Hi all!
Welcome back to the bookclub! In November we read Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman for The You’ll Read Too Bookclub! If you wish to access all of the latest updates/information, click here. Spoilers ahead!
Quick Reminder: This month we are reading ‘Pet Sematary’ by Stephen King!
Today I’m going to discuss the book in the same way I normally do my Instagram videos. You can find the recorded talk on my bookclub Instagram page. I’ll give a quick plot summary plus my overall star/scare-factor ratings. Then I will share the discussion topics and trivia questions. Please include all of your answers and opinions down below. I want to know exactly what you thought. I’ll also leave the answers to the trivia questions at the very bottom of the post, so if you wish to guess without being spoiled, do not scroll to the end until you’re ready. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
GHOST EATERS BY CLAY MCLEOD CHAPMAN – NOVEMBER 2022
PLOT SUMMARY
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. 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.
OVERALL STAR RATING
I gave this book a 4/5 stars. It was a wild rollercoaster of a ride that I thoroughly enjoyed! I could easily see this story being adapted to screen. I’m a massive fan of psychological horror and I think Ghost Eaters does that really well. It was also refreshing to see a male author write a female character in such a respectful, relatable way. This book is full of metaphors (more on that down below) that I think were perfectly executed. It was very clear the message Clay was trying to get across. My only criticism is I think the middle part dragged a little. I was also quite nauseated from all of the vomiting. It’s probably the grossest novel I’ve ever read. Having said that, it was very close to being a 5-star read for me.
OVERALL SCARE-FACTOR RATING
I gave this a scare-factor rating of 4/5 stars. This was a horrifying story for multiple reasons. It honestly gave me The Sixth Sense meets Thirteen Ghosts vibes. I was genuinely freaked out by the apparitions Erin was seeing under the influence of Ghost. What deepened that sense of unease were the missing pieces of time. I’ve never been interested in taking drugs but after reading this book, I couldn’t be less inspired to try them. Erin didn’t know what day it was, what was real, what was just in her head etc. It really got under my skin. Furthermore, being addicted to a substance and your dead ex at the same time? Nightmare! I truly applaud the author for invoking multiple layers of fear into this novel.
DISCUSSION TOPICS
1.) Discuss the metaphors about being addicted to drugs and a toxic ex-boyfriend.
There was one strong metaphor that played throughout the entire book – an addiction to drugs can be just as strong as an addiction to a toxic relationship. Both are incredibly difficult and challenging to break free of. Erin is such a relatable protagonist. We’ve all been her at some point in our lives; finding it hard to let go of somebody that isn’t necessarily good for us. The way the author turned this into a horror story really impressed me.
2.) If given the opportunity to see a lost loved one, would you take Ghost?
As mentioned above, this story put me off taking drugs even more, so the answer is a hard NO. Plus, I have emetophobia, so the fact that a massive side effect of Ghost was vomiting…pass! We know from reading the story that the hallucinations are temporary. It would never be enough and by the time you felt like you had received some closure, you would be left with a substance addiction to claw your way out of. However, I do understand the temptation in relation to grief and desperation.
3.) What does the ending signify? Is Erin actually free?
The fact that Erin takes the mushroom home in the epilogue, signifies that she will never truly be able to let go of Silas. She wants that security blanket available to her at all times. I do wish she had been more liberated by the end. Perhaps Clay is intending to write a sequel to Ghost Eaters? I’ll read it!
TRIVIA QUESTIONS
Easy: What does the main character write on the walls?
Medium: What does Erin name the drug-induced baby?
Hard: What does Silas call Erin?
I hope you enjoyed the book club discussion in this post and on Instagram. As mentioned above, share all of your thoughts in the comments below! If you have any feedback/suggestions to improve the bookclub, please let me know. I look forward to talking to you all next month! Thanks for reading!
Peace & Love xoxo
TRIVIA ANSWERS: Easy: ‘Erin Is Here.’ Medium: Lonnie. Hard: Lil’ Deb.