I loved the art style in this and the bold use of color to further the story telling but everything felt very basic and lacked a lot of depth and exploration especially considering just how dark a lot of the undertones were. I was really into the found family friend group who was there to support our main character. It felt oddly wholesome for the type of story that we were getting but enjoyable nonetheless.

Love the setting, but just feel like there are certain parts that should be developed even more. I like that the main character’s arc or what she became isn’t the typical vampire/werewolf and is actually something I did not quite expect. Overall, this was a very interesting read.

When I go looking in the manga section, I tend to lean towards Horror, so was excited for this! The art style itself is very good, very muted colors to represent how the characters are feeling, and very bright when out in the woods enjoying nature. The main character Ashley is relatable, no parent around, just trying to escape a small town, when things happen that makes it near impossible to escape said town.

The plot itself was kind of all over the place, but I felt like it was just how scatter-brained Ashley was being about her issues that caused it to be that way.

The only issues I had with the story was that she went to look for Bess and get an undead 101, but when the shit really hit the fan, she never went back, or asked for help from the "real adults". I get that she was trying to hide like how bad she was or how bad her hungry was making her, but Bess and the others know way more than her and she just didn't use that resource.

This book is hard to categorize. It’s a monster novel. It’s a zombie novel. It is definitely about things that go bump in the night. It’s about not liking yourself too. Who you are or who you want to be and how to get along in society. At times the story is a little hard to follow and a tad convoluted, but overall everything taken together, the book works. It’s an interesting story that gives you turning page after page.

90/100 or 4.5 stars

This was a bloody good time! The art was amazing and the story was fun to follow. I will be checking out other graphic novels by McClaren in the future!

This might be a niche comparison, but Meat Eaters definitely gave me Teen Wolf vibes with fem! Stiles leading a werewolf pack of two comprised of Erica and Boyd—and I say that in the nicest way possible. I adored Teen Wolf and I absolutely loved reading this graphic novel. The art and colours are beautiful, and I always found myself particularly captivated by our Squishy’s eyes, she just pop’s off the page so much that it was hard to pull attention away from her; I’m always down for a supernatural story, but even more so for a supernatural story with found family and characters growing together to become and do more than they realize they’re capable of. Definitely a graphic novel worthy of being re-read more than once, I highly recommend it, and if there ever happens to be more, I’ll be right there, waiting for it!

Lo único que Ashley quería era mantener un perfil bajo hasta poder escapar del pequeño pueblo donde se sentía estancada. Pero tras despertar una noche cubierta de sangre (e irrevocablemente muerta), Ashley descubre que su plan infalible para escapar se ha esfumado y que algo en su interior ha cambiado. En esta visceral historia sobre los efectos del trauma y la ansiedad, morir es realmente duro. ¿Pero seguir adelante? Eso puede ser peor.

Este comic me gustó mucho mas de lo que esperaba, la trama es emocionante, las ilustraciones realmente complementan historia de forma genial, y los hombres lobo están retratados de una manera refrescante, y los personajes son sumamente agradables.

Gracias a NetGalley y Oni Press por el ARC.

Ashley, a 19 year old community college student with a mother who is constantly out of town, is thrust into a new life (death? undead?) when she wakes up one day undead, covered in blood. She discovers that there are other paranormal beings in her town - vampires, werewolves, etc. She befriends two werewolves, pretending to still be human and grows quite close to them. There is are two underlying mysteries: 1) what happened to Ashley and 2) what is killing animals in the forest.

I did really enjoy this graphic novel! I found the story compelling, although the character development is not particularly new. This is a solid read. The art style was really well done. I did want maybe something a little more from this though, and I cannot quite put my finger on what. The story moves pretty quick and maybe I wish there could have been a little bit more development and exploration of the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for the eARC!

This is a new direction for more supernatural graphic novels. I really enjoyed my time reading this and am already excited to see if the author will publish a sequel. Ashley finds herself having to navigate a whole new supernatural underbelly because she died and came back as a ghoul. Which her transformation was really well illustrated. I am genuinely impressed by the books plots, illustrations as well as the cover. I will be purchasing this title when it releases a physical copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Meat Eaters focuses on Ashley, a small-town community college student who wakes up in the forest one morning as a ...ghoul? I think? And soon becomes involved with the local community of vampires, werewolves, and other "creepies" as she struggles to adjust to her new life (and diet). Meanwhile, animals (and perhaps people) are going missing in the woods and turning up dead.

It's a classic recipe for paranormal horror, and I wouldn't say Meat Eaters breaks any wildly original new ground in its first installment, but it's a satisfying and solid read nonetheless. I found Ashley's aimless introversion relatable, and enjoyed her dynamic with her two new werewolf buddies. I also enjoyed the incorporation of extremely 2020s things like true crime and bear spray bought on Amazon.

Meat Eaters' biggest strength is its art, which is (pardon my pun) a feast. The juxtaposition of beautiful backgrounds with grungy and distinctive character design and splashes of gore is really working. No notes!

Meat Eaters follows Ashley as she wakes up in the woods covered in blood and finds herself thrown into a world of supernatural beings, including herself. As Ashley discovers she is a zombie, just not as you expect!

The story flowed so well, and the artwork was simply beautiful! I loved the colour choices throughout, and the character design. I will 100% pick up the next in the series.

This is such a well-contained graphic novel and the art style is gorgeous.

Ashley Moore wakes up dead and her plans of keeping her head down and escaping her small town are ruined when she realises that there are other things than her and the local wolf pack lurking in the woods.

I adore the worldbuilding shown in this novel in a very constrained number of pages. Fake heartbeats constructed by toy speakers from the vampires, a found family (both delightful and toxic) from the local wolf pack, and a ghoul that gets to be terrifying and solid instead of boilerplate decaying and flimsy.

