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Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng
Not yet published
Expected 29 Apr 25Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner¡ªbut the bloody messes don't bother her, not when she's already witnessed the most horrific thing possible: her sister being pushed in front of a train. The killer was never caught, and Cora is still haunted by his last words: "bat eater."
These days nobody can reach Cora: not her aunt, who wants her to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival; not her weird colleagues; and especially not the slack-jawed shadow lurking around her door frame. After all, it can't be real¡ªcan it? After a series of unexplained killings in Chinatown, Cora believes someone might be targeting East Asian women, and something might be targeting Cora herself.
These days nobody can reach Cora: not her aunt, who wants her to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival; not her weird colleagues; and especially not the slack-jawed shadow lurking around her door frame. After all, it can't be real¡ªcan it? After a series of unexplained killings in Chinatown, Cora believes someone might be targeting East Asian women, and something might be targeting Cora herself.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 7, 2025
454 people are currently reading
55.2k people want to read
About the author
Kylie Lee Baker
11?books1,312?followersKylie Lee Baker grew up in Boston and has since lived in Atlanta, Salamanca, and Seoul. Her work is informed by her heritage (Japanese, Chinese, & Irish) as well as her experiences living abroad as both a student and teacher. She has a BA in creative writing and Spanish from Emory University and is pursuing a master of library and information science degree at Simmons University. In her free time, she plays the cello, watches horror movies, and bakes too many cookies. The Keeper of Night is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,026 reviews
April 16, 2025
I usually avoid pandemic-themed novels like I avoid the plague group chats with 47 unread messages, but Bat Eater is the rare exception. It uses that time as a lens to explore how fear metastasises into bigotry, laying bare the ugliest parts of humanity that fester beneath the surface, waiting for a moment of collective vulnerability to erupt.
As a brown girl born in Australia to South Asian immigrant parents, my lived experience isn¡¯t quite the same as the Asian-American context Baker delves into. Still, racism wears many faces and has an exhausting universal familiarity. But my friend Mai, who lives in the U.S., penned a review that¡¯s a must-read.
Now, let¡¯s get to the blood, guts and ghosts. Bat Eater kinda gives if The Ring or The Grudge had a love child with a blood-soaked thriller and it¡¯s as haunting as it is gory. From page one, where Cora Zeng's sister, Delilah¡¯s head meets a train (yep, we¡¯re starting strong), the story ramps up with spine-tingling intensity and literal viscera. Cora Zeng¡¯s job as a dry cleaner-turned-corpse-cleaner has her scraping Asian-American women off surfaces, and it¡¯s only Wednesday. Workplace woes, am I right? But also, there seems to be a serial killer targeting a specific racial group and leaving bat corpses as their grotesque calling card.
It¡¯s not just gore, either. We've got supernatural horror that¡¯ll have you peeking through your fingers and rethinking that creak you heard in the next room. It's steeped in Chinese cultural lore, drawing on Zhong Yuan Jie (ÖÐÔª½Ú), or the Hungry Ghost Festival. I made the mistake of reading it at night, and let¡¯s just say my advice is to read this in the sunlight, preferably surrounded by people who can confirm nothing supernatural is crawling out of your TV or the shadows.
What truly sets Bat Eater apart is how deftly it balances its many layers. Cora¡¯s battles extend beyond hungry ghosts and cleaning brain goo. She also grapples with trauma, abandonment issues courtesy of absentee parents, grief, her mental health and a relentless struggle with her identity. However, there was also lightness to balance the darkness, with found family vibes and zippy banter which added a layer of warmth and dark humour.
But perhaps Bat Eater¡¯s most remarkable achievement is its seamless weaving of horror with incisive social commentary. It's full of uncomfortable truths: the fetishisation of Asian women, the sharp sting of systemic racism, racially motivated hate crimes, police brutality, media manipulation and copaganda. It will shock, entertain, provoke, creep you out, make you squirm and possibly make you feel the need to wear a jade bangle and burn a small mountain of joss paper.
It might be premature to crown Bat Eater my favourite book of 2025 (ask me again in December 2025), but the bar has been set high.
Five gory, blood-spattered stars. Thank you to NetGalley & Hachette AU & NZ for fuelling my nightmares in exchange for an honest review. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.
PS. Mind your triggers! Besides the obvious ones, another one to be mindful of is animal cruelty and animal corpses.
??????
Gore, ghosts, and bats¡ªKylie Lee Baker's adult horror debut, reminiscent of Mexican Gothic meets She is a Haunting.
As a brown girl born in Australia to South Asian immigrant parents, my lived experience isn¡¯t quite the same as the Asian-American context Baker delves into. Still, racism wears many faces and has an exhausting universal familiarity. But my friend Mai, who lives in the U.S., penned a review that¡¯s a must-read.
Now, let¡¯s get to the blood, guts and ghosts. Bat Eater kinda gives if The Ring or The Grudge had a love child with a blood-soaked thriller and it¡¯s as haunting as it is gory. From page one, where Cora Zeng's sister, Delilah¡¯s head meets a train (yep, we¡¯re starting strong), the story ramps up with spine-tingling intensity and literal viscera. Cora Zeng¡¯s job as a dry cleaner-turned-corpse-cleaner has her scraping Asian-American women off surfaces, and it¡¯s only Wednesday. Workplace woes, am I right? But also, there seems to be a serial killer targeting a specific racial group and leaving bat corpses as their grotesque calling card.
It¡¯s not just gore, either. We've got supernatural horror that¡¯ll have you peeking through your fingers and rethinking that creak you heard in the next room. It's steeped in Chinese cultural lore, drawing on Zhong Yuan Jie (ÖÐÔª½Ú), or the Hungry Ghost Festival. I made the mistake of reading it at night, and let¡¯s just say my advice is to read this in the sunlight, preferably surrounded by people who can confirm nothing supernatural is crawling out of your TV or the shadows.
What truly sets Bat Eater apart is how deftly it balances its many layers. Cora¡¯s battles extend beyond hungry ghosts and cleaning brain goo. She also grapples with trauma, abandonment issues courtesy of absentee parents, grief, her mental health and a relentless struggle with her identity. However, there was also lightness to balance the darkness, with found family vibes and zippy banter which added a layer of warmth and dark humour.
But perhaps Bat Eater¡¯s most remarkable achievement is its seamless weaving of horror with incisive social commentary. It's full of uncomfortable truths: the fetishisation of Asian women, the sharp sting of systemic racism, racially motivated hate crimes, police brutality, media manipulation and copaganda. It will shock, entertain, provoke, creep you out, make you squirm and possibly make you feel the need to wear a jade bangle and burn a small mountain of joss paper.
It might be premature to crown Bat Eater my favourite book of 2025 (ask me again in December 2025), but the bar has been set high.
Five gory, blood-spattered stars. Thank you to NetGalley & Hachette AU & NZ for fuelling my nightmares in exchange for an honest review. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.
PS. Mind your triggers! Besides the obvious ones, another one to be mindful of is animal cruelty and animal corpses.
??????
April 11, 2025
This is a serious emotional rollercoaster. It made me laugh, it scared me so bad, but mostly--
Listen,
After I finished (just now) I looked out the kitchen window at this wild rabbit eating clover in my yard and bawled my eyes out. I don't understand why people are so full of hate and malice and do such terrible things to other people.
It hurts my heart so badly.
This book is set during the COVID pandemic of 2020 --the tide of Asian hate and the BLM protests for the injustices committed against Black lives by authorities put in place to protect all of us And now look where we are.
I fucking hate it here. It never ends.
This is a good book. My favorite so far this year. A full review when I can get my shit together.
Listen,
After I finished (just now) I looked out the kitchen window at this wild rabbit eating clover in my yard and bawled my eyes out. I don't understand why people are so full of hate and malice and do such terrible things to other people.
It hurts my heart so badly.
This book is set during the COVID pandemic of 2020 --the tide of Asian hate and the BLM protests for the injustices committed against Black lives by authorities put in place to protect all of us And now look where we are.
I fucking hate it here. It never ends.
This is a good book. My favorite so far this year. A full review when I can get my shit together.
March 14, 2025
Holy shit. What a ride.
I notoriously don't like horror films, because I'm a big baby that hides behind my hands, but leaves just enough space between my fingers to see, thus furthering the problem. This doesn't span formats. I enjoy the genre in books. Asian horror is particularly gruesome, and I love what Kylie did with it. This is my first book by her, and certainly won't be the last.
I can talk about COVID and Asian racism all day. I imagine some of you are tired of that. This book isn't for you. I won't say Asians have it worse than other minorities, but there is a particular brand of racism that exists for us. I read once that some people don't even consider us POC, because our skin is light. First of all, not all Asians have light skin. The continent spans many countries, of which most are not East Asia. Second of all, fuck you.
Cora Zeng is a biracial Chinese American crime scene cleaner and a germaphobe. She excessively washes her hands, uses sanitizer until her hands bleed, and takes more precautions than the average person. The casual racism she is dealt feels very familiar.
Cora grew up with her half sister Delilah. Delilah's mother is Chinese and she grew up speaking several dialects. Cora struggles with Mandarin, as her mother is white.
The book starts off during March 2020. The scene is New York City. The sisters are at a train station. As they hover ever closer to the edge, a white man pushes Delilah into an oncoming train. Cora spends the entirety of the book dealing with the repercussions of this. This is where her job as a crime scene cleaner comes into play. Most of the crime scenes she is called in to clean are young Asian American women. A serial killer is on the loose.
What else is on the loose? Delilah's hungry ghost. I didn't grow up with this mythos, but hungry ghosts are very prevalent in East Asian, in particular, Chinese culture. The story is beautifully intertwined between family, horror, and racism, and I loved every second.
? Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA
I notoriously don't like horror films, because I'm a big baby that hides behind my hands, but leaves just enough space between my fingers to see, thus furthering the problem. This doesn't span formats. I enjoy the genre in books. Asian horror is particularly gruesome, and I love what Kylie did with it. This is my first book by her, and certainly won't be the last.
I can talk about COVID and Asian racism all day. I imagine some of you are tired of that. This book isn't for you. I won't say Asians have it worse than other minorities, but there is a particular brand of racism that exists for us. I read once that some people don't even consider us POC, because our skin is light. First of all, not all Asians have light skin. The continent spans many countries, of which most are not East Asia. Second of all, fuck you.
Cora Zeng is a biracial Chinese American crime scene cleaner and a germaphobe. She excessively washes her hands, uses sanitizer until her hands bleed, and takes more precautions than the average person. The casual racism she is dealt feels very familiar.
