A review by fictionandfauna
The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 I absolutely LOVED this book and devoured it (no pun intended) in less than a day. 
 
The story follows 18 year old Ji-Won, the eldest sister of two who are left to pick up the pieces when their father walks out on their mother for another woman. When their mother brings home her new boyfriend George - a middle-aged, racist and repugnant white man - Ji-Won begins a gruesome and bloody spiral. 
 
On the surface this book presents as a horror, but actually when you lift the hood and get into it you realise it’s a much more complex story with layers detailing the Asian diaspora experience, misogyny, fetishisation, racism and grief. 
 
The horror scenes were truly horrifying. I cringed and gagged delightedly as it is rare that a book manages to elicit such a reaction from me and I rooted for Ji-Won every step of the way. 
 
This is the perfect read if you (like me) love female rage, an unreliable narrator, and a Good for Her ending. 
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