A review by ronanqk
Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman

dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This book was very inventive and novel. The prose was solid, though not mind blowing. It’s one of those books where I was invested to see how it turned out, not because I saw myself in any of the characters (which obviously is my own personal experience), but it felt like a read out of morbid curiosity and a desire for horror rather than catharsis, character development, or life lessons. It’s definitely a horror book, though I found the grotesqueness of it well-executed. It was always for the sake of the story, never to simply shock a reader. And while the characters were almost all repulsive in their own ways, they were also deeply real and the main character, Erin, is a sympathetic narrator. It’s a fascinating take on a narrative about addiction, recovery, and relationships. Often, the primary metaphor of the novel was over explained and lost its mystique, but it still rang true. The epilogue was overly expository, but that is in fairly high contrast to the rest of the book. 
If you’ve spent any prolonged time in Richmond, VA, this book will trigger your nostalgia for that very special place. 
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