Cora grew up with her half sister Delilah. Delilah's mother is Chinese and she grew up speaking several dialects. Cora struggles with Mandarin, as her mother is white.
The book starts off during March 2020. The scene is New York City. The sisters are at a train station. As they hover ever closer to the edge, a white man pushes Delilah into an oncoming train. Cora spends the entirety of the book dealing with the repercussions of this. This is where her job as a crime scene cleaner comes into play. Most of the crime scenes she is called in to clean are young Asian American women. A serial killer is on the loose.
What else is on the loose? Delilah's hungry ghost. I didn't grow up with this mythos, but hungry ghosts are very prevalent in East Asian, in particular, Chinese culture. The story is beautifully intertwined between family, horror, and racism, and I loved every second.
? Thank you to NetGalley and MIRA
April 14, 2025
5?? | | |
Kylie Lee Baker¡¯s best work yet!
I fear if I do not get my hands on a physical arc I will die, and then come back as a hungry ghost.
I don¡¯t even know what to write for this review, I¡¯m still speechless days after reading. This was utter perfection. How do you describe perfection?
This was EVERYTHING!
I fear so many of the 5?? reviewers before me have done such an amazing job detailing the merits and nuances of this book, that anything I have to say with pale in comparison. Please go check out a few of my favorites if you need additional information to help convince you to pick up this book¡
Mai's Review | Esta's Review | AM's Review
Here goes nothing¡
If you read this book and feel nothing, I must assume you have no soul.
KLB writes absolutely stunning prose that is full of so much emotion and imagery. The juxtaposition of aforementioned beautiful prose combined with detailed gore elicits visceral reactions to both body and mind.
The paranormal aspects (ghosts) and murder mystery had my heart pounding and my mind questioning the sanity of the narrator - often I found myself wondering if the ghosts were real. The portrayal of the Asian experience was raw and heart-breaking. Grief, family, friendships, and self-discovery are just some of the themes KLB tackles with unmatched skill.
This book is dark, yet there is light at the end. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is like nothing I have ever read - I feel privileged to have experienced it.
Audiobook Narration: Natalie Naudus might be my new favorite audiobook narrator! She brought this book to life! I read this via ebook on 12/31/24 - as soon as I got the audiobook I started it again and devoured it in a day! I was obsessed with this book before and now, on audio, I'm full FERAL for this book. 10/10 would recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and HTP for sending this book (eARC & ALC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Kylie Lee Baker¡¯s best work yet!
I fear if I do not get my hands on a physical arc I will die, and then come back as a hungry ghost.
I don¡¯t even know what to write for this review, I¡¯m still speechless days after reading. This was utter perfection. How do you describe perfection?
This was EVERYTHING!
I fear so many of the 5?? reviewers before me have done such an amazing job detailing the merits and nuances of this book, that anything I have to say with pale in comparison. Please go check out a few of my favorites if you need additional information to help convince you to pick up this book¡
Mai's Review | Esta's Review | AM's Review
Here goes nothing¡
If you read this book and feel nothing, I must assume you have no soul.
KLB writes absolutely stunning prose that is full of so much emotion and imagery. The juxtaposition of aforementioned beautiful prose combined with detailed gore elicits visceral reactions to both body and mind.
The paranormal aspects (ghosts) and murder mystery had my heart pounding and my mind questioning the sanity of the narrator - often I found myself wondering if the ghosts were real. The portrayal of the Asian experience was raw and heart-breaking. Grief, family, friendships, and self-discovery are just some of the themes KLB tackles with unmatched skill.
This book is dark, yet there is light at the end. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is like nothing I have ever read - I feel privileged to have experienced it.
Audiobook Narration: Natalie Naudus might be my new favorite audiobook narrator! She brought this book to life! I read this via ebook on 12/31/24 - as soon as I got the audiobook I started it again and devoured it in a day! I was obsessed with this book before and now, on audio, I'm full FERAL for this book. 10/10 would recommend!
Thank you NetGalley and HTP for sending this book (eARC & ALC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
March 2, 2025
I'm not sure if I just read a darkly honest and horrifyingly realistic analysis of Covid and its aftermath¡ªexposing how it pushed people to the brink of survival and fueled illogical hatred and racism against Chinese people (a phenomenon that might be called Sinophobia)¡ªor if I just experienced a spine-tingling, gory ghost story intertwined with a serial killer murder mystery, featuring mutated bats at crime scenes. I believe I encountered both, making this book uniquely unconventional and thought-provoking, while also turning readers into scream queens with its heart-throbbing tension. I warn you, my friends, this is one of the best books I've read, but it is truly hard to digest. It¡¯s extraordinarily gory, stomach-churning, jaw-dropping, and eye-popping with fear. There are numerous triggering and graphic scenes of violence that realistically portray the changing face of New York during the pandemic, as people navigate their way through the darkness.
The story opens with 24-year-old Chinese woman Cora Zeng and her sister Delilah waiting for the subway at an abandoned station. A mysterious man appears as the train approaches, utters the word "bat eater," and pushes Delilah onto the tracks, resulting in her brutal death before Cora's eyes. Unfortunately, the man escapes.
In the following chapter, we find Cora working as a crime scene cleaner, washing away the cruelest and goriest remains of bodies, mostly those of Chinese people targeted by a mysterious serial killer who leaves mutilated bats at the crime scenes.
Cora faces not only a foreboding situation but also struggles with grief and guilt as a sister who always lived in the shadow of her stepsister. We learn about her estranged relationship with her parents, her father's abandonment to form a new family in China, her cult-member mother's misuse of her college fund, and Delilah's impending departure from her life (ironically, her last words before she died). Cora's guilt, abandonment, resentment, and anger evolve into mental issues, including OCD. When she learns about the Chinese myth of hungry ghosts returning to fulfill their cravings, she initially dismisses it until she notices food disappearing from the house and encounters what remains of her sister's ghost.
Unable to consult her two eccentric aunties¡ªone a pyromaniac, the other overly conservative¡ªCora turns to her two coworkers, Yifei and Harvey, who also deal with the horror of bile-piling crime scenes. They become close confidantes, declaring themselves ghostbusters to help Delilah pass peacefully between universes following Eastern traditions, and they team up to catch the killer known as Batman, who targets Chinese people.
The unconventional bond between these three eccentric characters and their unique ways of facing supernatural forces and unexpected situations warmed my heart. They become each other's family during the most tragic and vulnerable times, showing the importance of having someone to hold on to and care for.
The realistic depiction of racism and the unfair Sinophobia people faced, combined with a scary ghost story rooted in Eastern folklore and a bleak, dark murder mystery, is perfectly executed. The book is terrifying and thought-provoking, making readers nod in agreement with the author's explored points, which makes it extra special and one of a kind.
Overall, this book is harsh reality! It's extra bleak, dark, and not for the faint of heart, but it rocked my world with its honesty and creative execution. I wholeheartedly loved it! I also cried a lot after reading the Author¡¯s Note, which shook me to the core. I advise you not to miss it after finishing the book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing / MIRA for sharing this amazing horror novel¡¯s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
The story opens with 24-year-old Chinese woman Cora Zeng and her sister Delilah waiting for the subway at an abandoned station. A mysterious man appears as the train approaches, utters the word "bat eater," and pushes Delilah onto the tracks, resulting in her brutal death before Cora's eyes. Unfortunately, the man escapes.
In the following chapter, we find Cora working as a crime scene cleaner, washing away the cruelest and goriest remains of bodies, mostly those of Chinese people targeted by a mysterious serial killer who leaves mutilated bats at the crime scenes.
Cora faces not only a foreboding situation but also struggles with grief and guilt as a sister who always lived in the shadow of her stepsister. We learn about her estranged relationship with her parents, her father's abandonment to form a new family in China, her cult-member mother's misuse of her college fund, and Delilah's impending departure from her life (ironically, her last words before she died). Cora's guilt, abandonment, resentment, and anger evolve into mental issues, including OCD. When she learns about the Chinese myth of hungry ghosts returning to fulfill their cravings, she initially dismisses it until she notices food disappearing from the house and encounters what remains of her sister's ghost.
Unable to consult her two eccentric aunties¡ªone a pyromaniac, the other overly conservative¡ªCora turns to her two coworkers, Yifei and Harvey, who also deal with the horror of bile-piling crime scenes. They become close confidantes, declaring themselves ghostbusters to help Delilah pass peacefully between universes following Eastern traditions, and they team up to catch the killer known as Batman, who targets Chinese people.
The unconventional bond between these three eccentric characters and their unique ways of facing supernatural forces and unexpected situations warmed my heart. They become each other's family during the most tragic and vulnerable times, showing the importance of having someone to hold on to and care for.
The realistic depiction of racism and the unfair Sinophobia people faced, combined with a scary ghost story rooted in Eastern folklore and a bleak, dark murder mystery, is perfectly executed. The book is terrifying and thought-provoking, making readers nod in agreement with the author's explored points, which makes it extra special and one of a kind.
Overall, this book is harsh reality! It's extra bleak, dark, and not for the faint of heart, but it rocked my world with its honesty and creative execution. I wholeheartedly loved it! I also cried a lot after reading the Author¡¯s Note, which shook me to the core. I advise you not to miss it after finishing the book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing / MIRA for sharing this amazing horror novel¡¯s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
March 3, 2025
4.25 stars! ?? Huge thanks to Harlequin Audio & NetGalley for the ALC! ?
Wow. Where do I even start?! This book absolutely wrecked me in the BEST way! Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is everything you didn¡¯t know you needed in a horror novel¡ªgory, eerie, and uncomfortably . Seriously, if you¡¯re into dark, twisted stories, this one is for you. ??
Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner in the thick of the COVID pandemic, and she's living with trauma, ghosts, and a whole lot of germs (I felt that in my bones!). ? After witnessing her sister¡¯s brutal murder, Cora¡¯s life spirals into a nightmare of superstition, racism, and a serial killer targeting Asian women. But that¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg¡ªenter the Hungry Ghost Festival and a mysterious connection to dead bats, and you¡¯ve got yourself a seriously spooky ride. ??
What I LOVED:
?? The tension and atmosphere: Seriously, I felt like I was suffocating right alongside Cora. The claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in her own head and the dark corners of Chinatown had me on edge the whole time.
?? The social commentary: Kylie nails it. Racism during COVID is front and center, and it¡¯s absolutely heartbreaking to read. The way Cora deals with this hate while battling the supernatural was so powerful.
