Publishers Weekly
04/22/2024
In Kim’s provocative debut horror novel, Ji-won, a Korean American college student, wrestles with her psychological turmoil and the gruesome appetites it arouses. The title comes from a comment Ji-won’s mother makes that eating the eye of a fish is supposed to bring good luck. When Ji-won overcomes her revulsion and finally eats one, she develops an obsessive interest in the eyes of others—especially the blue eyes of George, her mother’s boorish new white boyfriend whom she and her younger sister loathe. Ji-won’s disturbed state of mind is understandable, given that she’s also grappling with her father’s abandonment of the family and with unwanted romantic advances from a college classmate—providing all the catalysts needed to transform her eye obsession into a grisly hunger. Kim’s antagonistic male characters all hail from jerk central casting and are easy targets for reader dislike. By contrast, her depiction of Ji-won’s fond but exasperated relationship with her mother and her sister, Ji-hyun, conveys authentic familial intimacy. Though the finale relies on some credibility-stretching contrivances, Kim’s talent buoys her tale through its rough spots and distinguishes her as a writer to watch. Agent: Nicola Barr, Bent Agency. (June)
From the Publisher
Praise for The Eyes Are the Best Part
“A tense, harrowing nightmare of a novel. Monika Kim gives us unraveling sanity, grotesque obsession, and the suffocating ignorance of toxic men. A terrific debut! I can’t wait to see what she does next!” —Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of The House of Last Resort and Road of Bones
“Obsessive, grotesque, and never predictable, this is a horror debut to sink your teeth into.” —emily m. danforth, bestselling author of Plain Bad Heroines
“A book that does more than grab hold; this debut will impale you. An obsessive, undefinable wonder, Monika Kim shows that you only taste what you're willing to take. Suspenseful horror that is love at first sight.” —Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth
“Visceral, disgusting, glorious. I loved this book and every character in it. Monika Kim’s sentences are superb, and I was riveted and nauseated from the very first page. Keep your eyeballs fixed on Kim, she’s without a doubt one to watch!” —CJ Leede, author of Maeve Fly
“I savored every moment of this suspensefully deranged tale, all the way up to its bloodcurdling conclusion. Monika Kim is an exciting new entrant to the genre, and I am ravenous for what she's planning to serve up next.” —Victor Manibo, author of The Sleepless and Escape Velocity
“A deliciously disturbing dive into a mind warped by pain, anger, and a most unusual craving.” —Johnny Compton, author of The Spite House
“The Eyes Are the Best Part is part fever dream, part downwards spiral that masterfully explores the pressures of being an elder sibling, the turbulence and pain of fractured families, race and misogyny, and immigration. It tackles the most difficult parts of trauma and Asian womanhood through a narrative that is messy, complicated, and above all, gut wrenching. Kim has written a character who readers will love, hate, and will want to hug tight and never let go.” —Ai Jiang, Nebula finalist and author of Linghun and I Am AI
“The Eyes Are the Best Part is a suspenseful ride, cranking up the tension as Ji-won takes ever greater risks to satisfy her cravings. Bloody, angry, and vengeful, it skewers expectations at every turn.” —Kerstin Hall, author of Star Eater
“An immersive tumble into darkness. Monika Kim has crafted a terrifying examination of the malevolence of bigotry and misogyny along with an unforgettable heroine. I couldn’t stop reading.” —Kristi DeMeester, author of Such a Pretty Smile
Library Journal
★ 04/01/2024
DEBUT Kim has burst onto the psychological horror scene with an expertly constructed, visceral debut that unapologetically attacks a world that has allowed the pervasive fetishization of Asian women not only to persist but to thrive. Ji-won is a lonely Korean American college student who lives in a small apartment with her mother and her younger sister. Their father has recently left them. Her mother is trying to pick up some good luck by eating the best part of their fish dinner—the eyes. Ji-won, both attracted to and disgusted by this act, begins to become obsessed by the blue eyes of the white men around her, especially those of classmate Geoffrey and her mother's new boyfriend, George. Ji-won confidently leads readers through this unsettling story, earning immediate empathy, even as she inserts serious doubt. The perfectly executed pacing ensnares readers even as the story's palpable anxiety evolves into repulsion, daring them to pull their eyes away. Ji-won will stay with readers whether they want her to or not. VERDICT With obvious nods to the serious issues that underpin Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye, and clearly inspired by Gillian Flynn's seminal Gone Girl, Kim has written a novel that every library needs to own.
