𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐤𝐚 𝐊𝐢𝐦
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫:𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝟏𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟑.𝟓 ⭐️
I love a good female rage story. Ji-Won’s life is falling apart, first her father leaves, she’s failing college, losing her friends & then her mother meets George.

I enjoyed the storyline and the way you see Ji-Won unravel and why she starts doing the things she’s doing but I did think it was a bit clunky if that makes sense. It seemed to me that it jumped all over the place.

Don’t let my 3.5⭐️ rating stop you from reading this though this book is fast paced, cleverly written & gory. I enjoyed reading it just…didn’t love it.

Thanks @netgalley & Octopus Publishing for this eArc.
#books #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booktok #theeyesarethebestpart #horror #gore #horrorbooks #bookish #bookstaghouls #booksandskulls #ilovebooks #bookishcommunity #bookworm #netgalleyreads #netgalley #netgalleyreview #booklover

“Shield your eyes if you are squeamish”
I absolutely devoured the majority of this book in one sitting. I did very much enjoy this book, it’s a literary psychological horror, so don’t expect jump-scares but more of a creeping sense of something being wrong. The book starts slow and innocent before heating up and making a drastic change. The writing was brilliant and atmospheric and very easy to read. In fact, I was in a reading slump and was struggling to finish anything but once I picked this book up I couldn’t put it down.


If you love unhinged women and seeing them get their revenge then you NEED to read this. It was exciting to see the inner workings of the main character's mind, watching her slowly unravel and her morality drastically change. However, despite her terrible actions at times this book still had me rooting for her, especially because the author did such a good job at making some of the characters so unlikeable. This book also has very well-written social commentary on misogyny, racism and cultural fetishisation, and has very interesting family dynamics explored.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This suprised me a lot. I didn't expect to feel this way towards our female MC and really root for her in some ways during the things she was doing in the book. The body horror was superb and the author actually managed to make me squirm which was great. The only thing I didn't enjoy as much were all the dreams. A lot of stuff happened in them but at the end it doesn't really matter since they're only dreams. I wish we spend more time in real life. I'm very excited to see what Monika Kim does next!

I just finished "The Eyes Are the Best Part" by Monika Kim, and wow, this was a surprise! The story follows Ji-won, a Korean-American college student, who's dealing with her dad leaving and her mom dating a creepy, racist guy named George. Things take an odd (REALLY odd) turn when Ji-won becomes obsessed with eating human eyes, starting with George's.

The book is dark, graphic, and surprisingly deep. Ji-won's journey into madness and revenge had me hooked. It's not just about gore; it dives into issues like misogyny, racism, and cultural identity. Kim's writing is sharp and captivating, making you root for Ji-won despite her twisted cravings.

If you’re okay with reading gory, this book is a vibe. Can't wait to see what Monika Kim comes up with next!

As I read this book i thought of a few books recommendations

1. "My Sister, the Serial Killer" by Oyinkan Braithwaite

2. "Maeve Fly" by CJ Leede

5★

First of all, thank you NetGalley for the e-arc of this book! I have to say this was really good! (But I kinda expected that.)

This story had me so hooked that I kept reading and reading, after a month of not reading almost at all, that I didn’t even realize I was at the end! I want more! This was so fun.

I really liked the main character and her family overall. Reading about their background, culture and their lives was so interesting. The main character was smart, I liked that, and obviously unhinged, which I also loved.

The imagery was definitely disgusting which was actually perfect and I liked the atmosphere of the book.

I only wish we got to see more of Ji-won’s and Alexis relationship development. But except for that the book was perfect for me.

I’m glad that I got to read this!

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.

Didn't love this. Didn't hate this. Was a different twist on a horror novel but just didn't quite hit for me. The characters fell flat and the story just drifted along but it did keep me engaged so really don't know how I feel about it 😕 The ending was a bit sudden and I felt could have been more but I'm getting used to this being a common thing with horror novels.

Thank you to Netgalley, Octopus Publishing and Monika Kim for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

One of my favourite, shall I say, tropes in literature is when the main character is a bit unhinged. This is what I would consider the Korean-American answer to that. Ji-Won, our protagonist, is a college student who starts to develop an obsession with eyeballs. As her mother used to say about fish, 'the eyes are the best part.' From there, the book starts to go off the rails, and I enjoyed quite a lot about this story.

