Thank you Oni Press for the advance copy! I was not familiar with Meredith McClaren before reading this, but I'm a fan now. I enjoyed the mix of lonely-late-teen-coming-of-age and gory monster goodness. Ashley's story is sometimes sad and poignant as she attempts to navigate her condition. When she realizes she is not alone is when the story really starts to shine. From the cover, I did not expect a borderline manga style, but I thought it suited the story quite well. I'm looking forward to more from McClaren!

thank you to netgalley and oni press for access to an eARC! all opinions are my own.

we follow ashley who wanted to work hard and get out of her home town, except she wakes up one night covered in blood and discovers she is actually dead. she finds herself craving fresh and bloody meat and discovers a world of ghouls, vampires and werewolves.

the art was very pretty. i did think that the timing at the start felt a bit off, it felt like we were just dropped in the middle of a story. that does get better near the ending of it. parts of it were humorous and even some went deeper into trauma and anxiety. i would recommend it, it was a fast read!

This was a fun fun story set in the early stages about trying to figure out what you want to do as an adult while you're trying to navigate becoming a flesh-eating monster.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the EARC!

I didn’t really connect with the story, it felt a bit messy and hard to follow, but I did like the whole concept of where this will potentially go in further volumes. The artwork was great! I loved the bold colors and all the gory scenes. Visually, it was really fun to look at, even if the story didn’t quite work for me.

*3.5*

a super cute YA supernatural graphic novel with vampires, werewolves and ghouls. I really enjoyed the found family within this, I love the idea of a group of young people who are all supernatural in some way and have no idea what’s going on just vibing it out together.

I thought the main character was super relatable, girly had her life turned upside down and was doing her best to figure it out whilst trying to not panic to death. I do wish it had more background / plot regarding the actual abilities, but I’m hoping this will develop as the story progresses.

Absolutely amazing! I was disappointed that I couldn't send this directly to my kindle, but thats on minor.

A quirky take on the "creepies" that live alongside the normal humans. A young woman struggles to find her place in the world and keep others shut out. She struggles with accepting the reality of the un-life she ends up living, and she makes a couple friends along the way.

The art style is interesting. The characters are unique. My biggest complaint is that the story feels rushed. Things get pushed along quickly and there isn't a lot of time to enjoy the ride.

3.5 stars

This was the first horror graphic novel I’ve picked up and I was very impressed! The story-telling was disjointed, and initially that made it hard for me to understand what was happening, but eventually things started coming together and the disjointed-nature made sense.

There were some things that I still wish were a little clearer, such as who/what happened to Ashley and the process she underwent to become undead. There were also a few things I wish I were expanded just a smidge more, such as the supernatural world and the backstories of the side characters.

Despite that, I thought the themes of surviving trauma and the importance of a support system were extremely well done. I enjoyed the art style and the mix of sweet moments captured in between the gore.

I received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review.

Holy shit!

I absolutely adored this!

A teenage girl finds herself feeling different with a unholy craving for meat that leads her into a world of creepies, outcast undead, lycanthropes...and nightmare horse-spiders.

Ashley goes from abandoned loner to the head of her own pack of adorable found family and the difficulties of trying to be normal when you're anything but.

This was so fucking charming and wholesome and gross and weird and funny and touching and brilliant.

As a big ole brick of disabled neurodivergent Queer T-slur, reading the creepies in the same way as many of us have read things like the X-Men in the past, this truly hit some subtle and beautiful notes that truly resonated.

I absolutely hoovered this up and need more!

Meat Eater is definitely one of the weirdest graphic novels I’ve read, and that’s part of what makes it so interesting. The artwork is super unique - pastel but also unflinching when it leans into the gore. It creates this strange, floaty atmosphere that works really well with the story’s overall tone. At times, it feels like a YA coming-of-age story… until it suddenly doesn’t, diving into something way darker and more disturbing.

I liked the main trio a lot, especially how their dynamic developed into a kind of “found family” by the end. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the whole thing was a bit rushed. Some emotional beats didn’t quite land for me and while the ending was strong and hit hard, the story as a whole felt incomplete.

That said, if you’re into surreal, genre-bending stories with bold visuals and a touch of existential weirdness, Meat Eater is worth checking out.

Although the artwork in this graphic novel was really good and it had an overall story, I did find that there were gaps in which I had to just make up the connections myself. And as a reader, I didn't enjoy that aspect. Will not be continuing on with this series.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love the art style, which is a fun mix of pastel and gore, which I was a little surprised by as that isn't really reflected by the cover. I actually preferred some of the other cover concepts detailed at the end, despite being drawn to this book by the existing cover, as they were more aligned with the rest of the art throughout.

The concept is pretty original, each of the main characters is likeable and funny. The monster (the big bad) is super cool and creepy. The dialogue flows smoothly and there are some great lines in the narrative.

There are some plot points that felt really underdeveloped, such as Motley & Harrison's history with Glenn and what has actually happened to Ashley/what it means to be a ghoul and why. There isn't quite enough resolution for me, as a result.

However I would definitely read more instalments in this series as I think it has a lot of potential to explore.

3 stars

The cover is what drew me in. I'm going to be honest it never once lived up to it. I wanted to love this so bad. But it was another idea that I feel like could've been great, that was just okay.

Acknowledgements and grateful thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press publishing for the opportunity to read and review this e-ARC: 'Meat Eaters by Meredith McClaren'. All opinions are my own and are not a reflection of the publishers and/or author, of which I have no association with. All my reviews are fair and without spoilers.

