Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman didn't disappoint. I loved everything about it. Thank to you NetGalley for the ARC!

Ghost eaters was absolutely a book I picked up for the rad cover, and I didn’t read anything about it going in. This is a thing I often do and almost always it’s for the best. This was the exception. I was vibing so hard with this book for the first third, but when the central premise of this story was revealed I knew this wasn’t going to be for me. I think this book does a great job of linking grief and addiction in a horrific way, and the central idea (which I guess is included in the synopsis so it’s not a spoiler, but I’m going to refrain from talking about it here) was very creative and not something I’ve seen anywhere before. I just didn’t vibe with it at all. I didn’t like most of the characters and to me the story gets more and more muddled as it goes on. By the end I kind of glossed over. I really, really wish I liked this more but I was kind of checked out about halfway through.

Unfortunately what had some interesting plot points (the main one being a drug that can make you see ghosts) just felt sloppy. I love the way the book talked about addiction, and how hard it can be to pull away from that lifestyle. There were just too many elements that were cringe, <spoiler>one of the biggest being this weird internal desire of Erin wanting nothing more than to have a baby with Silas.</spoiler> The book also took way too long to get to the point, aka when they take the drugs together. Also - this may just be a me thing but I hate the word loam in all its forms now.

Erin & Silas are in a close-knit group of college friends. But the bond between Erin & Silas is more complex – they used to be a couple & Erin is still unable to break herself out of Silas’ charismatic, but borderline unhinged, influence. When he dies from an overdose (after Erin repeatedly bailing him out from rehab), her world crumbles down.

Then, she hears about a drug that allows the users to see the dead. She grasps at this straw – but the consequences are more than dire.

I loved the cover and really wanted to love the book – but, sadly, I couldn’t.

Firstly, I couldn’t relate to the characters: they were all just so IRRITATING. There was nothing likable about any of them, they were all petty, awful & just not fun to be around! And that’s coming from a huge Dark Academia fan, where all the characters are usually at least deeply flawed, if not worse. But my fav Dark Academia works have a way of presenting them through the exaggerated lens of a melancholy enchantment, “picturesque at all cost,” which makes these books enjoyable on many levels. The characters in Ghost Eaters are downright unpleasant in the most mundane ways possible. Their company made me actually miserable, & I didn’t want to be in their world.

Secondly, what I seek in horror reads is a mood ☠ & a good supernatural story (as books don’t scare me). Regrettably, the story in this one was a trope that has been prevalent in horror in the last 2 years, & it got tired really quickly. This wasn’t even a fresh take on this trope; another title has done this before & better.

All in all – a very frustrating read for me, not least because I feel there’s potential in Chapman’s writing: there’s an unexpectedly epic quality to the ending of the book (the only reason I gave it 2 stars and not 1) & some striking passages, like this one:

“A name is a vessel. It holds certain syllables, certain cadences. If you say them in a certain order, in a certain rhythm, you’re able to invoke the very breath of God."

2.5 overall!

I really wanted to love this book but sadly it just wasn’t for me. The cover alone had me wanting to read it and the summary made me even more intrigued. That’s kinda where it ended for me. The story was definitely slow to start and didn’t really pick up until maybe almost halfway through. I was honestly bored the entire time and just kept waiting for something drastic to happen that really never came. The main character was definitely annoying and kept doing everything she said she wasn’t going to do, which got old. There were definitely gory moments and the last seance at the end will definitely stay with me for a while.

Overall, this book sadly just didn’t do it for me. It’s definitely out there and makes you feel like you’re on a crazy trip with the character.

Unfortunately I did not love this book. The plot was a bit chaotic and I didn’t love the writing style, but it had a lot of potential. I could still see a lot of people enjoying this book!

While thought provoking - would you take a drug that would let you see the dead - this didn't haunt me the way I expected it would. I didn't care about the main character and that made it hard to like this book.

The Ghost Eaters" by Clay McLeod Chapman is Southern horror at its finest. This chilling tale delves into the dark secrets of the past, where ghosts, guilt, and supernatural mysteries collide. Erin's journey from trying to escape her reckless past with Silas to encountering the paranormal is a suspenseful and haunting ride. As she explores a drug that connects her with the dead, the story becomes a thought-provoking exploration of history and its unsettling consequences. Prepare for bone-chilling scares and a gripping narrative that will make you reconsider opening doors to the unknown.