Firstly, it is very fast paced. The chapters are often a few pages long, which keeps my waning attention span in check. The writing is good too; I found myself highlighting a quote or two about our narrator's struggles with friendship which was rather relatable. I think fans of books like A Certain Hunger and My Sister, The Serial Killer would really enjoy this one because it has a similar tone, especially with certain discussions that take place.

The main thing I would criticise it for was the ending, which felt quite abrupt, to the point where I begun questioning whether there was a formatting issue with my copy. Apparently not! Also, while this book was certainly uncomfortable to read, I feel like in some aspects it almost could have been more extreme, or perhaps I'm so desensitised to horrible things happening in books that I didn't have a more dramatic reaction than a few creases in my cheeks.

Overall, though, I would recommend!

The Eyes Are The Best Part by Monika Kim follows a family that breaks down when the father and husband leave for another woman. This leads Ji-Won's and Ji-Hyun's mum to enter a relationship with an American man who seems to be a bit of a paedo who likes to sleep with many Asian ladies but has amazing, luxurious blue eyes which the one character cannot help but fantasise about eating ever since her mother encouraged her to eat a fish eye. This book is full of romance, friendships and horrific murders, all so the one responsible can harvest the eyes she requires before shifting the blame.

This pleasantly terrifying and horrific psychological novel scared me on the edge of my seat. This is amazing as this is only my second proper horror novel, the first being a Stephen King book, one of the most boring books I have ever read and did not scare me in any way. The book was well written and, from the middle to the end, was very gripping indeed. The horror scenes came in the form of real lifetime events and nightmares, which initially seemed very real but were all very successful at causing fright. They seem to have been very well thought out, providing multiple dimensions of horror, which made the reader both resent the one character but also sympathise with them. It was also interesting to read about murder from a different perspective and written as a horror rather than a murder mystery for a change.

The one thing I disliked about this book was how long it took to get to the horror part. Much of the start of the book was not the most interesting, even if it provided very useful context for the rest of the book and helped develop the story, including why what happened actually happened. Therefore, seeing more horror scenes from the start would have been nice. But other than that, this was a really good horror!

Altogether, I rate this book 3 stars, making it a good book because it became a very gripping and effective horror story, which gave me a fright, which was exactly what I was after. This may not have been the same kind of fright one could expect from a horror movie but it was still great to have this reaction. I would definitely recommend this book, although it may not be the best if you are particularly squeamish! I would like to thank both NetGalley and Octopus Publishing for providing me with an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book in return for an honest book review.

Monika Kim's book, 'The Eyes Are The Best Part', is formally categorized as feminist psychological horror; in truth, it's so much more than that - by the time I'd finished the book, it was impossible to pin it down into a single category. First of all, the novel has a terrific feeling for family and racial dynamics, be it a Korean family or whatever: the interaction among family members, the generational tribulations, the memories of the parents and the attitudes of the sisters towards them, everything was told with an amazing eye for detail. Secondly, though the synopsis stresses the role of the mother's new boyfriend, he is just a mere opening for the main character's, Ji-won, spiral into insanity and killing. There's no single-factor explanation here for what troubles Ji-won, or what compels her to act in such weird ways. There's just... hunger. Which brings me to the third and final aspect of the book, what takes it to entirely new territory: the portrayal of Ji-won's obsession! Very rarely have I seen such nuance, subtlety, and meticulousness in the description of madness: even when towards the end, some kind of explanation is offered, it hardly touches on what motivates Ji-won, her obsession is hard as granite, a woman's expression of individuality among so many pressures to lose herself and conform. In sum, for me the book was a rigorous meditation on individuality, the desire to stand out at any cost, even when the only way open to one is to destroy friendships, relationships, lives, and be a totally weird and unscrupulous monster. Indeed, this book will open some eyes (pun fully intended) and prode people to rethink the concept of family and culture!