?? Cora¡¯s character: She¡¯s messed up in all the right ways¡ªhaunted by her sister¡¯s death, pushing everyone away, but also trying to hold onto what¡¯s left of herself. Her growth? Tough to watch, but so worth it.
?? The mythology: The Hungry Ghost Festival vibes were creepy as heck and felt like a perfect parallel to everything Cora was dealing with. ??
What could¡¯ve been better:
? The pacing: It sometimes dragged a little bit, and I wish we¡¯d gotten more from the side characters. But hey, that¡¯s a small complaint in the grand scheme of things. ? ?
? The ending: Talk about relentless! Dark, heavy, and emotional, but if you love stories that don¡¯t pull punches, you¡¯ll love it. Heartbreaking doesn¡¯t even cover it. ?
Final thoughts: This book is haunting, gory, and so much more than just a typical horror novel. It tackles grief, racism, and a whole lot of supernatural terror. If you¡¯re looking for a book that makes you feel deeply and question everything, this is it! ??
Highly recommend this one, especially if you're a fan of true crime, supernatural horror, and stories that leave you thinking long after the last page. ?
Wow. Where do I even start?! This book absolutely wrecked me in the BEST way! Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker is everything you didn¡¯t know you needed in a horror novel¡ªgory, eerie, and uncomfortably . Seriously, if you¡¯re into dark, twisted stories, this one is for you. ??
Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner in the thick of the COVID pandemic, and she's living with trauma, ghosts, and a whole lot of germs (I felt that in my bones!). ? After witnessing her sister¡¯s brutal murder, Cora¡¯s life spirals into a nightmare of superstition, racism, and a serial killer targeting Asian women. But that¡¯s just the tip of the iceberg¡ªenter the Hungry Ghost Festival and a mysterious connection to dead bats, and you¡¯ve got yourself a seriously spooky ride. ??
What I LOVED:
?? The tension and atmosphere: Seriously, I felt like I was suffocating right alongside Cora. The claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in her own head and the dark corners of Chinatown had me on edge the whole time.
?? The social commentary: Kylie nails it. Racism during COVID is front and center, and it¡¯s absolutely heartbreaking to read. The way Cora deals with this hate while battling the supernatural was so powerful.
?? Cora¡¯s character: She¡¯s messed up in all the right ways¡ªhaunted by her sister¡¯s death, pushing everyone away, but also trying to hold onto what¡¯s left of herself. Her growth? Tough to watch, but so worth it.
?? The mythology: The Hungry Ghost Festival vibes were creepy as heck and felt like a perfect parallel to everything Cora was dealing with. ??
What could¡¯ve been better:
? The pacing: It sometimes dragged a little bit, and I wish we¡¯d gotten more from the side characters. But hey, that¡¯s a small complaint in the grand scheme of things. ? ?
? The ending: Talk about relentless! Dark, heavy, and emotional, but if you love stories that don¡¯t pull punches, you¡¯ll love it. Heartbreaking doesn¡¯t even cover it. ?
Final thoughts: This book is haunting, gory, and so much more than just a typical horror novel. It tackles grief, racism, and a whole lot of supernatural terror. If you¡¯re looking for a book that makes you feel deeply and question everything, this is it! ??
Highly recommend this one, especially if you're a fan of true crime, supernatural horror, and stories that leave you thinking long after the last page. ?
January 5, 2025
Wow. I am gobsmacked and shaking.
Intensely gory and bloody. Rawly piercing and realistic. Profoundly descriptive and horrifying.
It is 2020 and Cora Zeng is a biracial Chinese American crime scene cleaner in New York during COVID after she is laid off from her office job. She is haunted by her dead murdered sister who was pushed in front of a train. Hunted by anti-Chinese prejudice. Spiralling as fears of cleanliness and COVID dominate her life.
As if this is bad enough, Asian women are being mass murdered, but the police and media refuse to investigate.
I was just so mad whilst reading this. That first chapter grabs you by the throat and the grip just tightens and tightens until you can barely breathe, barely flip the pages fast enough.
Cora is used to terror, a worry that wrings your organs out and carves holes in you like termites in wooden furniture, but if enough of you is devoured, soon there's nothing left of you but what was, and Cora is starting to feel full of holes.
What was scarier?
The ghosts or the prevalent racism and treatment of East Asians? Cora¡¯s seemingly descent into insanity or her unease of being around other people?
There is a strong aversion to authority, reminding us of instances of protests, police brutality, power abuse, and copaganda.
And you know what the cops told me? They said that's not enough to go on. We can't just look for white men. You should have looked harder, they said. But white men are going after Asian girls, and that's all they have to go on, us being Asian. No one wants to look harder at us. To imagine that we're real people.
The character dynamics were great too!
The quirky friendship between Cora and the other two on the clean up crew gave me Ghostbusters vibes. They all try and handle their situations and trauma differently. Food, booze, bleach, sanitiser, rituals.
Also, the contrast between Cora¡¯s White Christian auntie and her superstitious Chinese auntie was fascinating to see how Cora feels she has to shape herself to suit the moulds of others¡¯.
The ending is relentless. Extremely dark. Heartbreaking.
My mind is reeling.
I cannot stop thinking about it a week later¡.
Finally, the author¡¯s note is a must-read. Just a section:
For me, no needle-neck ghost can compare to the way the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world¡ª the way we sacrificed the elderly and disabled on the altar of capitalism, the way trust in the government and the CDC swiftly dissolved, and the way we proved we as a country still haven't learned not to scapegoat an entire race of people in times of fear.
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for sending me the arc in exchange for a review.
Intensely gory and bloody. Rawly piercing and realistic. Profoundly descriptive and horrifying.
It is 2020 and Cora Zeng is a biracial Chinese American crime scene cleaner in New York during COVID after she is laid off from her office job. She is haunted by her dead murdered sister who was pushed in front of a train. Hunted by anti-Chinese prejudice. Spiralling as fears of cleanliness and COVID dominate her life.
As if this is bad enough, Asian women are being mass murdered, but the police and media refuse to investigate.
I was just so mad whilst reading this. That first chapter grabs you by the throat and the grip just tightens and tightens until you can barely breathe, barely flip the pages fast enough.
Cora is used to terror, a worry that wrings your organs out and carves holes in you like termites in wooden furniture, but if enough of you is devoured, soon there's nothing left of you but what was, and Cora is starting to feel full of holes.
What was scarier?
The ghosts or the prevalent racism and treatment of East Asians? Cora¡¯s seemingly descent into insanity or her unease of being around other people?
There is a strong aversion to authority, reminding us of instances of protests, police brutality, power abuse, and copaganda.
And you know what the cops told me? They said that's not enough to go on. We can't just look for white men. You should have looked harder, they said. But white men are going after Asian girls, and that's all they have to go on, us being Asian. No one wants to look harder at us. To imagine that we're real people.
The character dynamics were great too!
The quirky friendship between Cora and the other two on the clean up crew gave me Ghostbusters vibes. They all try and handle their situations and trauma differently. Food, booze, bleach, sanitiser, rituals.
Also, the contrast between Cora¡¯s White Christian auntie and her superstitious Chinese auntie was fascinating to see how Cora feels she has to shape herself to suit the moulds of others¡¯.
The ending is relentless. Extremely dark. Heartbreaking.
My mind is reeling.
I cannot stop thinking about it a week later¡.
Finally, the author¡¯s note is a must-read. Just a section:
For me, no needle-neck ghost can compare to the way the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world¡ª the way we sacrificed the elderly and disabled on the altar of capitalism, the way trust in the government and the CDC swiftly dissolved, and the way we proved we as a country still haven't learned not to scapegoat an entire race of people in times of fear.
Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for sending me the arc in exchange for a review.
April 10, 2025
Bat Eater and Other Names For Cora Zeng! I mean, just look at that stunning cover! ???I had absolutely no idea what I was getting myself into.
It¡¯s 2020 in New York and covid has spread across the world. Everyone is wearing masks and staying indoors. Yet, people are dying. People called it the China Virus. Remember when people actually did that though? Plus, if you¡¯re Chinese then that means you eat bats and you¡¯re definitely infected. Right?
¡ª This story isn¡¯t really about covid, it¡¯s just a time period. So people who hate reading Covidy stuff¡ don¡¯t worry. This is so much more.
Imagine the horror in the world that the Asian culture had to go through. Then add in Asian women being murdered by a mysterious serial killer and hungry ghosts terrorizing you!
This book touches on religion, spiritual beliefs in Chinese culture, racism, covid, grief, death of a loved one and I¡¯m probably missing some. Gruesome stuff that had me speeding to the finish line! This horror novel was a unique tale that all horror enthusiasts will love! I loved everything about it! Please read the author¡¯s note at the end too!
Thank you to Kylie Lee Baker, Mira and Net Galley for the opportunity!
Release date April 29, 2025
4.5 ?????????
It¡¯s 2020 in New York and covid has spread across the world. Everyone is wearing masks and staying indoors. Yet, people are dying. People called it the China Virus. Remember when people actually did that though? Plus, if you¡¯re Chinese then that means you eat bats and you¡¯re definitely infected. Right?
¡ª This story isn¡¯t really about covid, it¡¯s just a time period. So people who hate reading Covidy stuff¡ don¡¯t worry. This is so much more.
Imagine the horror in the world that the Asian culture had to go through. Then add in Asian women being murdered by a mysterious serial killer and hungry ghosts terrorizing you!
This book touches on religion, spiritual beliefs in Chinese culture, racism, covid, grief, death of a loved one and I¡¯m probably missing some. Gruesome stuff that had me speeding to the finish line! This horror novel was a unique tale that all horror enthusiasts will love! I loved everything about it! Please read the author¡¯s note at the end too!
Thank you to Kylie Lee Baker, Mira and Net Galley for the opportunity!
Release date April 29, 2025
4.5 ?????????
March 6, 2025
"Harvey's uncle owns a dry-cleaning shop in Chinatown that expanded into crime scene cleanup, since hardly anyone needs their dry cleaning done during a pandemic, but a surprising number of people need brains scrubbed off their walls and even cheapskate families don't like doing that kind of thing themselves." (Page 19)
Good lord, everything about this book was brutal and infuriating. Kylie Lee Baker really combined all her anger about being an Asian woman in a pandemic-struck America with the fear of hungry ghosts, creating this violent book that's probably closer to reality than I would like it to be.
Good lord, everything about this book was brutal and infuriating. Kylie Lee Baker really combined all her anger about being an Asian woman in a pandemic-struck America with the fear of hungry ghosts, creating this violent book that's probably closer to reality than I would like it to be.
February 20, 2025
ARC for review. To be published April 29, 2025.
