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Format: 336 pages, Paperback
Published: January 8, 2026 by Hachette
Horror /borrowed
Sometimes my brain is not working at its fullest. I started reading this one, but did not get far. Anyway 3 h later it hit me why it was called bat eater! I thought it was like cos it was horror. Not because the book would deal with racism.
Srsly, why were people like that? I did not fear anyone more than anyone else while Covid was at its worst. If anything people should have feared me most! I worked through it all, SO worked through it all, my kid was at daycare through it all. Honestly the only thing I noticed about Covid was those stupid masks that I haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaated. Other than that business as usual.
Covid hit NY. Cora found herself without a job. Her sister was pushed infront of a train. Now she works as a crime scene cleaner.
And someone seems to be killing Asian women....
Oh and there are ghosts. This is the ghost month when ghosts come back and they are hungry so there are rules you must follow, but Cora did not so now they are huuuungry.
This book dealt with covid, racism, and ghosts. Quite the mix. I am glad I do not have to deal with hungry ghosts, they sound scary.
It started off a bit slow, but it got interesting. I waited for the horror aspect. But then it all was horror because people will always be scarier than ghosts
Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner, washing away the remains of brutal murders and suicides in Chinatown. 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.
Before fleeing the scene, the murderer whispered two words: bat eater.
Months pass, the killer is never caught, and Cora can barely keep herself together. She pushes away all feelings, disregards the bite marks that appear on her coffee table, and won't take her aunt's advice to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival, when the gates of hell open.
Cora tries to ignore the rising dread in her stomach, even when she and her weird co-workers begin finding bat carcasses at their crime scene clean-ups. But Cora can't ignore the fact that all their recent clean-ups have been the bodies of East Asian women.
Soon Cora will learn: you can't just ignore hungry ghosts.
People are the scariest. I would have thought this was a "horror" book too based on the title.
ReplyDeleteI did not put it with covid at all, I am a bit slow. But there are ghosts so
DeleteI would have thought horror too.
ReplyDeleteWell it has ghosts and serial killers so there is horror
DeleteI'm not sure how I feel about this one in general, but I do agree that humanity can be the most terrifying thing.
ReplyDeleteHumanity is scary. Sure those table eating ghosts were freaky, but humans win
DeleteI, too, would have thought horror. It does sound interesting, though.
ReplyDeleteI mean it is still horror
DeleteI had to work all through Covid, too since I work in a hospital! Not fun having to wear all that protective gear while having hot flashes! I was going through menopause at the same time which made it unbearable! It was scary times, though because we didn't know what to expect and we had a lot of deaths where I worked. That first wave was scary. I listened to this one and it was kind of crazy! People sucked in it and then the ghosts!
ReplyDeleteOmg, that sounds horrible! I hated my mask with a passion. Ugh, and then there was this have to wear it outside. Omg, I am glad they gave up on that one. Luckily I worked with smth that did not entail death, I was mostly bored
DeleteThis one really had an uptick in sales at my store recently! Kind of out of nowhere. Interesting to hear it doesn't really have the horror elements that you'd think...
ReplyDeleteOmg do not listen to me. There are ghosts that are eating through walls and serial killer so there is horror. Just not the scary stuff
DeleteI completely agree with you that people are scarier than ghosts! Based on the title and cover- this book was not what I expected. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteThose ghosts were freaky, but not as freaky as the humans
DeleteI love that cover. People were awful during covid. Still are TBH lol
ReplyDeleteTrue, people never learn
DeleteOh! I did not expect that based on the title and cover.
ReplyDeleteSeems I have started going in blind
Delete