The Eyes Are the Best Part

When Ji-won's father abandons the family for another woman, her mother can barely hold it together. Just a few months later, it's a surprise to Ji-won and her younger sister when Umma is suddenly in love with a White man, George, who has brilliant blue eyes and an Asian fetish. Ji-won quickly learns that George sees women as interchangeable and nothing more than servants.
His arrival coincides with Ji-won's sudden taste for fish eyes, the luckiest part of the fish. Trying to deal with Umma's blind devotion to a horrible man, her sister's anger, her own danger of failing her freshman year of college, and a stalker classmate, Ji-won decides that the men who have made her life so miserable shouldn't have underestimated her.

Yes, this has show more some gruesome scenes. The book cover is accurate, but if you read gritty murder mysteries, this probably won't shock you. The majority of the story is about an immigrant family that has been through the wringer, financially and emotionally. The three women are left to fend for themselves, with the two American daughters expected to behave like their Korean mother. show less

"After their father abandons them and their mother, Ji-won and Ji-hyun are left to pick up the pieces. Their mother, Umma, in her grief becomes dependent on her daughters for emotional support. Being the eldest of the two, Ji-won bears most of the pressure. She dreams of rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s insufferable new boyfriend..."

Ji-won's descent into psychopathy is akin to works like Victorian (or American) Psycho. She must maintain this image of the dependable, obedient daughter with good grades while navigating the stress of losing a father and protecting her sister from George. On top of that, one new friend, Geoffrey, begins exhibiting stalker-like behavior show more towards her and another, Alexis, Ji-won may be developing feelings for.

Cracks form and her darkest intrusive thought leaks out: George has the most piercing, blue eyes and she will consume them. I interpreted this as George being an "evil eye," a blight. Through the consumption of eyes, Ji-won can absorb the curse on her family. Her actions can also be understood as a rebellion against the male gaze. The obsessive eyes of her stalker or the eyes of George and other men on the bodies of Asian women. They cannot objectify what they cannot see.

I was a bit disappointed when her sister, Ji-hyun, more or less disappeared from the story. She is fourteen, so it's understandable that she isn't more assertive than Ji-won, but she becomes an observer alongside her mother. Ji-hyun questions her sister's erratic behavior and doubts she is telling the truth, but never acts upon these suspicions. Alexis pretty much overshadows Ji-hyun in the second half, in terms of dialogue, and as an active, stabilizing presence for Ji-won. At one point, Ji-won briefly reunites with former high school friends. From them we learn of her early inclinations for deceit and impulsivity. I expected more from this one-off encounter such that it could've been a discussion between sisters instead. I really enjoyed Monika Kim's style though and I've got "Molka" on my wishlist! show less

Add another incredible character to the Unhinged Women Literary Universe!

Ji-won is a first-year college student living at home with her parents and younger sister. When her father suddenly leaves the family, they are all set on a path none of them expected. Ji-won's mother meets George, a disgusting white man with an insidious Asian fetish and Ji-won does everything she can to hold what remains of her family together. Unfortunately the hardest person to keep in check is herself.

I loved every second of this book. The path to destruction Ji-won walks feels at once sudden and gradual. Her obsession with blue eyeballs rockets her into actions she would never have thought possible, but somehow I was rooting for her the entire way.

I support show more women's wrongs, especially Ji-won's wrongs! show less

Add another incredible character to the Unhinged Women Literary Universe!

Ji-won is a first-year college student living at home with her parents and younger sister. When her father suddenly leaves the family, they are all set on a path none of them expected. Ji-won's mother meets George, a disgusting white man with an insidious Asian fetish and Ji-won does everything she can to hold what remains of her family together. Unfortunately the hardest person to keep in check is herself.

I loved every second of this book. The path to destruction Ji-won walks feels at once sudden and gradual. Her obsession with blue eyeballs rockets her into actions she would never have thought possible, but somehow I was rooting for her the entire way.

I support show more women's wrongs, especially Ji-won's wrongs!

Thanks to NetGalley and Kengsington Books for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. show less

Wonderfully gory. Be warned, don't eat while reading this one.

I didn't expect such an easy, quick read. Ji-Won was an easy character to follow along as her life spiraled. I loved her growing rage, her seeing the injustices around her. I loved that she took power her own way. Her love for her family but her want to be independent. The story was a roller coaster and I loved it. I will definitely look for more from this author!

The Eyes are the Best Part follows Ji-Won, who lives in a small apartment with her mother and sister. Her father recently left her mother, upending the family. Her mother starts dating George, a disgusting white man with an Asian fetish. To give you a hint of what his character is like, he calls Asian people “Orientals”. To Ji-Wan’s horror, her mother lets George move in with them.

The stress of her family situation causes Ji-Won to have graphic nightmares involving eyeballs. Shortly after they begin, she is driven to actually eat human eyeballs. She obviously has to kill people to harvest their eyeballs and thus we are witness to the evolution of a serial killer.

Even though, or maybe because, this book is super gross, I loved it. show more It’s not just simply a horror novel about cannibalism. It’s a commentary on issues of race, specifically the microaggressions and racism directed toward Asian people. It’s about family and loss and grief. And it has a great twist at the end.

I picked this book up because it was recommended to fans of My Sister is a Serial Killer, and after reading it, I agree with that recommendation. But you should read it even if you haven’t read My Sister is a Serial Killer. And then read that book too!

Highly recommended. show less

Nothing like a good story of female rage.

I read this book without reading the summary so I didn’t know what to expect. At first, I thought it would be a family drama about learning to live with a broken home. In a way, it was like that, but a much more psychologically complex version.

The story starts with a mother and her two daughters coping the best they can after the head of the household decides to leave. Ji-Won, the older of two sisters, is left to pick up the pieces and coddle her inconsolable mother. The downward spiral of her mental health starts slow and rapidly picks up. What begins as a series of dreams takes a turn for the worst when her mother meets a new man. A man who has anything but good intentions for the family.

When show more her dreams turn bloody, there’s no going back. Especially when she can no longer distinguish her dreams from her reality.

This was a fantastic body horror, especially with the eye eating. My only problem with this book was how suddenly the story came to an end. I’m hoping this means there’s a part two in the works because I’d love to see where Ji-Won takes the story next.
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