Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman

​Ghost Eaters, my second read by the author (because the first one impressed considerably) is a different beast altogether. But still good.
It’s about ghosts and being haunted, albeit with a spin – people instead of buildings. It makes sense, even in a poetic sort of way; we are all haunted in some way by someone.
This novel just takes it to a dramatically elevated level. 
And so, in a haunted past-blood-soaked Richmond, VA, a small group of friends finds a new way to communicate with the dead. By getting high.
This is very on brand with the narrative: it features young protagonists (early to mid20s but they could be advanced teens, really) and the sort of hip manic energy of an all-night modern equivalent of a rave. ‘Shrooms, ‘shrooms everywhere.
But the thing is, whether or not it may be your scene, it’s still kind of…hypnotic. This is just how it goes when the writing is really good – it drags you in whether the narrative is relatable or not. It’s just that compelling, that exciting.
And so, this bullet train of a novel does all those things. It drags you into the strange mad world its protagonists inhabit. It interests, excites, disgusts. It does all sorts of things a proper literary scary story ought to. And though dark and profoundly disturbing, it’s fun, fun, fun. Recommended.