disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

People of color historically have not assumed my ethnicity but plenty of white folks have referred to me as "Chinese" by assumption (because the only Asian ethnicities they know are Chinese or Japanese *insert eye roll here*). Folks familiar with East Asian cultures will assume I am Filipina, and they will assume correctly, but I am also Chinese even though folks would say I am visibly Filipina. So I say all of this because no one really "mistakes" me for being solely Chinese, which is a privilege I had during the anti-Chinese sentiments at the height of the pandemic and what Trump called the "China virus". However, I still held a lot of anxiety and concern for my grandma (from whom my Chinese heritage comes from), and I heard from many of my students (who are primarily international students from China and Taiwan) who experienced continuous threats, discrimination, and hateful language spewed their way during 2020 and 2021 especially.

I recognize folks have a hard time reading books set during the COVID-19 pandemic, and I fully sympathize with why. It continues to be a traumatic time to revisit and relive, and if you are of East Asian descent (and specifically Chinese), then this book will likely doubly hit a bit too close to home. If that's not content you can engage with right now, totally fair. However, if you ever are in the headspace to read a book during this time period, I highly recommend Cora Zeng's story, as Kylie Lee Baker is an excellent writer. I truly continue to be in awe of her, and I cried reading through different parts of this horror novel.

(I don't think this is a spoiler because I'm pretty sure this is part of the premise of the book but..) Cora Zeng (multiracial - white and Chinese) watches her sister Delilah (100% Chinese because they have different mothers, & their father lives in China) get murdered at a train station during the pandemic after receiving jarring news from Delilah. It happens so quickly that you are left feeling the same whiplash and shock that Cora experiences too. Cora then goes on to become a crime scene cleaner in Chinatown, and quickly notices that the most recently deceased are all East Asian women, with dead bats at the crime scene, pointing to a serial killer. Cora also begins feeling haunted, and we dabble in paranormal horror, which was such a fascinating part of this book!

The commentary on anti-Asian sentiments, misogyny towards East Asian women, and

online incel communities and how dangerous their anger is

was scathing, pointed, and devastating, if sometimes a bit on the nose (but honestly, I don't really mind this because I felt it was executed and illustrated well in regards to being cohesive to the story at hand). The unveiling of the murders towards the end had me wrecked, and absolutely filled with rage and exhaustion. Kylie Lee Baker did a great job of unraveling this in a way that unfortunately speaks to the current state of our society, and invites readers to reflect.

I also really enjoyed Cora as a main character too - she is flawed, jealous, lonely, depressed, and far from your cookie-cutter, everybody-loves-her FMC. She is navigating (or repressing) deeply complex feelings, such as realizing that Delilah was literally about to abandon her once she realized they'd have to be sheltered in place together. Your sister would rather be on another continent than just shelter in place? Ouch. (Though, I also understand. Delilah wanted to be in China, surrounded by Chinese people and her dad, who adores her, rather than stuck in a country that was openly hateful towards Chinese people. However, she did not extend an invitation to Cora, which *is* hurtful) When healthy and goofy sisterhood is so heavily pushed in familial dramas and sitcoms, it's glaringly obvious and sad when your own relationship does not reflect that sunshine, compassion, and camaraderie. Cora feels unloved, unwanted, unseen, and a clear lack of belonging. Horror is such a powerful genre, because not only are the paranormal entities terrifying, but to have an honest look at the human experience is too. 

The author's note was a powerful note to end on, and I think I highlighted the entire thing. I highly, highly recommend this, and am so grateful for the e-ARC.

Bat Eater follows Cora Zeng as she navigates a pandemic-stricken world where people who look like her are being blamed and discriminated against. Through her job as a crime scene cleaner, Cora and her colleagues become privy to the often hidden extremes of this very prejudice.

I’ll start by saying that this is very much a Covid-centric book, so approach it with care if you find such themes triggering. As someone who has largely avoided Covid-related narratives, I’m glad I took the risk with this one.

While I occasionally felt that the pacing was slightly off, I was quickly drawn back in, which is a testament to Kylie Lee Baker’s skill as a writer. In Bat Eater, Baker masterfully combines beautiful prose with unpredictable, gruesome moments and the pervasive fear of the unknown. This is interwoven with a painfully authentic portrayal of real-life horrors such as racism and misogyny.

When I say the gruesome moments are intense, I’m not exaggerating. Personally, I appreciated what these visceral elements added to the story, but it’s worth noting that they might be challenging for readers who struggle with graphic gore.

I recommend going into this book knowing as little as possible, whilst being mindful of the trigger warnings. I truly believe I enjoyed it more because I went in with minimal knowledge.

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the e-ARC. All opinions are my own.