“The Eyes are the Best Part” Review: A Bloody Time!

“The Eyes are the Best Part” by Monika Kim has been on my to-be-read (TBR) list for a while now, and it did not disappoint. In many ways, it reminded me of one of my favorite movies from the past decade, which I’ll discuss in more detail in my review. For now, let’s dive into the plot!

Plot

“Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. With her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. And her dreams, horrifying… yet enticing.

In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Salivatingly blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. George has already overstayed his welcome in her family’s claustrophobic apartment. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescending toward Ji-won and her sister as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. No, George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that.

For no matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.”

Thoughts After Reading

There was much to appreciate in this work, so let’s explore it all! Monika Kim effectively highlights the contrasts between Korean and American cultures. Ji-Won provides insights throughout the narrative, emphasizing the differences in these cultures.

I enjoyed the frequent descriptions of food throughout, as it is essentially the theme of this story. The narrative revolves around food in a very extreme way, at the end of the day.

Characters

Ji-Won was a great main character! She is constantly at odds with herself throughout the story. She never knows what to do in order to hold on to the ones she loves. But all she wants is to be wanted by her friends and family.

After her falling out with her high school friends, she meets two new friends in college: Alexis and Geoffrey. Geoffrey stands out as one of the most unlikeable characters I’ve encountered in my reading this year. Right from the start, he embodies the whole white knight, male feminist persona, making him the kind of character you can’t help but wish misfortune upon. On the other hand, Alexis is a fantastic character and also serves as a love interest for Ji-Won, which I found endearing and made me hopeful for their relationship.

Ji-Won’s relationship with her mother is both complex and sad. Coming from a broken home, I really resonate with how a mother can be driven to endure many difficult situations out of fear of being alone. In such circumstances, it’s easy for a son or daughter to develop resentment, as they may struggle to understand what their parents are going through, and vice versa. The introduction of her new boyfriend, George, complicates the dynamic further. He might be one of the top five most unlikeable characters I’ve encountered in the first quarter of the year. Another character that you wish nothing but harm to.

Reminded me of “Raw”

“The Eyes are the Best Part” reminded me of the film “Raw” by Julia Ducournau, particularly how Ji-Won first tries a fish eye and then becomes completely overtaken by her desire to eat eyes. Just how the character Justine in “Raw” is forced to try meat after being a vegetarian her whole life, only to become obsessed with eating meat.

If you haven’t seen “Raw,” make sure to watch it—you won’t regret it. Julia Ducournau is one of the most promising up-and-coming directors in the horror genre. She won the Palme d’Or for her second feature, “Titane,” which is another film you should definitely check out if you haven’t already.

Gore Please!

Monika Kim really excels in delivering moments of gore in this story. Every bloody scene and the nightmares experienced by Ji-Won will leave you feeling uneasy alongside her. The use of blue eyes throughout the narrative is also noteworthy. Ji-Won becomes increasingly transfixed by blue eyes, associating them with desire in an almost sexual manner. Becoming stronger as you get deeper into the narrative.

Issues

The only thing that stands out to me is that one character’s ending felt a bit flat. While I believe it was the right choice to conclude other character arcs, I still wished for more intensity. I needed it to be much worse. I hope I’m not alone in feeling this way.

If I’m being nitpicky, I have to say that some of the tension between Ji-Won and George felt a bit implausible. It might be that I’m not fully engaged with their dynamics, but it seemed somewhat silly how easily he would come to believe that he was forgetting things. After all, he’s portrayed as a high-achieving womanizer. If he’s used to manipulation, then it just seemed odd that he would be so easily convinced.

In Conclusion

I wholeheartedly recommend “The Eyes Are the Best Part” by Monika Kim to anyone reading this! I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it and couldn’t put it down. Read it in two sittings on my one day off this week, so you know it really gripped me and wouldn’t let go.

It reminded me of one of my favorite films from recent years, “Raw”, which was a huge bonus. I feel like I’ll be watching it again very soon. I encourage anyone reading this who hasn’t seen it to check it out. It truly is a beautiful coming-of-age horror film, and it has a fantastic soundtrack as well!

If you like “Raw” then I would definitely recommend you watch “Titane” as well. I mean just the short synopsis alone.

“A woman with a titanium plate fitted in her head and murderous intent on her mind embarks on a bizarre journey of identity and unconditional love when she’s forced to go on the run.”

Enough said!

I will leave a link, as always, for anyone who wants to check out my other book reviews!