What if you could reunite with the spirits of the people you've lost? Clay McLeod Chapman's eerie, terrifying novel Ghost Eaters imagines that this is possible through the use of a drug called Ghost, which allows you to see the ghosts of departed friends and family members, and interact with them. The problem is that this connection isn't quite what you bargained for, as madness and obsession are the result of using Ghost. This highly addictive drug turns its users into haunted versions of their former selves, converting them into hollowed out shells, aching for their next fix, who feel a strong need to remain connected with the spirit world.
The novel's main character, Erin, is part of a group of friends who met in college. Silas, the charismatic leader of their group, has always depended on Erin to help him when he runs into trouble, including his run-ins with the law. Their relationship is complicated, to say the least. When Silas dies of an apparent drug overdose, Tobias, another member of their circle, offers Erin a hit of a drug called Ghost, which allows you to be "haunted" by the ghosts of those you've lost, and connect with them from the other side. Erin is hoping to gain some closure, but her use of the drug leads her into a spiral of addiction, terror, and a series of frightening encounters with the spirit world (and other users of Ghost) that just might drive her mad.
There are a series of unsettling and disturbing sequences throughout the novel, and McLeod Chapman amps up the horror content as the story moves forward. You'll definitely want to keep the lights on while you read this one. Erin is a fascinating character, and her quest to reconcile her personal demons, while surviving her battles with the very real ones that Ghost conjures up, will keep you turning the pages. Just when you think the story has gotten as dark as it can get, McLeod Chapman comes up with yet another intense set-piece that will chill you to the bone.
As the novel draws to its dark, uncanny conclusion, you'll find there are no easy answers or neat resolutions for Erin, or the other haunted people featured in Ghost Eaters. This is one of the best horror novels I've read in recent months. The interesting and well-drawn characters, combined with a stark and powerful tale of addiction, infused with strong elements of horror and the supernatural, make for a compelling journey. This is the first work by McLeod Chapman that I've read, and I'm now working my way through his earlier novel, The Remaking, so a review of that will follow. Ghost Eaters is now available in paperback.
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