The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

 

I was a little hesitant to read this book because I am a HUGE WUSS when it comes to horror and I don't care who knows. Body horror and spatterpunk are really hard for me to read and the cover makes it look like this book is going to be really gory. But it's not. It's kind of like if you crossed MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER with YELLOWFACE: you have the literary female serial killer pulp juxtaposed against some very powerful discussions of Asian racism.

Most of the horror doesn't happen until the last 40%. The first 60% is an intense character portrait about Ji-won, whose mother has just started dating a white man named George. George is That Creep(TM) who has a fetish for Asian women-- and even worse, he ogles and objectifies Ji-won's younger sister. She needs him gone, stat. But he has the prettiest big blue eyes... and she thinks they look tasty.

The imagery of literally eating the white male gaze is quite powerful and I think this book does a great job of showing the anger that a lot of Asian women (rightfully) have when they exist in a culture that fetishizes and objectifies them, denying them the right to exist as autonomous, flawed human beings, as well as the expression of their identity on their own terms.

I had a few issues with the ending and there were one or two things that felt a little over the top, but on the whole this feels like a smart and campy horror movie and I was actually pretty into it.

3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars

Homecoming by Madeline Thorne

 

Between Kate Rivenhall and now Madeline Thorne, I have been suckered into enjoying incest erotica by authors with names that sound like they ought to be cavorting around on a sprawling British estate tending to prize-winning orchids or breeding horses. Instead, they're out here converting the unwary into shipping blood siblings in extremely toxic but hot relationships. WHAT A SCAM. (I'm in.)

I was interested in this book because the author kept teasing the most tantalizing quotes on her Instagram. When she offered me an ARC, I was so excited. And oh my gosh, it did not disappoint. After reading Meg Smittherman's THRUM, I was really wanting another semi-gothic smut in space book, and this book really delivered. I feel like it also had DUNE space-punk vibes (only as window dressing, though, this is not hard scifi), with a generous dash of FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC family gothic incest drama.

And if you're looking at this book, you're probably very much in it for the family gothic incest drama. And maybe also the tentacle non-con. Man, when you see tentacle non-con in the list of TWs, you know you're in for a rollicking good time.

Soren was hot and Abra was such a strong character. Stabbing a dude in the dick with a nail file? COLD-BLOODED. I also really admired how resourceful she was, and how she gave as good as she got when it came to Soren and his forcefulness. She really reminded me of some of the classic bodice-ripper heroines, like Catherine from STORMFIRE and Ginny from SWEET SAVAGE LOVE. It ends on a cliffhanger with a promise of more, so there isn't an HEA at the end, but there is a ton of smut and forbidden desire and passion, so woo.

The only thing I couldn't fully get on board with was the "nectar" business. But it wasn't cream, so hey, if that's what they call come in this scifi universe, I'm willing to allow it for the sake of good smut.

Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy

4.5 out of 5 stars