Coming with a powerful commentary on drugs and addiction, Ghost Eaters follows Erin, who begins taking a drug called 'Ghost' to try and find the ghost of her recently dead addict love interest. Some of the emotional background and reasoning behind Erin's actions was a little lacking and the ghost action takes a while to get to. Interesting and challenging story.

I was really looking forward to this book but didn't enjoy it as much as I expected to. The premise is really interesting -- a drug that allows people to see ghosts getting out of hand -- but there were some elements from the blurb and promotional material that weren't as prominent in the story as I had expected. In particular, the prevalence of ghosts from marginalised backgrounds (slaves, Native Americans) in the Southern States I had expected would be a major theme, but was really just dealt with in passing.

I enjoyed the links between grief and addiction, and found the main character very sympathetic. I thought the dynamics between the main friend group were interesting. The characters were probably my favourite part of the book. However, the story was slow enough that it carried on beyond where I think it had run out of things to say.

I also enjoyed the mycology aspect of the story, and the way mushrooms were used as a metaphor for grief, for connection, for an unwillingness to let dead things rest. The metaphors weren't exactly subtle, but I think that's to appeal to a horror readership with certain perceived expectations.

Plenty of body horror elements. An interesting premise. Good characters who are well thought-out, and some really painful dealing with various kinds of grief. I just wish it had been shorter and more subtle.

This was somehow psychadelic, grotesque and moving. There are a lot of themes explored in this novel- grief, addiction, history and loss. There was a scene that had me gagging, but I coudn't stop reading because I had to know what happened next.

I received a free digital ARC from Quirk Books via NetGalley. This is my second time reading Clay McLeod Chapman and his books are quite creepy if you are looking for something haunting and disturbing. Erin’s friend and once lover Silas has died from an OD. In the aftermath Erin finds out that Silas has been working on a drug that allowed people to see the dead.

When you can see the dead everywhere, how do you react? Is it worth seeing your most dear loved ones again? This book looks intimately at addiction in a bone-chilling way. Strong stomachs only for this story. I will continue to read books by this author.

Well, that escalated quickly. I love Chapman's style of writing, gritty and irreverent, however, I feel like the story leaves much to be desired. It also sort of ended on a, is the protagonist ok? vibe. Not so much a cliffhanger but it does leave questions as to her status.
Erin is downright obsessed w/ her ex Silas and basically blows up her life in a bid to see him again after his death. She becomes addicted to a drug called Ghost that allows the user to connect with their dead. But it also allows the user to connect with ALL the dead.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Quirk Books for an e-arc of this novel.*

How do I sum this up? How about... Sixth Sense meets Haunting in Connecticut with drug addiction. There's dead bodies walking around that only people who take the drug Ghost can see, and taking Ghost causes users to vomit ectoplasm. There was something about this that kept me from really getting into it -- maybe because we don't really get to know the main character, readers are treated with more descriptions of the secondary characters than the lead herself. But I have to give it to the author some serious kudos: the scenes where the main character sees dead people are so descriptive that I could see them, too. Terrifyingly written and kept me reading even though I struggled to get invested in the story itself.

**Thank you, NetGalley and publishers, for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.**

This was just a no for me.

I wanted to give this the benefit of the doubt even after it takes almost halfway through the book to start getting to anything interesting.

The horror in the book wasn’t scary enough to keep me hooked. The characters weren’t uninteresting by any means, but they were so irritating.

It felt like plot lines were dropped and every time we get somewhere, the book changes it’s mind and heads in a different direction.

This book tackles and interesting topic of addition and hauntings. While it has these discussions a lot, the overall writing style confuses the reader with what is real and not. This is consistent with actual drug trips but took me out of the story.

This was super creepy! I loved it! The writing and descriptions were so vivid, I was thinking about this book long after I finally finished it. I read a lot of horror so, at this point, I feel hard to truly spook or impress but this book did both of those things. 10/10 I highly recommend!

This was a pretty out there read. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t right for me, I guess. I kept getting distracted and putting this off, but I eventually got into it towards the end. If you’re looking for a trippy, horror book, check this one out.

3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4 for this review.

If you want chills up and down your spine, you need to read this. You’ll be like 🫣 when shit kicks off.

My thing lately has been books that read like A24 movies and this one checked all those boxes for the first half.

Ghost Eaters begins with some teens who decide to drop acid and go to the cemetery…up to no good. Years go by, and their friendship is strained as Silas, the man who has held their group together, battles addiction. Things escalate when a drug is discovered that allows the user to see people who have died and some intense hauntings take place.

A drug that makes you see the ghosts who haunt you? Count me OUT! But you know the characters of this one count themselves IN.

