[ad/gifted - I received a copy of this book to take part in a readalong with Tandem Collective. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.]
Author & Title: The Eyes Are The Best Part by Monika Kim
My rating: 4/5
Publication date: 11th July 2024
Publisher: Brazen Books
Blurb:
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.
Review:
This is such an interesting read and not for the squeamish. Especially if you don't like eyeballs. I don't think I'll be able to eat a cherry tomato ever again!
Eighteen-year-old Korean-American Ji-won lives with her fifteen-year-old sister Ji-hyun and mother Umma. Their lives are changed when their father leaves them. During a family meal, the girls are disgusted when Umma eats a fish eye, claiming that it will bring the luck that she feels like she desperately needs.
Umma meets a white man named George at the Korean supermarket that she works in and the two embark on a relationship. This coincides with the Ji-won finally trying a fish eye but it leaves her with an insatiable hunger, but only for blue eyes. Like George's.
This book is very murder-y with plenty of gory scenes. I tend not to get very squeamish but something about the eyeball eating descriptions made me feel a bit ill! There is a running theme throughout the book focused on patriarchy and racial fetishisation. I really enjoyed this one!