4 stars
Cora Zeng saw her sister, Delilah be pushed in front of a train in New York City. It¡¯s the pandemic and she and other Asian-Americans, well, all Asians are the victims of so much hate, thanks, in part, to a President who calls this the China virus. Now it¡¯s hard for Cora, who had essentially spent a lifetime following Delilah in all things, to determine what is real, and what she¡¯s imagined.
It probably doesn¡¯t help that the only job she can find is as an off-the-books crime scene cleaner in Chinatown, s ribbing away the messes left by suicides and murder victims alongside co-workers Harvey and Yifei.
But some additional things are bothering Cora. First, the germs, on stair rails, bare hands, all those places the virus could be hidden. Plus one of her aunts (she has two aunts in the city, they are each annoying and great in their own ways) advises her to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival, when it¡¯s said the gates of hell open. Cora doesn¡¯t think much about it. She will live to regret this. And why does her cleaning team keep finding the bodies of bats at crime scenes and why are so many of the victims dead East Asian women?
What an interesting book, filled with menace, that puts the reader right back into the midst of the pandemic and gives non-Asians a look into the racism of the period (thanks, MAGA.) Baker has drawn a number of wonderful characters and and great mix of serial killer and supernatural horror. Really enjoyed this. Recommended.
4 stars
Cora Zeng saw her sister, Delilah be pushed in front of a train in New York City. It¡¯s the pandemic and she and other Asian-Americans, well, all Asians are the victims of so much hate, thanks, in part, to a President who calls this the China virus. Now it¡¯s hard for Cora, who had essentially spent a lifetime following Delilah in all things, to determine what is real, and what she¡¯s imagined.
It probably doesn¡¯t help that the only job she can find is as an off-the-books crime scene cleaner in Chinatown, s ribbing away the messes left by suicides and murder victims alongside co-workers Harvey and Yifei.
But some additional things are bothering Cora. First, the germs, on stair rails, bare hands, all those places the virus could be hidden. Plus one of her aunts (she has two aunts in the city, they are each annoying and great in their own ways) advises her to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival, when it¡¯s said the gates of hell open. Cora doesn¡¯t think much about it. She will live to regret this. And why does her cleaning team keep finding the bodies of bats at crime scenes and why are so many of the victims dead East Asian women?
What an interesting book, filled with menace, that puts the reader right back into the midst of the pandemic and gives non-Asians a look into the racism of the period (thanks, MAGA.) Baker has drawn a number of wonderful characters and and great mix of serial killer and supernatural horror. Really enjoyed this. Recommended.
February 10, 2025
EDIT: Updated my rating from 4.75 stars to 5 stars. I just keep thinking about this book and how brilliant it was. Originally I was kind of not sure how to feel about the conclusion of the murder ¡°investigation¡± but now I¡¯m realizing there wasn¡¯t any other way it could¡¯ve ended that would¡¯ve had the impact (I know this won¡¯t make sense if you haven¡¯t read it) that it did, so 5 stars.
4.75 stars - thank you MIRA for an early copy of this book I exchange for my honest feedback.
What a thrilling gore filled story with brilliant social commentary
Video review:
4.75 stars - thank you MIRA for an early copy of this book I exchange for my honest feedback.
What a thrilling gore filled story with brilliant social commentary
Video review:
April 6, 2025
¡±Closing your eyes doesn¡¯t stop monsters from devouring you.¡±
Bat Eater is the kind of book that echos the horrors of real-world ugliness that¡¯s equal parts supernatural chaos and social dissection. Yes, there are spirits, blood and a good amount of brain goo but the real haunting comes in the form of racism, grief and identity crisis.
¡±But not everyone has dreams. Some people just are, the way that trees and rocks and rivers are just there without a reason, the rest of the world moving around them.¡±
Cora Zeng is possibly one of my favorite characters ever. She¡¯s a brilliantly complicated heroine, caught between saving the world from literal horrors and surviving the everyday ones: microaggressions, the fetishization of Asian women and the systemic racism. Alongside Yifei and Harvey she forms a makeshift team that¡¯s both emotionally resonant as it is chaotic. Their slow paced friendship warmed my heart and reminded me that family isn¡¯t who you¡¯re born to, it¡¯s who¡¯s there holding the salt when the spirits get snippy.
¡±But now, Cora knows she¡¯s not dying. Dying doesn¡¯t hurt this much. Dying means there¡¯s an endpoint to the pain.¡±
What truly sets this novel apart is the balance between the many layers - it¡¯s coated with darkness but there¡¯s also a certain lightness with found family, zippy banter and dark humor. It¡¯s equal parts ghost story, social reckoning and coming-of-age odyssey in a gutsy, gory and gut-wrenching ride.
Bat Eater is the kind of book that echos the horrors of real-world ugliness that¡¯s equal parts supernatural chaos and social dissection. Yes, there are spirits, blood and a good amount of brain goo but the real haunting comes in the form of racism, grief and identity crisis.
¡±But not everyone has dreams. Some people just are, the way that trees and rocks and rivers are just there without a reason, the rest of the world moving around them.¡±
Cora Zeng is possibly one of my favorite characters ever. She¡¯s a brilliantly complicated heroine, caught between saving the world from literal horrors and surviving the everyday ones: microaggressions, the fetishization of Asian women and the systemic racism. Alongside Yifei and Harvey she forms a makeshift team that¡¯s both emotionally resonant as it is chaotic. Their slow paced friendship warmed my heart and reminded me that family isn¡¯t who you¡¯re born to, it¡¯s who¡¯s there holding the salt when the spirits get snippy.
¡±But now, Cora knows she¡¯s not dying. Dying doesn¡¯t hurt this much. Dying means there¡¯s an endpoint to the pain.¡±
What truly sets this novel apart is the balance between the many layers - it¡¯s coated with darkness but there¡¯s also a certain lightness with found family, zippy banter and dark humor. It¡¯s equal parts ghost story, social reckoning and coming-of-age odyssey in a gutsy, gory and gut-wrenching ride.
January 7, 2025
In pandemic-era New York City, 24-year-old Cora¡¯s world is torn apart when her older sister Delilah is killed right in front of her. It seems to be a racially motivated attack: Cora and Delilah are Chinese, and Cora swears she heard the attacker whisper the words ¡®bat eater¡¯. In the aftermath, a numb Cora becomes a crime scene cleaner. Her assignments reveal a disturbing trend: increasingly large numbers of crime scenes involve brutal killings of East Asian women. And they also involve bats. If that¡¯s not bad enough, Cora thinks she¡¯s being haunted by a hungry ghost.
Right from the start, Bat Eater is a gory rollercoaster of a story: as the first chapter immediately signals, Baker is gleefully unafraid to kill her darlings. The narrative never sits still, hopping and skipping between social commentary, cinematically vivid horror and a sort of lopsided coming-of-age story, with a likeable heroine in Cora. I raced through it ¨C it¡¯s difficult not to. And quite a few developments surprised me.
At times, it can be a bit too glib. There¡¯s such a strong ¡®YA author¡¯s first novel for adults¡¯ vibe here that I¡¯d guessed it was exactly that before even knowing if the author has written YA (she has) or if this is her first book for adults (it is). While the plot is exciting and unpredictable, that¡¯s sometimes at the expense of plausibility; there are plot holes here that just wouldn¡¯t fly in a more ¡®serious¡¯ book. It¡¯s the kind of story where that will either bother you (and ruin it) or simply not matter because you¡¯re having a good time; thankfully, I was in the latter category.
Also, this book is so perfectly primed to be made into a film, it needs to be optioned right now, if that hasn¡¯t happened already.
I received an advance review copy of Bat Eater from the publisher through .
Right from the start, Bat Eater is a gory rollercoaster of a story: as the first chapter immediately signals, Baker is gleefully unafraid to kill her darlings. The narrative never sits still, hopping and skipping between social commentary, cinematically vivid horror and a sort of lopsided coming-of-age story, with a likeable heroine in Cora. I raced through it ¨C it¡¯s difficult not to. And quite a few developments surprised me.
At times, it can be a bit too glib. There¡¯s such a strong ¡®YA author¡¯s first novel for adults¡¯ vibe here that I¡¯d guessed it was exactly that before even knowing if the author has written YA (she has) or if this is her first book for adults (it is). While the plot is exciting and unpredictable, that¡¯s sometimes at the expense of plausibility; there are plot holes here that just wouldn¡¯t fly in a more ¡®serious¡¯ book. It¡¯s the kind of story where that will either bother you (and ruin it) or simply not matter because you¡¯re having a good time; thankfully, I was in the latter category.
Also, this book is so perfectly primed to be made into a film, it needs to be optioned right now, if that hasn¡¯t happened already.
I received an advance review copy of Bat Eater from the publisher through .
January 7, 2025
Update: Happy UK publication day to this masterpiece of a book!!
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc!
?????/5
"Many people think that death is the end. The ending of pain, of hate, of love. But these things are not so easy to erase. Any kind of wanting leaves a scar. The living are good at forgetting, the years smoothing out memories until all the days of their lives are nothing but rolling planes of sameness. But in Hell, it is always just yesterday that everything was lost. The dead do not forget."
Thrilling and heartbreaking in equal parts, 'Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng' is an eye-opener of a novel that delves into the very real horrors experienced by Chinese people during the COVID-19 pandemic. In my opinion, it is also the horror genre at its finest. It started with a very impactful first chapter and left me breathless by the end.
Portraying gore that not only sickens the reader to their stomach but also serves an actual purpose and is not just gratuitous is a skill and KLB has done an amazing job. Bat Eater is not for the squeamish and the faint-hearted. The characterization was done incredibly well. Cora is someone who is a part of two worlds but doesn't quite fit into either. The side characters felt fully fledged out and added so much to the story rather than being just props. I did not expect Harvey and Yifei to have their own backstories, and they added so much depth to the story. I loved reading about the elements of Chinese religion and the hungry ghost festival. This book had some of the creepiest moments I've encountered in a book, courtesy of the hungry ghosts. But more than that, reading about these once-humans with dreams and desires of their own made me shed a few tears.
While the plot is propelled by the mystery of the serial killer's identity, the book is, at its heart, about how the most horrific acts are the very real atrocities committed by humans against their own kind. This is not a happy story. There isn't really any justice at the end, because that's just how the real world is. The characters face horrible, horrible things. However, it is a book worth reading. I wasn't very familiar with the anti-Chinese violence that skyrocketed in the US during the pandemic, but this made me realise the gravity of the situation. Please do not overlook the author's note at the end.