Wow, what did I just read?! Told from the POV of a young Korean woman coming to terms with her father abandoning the family - and being replaced by a conman who fetishises Asian women - this serial killer in the making is gross, graphic and hilarious in equal measure. Kim does an excellent job of portraying relationships in all their messy detail, as well as the protagonist's spiral into insanity as she discovers her insatiable appetite for eyes. This really ticked all the boxes for me, fantastically written, just enough grossness to put me off my lunch, and really likeable characters, whilst still managing to address a bunch of issues around feminism and race.

After a long fantasy only streak, this was a delightful palate cleanser for me. If you are into psychological horror, a little gore and complex characters, this is for you. We are dealing with trauma, rage and,,, well eyes. Do yourself a favor and do not ask for spoilers, grab a copy and have this book be your beach read (it's ok, at the beach everyone wears shades). As for me, I will be purchasing a physical copy as soon as it comes out.

I obviously new what to expect from this book from the title and cover.... I just wasnt fully prepared.
This book is SO disgusting and had me gagging at parts- thats not a critique as it was fully the books intention and it really did horrify me.
This book was really well done and i really enjoyed the short snappy chapters as it made it easier to digest
None of the characters are likeable, not necessarily a bad thing when you consider the genre and topic.

4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.


🌟🌟🌟/5

A Korean American take on the birth of a serial killer that is unhinged, gruesome and visceral to the core. The book out forth issues like racism and misogyny in a compelling way.


The way eyeballs play a major role is this book was shocking and gross but brilliant. I hated George and Geoffrey with a burning passion and that made Ji-Won's revenge spree all the more satisfying. Fans of unhinged female rage, this one's for you. The book describes everything in vivid detail. If you get queasy easily, this may not be the book for you.


Unfortunately, I wanted more horror from this book. It felt more like a litfic with gore. The book starts off pretty slow, and while there there are some highs, it's quite uneventful for the most part. The ending left me a little underwhelmed, to be honest.

Now I'm not one to usually pick up a horror book but something about psychological horrors has me picking them up and this one did not disappoint. It was gruesome and weird but I was addicted and ended up reading it in one sitting.

This had a lot of great commentary, looking at racism, misogyny and cultural fetishisation. Not only that but we get to see as Ji-Won slowly spirals into this fixation with human eyeballs which was so interesting and I liked how it slowly built up throughout the book.

I don't want to spoil any more of the story as you really have to read it and experience Ji-Won's story yourself.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Octopus and NetGalley for providing me an eARC to review!

I think I was maybe expecting this book to be something it's not, because I don't really read much contemporary horror. This seemed a lot more like a thriller to me with some gross eyeball munching content.

It reminded me a bit of Yellowface where it felt a bit over the top and goofy at times, but had some good themes like the male gaze, female rage and fetishisation (and underestimation) of Asian women. That being said I felt it required a lot of suspension of disbelief in terms of the ending.

Overall a fun time but didn't quite live up to the hype I built in my head - would recommend if you're looking for a "good for her" type story with a bit of a weird twist.

‘The Eyes are the Best Part’ by Monika Kim is a unique and interesting horror story. I flew through the first third of this book and was enjoying it very much. I found the social commentary about cultural appropriation and cultural fetishisation very interesting and I loved the relationship dynamics between the main character and her immediate family. The writing is pretty good, especially the horror elements which were vivid and descriptive (don’t make the mistake of reading this while eating!) However I found the pacing to be a little inconsistent and this detracted from my enjoyment a little. This is absolutely a story about the main character’s slow descent into madness which is something that I tend to enjoy, but unfortunately as the book progressed I found it harder and harder to suspend my disbelief, I found that I was being distracted by possible plotholes in the story and the unlikeliness of the scenarios. Unfortunately I was also very disappointed with the ending of this story, it came around very quickly, felt rushed and extremely implausible. Overall I was quite disappointed as I loved the beginning of the book so much. I have seen many reviews describing this book as a ‘good for her’ story which I don’t fully agree with, but if you enjoy books with unhinged main characters and unlikely twists and plotlines then I think you could enjoy this book.
Thanks to Octopus Publishing/Brazen and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, let me preface this review by saying that if you want a rollercoaster of horror, screams and jump scares from page one, you’re not going to find it here. This is without a doubt a graphic revenge psychological horror story, but it's also so much more.

