Erin is struggling in life, she isn't going anywhere in her job, isn't seeing her friends, and doesn't know how to move forward. Then ex-boyfriend Silas calls her up one night and asks for help going to rehab because he "can see them and they won't leave him alone." Erin helps him again, but then says that this is the last time, she can't do it anymore. The next time he calls, she doesn't answer the phone, and Silas ends up dying. Filled with survivor guilt, filled with the guilt of turning her back, filled with overwhelming feelings of grief and relief she struggles more to come to turns with his actions and her actions and the depression that comes when a loved one is lost. She is invited to the house that they used to share and is given a sample of the new drug called "ghost". This drug allows users to see the dead that haunt the area.

Erin tries to play it cool and pretend that she doesn't need the drugs, but then falls into addiction head first and doesn't come up for air for months. I'm not sure how she lived for those few months as she chased after Silas's ghost and falls into the toxic relationship behavior of "I know he treated me poorly, but he loves me..." Which I don't understand because they weren't together, but I guess she was addicted to Silas first and then became addicted to his ghost. There's a fight between Erin and another woman, there's a ghost baby that may or may not have been Erin and Silas's child, and then there's a fire to wipe things clean.

It has a lot of good bones to it, but it felt like Chapman had too many storylines he wanted to pursue. I did enjoy it, and I liked the concepts, but this could have been modified to focus on one of these topics, whether that is grief, or addiction, or toxic relationships. I enjoy Chapman's writing, and this was no different, but the story was not as cohesive.

Very original history and a great depiction about addiction un a very original way. I highly recommend it. There should be more hype about this book because it has a lot of components that as a whole make a great history: the depiction of addiction, ghosts, cults and even some implications of the process of pathological grieving and its consequences

I did not enjoy this book. I don't think the author is right for me. This book bored me to tears, and if I'm being honest, I don't remember much about it. 2 stars just cause I finished it.

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman had an unique premise but the writing wasn’t what I expected. It was hard to work out what was reality and what was drug induced reality.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quirk Books for the digital copy of Ghost Eaters for reviewing purposes.

*Due to negative feedback I will not be posting my review on social media. .

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

Writing was a bit chaotic for me

I loved every minute of this modern ghost thrill ride. A drug that can allow you to see ghosts… say less!

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!