I was really pleasantly/horrifically surprised by this book. While on the surface it appears to be a standard contemporary ghost story, on a deeper level Ghost Eaters is a fascinating analogy for addiction. The story follows Erin, a young twenty-something who is trying to distance herself from her addict ex-boyfriend. When the ex-boyfriend dies of an overdose, Erin discovers that he was using a mysterious new drug that supposedly allows the user to commune with the dead. Erin's guilt drives her to experiment with the drug herself, and the repercussions leave her struggling to hold onto her sanity and her life.

Overall, I thought this book was really well done. The ending felt a bit ambiguous to me, but that may have been the point. It gets an A+ for freaky imagery. Readers with sensitivity to body horror or addiction stories may want to approach with caution.

There are ghosts in the graveyard and there are ghosts of relationships past and for Erin and Silas they are one in the same. Erin keeps coming back to the intervention that didn't happen for Silas in college who seemed to have one foot in the grave until the day when he really died. Falling into the same drug trap Erin takes a pill that lets her see the dead but soon she is seeing dead people everywhere. This frightening story deals with the horrors of ghosts, addiction and the afterlife. A horror story from page one to be read with all the lights on that will have you saying - I SEE DEAD PEOPLE. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Amazing writing, amazing world building and characters.
1000% reccomend this book. Had be gripped for the get go

Erin and Silas were together in college and she has a hard time telling him no to anything, even though she knows how unhealthy it is for her. And when Silas asks her to break him out of rehab, that’s exactly what she does. But this is the last straw, or so she says, when she finally kicks him out of her life. And then Silas turns up dead from an overdose and Erin’s guilt is killing her. When another friend in their group from college tells her that Silas had discovered a drug that can commune with the dead, Erin clings to this as a lifeline. Can she communicate with Silas, apologize, let him know she loves him still? And this drug does the trick - Erin is seeing ghosts everywhere; considering this is in Richmond, VA there are a lot of ghosts - slaves, civil war - this is an old town full of the dead.

The premise of this was super intriguing and bonus points for me because it was set in Richmond (1.5 hours from where I grew up). But it didn’t quite deliver. I didn’t love the characters and things felt a bit repetitive. It was creepy and kept me intrigued, for sure. But it just didn’t come together like I wanted it to.

The premise of this book had me feeling ALL the feels. The first few chapters delivered, but the rest of it just sort of kept going. There was a brief moment towards that end that picked back up, and then it flatlined again. I honestly feel like this would have been a fantastic short story, but as a full novel...a bit too repetitious.
The characters started out likeable - but, then I lost interest in them.
I find the premise fascinating, but the executing slightly less. That said, I'm certain some readers will very much enjoy the dark and gory descriptions - the author does a great job with the descriptions. And I'm sure it will give plenty of readers all the right feels. It is certainly one that can be recommended to readers of the genre...just not one to use as a introduction to it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quirk Books for this ARC

Now that was a ghost story! A very unique twist that kept me on the edge of my seat until the end.

This one comes out in September and let me tell you, WOW! The story uses hauntings to tell a story about addictions and the sorted history of the southern U.S. Reading it makes you physically uncomfortable and tense which just elevates the scares. The first time she sees a ghost, I mean, I could FEEL it!

100% recommend. I predict this will be a top scary season read!

A ghost story that is about much more than traditional hauntings, Clay McLeod Chapman has crafted a book that explores what it means to be haunted. Erin is haunted by her college ex-boyfriend, Silas, who is a reoccurring presence in her life. When she finally cuts him off and he turns up dead of an overdose, she becomes possessed by what if's.
When another friend from college offers her the chance to see Silas again by taking a new drug that Silas was experimenting with, Erin agrees. But once she tries Ghost, she learns how deep a haunting can be and that there may not be an escape.
The book explores loss, grief, and addictions, including addictions to places, behaviors, people and the past. It's a ghost story while also being body horror and addiction horror. It's an intense and compelling story while also having snarky humor and pointed commentary about history.

This is a fabulous book! Compelling, intriguing, mind-bending. Absolutely recommend this to horror lovers.

Ghost Eaters, was written by Clay McLeod Chapman. Author of Whisper Down the Lane and The Remaking. Ghost Eaters is published by Quirk Books (thanks for sending a copy for review).

Chapman delivers once again! His previous novel, Whisper Down the Lane was a real treat that tingled the spine and raised anxiety levels. This is the third novel I've read from the author. Chapman has quickly become one of my favorite writers.

Ghost Eaters is a fun, unique, and trippy ghost story. The horror of losing control of life is one of the themes. Some of the elements in this story have actually haunted my dreams for years, and to see the main character experience these things, is just horrible (in the best way of course).

The friendship dynamic is spot on with reality. There's conflict, love, awkwardness - the evolution/devolution of where one stands in a friendship when there's a loss. Erin, the main character, is our vessel in experiencing the trippiest ghost story I've experienced. The other supporting characters also feel like real people, not just ink mannequins or tools of dialogue on the pages.

Chapman's writing style is fantastic and continues to impress. He gives us great characters, wonderful dialogue, and horrific situations. I think horror fans will get a kick out of this story!

"Ghost Eaters" offers a spin on what it truly means to be haunted, and the lengths that a person may be driven to in order to resolve their guilt and grief over losing a loved one. Wouldn't we all like just one more chance to connect with that beloved person?

I particularly liked the setting of Richmond, Virginia, and how its long, bloody history contributed to the horror once Erin opened herself to the Other Side, and began seeing these poor souls everywhere she looked.

