Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

6 reviews

orasmis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Cannibalism, Blood, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment, Stalking, Racism, Mental illness, Infidelity, and Drug use

Minor: Racial slurs, Alcohol, and Cancer

r_o_s_e's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Body horror, Cannibalism, Gore, Mental illness, Murder, and Racism

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Vomit, and Stalking

lauren_reads_outside's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

This book was hard to read, not because it wasn't good but because the characters and the imagery were so clear it was difficult to get through without flinching. In high school we dissected sheep's eyes and I've never wished more that I didn't know what it feels like to hold and cut into an eyeball as I did while reading this book.
I do wish the queer coded scenes with Ji-won and Alexis went a little bit further as they just sort of end up as an aside to the main story. The main story though really tells of a woman who simply has reached the edge and snapped and honestly who can blame her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Blood, Misogyny, Infidelity, Racism, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Gore

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Stalking, and Racial slurs

Minor: Pedophilia and Pregnancy

devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Blood, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death, Pedophilia, Racism, Body horror, Cannibalism, Sexism, and Stalking

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Cursing, and Gaslighting

madelinereadsbooks's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

When her father leaves her mother for another woman, Ji-won’s life is left in shambles. Her mother is inconsolable, until she meets the awful George. Ji-won fixates on his blue eyes as her life falls apart around her.

Ji-won was a wonderfully complicated main character, whom I couldn’t help but side with, even as she began spiralling. Kim did an incredible job of ensuring the reader felt for Ji-won throughout the entire novel. Additionally, the way she touches on race issues, particularly demonstrating how damaging the fetishisation of Asian women is, ensured the novel worked below the surface level. I especially loved the ending - it was perfect.

4/5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Murder, Stalking, Racism, and Violence

Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Self harm

Minor: Toxic friendship, Car accident, Cancer, and Vomit

macaronoui's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny informative tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

We follow the protagonist, 18 year old Ji-won Lim, her sister Ji-hyun, her mom “umma” (Korean for mom). 
After her dad (appa) suddenly leaves the family, things start falling apart. 
Ji-won starts losing grip on reality and the difference between waking and dreaming when her mom starts to date George.
She befriends “nice guy” Geoffrey and Alexis. Just note to all people in general, when a person says they are “nice” they are not. If a person is nice they will show it through their actions. 
Alexis is delightful and I kept hoping there would be some romance between her and Ji-won. 
The overt racism she experiences as well as well intended micro aggressions, Kim writes really well. I’m getting angry just reading it. 
The chapters are super short, which constantly makes you think “well just another one” and poof you’ve finished already. I don’t really read horror that much, but this was absolutely fantastic. It has a gripping story, morally grey characters and great pacing. Will definitely be reading more of her work. 
I could see this working as a limited series. 

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Infidelity, Murder, Racism, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Death, and Blood