Overall, 'Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng' has excellent social commentary, genuinely scary moments, a very compelling plot and cast of characters, jaw-dropping plot twists, and an emotional gut-punch served right at the end. I hope it haunts you just as much as it did me.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc!
?????/5
"Many people think that death is the end. The ending of pain, of hate, of love. But these things are not so easy to erase. Any kind of wanting leaves a scar. The living are good at forgetting, the years smoothing out memories until all the days of their lives are nothing but rolling planes of sameness. But in Hell, it is always just yesterday that everything was lost. The dead do not forget."
Thrilling and heartbreaking in equal parts, 'Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng' is an eye-opener of a novel that delves into the very real horrors experienced by Chinese people during the COVID-19 pandemic. In my opinion, it is also the horror genre at its finest. It started with a very impactful first chapter and left me breathless by the end.
Portraying gore that not only sickens the reader to their stomach but also serves an actual purpose and is not just gratuitous is a skill and KLB has done an amazing job. Bat Eater is not for the squeamish and the faint-hearted. The characterization was done incredibly well. Cora is someone who is a part of two worlds but doesn't quite fit into either. The side characters felt fully fledged out and added so much to the story rather than being just props. I did not expect Harvey and Yifei to have their own backstories, and they added so much depth to the story. I loved reading about the elements of Chinese religion and the hungry ghost festival. This book had some of the creepiest moments I've encountered in a book, courtesy of the hungry ghosts. But more than that, reading about these once-humans with dreams and desires of their own made me shed a few tears.
While the plot is propelled by the mystery of the serial killer's identity, the book is, at its heart, about how the most horrific acts are the very real atrocities committed by humans against their own kind. This is not a happy story. There isn't really any justice at the end, because that's just how the real world is. The characters face horrible, horrible things. However, it is a book worth reading. I wasn't very familiar with the anti-Chinese violence that skyrocketed in the US during the pandemic, but this made me realise the gravity of the situation. Please do not overlook the author's note at the end.
Overall, 'Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng' has excellent social commentary, genuinely scary moments, a very compelling plot and cast of characters, jaw-dropping plot twists, and an emotional gut-punch served right at the end. I hope it haunts you just as much as it did me.
February 12, 2025
There is a moment near the closing of Bat Eater And Other Names For Cora Zeng where the title character stands on a New York City subway platform wearing two face masks. As Cora waits for her train, a man in a Yankees cap briskly brushes past her, sneers at her with distaste and calls her a ¡°sheep¡±, presumably for ¡°masking up¡± in the post-vaccine era of the Covid-19 pandemic. For anyone that followed any semblance of safety measures when the pandemic was the most pressing concern on most everyone¡¯s mind, these kinds of interactions began to feel inevitable at a certain point as a growing population began to see the virus as more of a conspiracy to control citizens rather than a rampant worldwide health issue.
But at the point in Bat Eater when this specific interaction occurs, being called a ¡°sheep¡± was almost a relief in comparison to the vile rhetoric that had been spewed at Cora and the violence that had been aimed at her since the beginning of 2020 as a young Chinese-American woman living in a version of New York City that is firmly planted in the early stages of the virus.
Bat Eater focuses on the story of Cora Zeng, a 24 year old woman born from a Chinese father and a white mother, both who abandon her at a young age to the care of various aunts and occasionally to the mother of her older sister, Delilah. Cora¡¯s father snuck back to China after fathering two daughters in the States with two different women, leaving them to fend for themselves with monthly stipends that he sends each month from the warmth of his new home with his new family. Cora¡¯s mother took off to join a cult disguised as a self-sufficient farming commune after declaring that being a mother to Cora was too difficult and too time-consuming.
After witnessing the death of her older sister at the dawn of the pandemic in a brutal hate crime in which she is shoved in front of a moving subway train after being needled by a strange man as a ¡°bat eater¡±, Cora falls into the steady rhythm of a life in which she attempts to push away the memories of her connection and of her near blind devotion to her older sister. Her new apartment is small, empty of furniture and belongings and only serves to function as a place to sleep and to take scalding hot showers. While her new job working with a small crew doing crime scene clean-up in Chinatown both tantalizes and horrifies her germaphobic OCD nature.
With Delilah having previously been the north star that unwillingly guided her younger sister, Cora is now attempting to go through this new life purposely without having much of a life to show for it. She is propped up financially by both her Auntie Lois in exchange for visits to her aunt¡¯s Christian-based church, as well as her Auntie Zeng who endlessly dabbles in what Cora writes off as ancient Chinese mysticism and only makes the effort to listen as her aunt is the only one willing to call her upon older brother, Cora¡¯s father, to remind him to transfer money to support the daughter that he willingly abandoned. Having always been at the whims of everyone that was charged to raise her and either failed or hounded by them, Cora is left with no sense of who she really is or even who she wants to be.
She begins to notice little inconsistencies starting to occur, such as small food items missing from her apartment, fraying on the couch where there previously was none, even bite marks on the corner of her kitchen table that she knows are fresh. Having previously kept her two co-workers - the sarcastic, practical kleptomaniac Yifei and the gore-obsessed goofball Harvey - at arms-length, she hesitantly makes them aware of the sheer amount of recent, almost supernatural occurrences that are making her feel as if she is losing her mind. Half-expecting them to laugh off everything that she says, Cora is shocked when both Yifei and Harvey spring into action and rally around her without thinking twice.
In this midst of this thrown-together trio of friends working together to ¡°fix¡± Cora, a disturbing trend begins to occur at their crime scene cleanups as all of the victims turn out to be young women of Asian descent that are all presented with some sort of bat motif - whether it be a live bat found shoved inside of a bathtub drain or a blood mural painted on the wall in the shape of a large bat. Paired with the earlier death of Cora¡¯s sister, these bat-based coincidences become far too much to ignore and Cora and her co-workers descend into a mystery that is mired in spiritual folklore, racism and serial killers.
My only gripe with Kylie Lee Baker¡¯s wonderful novel is that I would have loved to spend even more time with Cora, Yifei and Harvey as a trio. Their burgeoning friendship is one of the most enjoyable elements of this story as it brings to mind those sorts of circumstantial friendships that are only possible when you are thrown together into the muck of working with one another at a young age; a unique type of friendship that is often allowed to go deeper as it isn¡¯t held back by the constraints of these new acquaintances knowing every sordid detail of your past. As the three friends begin to trust each other, their own horrifying, trauma-filled backgrounds open up wide and they all begin to understand that they might be more connected than they previously thought.
With Bat Eater, Kylie Lee Baker has accomplished a rare thing in modern writing as she has found a way to combine a deeply creepy mystical horror tale with a taught suspense thriller and lay those distinct pieces over the top of very real and very poignant commentary about the state of racism, prejudice and hate that continues to be rampant in the United States. It¡¯s vitally important that we all learn to approach situations like a worldwide pandemic with open minds and are able to view them through the lenses of people whose experiences are far different and often far more dangerous than our own. Without that sense of being able to understand each other, we are doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes that continue to divide us.
Thank you to MIRA Books, HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the incredible opportunity to receive and review an advanced copy of a book that I will have on my mind for quite a while.
But at the point in Bat Eater when this specific interaction occurs, being called a ¡°sheep¡± was almost a relief in comparison to the vile rhetoric that had been spewed at Cora and the violence that had been aimed at her since the beginning of 2020 as a young Chinese-American woman living in a version of New York City that is firmly planted in the early stages of the virus.
Bat Eater focuses on the story of Cora Zeng, a 24 year old woman born from a Chinese father and a white mother, both who abandon her at a young age to the care of various aunts and occasionally to the mother of her older sister, Delilah. Cora¡¯s father snuck back to China after fathering two daughters in the States with two different women, leaving them to fend for themselves with monthly stipends that he sends each month from the warmth of his new home with his new family. Cora¡¯s mother took off to join a cult disguised as a self-sufficient farming commune after declaring that being a mother to Cora was too difficult and too time-consuming.
After witnessing the death of her older sister at the dawn of the pandemic in a brutal hate crime in which she is shoved in front of a moving subway train after being needled by a strange man as a ¡°bat eater¡±, Cora falls into the steady rhythm of a life in which she attempts to push away the memories of her connection and of her near blind devotion to her older sister. Her new apartment is small, empty of furniture and belongings and only serves to function as a place to sleep and to take scalding hot showers. While her new job working with a small crew doing crime scene clean-up in Chinatown both tantalizes and horrifies her germaphobic OCD nature.
With Delilah having previously been the north star that unwillingly guided her younger sister, Cora is now attempting to go through this new life purposely without having much of a life to show for it. She is propped up financially by both her Auntie Lois in exchange for visits to her aunt¡¯s Christian-based church, as well as her Auntie Zeng who endlessly dabbles in what Cora writes off as ancient Chinese mysticism and only makes the effort to listen as her aunt is the only one willing to call her upon older brother, Cora¡¯s father, to remind him to transfer money to support the daughter that he willingly abandoned. Having always been at the whims of everyone that was charged to raise her and either failed or hounded by them, Cora is left with no sense of who she really is or even who she wants to be.
She begins to notice little inconsistencies starting to occur, such as small food items missing from her apartment, fraying on the couch where there previously was none, even bite marks on the corner of her kitchen table that she knows are fresh. Having previously kept her two co-workers - the sarcastic, practical kleptomaniac Yifei and the gore-obsessed goofball Harvey - at arms-length, she hesitantly makes them aware of the sheer amount of recent, almost supernatural occurrences that are making her feel as if she is losing her mind. Half-expecting them to laugh off everything that she says, Cora is shocked when both Yifei and Harvey spring into action and rally around her without thinking twice.
In this midst of this thrown-together trio of friends working together to ¡°fix¡± Cora, a disturbing trend begins to occur at their crime scene cleanups as all of the victims turn out to be young women of Asian descent that are all presented with some sort of bat motif - whether it be a live bat found shoved inside of a bathtub drain or a blood mural painted on the wall in the shape of a large bat. Paired with the earlier death of Cora¡¯s sister, these bat-based coincidences become far too much to ignore and Cora and her co-workers descend into a mystery that is mired in spiritual folklore, racism and serial killers.
My only gripe with Kylie Lee Baker¡¯s wonderful novel is that I would have loved to spend even more time with Cora, Yifei and Harvey as a trio. Their burgeoning friendship is one of the most enjoyable elements of this story as it brings to mind those sorts of circumstantial friendships that are only possible when you are thrown together into the muck of working with one another at a young age; a unique type of friendship that is often allowed to go deeper as it isn¡¯t held back by the constraints of these new acquaintances knowing every sordid detail of your past. As the three friends begin to trust each other, their own horrifying, trauma-filled backgrounds open up wide and they all begin to understand that they might be more connected than they previously thought.
