Monika Kim is a second-generation Korean-American living in Los Angeles’ Koreatown.
In her first novel, The Eyes are the Best Part, she writes:
Ji-won is a seemingly normal college student whose life unravels after her father’s departure and the arrival of her mother’s creepy new Caucasian boyfriend, George. After eating a fish eye for luck during a traditional Korean meal, Ji-won develops a morbid obsession with George’s blue eyes, culminating in acts of violence that confront the white male gaze in a very literal fashion.At the Guardian Kim tagged five favorite titles for readers who "have the intestinal fortitude for body horror tales." One novel on the list:
Earthlings by Sayaka MurataRead about another entry on the list.
Murata’s novel is compulsively readable in spite of the many disturbing themes it covers. Natsuki, who is neglected by her family, seeks meaning in her existence after a series of traumatic events cause her to question gender norms and societal expectations. Bizarre and unpredictable, Earthlings features plenty of unsettling moments and will stay fixed in your mind long after you turn the last page.
Earthlings is among Katie Yee's eight fictional housewives who snapped (in a fun way).
--Marshal Zeringue
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