Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman is not just a horror story, but a deep dive into the feeling of loss and the need to connect with our loved ones after they have passed. Chapman crafts a chilling tale which is also emotionally charge, blending drug addiction with grief into a ghostly horror.
Erin hasn’t been able to set a single boundary with her charismatic but reckless college ex-boyfriend, Silas. When he asks her to bail him out of rehab—again—she knows she needs to cut him off. But days after he gets out, Silas turns up dead of an overdose in their hometown of Richmond, Virginia, and Erin’s world falls apart.
Then a friend tells her about Ghost, a new drug that allows users to see the dead. Wanna get haunted? he asks. Grieving and desperate for closure with Silas, Erin agrees to a pill-popping “séance.” But the drug has unfathomable side effects—and once you take it, you can never go back.
Ghost Eaters features a unique and chilling plot which had me excited from the start. Chapman weaves together eerie and unsettling horror with the loss and overall dependency on others. A tale that exposes addiction, grief, and personal trauma. Ghost Eaters is as much about battling ones inner demons of obsession, guilt, and the fear of letting go as it as about confronting the literal demons in front of you.
Chapman story is sharp which chapter the sting of grief and the unease of addition perfectly. The author’s storytelling pace doesn’t let up, pulling me deep into our protagonists descent, but in the supernatural and psychological sense. It’s a true blend of external terror and internal unraveling which Chapman gives this novel the power to move along.
It’s not wonder Ghost Eaters was said to be one of the best novels of 2022 (Vulture), as it is a visceral psychological horror with a deep supernatural twist which touches on grief, addiction, and the struggle with moving on. Great book for those looking for emotional weight along with the atmospheric horror.
Ghost Eaters is available at bookstores everywhere from Quirk Books. The audiobook, narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers, is available via Libro.fm!