However, the gross-out factor was way too high for me (after reading this and "Mexican Gothic", I will never look at mushrooms the same way again!), and the overwhelming use of profanity really put me off. I also never really connected with Erin, so couldn't muster up much sympathy for her plight.

4.25 stars

I’ve never read a book by Clay McLeod Chapman before, but that’s about to change after reading this one.
I found myself fully immersed in this book. Such a great read, I could not put it down. Very complex and dark storytelling.

Erin and Silas have a tumultuous relationship, on-again and off-again as Silas deals with addiction. When Silas overdoses one night, Erin is drawn into his world, trying a psychedelic that allows her to see ghosts. When she gets addicted to being able to contact Silas her world spins out of control.

GHOST EATERS is an absolute masterpiece. From the opening sequence in the graveyard, to a world irrevocably changed by the end, Clay McCleod Chapman drags you kicking and screaming through guilt and depravity.

The phrase "wanna get haunted" is used frequently in the book, but it's not just a phrase. It's the truth. This book will HAUNT you, and I will not rest until the whole world is haunted.

The book was scary at parts but not terrifying. The premise was a hallucinogenic that allows you to connect to your loved ones and who wouldn’t want to do that except it’s not all that it seems. This book was trippy and takes you through love and loss and addiction on a whole different level. Dealing with death and it’s finality.

The ending was not what I expected and I do not know if i like it or not. Overall the book was good. The author writes beautifully and the words just flow together to make this story.

Death is not the end when you have Ghost.

Ghost Eaters is a book I knew I would enjoy based on the premise, but I didn't anticipate how much I would enjoy it. The plot sounded like it would be something very shallow in its execution, but the author did a fantastic job fleshing out the plot and the characters in a way that wove the story together in such a satisfactory way. Its a quick read with plenty of twists to turn your stomach and leave your mind wondering what the hell is going on and what is going to happen.

Our protagonist Erin loses someone very close to her and she is given the opportunity to experience a new phenomena called 'ghost' which is a drug that when consumed allows the user to see and interact with ghosts. Sounds fun, right? The only problem is you don't always get to choose which ghosts visit you and they definitely don't tell you how long they will be with you. Erin finds herself falling down a destructive path of addiction, paranoia, and most of all fear as the haunting get more and more intense and begin to invade her everyday life and she is unable to shake them. When someone asks you if you wanted to get 'haunted' perhaps you should think twice unless you want a permanent ghost following you around and they aren't always the nice kind of ghosts.

I have to give major kudos to the author for how he incorporated so much disturbing and vibrant imagery in this story - it really added to experience of putting yourself in Erin's shoes during those moments when she's high on Ghost and experiencing her haunting. I felt her fear and trepidation and it felt all consuming like the drug is itself.

Addiction is a major part of this book and manifests itself in different forms. Erin initially struggles with an addiction to her sometimes problematic boyfriend Silas and his all consuming personality, and then later when tragedy befalls she throws herself into getting haunted with ghost to an almost lethal point where her life is in grave danger and sees other addicted fall to the same circumstances. The author puts an impressive amount of detail and emphasis on the struggles of addiction and how easily one can fall into it and let it consume your life and every waking thought when left unchecked.

Ghost Eaters will surprise you, disturb you, break your heart and will ultimately leave you with only one question:

Wanna get Haunted?

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Ghost Eaters follows Erin, whose ex-boyfriend Silas dies of an overdose. Grieving after his death, she and two other friends begin using the drug Ghost to attempt to contact him in the afterlife. As everyone whose ever read a ghost story knows, this is a very bad idea. Things quickly take a turn for the worse, and Erin struggles to break her addiction to the drug and to make it out alive.

Ghost Eaters is a wicked and disturbing novel, a clever take on the haunted house story. Like the best of horror, it uses the genre as a lens to examine contemporary issues, tackling addiction, grief, and weight of Southern history. In its treatment of the latter, it reminded me of Candyman, which also grapples frankly with ghosts and the sins of the past. I recommend it, and hope someone options it soon because I think it would make a great film or TV show.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an early copy of this book.

Because I got an advance copy from Netgalley I feel honor bound to write a review. However, this book has left me speechless- in the best way. I was totally immersed in every aspect of this novel- the characters, the addictions, and the atmosphere. It is an experience.

Clay McLeod Chapman has become one of my favorite authors. Not just because I love horror so much, but because he knows how to write a story that captivates you and throws you off all at the same time. This book is about a group of four friends--Erin, Silas, Tobias, and Amara--who have known each other since college. One night, Erin, Tobias, and Amara decide that they need to stage in intervention for Silas because his drug use is out of control. But the intervention goes bad and Erin tells Silas she doesn't want to see him again. And then Silas overdoses and dies and Erin's world falls apart. Enter Tobias with an idea of how to see the loved ones we've lost with a drug he and Silas created called Ghost. Tobias convinces the other two to take one and to try and reach Silas from the afterlife. And then, all hell breaks loose and Erin's life is falling apart because now she's addicted--to the drug and to seeing Silas. But there is more at play here and Erin may not get out alive.

This book was off-the-rails crazy and at times made me feel like I was on Ghost myself. But it was also about the loss we all feel when someone dies and how dealing with that loss can sometimes drive us to the brink. I really loved this book--even the gross parts!--and I can't wait for more from Clay McLeod Chapman!

Chapman is a good writer, but this book just did not click with me. I wanted to punch every character, and not in a good way. They were all whiny and self-centered, except the one who was arrogant and even more self-centered.
The book frequently got bogged down in inconsequential storylines, and I had to force my self to finish it.
I don't know if I'll read more by this author.