Never thought I’d be rooting so hard for someone to get eyeballs. This temporarily ruined tomatoes for me. 

 

Energy: Resilient. Direct. Urgent. 

Scene: 🇺🇸 Set in and around Koreatown, Los Angeles

Perspective: We follow an 18-year-old college student living at home when their father suddenly divorces their mother,  leaveing them and their sibling behind. They navigate their mother’s heartbreak and a toxic stepparent while trying to build a foundation for their future.  

 

🐕 Howls: Dialogue was a little stilted sometimes in a way that knocked me out of story. 

🐩 Tail Wags: Short chapters. Plot snapshots that get to the point immediately. Mix of direct commentary with symbolism and subtly underneath. Family dynamics. Relatable homicidal thoughts. The ending. 

 

🤔 Random Thoughts:

I thought this would be bizarro weird, like how could it not be? But it’s surprisingly realistic feeling. 

 

The commentary is heavy and direct in some places, but not over the top. Just obvious monologues and red flags that characters ignore because Trauma. But there's subtle symbolism and commentary in the background events too. I think this could be a good book club book...if you don’t mind eye stuff. 

 

That ending was so satisfying. I predicted it after reveals in the last 75% but was hooked rooting for Ji-won. There are unresolved plot lines, but  not in a bad way, just not everything is tied up tidily. It ends naturally without ‘solving’ everything. 

 

The writing style felt YA to me. Not in a bad way – we’re following the life of a young adult! But if you aren’t used to that or don’t like it, then it could feel simplistic. Also, for 14+ readers I think this could be a fun to cathartic read (but check those content warnings too). 

 

Can we get a streaming adaptation please? 

 

🤓 Reader Role: Riding the emotional roller coaster. Ji-won candidly telling us her story, what is happening, and her motivations and feels.

🗺️ World-Building: Foreboding. Easy to imagine. Not overly detailed.

🔥 Fuel: Emotional investment atmospheric tension + cathartic energy. Will Ji-won survive the toxic men in her life? Can she protect herself and her sister? Is she starting to catch feelings for her new friend? What will she do about her new cravings?  

📖 Cred: Plausible realism (if forensics/police are incompetent, which happens!)

 

Peppermint. Fish eyes. Blue eyes. Kimchi jjiage. Slamming doors. Chinese American takeout. Lecture halls. Pocket knife. Salty brine. Metal. Footsteps. Emojis. Tequila. Oleander. 

·       Generational trauma

·       Surreal dreams and nightmares

·       Symbolic cannibalistic cravings

·       Hint of crushing on a Bestie sapphic romance

·       Shitty stepparent horrors

·       Toxic men behaving badly

·       Vengeance gore and fantasizing

·       Paranoia, real life, or unhinged?

·       Direct but deep commentary on misogyny and racism 

·       Psychological horror with elements of body horror

·       Claustrophobic family life

·       Destiny, fortune, fate

·       Sisterhood

·       Feminine Dexter-style rage

 

Content Heads-Up: Parental abandonment. Infidelity, spousal abandonment, heartbreak/grief. Extreme poverty, starvation (very brief recall, off page). Generational trauma. Unhealthy parent (triangulation, passive aggressive, guilting). Racism (fetishization, virtue signalling, objectification, targeting/taking advantage of language barriers, prejudice, bias, projecting). Toxic wokeness. Toxic masculinity/misogyny (sexual comments, leering). Step-incest/abuse (leering, sexually charged comments, controlling). Toxic friendship (controlling, monitoring, guilting, stalking, obsession). Homicidal/intrusive thoughts. Blood. Cannibalism. Medical (brief; tumours, hospital). Vomit. Parental neglect (toxic romantic partner).

 

Rep: Korean, Black, and White Americans. Koreans. Second generation culture. Cisgender. Heterosexual. Pale, brown-freckled, and ambiguous skin tones.

 

📚 Format: Library Digital