The Eyes Are The Best Part

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING 'GOOD FOR HER' NOVEL

'THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART is an outstanding debut, a feminist horror novel that tackles big social issues and also delivers the gory origin story of a female serial killer.' - NEW YORK TIMES

'I WAS ENTICED FROM THE FIRST LINE' - Oyinkan Braithwaite

'DARKLY FUNNY' - Fern Brady

'A DARK MODERN FAIRYTALE OF FEMALE VENGEANCE' - Harriet Walker

'VERY CLEVER, VERY WEIRD, BRILLIANT SOCIAL COMMENTARY' - Abigail Bergstrom

My Sister, the Serial Killer meets Boy Parts, this literary feminist howl-of-a-debut is going to crawl right under your skin...

Ji-won's life is in disarray. Her father's affair has ripped her family to shreds, leaving her to piece their crappy lives back together.

So, when her mother's obnoxious new white boyfriend enters the scene, bragging about his flawed knowledge of Korean culture and ogling Asian waitresses in restaurants, Ji-won's hold over her emotions strains. As he gawks at her and her sister around their claustrophobic apartment, Ji-won becomes more and more obsessed with his brilliant blue eyeballs.

As her fixation and rage grow, Ji-won decides that she must do the one thing that will save her family... and also curb her cravings.

'Violent, gruesome and wildly original' - NEW YORK TIMES

'Utterly fantastic, female revenge horror at its finest. Perfect for readers of Tender is the Flesh' WATERSTONES

'Smartly written, [this is] a fun and nasty debut with real edge to it. A promising calling card from a writer to watch' THE BIG ISSUE

'One of the most assured feminist horror novels I have ever read' Bookseller

'Dark, uncomfortable and addictive... I was hooked from page one. What an exciting debut' Bookseller

'If you love unhinged women and seeing them get their revenge, then you NEED to read this... A very well-written social commentary on misogyny, racism and cultural fetishisation' Bookseller

'Deliciously weird' - Reader review

'Full of teeth clenching tension and satisfying vengeance. This debut is not one to miss!' - Reader review

'Gross, graphic and hilarious' - Reader review

Sunday Times bestseller in week of 29/07/2024

Utterly fantastic, female revenge horror at its finest. Perfect for readers of Tender is the Flesh Waterstones
Claustrophobic and brilliantly gory, Monika Kim has created a dark modern fairytale of female vengeance -- Harriet Walker
Darkly funny -- Fern Brady
Funny and grotesque and rooted in body horror. A corrective story about fetishism, it's reminiscent of Boy Parts taking the human form and transforming it into something else entirely, very clever, very weird and brilliant social commentary. -- Abigail Bergstrom
Its unhinged and brilliant, loved reading about the family and the ending chapters have to be my favorite of the year. -- Leo, Goodreads review
THE EYES ARE THE BEST PART has it all: delicious writing that is expertly paced; characters that feel so real that you can imagine yourself sitting in their 700 sq. ft. apartment with them, breathing in all of Umma's cooking and just waiting for George to get what is coming for him. -- Ryan, Goodreads review
Smartly written, [this is] a fun and nasty debut with real edge to it. A promising calling card from a writer to watch. The Big Issue
This book has crawled under my skin and won't let me go. Days after I've finished it, I can't get it out of my head. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. (Short chapters were in here too). The tension in the book is palpable as in the sense of dread. You just wait for the next shoe to drop. I have a book hangover now. I don't want anything in my head but this book. -- Victoria, Goodreads reviewer

I've been frothing at the mouth for this book ever since it was just a query letter and first 300 words posted for critique on an online forum, and I'm thrilled to report it was just as unhinged and brilliant as I'd hoped. I devoured it (ha) in a sitting. Every element landed for me: the clean prose, the meaty character work, the tragic family drama, the tight plotting, the furious, ferocious treatment of theme. It was a desperate, feral ride with such masterful control of pacing and tension that it left me breathless, as well as screaming at the top of my voice I SUPPORT WOMEN'S WRONGS.

Loved it. Already one of my top releases of 2024. If you liked Eliza Clark's Boy Parts, you'll love this.

-- bori, Goodreads reviewer
Ji-won makes Amazing Amy (Gone Girl) look tame. If you, liked Maeve Fly--- this is better. Becky, Goodreads reviewer
If you're looking for feminist horror novel that packs a punch, you've come to the right place. Julia Lewis, Goodreads reviewer
One of the most assured feminist horror novels I have ever read -- Raven88 (Bookseller)
Dark, uncomfortable and addictive... I was hooked from page one. What an exciting debut -- Jamie Lee (Bookseller)
If you love unhinged women and seeing them get their revenge, then you NEED to read this... A very well-written social commentary on misogyny, racism and cultural fetishisation -- Megan (Bookseller)

Monika Kim is a second-generation Korean-American living in Los Angeles's Koreatown. She learned about eating fish eyes and other Korean superstitions from her mother, who immigrated to Los Angeles from Seoul in 1985.

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