The early chapters of Ghost Eaters nearly paint our narrator as yet another too-cool-for-the-room type, so Relatable that she could Pac-Man around into being unrelatable. But as things pick up, the characterization evens out, and she becomes a sympathetic ride-along for what is, by its nature, a difficult read. It’s a keenly observant narrative that, with a mix of body horror and just plain horror, plucks at the raw nerves of the grieving process. If you’ve never been there, it’s instructive; if you’re in the midst of your own grief, your mileage may vary.


Grade: B+

(from Sci Fi Magazine Summer 2022 issue)

Really enjoyable read, will probably use for a book club at the library. Interesting themes and characters.

Erin and Silas had a bit of an on-again and off-again relationship on college. Now their group of friends have moved on into adulthood, as unfulfilling as it may be. One night Silas reconnects out of the blue and needing help to escape rehab. Ever drawn to Silas’ magnetism, Erin helps out, only to discover that he’s discovered a new drug that allows its user to see and interact with the dead. When Silas turns up dead, Erin teams up with her friends Tobias and Amara to bring Silas’ ghost home. But once doors are opened, they’re hard to shut.

What I Loved:
- For the most part, there’s a lot of plot present in this story! There were a few lull like moments but they didn’t last too long.
- I enjoyed the “trippyness” of the story, reading and experiencing it from the perspective of a character who begins to go down the slippery slope of addiction.
- This story, for the most part, falls a but under paranormal horror but also the kind that is fairly grotesque. While Nick Cutter will always be the king in regards to writing grotesque horror, Chapman isn’t too close behind.
- There were portions that brought back memories of Mexican Gothic which I fairly well enjoyed (the struggle among house and plant and their relation to possession).

What I Didn’t Love:
- I didn’t realize that I was, in a roundabout way, signing up for a story of a character who ultimately battles with an addiction. While I applaud Chapman in creating what is in many ways this allegory, a story about addiction and the ghosts individuals battle, I think I expected something a little bit different and in some ways left wanting more of something. It turned out to be less complex than what I had hoped.

Overall:
Overall, I really enjoyed this one! I’ve not ready any of Chapman’s work up until this point and found it to be a solid introduction. I think for those that are interested in stories that blend a bit of real life situations and struggles with those that are a little bit “fantastical” in the paranormal department, you’ll find this story quite satisfying!

Reminiscent of early Stephen King. Now THIS is horror. Gruesome, nasty, heartfelt and hilarious. Clay Chapman just keeps getting better and better with every book. How is that possible?!

GHOST-EATERS is Literary Horror from acclaimed and prolific author Clay McLeod Chapman. [Release 2022] A keen revelation of the nature of addiction, in which obsession as a part of personal psychology extends far beyond the expected types [drugs and other controlled substances], GHOST-EATERS carefully peels back the layers to examine what lies deep within the core of these characters.


The novel also takes a rather unique approach to Afterlife. Caution: there is not a lot of hope here, other than the hope of the human spirit and human ingenuity. Its Afterlife is depressing and implacable. Also, set in Richmond, Virginia, once the Confederate Capital and site of a couple of centuries of Slavery plus Civil War battlefields, Revenants are numerous, unavoidable, hungry. So added to the Horror and despair is thought of all those painful, horrifying, backstories.


GHOST-EATERS deserves a wide audience, and will appeal to discerning readers of Horror.