I loved this book and the way that this author writes horror. I thought that it had an interesting plot line. Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC of this book for an exchange for a review.

This was a strange one, but I think it was pretty profound. The whole idea of a drug that keeps you close to the people that have passed on is a really enticing one. Grief horror is one of my favorite types of horror. This book did a really excellent job of exhibiting what can happen to us when we refuse to let people go, as well as the spiral of addiction in a more literal sense. The writing was solid and the pacing was good, though I think it could have been trimmed up just the tiniest bit in a spot or two. There were some pretty gross moments and the horror itself was really well done. I really enjoyed this and I think they Chapman is well on his way to becoming an auto-buy author.

This book was ok for me. I was hoping for a little more. I did find the premise fresh and exciting, but the three storylines had me questioning parts. Like why would you want to see the ghost of someone who wasn’t very good to you? I would probably still read another book from the author as I do feel their writing has promise and the ideas interesting. I just didn’t completely vibe with the story I was hoping for more horror and less drug addiction.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Ghost Eaters tells the story about a close knit friend group, who lose one of their own, Silas, to a drug overdose. Tobias decides to continue the secret project he and Silas were working on. A drug to see the people who have passed on. Tobias asks Erin and Amara to come test it out, and that's when things get...strange. Erin sees not just Silas, but other people as well, people she doesn't have any connection to. How does Tobias make this drug? Why is it so addictive? Can she get away from it?

I can see exactly what this book was doing and I know that for some people, this will completely hit the mark, but it just didn't work for me, unfortunately. I found the characters absolutely insufferable and I understand that they were supposed to be, but it doesn't make it any easier to read from the perspective of someone that you can't find any common ground with. There was a lot of very creepy imagery in this, which I appreciated and the concept itself is very clever and well executed. I just personally didn't love it, but I would still recommend it to anyone who appreciates addiction narratives as this is a particularly interesting take on the theme.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A scary and memorable novel and the first I have read by Chapman. I will definitely seek out more of his work based on this!

I felt like this book was really slow to start off with and it really bothered me, but as the book went on I did see that the slow start was needed. This book was terrifying with unique twists that you don't expect which turned this into a true page-turner. The kind of page-turner that will keep you up late reading deep into the night. Guaranteed. That’s how addictive this was as you get close to the ending. That’s when things were kicked up to another notch and got beyond freaky with what was happening. I’ve read a ton of horror novels in my life and from the 50% mark on, I was making all sorts of faces and expressions because it’s that scary. This was a very unique horror novel with the kind of original story that most horror readers will appreciate and freak out on. It gave me a bunch of scary moments as this was a solid, memorable read. I’d recommend this to anyone that wants a unique read about being haunted that is taken to a whole different level. You won’t regret reading this novel

This was such a unique concept which excited me originally but I feel like it could have been executed. Definitely suspenseful and dark but I also found myself skimming just to get to the interesting bits

I thought this book was just "ok". I love Chapman but this book just did not do it for my unfortunately. I feel like this book had a really neat concept but everything just fell short. I found myself struggling to get through it which was sad cause I really wanted to like it. I do think others might enjoy this book but it just was not for me.

In this novel, the term “Ghost” refers to a street drug that—rather than give the user hallucinations—allows the user to see the spirits of the dead who long to haunt a dwelling, or a person. Chapman fuses the travesties of historical Richmond with the realities of substance abuse and grief coping skills for a hell of a plotline. It’s not to be missed.

Fun story: I was in the process of recommending this book to an acquaintance at a wedding (“I think you’d like this book I’m reading. There’s a mushroom that lets you see dead people. Do you want to hear about it?”), and he said, “Noooo, I’m tripping on mushrooms right now. I can’t hear about that.” See? A case study in terror.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read prior to publication.

An interesting concept for a story, if you could take a pill to let you see the dead would you do it? But what consequences could it lead to.

A dive into addiction and friendship, a twisty, dark tale that I enjoyed.

This book was a weird one to start and honestly a weird one all the way through. But I was able to pick up on the message clearly and it brought me through the book. The messages or grief and loss are strong and honestly not for the faint of heart in my opinion.