With Bat Eater, Kylie Lee Baker has accomplished a rare thing in modern writing as she has found a way to combine a deeply creepy mystical horror tale with a taught suspense thriller and lay those distinct pieces over the top of very real and very poignant commentary about the state of racism, prejudice and hate that continues to be rampant in the United States. It¡¯s vitally important that we all learn to approach situations like a worldwide pandemic with open minds and are able to view them through the lenses of people whose experiences are far different and often far more dangerous than our own. Without that sense of being able to understand each other, we are doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes that continue to divide us.
Thank you to MIRA Books, HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for the incredible opportunity to receive and review an advanced copy of a book that I will have on my mind for quite a while.
March 13, 2025
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!
after devouring her scarlet alchemist duology, kylie lee baker is a new autobuy author for me! when i saw she was writing a horror novel, specifically about covid/the pandemic, i was a little dismayed because i am not ready to relive covid. alas, with any major world event, we will inevitably begin to see books being published of it whether we like it or not, and they are important additions to any library.
i am blown away by baker¡¯s ability to write such a gorey mind-fuck of a psychological thriller so rooted in not just the anxiety of everyday life, but living through/after a pandemic.
her descriptions of gore were disgusting and bone-chilling, and the moments of unstable reality were fantastic ¡ª all of which get her full marks from me as a newbie horror reader
as for the narrator, i always enjoy an audiobook narrated by natalie naudus!!
as for the evernight edition ¡ª beautifully horrifying as always.
after devouring her scarlet alchemist duology, kylie lee baker is a new autobuy author for me! when i saw she was writing a horror novel, specifically about covid/the pandemic, i was a little dismayed because i am not ready to relive covid. alas, with any major world event, we will inevitably begin to see books being published of it whether we like it or not, and they are important additions to any library.
i am blown away by baker¡¯s ability to write such a gorey mind-fuck of a psychological thriller so rooted in not just the anxiety of everyday life, but living through/after a pandemic.
her descriptions of gore were disgusting and bone-chilling, and the moments of unstable reality were fantastic ¡ª all of which get her full marks from me as a newbie horror reader
as for the narrator, i always enjoy an audiobook narrated by natalie naudus!!
as for the evernight edition ¡ª beautifully horrifying as always.
January 7, 2025
Calling all Horror Lovers!! OMG!! ? ? This book is fantastic! Thank you @htp_hive @htpbooks @_mira_books_ for my gorgeous gifted copy!!
Pub date is 4/29/25!! ? SO I was a lucky girl and got a really early copy¡ Okay.. you ready for the scoop??! Listen to this¡
It¡¯s April 2020¡ I bet you know exactly where you were. I definitely do. I was working as a ER nurse. Our girl Cora was living her own nightmare. She is terrified of germs? and she is a crime scene cleaner ?? ¡ in NYC¡ during COVID¡ ??? Right?! Just when she thinks things can¡¯t get worse.. IT DOES¡ Her sister is pushed in front of a train¡. WHAT?? ??
Guys this was an absolute page turner!! I guarantee you will love it. It was dark, creepy and it kept me guessing the entire time. It literally gave me anxiety¡ the good kind?¡the kind you thriller/ horror lovers thrive on.
? Creepy AF
? Ghosts
? NYC
? Murder- Serial Murderer??
?Bats ?????
This was SO original.. so thought provoking.. and then the author¡¯s note¡ Just read it. Everyone needs to read her note.
I can¡¯t recommend this enough!! This was my first by @kylieleebaker and it was fantastic!
Pub date is 4/29/25!! ? SO I was a lucky girl and got a really early copy¡ Okay.. you ready for the scoop??! Listen to this¡
It¡¯s April 2020¡ I bet you know exactly where you were. I definitely do. I was working as a ER nurse. Our girl Cora was living her own nightmare. She is terrified of germs? and she is a crime scene cleaner ?? ¡ in NYC¡ during COVID¡ ??? Right?! Just when she thinks things can¡¯t get worse.. IT DOES¡ Her sister is pushed in front of a train¡. WHAT?? ??
Guys this was an absolute page turner!! I guarantee you will love it. It was dark, creepy and it kept me guessing the entire time. It literally gave me anxiety¡ the good kind?¡the kind you thriller/ horror lovers thrive on.
? Creepy AF
? Ghosts
? NYC
? Murder- Serial Murderer??
?Bats ?????
This was SO original.. so thought provoking.. and then the author¡¯s note¡ Just read it. Everyone needs to read her note.
I can¡¯t recommend this enough!! This was my first by @kylieleebaker and it was fantastic!
February 20, 2025
"Even now, you want to walk away from us because it's gross, because blood and guts make you uncomfortable. But it doesn't matter if we're uncomfortable- we don't get to look away. We're dying and no one can hear us"
Have you ever read a book & by the end felt like you've been punched in the face??? Yeah, that was me by the time I finished this. This was fantastic! It blends horror with social commentary & eastern folklore that really hits where it's intended.
Bat Eater is gory, bleak but also beautiful? I'm so glad I have the ?S T U N N I N G? Evernight Edition to add to my collection. This story will stick with me for a very long time.
Trigger warnings: Racism, murder, hate crimes, death, gore, animal abuse/death.
Update; it's been 2 weeks & I still think about this almost daily?. I wish I could give it 10 Stars ?
Have you ever read a book & by the end felt like you've been punched in the face??? Yeah, that was me by the time I finished this. This was fantastic! It blends horror with social commentary & eastern folklore that really hits where it's intended.
Bat Eater is gory, bleak but also beautiful? I'm so glad I have the ?S T U N N I N G? Evernight Edition to add to my collection. This story will stick with me for a very long time.
Trigger warnings: Racism, murder, hate crimes, death, gore, animal abuse/death.
Update; it's been 2 weeks & I still think about this almost daily?. I wish I could give it 10 Stars ?
April 14, 2025
This story went places I didn¡¯t expect, and I am so glad I was along for the ride! Bloody and tense, filled with grief and self-loathing and despair, this story shines reaches into the darkness at the heart of systemic violence and discrimination and grabs tight with bony claws.
It is set in New York City in 2022, right at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, and at the start part of me wished it wasn¡¯t placing itself so directly in actual history, because the discrimination and violence that the pandemic brought to light existed before and after it, and my initial impulse wanted this story to find its voice outside of a very specific historical event. By the end of the novel, though, I realize how wrong I was, and while the story could have existed outside of that historical moment it actually brings the novel closer to the audience, closer to our real life, and in many ways an indictment of a status quo many quietly tolerated if not actively profited from. Additionally, it went a long way to help the world-building, because the emptiness of NYC during the early months of the pandemic is an eerie and palpable reality, and then add in what it was like in New York¡¯s Chinatown at that period and there is a visceral, emotive quality to the world that feels genuine and real and intensifies everything else in the story.
The main character and the few ancillary characters are all really lovingly, wonderfully realized. Not in any way perfect, our broken, traumatized protagonists form an incredible found family, and those emotional connections keep the heart of the story beating. The other ancillary characters, namely the aunties but also the random strangers and antagonists don¡¯t have as much depth, necessarily, but they actually still feel real, like genuine people you know. I really appreciated the emotional journey our main character took, from a past filled with violence and trauma that never gets revealed in full, only in critical details here and there, to a type of blossoming into herself and the realities she is choosing to face and not hide from or try and wash away.
The story itself feels like it is at the crossroads of a number of different genres, with mystery/whodunit vibes type of violent slasher/thriller vibes mixed with paranormal folk horror, all of which live within an introspective social commentary. It flows between these seamlessly, with really strong writing that is descriptive, emotional, and nail-bitingly tense. There is a yawning despair to the writing, a feeling of lack, of never having enough, not in a bad way but in a way that is pulling you along, desperate morsel after desperate morsel. This works really well with the pacing, and once the story gets its claws into you it is hard to put down. The unsettling combination of violence and apathy fuels a type of rage in our characters and the writing and pacing just help stoke a similar blaze in the reader.
My nitpicking critiques would be that the worldbuilding and atmosphere does rely somewhat heavily on the reader¡¯s personal memory and experience of living through the COVID 19 pandemic, and I wonder if reader totally unfamiliar with what NYC was like in the summer of 2020 would feel the world of the novel sufficiently well-developed. While I enjoyed the directions the story took, with some action being very abrupt and some a slower type of simmer, the resolution did feel a little bit easy or expected. It is hard to say unearned, given what the characters had to experience and understand to get to that climax and resolution, and yet it did feel thin. The story has multiple simultaneous stories to navigate, the paranormal aspect and the serial killer aspect, and it felt like things fell into place easier than they should have. Nothing was handed to our characters, they did have to work for every revelation, but I wanted a little more. I think this is also because I just wanted more time with our central trio, a found family of outcasts that I enjoyed more and more every time they were together on the page. The way they transformed form coworkers to something else, what they shared that brought them together and what their developing relationships looked and felt like, those are all things I would have liked to spend more time with, and it feels like if we had been given that time it might have resolved my other critiques as well. That is all to say I wouldn¡¯t have minded an additional 50 pages to this novel, because it read really quickly and I wanted to stay in the world with these characters, through frightening times and times of joy, too.
A gory, emotional, character-driven story that doesn¡¯t pull its punches when looking at systemic problems but never feels preachy. This is a story where trauma and violence fuel an understandable anger, yes, but also a deep empathy, and a recognition that humanity is more than any individual, for better or worse. It navigates heavy and important topics through a combination of biting honesty and supernatural revenge, and I am glad that I had the chance to read it.
(Rounded up from 3.5)
I want to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
It is set in New York City in 2022, right at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, and at the start part of me wished it wasn¡¯t placing itself so directly in actual history, because the discrimination and violence that the pandemic brought to light existed before and after it, and my initial impulse wanted this story to find its voice outside of a very specific historical event. By the end of the novel, though, I realize how wrong I was, and while the story could have existed outside of that historical moment it actually brings the novel closer to the audience, closer to our real life, and in many ways an indictment of a status quo many quietly tolerated if not actively profited from. Additionally, it went a long way to help the world-building, because the emptiness of NYC during the early months of the pandemic is an eerie and palpable reality, and then add in what it was like in New York¡¯s Chinatown at that period and there is a visceral, emotive quality to the world that feels genuine and real and intensifies everything else in the story.