It tackles trauma through the narrative from Ashley confronting what happened to her to her inadvertent charges (same age) werewolves Motley and Harrison learning to be independent. It was such a delightful subplot and I couldn’t put it down.

I initially passed on this because I am vegetarian. But I love monsters, especially zombies and werewolves, and creepy stuff! I am very glad I took a second, harder look and decided to go for it. It was entertaining to read and I like the artists style and have enjoyed some of her previous works. This one is no exception and I am looking forward to the next volume.

Dying is hard, and 19 year old Ashley finds out the hard way as she wakes covered in blood, without a heartbeat and craving raw flesh.

This is a gory graphic novel about the monsters lurking in the dark (and within ourselves) and the world that lives just beneath our own, filled with ghouls and monsters alike. There's some mystery that runs throughout as Ashley tries to figure out this new world that's revealing itself to her, come to terms with how she died, as well as processing what it means to be undead and all of the complicated, messy feelings that come with it.

There was also a strong thread of found family that I loved, and Motley & Harrison were just fantastic. I really enjoyed the dynamic of the group and how their friendships grew. Ashley herself was a super relateable main character (even if she is undead) especially if you've ever been that awkward teenager/person that never quite fits in anywhere and you often feel like you're trying to be 'normal' and 'like everyone else,' although you never really feel that you are.

Let's take a moment to talk about the art because the illustrator really brought the whole story to life! I loved their unique art-style; it felt super fresh and it just worked for the characters and the story, giving cosy but also gruesome.

If you like a bit of gore with your found family vibes and some humour sprinkled throughout - you're gonna eat this up!

Oh god. I love them all so dearly. A fun, gorey supernatural comic with an adorable found family, an interesting bag of lore, and an overcoming of trauma that makes it all feel warm and cozy. The art and visuals are spectacular, the story is well-paced, and the characters are beautiful and interesting. I absolutely loved this and hope to see more.

“All of this will be better in the morning.”
*Cut to morning*
“It did not get better.”

This was a quick read and an overall enjoyable graphic novel. Sweet and a bit gory, it definitely left me wanting more. Also it is not specifically stated but very much implied during a conversation between the characters that the MC is aroace so bonus points for that!! I don’t know if this author plans to release any more books in this series, but if so, I will definitely pick them up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Oni press for the eARC!

I absolutely loved this I could not stop reading it!!!! The emotions and the suspense was everything along with the heartfelt touches to it proving friendships really mean everything.

Calling this adorable feels weird, but hey, I'm a weird person. I love blood and gore, that's what drew me to this initially, and I absolutely loved it. Like most graphic novels, it's a fast read (I think I finished it in under an hour), but I don't think anything was really lost. This was a masterful use of medium as well, in particular with the, like, flashback-memory moments.

The pros: Well, like I said, the use of medium is fantastic. I love you comics. But also the characters are so fun, I love them all. Ashley, of course, is fantastic, I love her sort of begrudging kindness. Motley and Harrison are peak siblings. Gus and Dmitri are great little side characters. I love everybody! And I love the worldbuilding, the supernatural elements being slipped in, all of it. The art is also absolutely beautiful. I think my favorite thing is the analogy, however - this idea of becoming "a creepy" and having a missing piece, trying to regain it, especially after a traumatic event like Ashley's had. It works as a metaphor in many ways, and I think the delivery of it was graceful and impactful.

The cons: I don't have many. It goes by fast, so I wish it was longer, but that's just comics for you. I wish there was a little more expansion on the vampire side of things, and ghouls in general. And while I know it's kind of negating the purpose, I would've liked a tiny bit more information on the circumstances around Ashley's death. I just still felt a little lost about it by the end, which I'm sure was purposeful, so that may just be me.

Overall, I had a great time and I loved it!! Fantastic work!!

Can you imagine one day waking up and discovering you are dead? That is exactly the nightmare Ashley wakes up to in Meat Eaters, a young adult graphic novel where she then proceeds with life--or more precisely called, her new afterlife. Before this moment, Ashley had planned on leaving her life behind, escaping the monotony of her town, but we are instead left wondering what led to her sudden demise and why can't she remember the moments before it. There is a diverse cast of "others" who seem to embrace their own differences and Ashley's friendship, thinking she is a human with the help of a fake heartbeat, leading to her own transformation.

The themes of trauma and emotional withdrawal were strong throughout the book, with no question that what happened to Ashley was violent and unwelcome. I found myself feeling for Ashley's predicament and it made me question how some of us avoid such an end while others are left damaged or dead. While never explicitly spelled out, I found the answers we were provided to be moving and empowering. I mean, haven't we all wanted to lash out as well at the people harming us? The horror and gore involved was a great way to center this story, improving upon attempts on film and in other books to address this common societal problem.

Unfortunately, there were some issues with plot jumping. At times I would switch to the next page and be confused about why the story was abruptly different and was concerned I had accidentally skipped pages. It would be greatly improved with smoothing over of those jumps by adding more story or by introducing chapter breaks. While a chapter title line wouldn't necessarily correct the story jumps, it would at least signal to the reader that the story was shifting direction.

Thanks to Netgalley and Oni Press for the ARC.

Now, I might be a little biased cause I like most of the things McClaren puts out.
But this one I LOVED! It's such a good take on the zombie genre, with very human (haha I know) characters with plausible reactions to the messed up things. I cracked when Ashley breaks the fourth wall and the way she handles the whole undead thing is both great and sad. The cast is amazing, with different types of people and the world feels alive even if it's not a lot of characters presented.
It is gory and beautiful and hilarious, I found myself laughing out loud lots of times, only to slip right back into the sinister vibe on the next page.