The Eyes Are the Best Part doesn't rush, it simmers slowly until it boils. It starts as a poignant family drama and reflection on the Korean-American immigration experience via 18-year-old FMC protagonist, Ji-won, before morphing into a phantasmagorical slow-burn eyeball horror that seeps into your psyche in a nightmarishly grotesque yet compelling way. Bring a strong stomach.

I dove into this debut expecting unsettling, unhinged and unsavoury thrills, but what I got was a surprising depth that hit closer to home than I anticipated. It’s not just your run-of-the-mill revenge horror gore-fest. Monica Kim’s narrative slices through misogyny, racism, cultural fetishisation, exoticism and hypersexualisation with surgical precision.

Reading Ji-won's narration in navigating her family values and culture, upbringing and identity in a Western world that sometimes exoticises anyone who looks different to the ‘norm’ felt like a bizarrely familiar trip down memory lane for me. (Side note: If you think calling someone exotic is a compliment, or have ever tried to playfully guess a BIPOC’s ethnicity without consent, please stop.)

I don’t want to say too much more because here is another case where it's best to dive in blindfolded. However, I will issue trigger warnings: Cannibalism—obvious, yes? Also racism, misogyny, cheating, depression, grieving, child abandonment, mentions of suicide, paedophilic phrases against young girls, gore & stalking.

My heartfelt thanks to Octopus Publishing | Brazen for the digital advanced copy and to Jillian, Mai & Zana, who alerted me to this banger. This was a brilliant debut, I can’t wait to see what Monica Kim does next.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this debut horror novel. It was one of my most anticipated horror releases, and it certainly lived up to my expectations. Throughout the story, it delved into complex themes such as racism and Asian fetishisation, which added depth to the narrative. The narrator's unreliability kept me on my toes, questioning whether certain events were real or merely a dream. The visceral gore in the story created an intense and chilling reading experience, making it hard for me to look at blue eyes in the same way as before, especially since I already had a phobia of fish eyes ( also mentioned in the story). The ending felt both fitting and satisfying after all the hardships the main character endured, and I can't help but ponder what her next move will be. If you appreciate stories featuring empowered female characters and moments of intense emotional release, I highly recommend picking up this novel when it is released!
I loved it!!

Monika kim, I want to read more of your writing!

I really enjoyed this book - read it in less than 24 hours - couldn't put it down!
The writing style was great - evenly paced and the story moved along well. I was immediately on the side of Ji-Won, the main character and narrator. I often find it strange when the author manages to endear the reader to the character that is effectively the villain of the story.
I had some extremely visceral reactions to some of the descriptive passages. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is particularly squeamish!
I liked the feminist aspect to this story too - the feminist rage that Ji-Won experiences definitely goes to the extreme!

A young Korean American woman struggles to contain all life's tribulations (family, friendships, romance, studies) and starts falling apart. Her descent into madness is fuelled by a culture of fetishisation of Asian women, making her want to assert dominance over men via violent means.

The story is a quaint take on the more run-of-the-mill contemporary "tortured soul" narrative, with vengeance, violence, and hyper aggression thrown in. This is the story's main unique characteristic, making it stand out against an otherwise bland background. The writing is punchy and vibrant, making it an easy read, taking the reader a journey of madness and mayhem. The main character is also quite vivid and come across as genuine and multi dimensional.

I struggled with the tone of the book, though. This trend of vilifying men and assuming that they are all sex obsessed and emotion free is just tiring. I don't know if this was supposed to be written satirically, but the way it came across is angry and full of vitriol. This was most annoying in the way that the male characters were portrayed - lacking dimensionality and complexity, and acting as archetypical predators. The shallow depiction also extended to most other characters, expect the protagonist. It's clear that the author has the skill to write good characters, making the fact that she didn't deploy this skill consistently particularly annoying.

There are for sure some people that will like the book and will enjoy the anti men themes. I didn't like it much myself.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of the book in return for an honest review.