The main character and the few ancillary characters are all really lovingly, wonderfully realized. Not in any way perfect, our broken, traumatized protagonists form an incredible found family, and those emotional connections keep the heart of the story beating. The other ancillary characters, namely the aunties but also the random strangers and antagonists don¡¯t have as much depth, necessarily, but they actually still feel real, like genuine people you know. I really appreciated the emotional journey our main character took, from a past filled with violence and trauma that never gets revealed in full, only in critical details here and there, to a type of blossoming into herself and the realities she is choosing to face and not hide from or try and wash away.
The story itself feels like it is at the crossroads of a number of different genres, with mystery/whodunit vibes type of violent slasher/thriller vibes mixed with paranormal folk horror, all of which live within an introspective social commentary. It flows between these seamlessly, with really strong writing that is descriptive, emotional, and nail-bitingly tense. There is a yawning despair to the writing, a feeling of lack, of never having enough, not in a bad way but in a way that is pulling you along, desperate morsel after desperate morsel. This works really well with the pacing, and once the story gets its claws into you it is hard to put down. The unsettling combination of violence and apathy fuels a type of rage in our characters and the writing and pacing just help stoke a similar blaze in the reader.
My nitpicking critiques would be that the worldbuilding and atmosphere does rely somewhat heavily on the reader¡¯s personal memory and experience of living through the COVID 19 pandemic, and I wonder if reader totally unfamiliar with what NYC was like in the summer of 2020 would feel the world of the novel sufficiently well-developed. While I enjoyed the directions the story took, with some action being very abrupt and some a slower type of simmer, the resolution did feel a little bit easy or expected. It is hard to say unearned, given what the characters had to experience and understand to get to that climax and resolution, and yet it did feel thin. The story has multiple simultaneous stories to navigate, the paranormal aspect and the serial killer aspect, and it felt like things fell into place easier than they should have. Nothing was handed to our characters, they did have to work for every revelation, but I wanted a little more. I think this is also because I just wanted more time with our central trio, a found family of outcasts that I enjoyed more and more every time they were together on the page. The way they transformed form coworkers to something else, what they shared that brought them together and what their developing relationships looked and felt like, those are all things I would have liked to spend more time with, and it feels like if we had been given that time it might have resolved my other critiques as well. That is all to say I wouldn¡¯t have minded an additional 50 pages to this novel, because it read really quickly and I wanted to stay in the world with these characters, through frightening times and times of joy, too.
A gory, emotional, character-driven story that doesn¡¯t pull its punches when looking at systemic problems but never feels preachy. This is a story where trauma and violence fuel an understandable anger, yes, but also a deep empathy, and a recognition that humanity is more than any individual, for better or worse. It navigates heavy and important topics through a combination of biting honesty and supernatural revenge, and I am glad that I had the chance to read it.
(Rounded up from 3.5)
I want to thank NetGalley, the author, and the publisher Harlequin Trade Publishing, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Want to read
February 1, 2025ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
i really think this is going to be a five star for me
i really think this is going to be a five star for me
October 14, 2024
"The dead do not forget."
This has the most jaw-dropping, harrowing first chapter I've ever read. It horrified me to the point I had to take a minute before venturing into the second chapter. And, while the book did slow down, it had terrifying moments, amazing characters, and incredible writing. So, yes, five stars.
Bat Eater follows Cora Zeng, a Chinese American crime scene cleaner during the pandemic. As she cleans crime scenes, Cora and her colleagues quickly realize that 1) the 'China virus' has turned the US into a very hostile place and 2) a serial killer is targeting Chinatown and leaving mangled bats behind as their signature. The bats remind Cora of the day her sister was murdered and the killer called her a 'bat eater' - incidentally, the killer hasn't been caught.
This book managed to combine the terrifying aspects of the Hungry Ghost Festival with being Asian in the US during the pandemic. (*Please note that I am saying 'Asian' instead of East Asian/Chinese because of spoilery reasons). This book was scary because of its horrific paranormal aspect, but also because of the brutal real-life aspect of it all: racism and bigotry that is ignored by society and the authorities.
This is my first time reading Kylie Lee Baker and I do have to say they know how to balance very graphic, violent imagery in a way that doesn't distract the reader from the story. It's hard the pull off, and this was 10/10. I also really liked the characters and their backstories: Harvey, Yifei, and Auntie Zeng, they were adorable. The last things I want to mention are that 1) there is a little twist at the end that made me gasp, so well done there; and 2) I liked this perspective on how tricky sisterhood can be.
Content warning for social commentary focusing on pandemic times and being Asian in the US. Racism, serial killer stuff, and scary hungry ghosts.
*ARC received for free, this hasn't impacted my rating.
This has the most jaw-dropping, harrowing first chapter I've ever read. It horrified me to the point I had to take a minute before venturing into the second chapter. And, while the book did slow down, it had terrifying moments, amazing characters, and incredible writing. So, yes, five stars.
Bat Eater follows Cora Zeng, a Chinese American crime scene cleaner during the pandemic. As she cleans crime scenes, Cora and her colleagues quickly realize that 1) the 'China virus' has turned the US into a very hostile place and 2) a serial killer is targeting Chinatown and leaving mangled bats behind as their signature. The bats remind Cora of the day her sister was murdered and the killer called her a 'bat eater' - incidentally, the killer hasn't been caught.
This book managed to combine the terrifying aspects of the Hungry Ghost Festival with being Asian in the US during the pandemic. (*Please note that I am saying 'Asian' instead of East Asian/Chinese because of spoilery reasons). This book was scary because of its horrific paranormal aspect, but also because of the brutal real-life aspect of it all: racism and bigotry that is ignored by society and the authorities.
This is my first time reading Kylie Lee Baker and I do have to say they know how to balance very graphic, violent imagery in a way that doesn't distract the reader from the story. It's hard the pull off, and this was 10/10. I also really liked the characters and their backstories: Harvey, Yifei, and Auntie Zeng, they were adorable. The last things I want to mention are that 1) there is a little twist at the end that made me gasp, so well done there; and 2) I liked this perspective on how tricky sisterhood can be.
Content warning for social commentary focusing on pandemic times and being Asian in the US. Racism, serial killer stuff, and scary hungry ghosts.
*ARC received for free, this hasn't impacted my rating.
April 10, 2025
3.75
A Bloody soaked- emotional roller coaster
that will stick with you for a while.
Such powerful, poetic writing from Kylie Lee Baker. A haunting read full of supernatural horror elements, and real life horrors the Asian community faced during the pandemic. This was one of my anticipated reads for the year and it did not disappoint.
Thank you to Harlequin publishing for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review!
A Bloody soaked- emotional roller coaster
that will stick with you for a while.
Such powerful, poetic writing from Kylie Lee Baker. A haunting read full of supernatural horror elements, and real life horrors the Asian community faced during the pandemic. This was one of my anticipated reads for the year and it did not disappoint.
Thank you to Harlequin publishing for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review!
April 1, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
Now, this is a horror novel that is going to stick with me. Cora Zeng is an Asian-American living in New York City, working as a cleaner during the events of COVID. At that time, anti-Asian sentiment was in full swing. Cora also witnesses the devastating death of her sister, Delilah. Even in death, her sister cannot leave Cora alone. Something is keeping her sister lingering in this world. For better or worse, Cora must discover what it is, even if it puts her life in danger.
Although it took me a few chapters to settle down and focus, once I did, I couldn't tear myself away from the narrative. Kylie Lee Baker has written a compelling protagonist while reminding readers of a time when the world was locked in a state of panic and an uncertain future. I encourage readers who might be uncertain if they want to dive into this book to read the author's note and acknowledgements at the back of the book. I believe her words alone will be profound enough to give Cora a chance.
Worth the hype!
#BatEaterandOtherNamesforCoraZeng #NetGalley.
Expected Publication Date 29/04/25
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Review Date. 31/03/25
Now, this is a horror novel that is going to stick with me. Cora Zeng is an Asian-American living in New York City, working as a cleaner during the events of COVID. At that time, anti-Asian sentiment was in full swing. Cora also witnesses the devastating death of her sister, Delilah. Even in death, her sister cannot leave Cora alone. Something is keeping her sister lingering in this world. For better or worse, Cora must discover what it is, even if it puts her life in danger.
Although it took me a few chapters to settle down and focus, once I did, I couldn't tear myself away from the narrative. Kylie Lee Baker has written a compelling protagonist while reminding readers of a time when the world was locked in a state of panic and an uncertain future. I encourage readers who might be uncertain if they want to dive into this book to read the author's note and acknowledgements at the back of the book. I believe her words alone will be profound enough to give Cora a chance.
Worth the hype!
#BatEaterandOtherNamesforCoraZeng #NetGalley.
Expected Publication Date 29/04/25
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Review Date. 31/03/25
January 27, 2025
4.5 Stars
A very high 4.5 stars as well. This is the sort of book that in the moment, I've absolutely loved. But could go one of two ways after a period of time. Either I'll think about this regularly months later, or I'll never think about it again. And on that basis, I want to give myself wiggle room to upgrade this to a 5 star read if necessary.
This was gory, gruesome and incredibly atmospheric. This has been my first "Covid-19" type book and I actually loved what Kylie did with this. Combining the pandemic with racism, and Chinese mythology of hungry ghost was so very well done. I found this story truly fascinating. As well as Kylie's authors note at the end.
My first book from Kylie, I will definitely pick more up from her.
A very high 4.5 stars as well. This is the sort of book that in the moment, I've absolutely loved. But could go one of two ways after a period of time. Either I'll think about this regularly months later, or I'll never think about it again. And on that basis, I want to give myself wiggle room to upgrade this to a 5 star read if necessary.
This was gory, gruesome and incredibly atmospheric. This has been my first "Covid-19" type book and I actually loved what Kylie did with this. Combining the pandemic with racism, and Chinese mythology of hungry ghost was so very well done. I found this story truly fascinating. As well as Kylie's authors note at the end.
My first book from Kylie, I will definitely pick more up from her.
March 14, 2025
Wowwww, this book was so much more than I ever expected!
The first scene begins by lulling you into a false sense of complacency and then out of no where ????? I could not believe what I was hearing my jaw was on the literal floor.
Safe to say things escalated from there. The main character definitely has some ocd / neurotypical behaviours and I¡¯m not sure if she developed them after her traumatic experience (which would make absolute sense) or if she always had these quirks but they definitely highlighted the tone of the book and made the daily normal seem extremely uncomfortable and unusual.
I don¡¯t know how to say more without giving away any spoilers I feel like this book is definitely best to go into blind!
Im not sure if I¡¯ve listened to any other audiobooks narrated by Natalie Naudus before but after this one I¡¯m a huge fan, she did an excellent job and kept me zoned in and focused the whole time.
