about the grisly and thrilling elements of ji-won’s transformation, but it also profoundly explores the daily struggles and horrors faced by women of color, making it a truly compelling read.

one of the most captivating aspects of this novel is its exploration of the unique challenges that women of color encounter every day. the true horror of the story lies in the societal pressures, microaggressions, and blatant discrimination that ji-won faces, which are hauntingly relatable and powerfully depicted. monika kim masterfully intertwines these themes with the story of an unhinged woman seeking revenge, creating a narrative that is as thought-provoking as it is thrilling.

at its core, this novel is about a young woman discovering the harsh realities of how the world treats her. ji-won feels overlooked and ignored by everyone, from her family to society at large. this sense of invisibility and the accompanying rage are palpable throughout the book, and i found myself deeply relating to her struggles. as a college student navigating a tumultuous life, i saw reflections of my own experiences in ji-won’s journey, despite the extremity of her actions.

the depiction of ji-won’s unraveling is both mesmerizing and chilling. her dreams, filled with horrifyingly vivid imagery of bloody rooms and succulent blue eyes, add an eerie and surreal layer to the story. the character of george, her mother's obnoxious new boyfriend, serves as a perfect catalyst for ji-won’s descent into madness, making her actions, though extreme, understandable in the context of her suffering and rage.

this book is a must-read for fans of unhinged women and revenge stories. monika kim’s writing is gripping, and her ability to weave together themes of familial disintegration, societal neglect, and personal vengeance is nothing short of genius. the eyes are the best part will undoubtedly be added to my list of go-to recommendations for unhinged women revenge stories. it is a powerful, evocative, and unforgettable read that will leave you craving more.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars: I went into this book thinking it would be much more intense than it was, more like an extreme thriller. The first half feels like a fiction novel, which I actually really liked! I loved reading about Ji-won and her family as they deal with their mother's new boyfriend. Some of the food imagery near the beginning was particularly good. As the story progresses you really feel for the character and side with her in her actions.

The action really picks up in the last third of the book, and it was pretty fun. I especially liked the last little bit and the thoughtfulness behind it. George's death and how Geoffrey was framed for it was a great cinematic moment!

I didn't care for all the dream (well, nightmare) scenes that took place. As we got closer to the end there were more and more, and they kind of took me out of the story and left me a little confused on if it was really happening.

The writing is really good and immersive, I'm excited to read more from this author!