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A review by fayziekaywolf
The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
The Eyes Are the Best Part is a haunting exploration of identity, generational trauma, and the price of internalized pain. Monika Kim deftly weaves themes of immigrant struggle, the fetishization of Asian women, and the complexities of a parent-child dynamic where roles are reversed; where the child is forced to carry the emotional weight of the family.
At the center is Ji-Won, a young Korean American woman consumed by her fixation on blue eyes: a symbol that becomes a dark obsession, a hunger for power, control, and long-awaited justice. Her journey is raw, disturbing, and surreal at times, shaped by a world that has chewed her up and spit her out.
This isn’t an easy story, and it’s not meant to be. It leans into discomfort and disorientation, forcing readers to sit with the uglier parts of cultural alienation and inherited grief. Though the structure can feel disjointed, the emotional impact lingers.
Kim’s debut is bold and unsettling—a visceral tale of vengeance wrapped in cultural commentary.
At the center is Ji-Won, a young Korean American woman consumed by her fixation on blue eyes: a symbol that becomes a dark obsession, a hunger for power, control, and long-awaited justice. Her journey is raw, disturbing, and surreal at times, shaped by a world that has chewed her up and spit her out.
This isn’t an easy story, and it’s not meant to be. It leans into discomfort and disorientation, forcing readers to sit with the uglier parts of cultural alienation and inherited grief. Though the structure can feel disjointed, the emotional impact lingers.
Kim’s debut is bold and unsettling—a visceral tale of vengeance wrapped in cultural commentary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Sexual harassment