The Southern atmosphere (hello Civil War ghosts), honest writing, and unique premise sunk its claws in and had me gripped from the very first page.

Around 65% the story takes a turn and I think I liked the first portion better, but I do appreciate the creative strangeness that the author brought to this horror story.

I also liked the author’s quirky writing, which is entertaining and embellishes the truly scary moments with something extra as it builds. I don’t think this book will work for everyone, but horror fans will will likely be thrilled.

GHOST EATERS is an original and provocative haunting of a novel, with a definitive focus on addiction and the spiral it can bring. It is equally frightening and intriguing throughout, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

In more way than one, addiction is at the forefront of the story: the shrooms, the possessions, the seances for lost souls, the search and desperate need to dose again. I especially love horror that blends monsters with reality. The premise of this novel was right up my alley and the story did not disappoint. It hooked me at an early point and held my attention until the very end. I only felt distracted by the odd transitions that came about with many of the chapter changes. Sometimes, it felt like scenes or thoughts were abruptly ended and it wasn't clear what had changed. Otherwise, GHOST EATERS was a possessing novel I definitely recommend to fans of horror and the gritty nature of reality.

10/10... all the gold stars!

I love that this one started with a note from the editor warning that SHE was dumbfounded by where the story went. To set a book up like that is quite risky, but man did Chapman pull it off and deliver. Absolute bravo to him for this book 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 This is my second book of his and definitely my favorite. Top contender for my favorite book of the year.

Why did it have to end?! I miss the characters already!

Ghost Eaters is an intense and heartbreaking horror that deals with love, loss and addiction. I am so glad that I read this book and will definitely read more books from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I loved the idea of this book but it lacks something in the execution. The characters are interesting, twisted and exist in a co-dependent relationships with a bad ending. Which sort of reminds me of The Secret History (Donna Tartt), but unfortunately just not as good. The concept of a drug to summon ghosts is unique and some of the scenes are down right creepy. If you are into horror don't expect to be terrified.

This book takes “I see dead people” to a whole new level.

After the sudden death of her on again off again boyfriend Silas, Erin is struck heavily with grief and guilt. When Tobias, one of her friends from college, offers her a way to see Silas again, Erin jumps at the opportunity. There’s a new drug out called Ghost that allows those who take it to commune with the dead. But there’s a catch. You won’t just see the ghost of your loved one. You’ll see every single ghost around you.

I really enjoyed the first half of this book. Some of the creepiest scenes are when Erin is going about her work day and the ghosts are lurking in the background, trying to get her.

The second half was not my favorite, however. It felt drawn out and a bit repetitive. It almost felt like a fever dream.

When focusing on the ghosts themselves, this book is super creepy and can get gory.

Overall, I liked this book. It’s a solid three star read for me. I would definitely recommend it to those who are into the mushroom horror sun genre that is popular right now.

I feel like I read 2 different books. It started off being a book about Erin, her love for the history of her city and her friends. It dealt with her history with an ex that turned into a drug addict and how she and her friends were going to stage an intervention to let him(Silas) know they weren't going to put up with his crap anymore and he needed help.

About halfway through this book that dealt with love, friendship and addiction turned into a Scifi/Fantasy/Horror book. Truly,it seems like I read two different books with the same characters.

Even with the change in direction, and probably because of it, I found this to be a really good book. It brought the idea of creating a drug that could allow you to see ghosts and, in particular, ghosts of loved ones. It created a haunted house world to hold those ghosts and the living people drawing them in. It combined the truly devastating results of drug addiction with the consequences of trying desperately to hold onto and bring back those we've lost instead of letting them go and healing/working through the pain.

I found the descriptions and concepts to be both unique and horrific. It created such an interesting yet unreal world with the very real issues of addiction and grieving.

The end of the book was a little drawn out and wordy. But altogether I give this 4⭐️.

Ghost Eaters is a book that centers around grief and grieving. It is wish fulfillment for anyone who has lost a loved one: what if you could see your dead with the help of a pill? While guilt and love are the powerful motivators behind Erin’s need to explore this possibility, Clay McLeod Chapman has crafted a book about the consequences of this need/addiction. When does it become too much to handle? Can your grief be detoxed?

Chapman has written a book that doesn’t shy from the horror. The scares come quickly and are relentlessly nerve-wracking. The reader gets to take part in taking Ghost and all the consequences that come with it. I felt used up by the last page. It was a thrilling ride.

This book was not for me. I love thriller/mystery/crime, but I do not love lots of gore. This book felt to be more on the surprise gore side than it did to be on the surprise thriller side.

This is more intense horror than I normally read. It is shocking at some points, but the writing is done so well. If you're looking for a ghost story that will stand out from all the others, this is it.