This is definitely a book that sticks with you for a long time after. The way people can behave in a time of crisis makes me feel so disappointed in the failure of humanity, some of the scenes were so shockingly awful and disappointing it definitely invokes anger and sadness thinking about those who were victims to this type of abuse. I¡¯m also glad the author took time to share these experiences because it wasn¡¯t something I was aware of until reading this book.
Thank you to Harlequin audio and Kylie Lee Baker for the alc!
Publish date; April 29th 2025
The first scene begins by lulling you into a false sense of complacency and then out of no where ????? I could not believe what I was hearing my jaw was on the literal floor.
Safe to say things escalated from there. The main character definitely has some ocd / neurotypical behaviours and I¡¯m not sure if she developed them after her traumatic experience (which would make absolute sense) or if she always had these quirks but they definitely highlighted the tone of the book and made the daily normal seem extremely uncomfortable and unusual.
I don¡¯t know how to say more without giving away any spoilers I feel like this book is definitely best to go into blind!
Im not sure if I¡¯ve listened to any other audiobooks narrated by Natalie Naudus before but after this one I¡¯m a huge fan, she did an excellent job and kept me zoned in and focused the whole time.
This is definitely a book that sticks with you for a long time after. The way people can behave in a time of crisis makes me feel so disappointed in the failure of humanity, some of the scenes were so shockingly awful and disappointing it definitely invokes anger and sadness thinking about those who were victims to this type of abuse. I¡¯m also glad the author took time to share these experiences because it wasn¡¯t something I was aware of until reading this book.
Thank you to Harlequin audio and Kylie Lee Baker for the alc!
Publish date; April 29th 2025
January 19, 2025
I feel like the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ blurb for this one tells you a LOT about the story, maybe even too much? But at the same time, you sort of need to know what you¡¯re getting into.
This was one of the bleakest books I¡¯ve ever read. But it should be, because it¡¯s a portrait of horrifying racism, specifically during the height of COVID. If you¡¯re one of those people who roll their eyes and say, ¡°Not a pandemic book!¡± then this novel is not for you.
I was immediately sucked into the story, which wasted no time at all revealing the darkness and cruelty that I was in for. It was a blend of true crime and supernatural. The main character, Cora Zheng, works as a crime scene cleaner with two friends as she simultaneously tries to process the fact that she¡¯s seeing spirits.
Cora constantly thinks about the moment when her sister was violently murdered in front of her, and every time she revisits this memory it is still fresh, visceral, horrific. Just like the crime scenes she¡¯s scrubbing away. There¡¯s actually a lot more going on beyond this as well, if you can believe it! The crime scenes begin to seem as if they might be connected, and they appear to be racially motivated¡
Cora is Chinese, and she experiences constant aggressive acts of Racism on the street. She¡¯s also very conscious of germs and afraid of getting sick, so the pandemic is extra scary for her from that standpoint. Every time she leaves her house, it¡¯s stressful to read about. On top of all of this, there¡¯s also the ghosts that are following her around. The way that Baker described the unique spirits in the book was very creepy and frightening. There was one specific scene that absolutely shocked me in a good, scary way.
I really enjoyed reading this, even though it was a heavy and upsetting experience. The writing was very good, and the characters were well developed. Harvey got on my nerves with his constant insensitivity, but I loved Yifei. And learning about the lore behind ¡°hungry ghosts¡± was really interesting. I didn¡¯t know exactly where the plot was going to go, and I did not predict where it ended up.
One thing is bothering me, slightly: Is it really that easy to sneak into the subway tunnels when they¡¯re closed? (Honest question. They don¡¯t have metal doors or big gates or anything?)
I highly recommend this to anyone who likes horror and true crime, as it¡¯s a capable mix of both. Just be aware of the depressing journey you¡¯re about to take.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Hate speech/slurs, Racism, Graphic violence, Animal harm/death
This was one of the bleakest books I¡¯ve ever read. But it should be, because it¡¯s a portrait of horrifying racism, specifically during the height of COVID. If you¡¯re one of those people who roll their eyes and say, ¡°Not a pandemic book!¡± then this novel is not for you.
I was immediately sucked into the story, which wasted no time at all revealing the darkness and cruelty that I was in for. It was a blend of true crime and supernatural. The main character, Cora Zheng, works as a crime scene cleaner with two friends as she simultaneously tries to process the fact that she¡¯s seeing spirits.
Cora constantly thinks about the moment when her sister was violently murdered in front of her, and every time she revisits this memory it is still fresh, visceral, horrific. Just like the crime scenes she¡¯s scrubbing away. There¡¯s actually a lot more going on beyond this as well, if you can believe it! The crime scenes begin to seem as if they might be connected, and they appear to be racially motivated¡
Cora is Chinese, and she experiences constant aggressive acts of Racism on the street. She¡¯s also very conscious of germs and afraid of getting sick, so the pandemic is extra scary for her from that standpoint. Every time she leaves her house, it¡¯s stressful to read about. On top of all of this, there¡¯s also the ghosts that are following her around. The way that Baker described the unique spirits in the book was very creepy and frightening. There was one specific scene that absolutely shocked me in a good, scary way.
I really enjoyed reading this, even though it was a heavy and upsetting experience. The writing was very good, and the characters were well developed. Harvey got on my nerves with his constant insensitivity, but I loved Yifei. And learning about the lore behind ¡°hungry ghosts¡± was really interesting. I didn¡¯t know exactly where the plot was going to go, and I did not predict where it ended up.
One thing is bothering me, slightly: Is it really that easy to sneak into the subway tunnels when they¡¯re closed? (Honest question. They don¡¯t have metal doors or big gates or anything?)
I highly recommend this to anyone who likes horror and true crime, as it¡¯s a capable mix of both. Just be aware of the depressing journey you¡¯re about to take.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Hate speech/slurs, Racism, Graphic violence, Animal harm/death
March 10, 2025
I am absolutely blown away by this book! I finished?it in one day because I was enraptured. It's a perfect balance of social commentary and horror. It takes place in NYC during the Covid pandemic and explores the racial climate toward the Asian community at that time. It was infuriating, but sadly a real reflection. Cora is a crime scene cleaner and can't help but notice the uptick in murders against females in the East Asian community. Reeling from the brutal loss of her sister, a murderer in town killing women whose profile she fits, and on top of all that, she is being haunted by a literal hungry ghost. An incredible mix of psychological, paranormal, folklore and real-world horror! There are so many layers to this one. I devoured this book and wouldn't even consider rating it less than 5 stars.
Thank you so much to NetGalley, MIRA Books and HarperCollins for the audiobook ARC. The narrator did a wonderful job as well! Book releases April 29, 2025.?
Thank you so much to NetGalley, MIRA Books and HarperCollins for the audiobook ARC. The narrator did a wonderful job as well! Book releases April 29, 2025.?
April 26, 2025
4.5 stars.
According to a , since the pandemic started, one-third of Asian American adults personally know another Asian in the US who was harassed or assaulted because of their race. According to the FBI, anti-Asian hate crime incidents increased from 279 incidents in 2020 to 746 incidents in 2021.
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng had a really slow start, but I knew that my close bookish friends loved it, particularly for its depiction of racism, so I was determined to pull through and see what the hype was about.
I'm glad I did because this was such a great insight into the Asian American experience during the pandemic, particularly with East Asians and Southeast Asians. Even though this was a fiction novel, Cora's experiences with racism felt so real, especially if you were caught up on news stories about anti-Asian hate crimes in the US. Or if you've personally experienced an anti-Asian hate crime, or know someone who did.
There are specific scenes and situations in the book that dealt head on with anti-Asian racism, and reading them gave me such a visceral reaction that I preferred reading the highly detailed descriptions of the various ghosts that haunt Cora and their ghastly violence instead. Those scenes ended up being my favorite parts anyway. Asian ghosts will always remind me of my upbringing in Southeast Asia, so this book became a little horror-filled trip down memory lane.
This would've been a perfect five star read for me if the first third wasn't so slow. I was actually starting to get bored because nothing was happening. I think the setup could've been shorter and the supernatural/horror elements could've been introduced earlier. This story is a bit of a slow burn imo, but the pace does pick up when more supernatural/horror elements get introduced.
Natalie Naudus's narration will always be my favorite. And the way she narrated the ending? Absolute perfection. 100/10 stars.
Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this arc.
According to a , since the pandemic started, one-third of Asian American adults personally know another Asian in the US who was harassed or assaulted because of their race. According to the FBI, anti-Asian hate crime incidents increased from 279 incidents in 2020 to 746 incidents in 2021.
Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng had a really slow start, but I knew that my close bookish friends loved it, particularly for its depiction of racism, so I was determined to pull through and see what the hype was about.
I'm glad I did because this was such a great insight into the Asian American experience during the pandemic, particularly with East Asians and Southeast Asians. Even though this was a fiction novel, Cora's experiences with racism felt so real, especially if you were caught up on news stories about anti-Asian hate crimes in the US. Or if you've personally experienced an anti-Asian hate crime, or know someone who did.
There are specific scenes and situations in the book that dealt head on with anti-Asian racism, and reading them gave me such a visceral reaction that I preferred reading the highly detailed descriptions of the various ghosts that haunt Cora and their ghastly violence instead. Those scenes ended up being my favorite parts anyway. Asian ghosts will always remind me of my upbringing in Southeast Asia, so this book became a little horror-filled trip down memory lane.
This would've been a perfect five star read for me if the first third wasn't so slow. I was actually starting to get bored because nothing was happening. I think the setup could've been shorter and the supernatural/horror elements could've been introduced earlier. This story is a bit of a slow burn imo, but the pace does pick up when more supernatural/horror elements get introduced.
Natalie Naudus's narration will always be my favorite. And the way she narrated the ending? Absolute perfection. 100/10 stars.
Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for this arc.
March 14, 2025
A gorgeous, thought-provoking novel about the East Asian experience during the height of the pandemic. Kylie expertly wove in paranormal elements rooted in Chinese culture while staying true to the horrific hate crimes against Chinese Americans during COVID.
This is my first pandemic novel and it was done beautifully. I devoured each page, and also alternated with the audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job keeping me engrossed. Everyone has to read this!!
The authors note at the end ?
Thank you Harlequin for the ARC and ALC!
This is my first pandemic novel and it was done beautifully. I devoured each page, and also alternated with the audiobook. The narrator did a fantastic job keeping me engrossed. Everyone has to read this!!
The authors note at the end ?
Thank you Harlequin for the ARC and ALC!
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