Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

9 reviews

jackbifrost's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really enjoyed the characterisation in this story, everybody felt believable and fully fleshed out. Ji-won was a really interesting character and I liked following her story but sometimes I felt like she switched personas too instantaneously which made it hard to suspend my belief during the more violent parts. 

Weirdly, I just wish the book was longer to expand upon certain plot points, her father leaving, her relationship with her sister, and her growing compulsion, to allow for a more believable and gradual descent into her obsession. That said, I’d definitely read from this author again and recommend for people looking for a short horror/thriller read, though not to those easily grossed out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Body horror, Cannibalism, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Abandonment, Gore, and Death

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Violence, and Stalking

macncheese_pdf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Blood, Gore, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Racism, Abandonment, Grief, Gaslighting, and Stalking

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

laurenj1398's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book has left me speechless. 

It follows Ji-won and her family’s journey in grief after her father abruptly leaves them for another woman. When Ji-won’s mother finally starts dating a new man, Ji-won slowly spirals and ends up in the darkest parts of her brain. 

Monika Kim should run a masterclass on how to paint emotions through physical descriptions. Every emotion was palpable, which made empathizing with Ji-won very easy. I also loved the social commentary on the fetishization of Asian women and the first gen (born in America) eldest child experience. 

The horror in this book was exquisite! There was the perfect balance of suspense, gore, and unhinged feminine rage. I will definitely have this book on my mind for a while. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for the eARC.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Abandonment, and Racism

Minor: Racial slurs and Stalking

adamyeti's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

"The Eyes Are the Best Part" gave me everything that I wanted from it and a lot more. The first quarter of it is almost purely a domestic drama, but it was so interesting on its own that I would have been perfectly happy if it never made the shift into horror. The domestic drama aspect was leveraged into a building tension, which continued to build throughout the entire book with the protagonist, Ji-Won, growing increasingly insane. It was a bit of a slow burn in this regard but the slow increase in tension combined with the fast-paced short scenes made the book fly by. It was very hard to put down at times.

One shining triumph of this book is the characters. I was so invested in the characters and their relationships that I was just as excited to hear about Ji-Won's personal life as I was the interspersed horrific murders. The gore in the aforementioned murders was just enough to make you squirm but wasn't over the top or drawn out. You should have a pretty good idea about what the gore entails from the title alone...

I would make a vague comparison to "Maeve Fly" since this book has a similar slow burn structure following the unraveling of a seemingly ordinary female serial killer. The vibes, however, are very different. A comparison could also be made to Sayaka Murata's "Earthlings," particularly in the way that both authors focus heavily on the characters' home lives and personal relationships. If you enjoyed "Earthlings," I really think this one will be perfect for you.

I loved a lot of things about this book, and I think Monika Kim did a great job of putting the reader in Ji-Won's shoes and showing a glimpse of what it's like to be the child of an immigrant and the challenges that come along with that. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves horror and appreciates strong characters and meaningful stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Abandonment, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Racism

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

aedoran08's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Cannibalism, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Death, Sexism, Misogyny, Racism, Abandonment, and Stalking

Minor: Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Grief, and Drug abuse

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