<b><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/220160612-meat-eaters">Meat Eaters</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6584090.Meredith_McClaren">Meredith</a>is a graphic novel that is made for gore obsessed people, like myself. Filled with werewolves, and blood and guts. This was honestly made for me.</b>
<I>THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.</I>

Five out of five stars (5/5 stars).

<B>TRIGGER WARNINGS:</b> <I>Blood and gore, death, and animal death.</I>

“From cartoonist Meredith McClaren (co-creator of the acclaimed series Black Cloak) comes a punishing and poignant original graphic novel about the monsters that lurk both in the darkness beyond—and within—us all . . .
Let it be said that dying is hard. Nineteen-year-old Ashley Moore found this out firsthand.” — the Goodreads page for 'Meat Eaters'.

<I>// Pre-read: I'm so looking forward to this, it looks super interesting and full of action, drama and horror.//</I>

"All Ashley wanted was to keep her head down until she could escape the small town where she felt she was stagnating. But after waking up one night covered in blood—and irrevocably dead—Ashley finds her foolproof plan for getting out has gone up in smoke, and that something within her has changed." — the Goodreads page for 'Meat Eaters'.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel, it bought me much happiness to be reading a book with so many gory illustrations. Meredith is very talented and I adore the style of her art immensely. Being an artist myself, I can appreciate original art, and do.

It is a story of a 19-year-old Ashley who wakes up very different than when she was awake last, not only has her appetite changed, and she has no heart beat. Join her and her newly found friends in a savage journey that grabs others' attention.

The plot is exciting and the illustrations really do make this story what it is, and the werewolves are portrayed in a new, refreshing way — in a way that really compliments the entire story from start to finish.

There were no errors, no parts that I didn't understand and because of all oft his, the graphic novel 'Meat Eaters' has thoroughly earned it's five stars.

<B>ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</B>
Meredith McClaren is an American author and illustrator who is well known for her distinct style with her art and her storytelling. Born in 1987 it makes her 38-years-old and she started drawing in her early years because she was passionate.

'Meat Eaters' is her forth published novel and I reckon it's the best one I've read so far, I want to read all of her work as soon as I can. I'm just disappointed that this wasn't longer.. I was pretty sad when it ended.

I think I am going to have to buy it when it comes out properly to add to my graphic gore folder I'm obsessed and I highly recommend this to anyone that love gore in their graphic novels. You won't regret buying this, at all.

I enjoyed this horror graphic novel. It was an intriguing story with interesting characters. A real page-turner where the main character is trying to figure out the mystery of what happened to her. She has to adapt to her new circumstances. And the artwork is great. Horror fans will like this one.

"Dear diary, am I a freakin’ zombie?" Ashley wants nothing more than to find her place beyond her small town. She has a clear plan: work hard and avoid people until she can transfer from community college to somewhere out of state. Her plan is derailed when she wakes up with no heartbeat and a craving for meat, and no memory of how or why she's changed. Readers will be thrust into the world of Creepies, supernatural beings hidden from the human world, as Ashley tries to uncover the cause of her newfound undeadness. In what could have been a gore-fest run-of-the-mill monster story, McClaren brings a surprising amount of heart with a narrative that centers on themes of found family, resilience, and overcoming trauma. Stunning artwork, fourth-wall breaking, and memorable characters make this an inviting read for graphic novel novices and veterans alike.

I really liked this one!!
The story is short but I really loved the art style and the themes in it. I would’ve liked some backstory to how different undead creatures of this world interact and view each other but considering the story is from Ashley’s pov who doesn’t want to embrace this part of herself due to how dramatic her death was I think it’s reasonable she doesn’t want to get into the history that much. I only wish the author would’ve made it darker and really leaned into the horror perhaps body horror thing more. The book isn’t marked as YA but it does somewhat feel YA simply because for me personally it could’ve been much darker. I also would’ve liked to learn more about what exactly Ashley is because from my knowledge of undead she doesn’t fit one specific creature. Or even I would’ve liked more details about her species if you will.
I really hope the author puts out more horror works in the future as this was very promising!

This was so freaking fun! If anyone if familiar with Teen Wolf on MTV, this is very similar vibes to that. Going into this, I thought it was going to be a gory horror kind of story. And while there was gore and horror, there was actually so much more to it. There was mystery and intrigue and I just couldn't put this book down once I started. Ashley was such a relatable character. I'm an only child, so I absolutely understand Ashley's disdain for socializing and wish to just be alone. It's what's comfortable. But there really is no better feeling than finding your people, and Ashley really did that with the wolves. They care for her despite her flaws and bring her out of her comfort zone and let her see the best of herself.

I thought this was going to be a standalone story, but there is definitely so much room for this to be a long arcing series, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for that.

From cartoonist Meredith McClaren, Meat Eaters is an awesome graphic novel about the monsters lurking beyond and withing is all.

It was my first graphic novel in years so I struggled a bit to follow the plot. But the second read helped.

The graphism is top notch and the whole book is a gem. This cover catched my eyes initially and I didn't regret it.

I like the "behind the scene" bonuses at the end of the comic, it gives more information about Meredith's creative process and how Meat Eaters is born.

My favorite part is definitely the unexpected bond between the three mains characters, despite their differences, the acceptance and need for bonds and support you can feel between them. I really like the messages that Meredith tried to convey. And she manag d it well on a pretty fast pace settlement.

I really rooted for Ashley and I loved some of the "internal monologue" she has with herself when she tried to understand what happened to her and what she became.

I'll definitely keep an eye to Meredith work for more content.

Seems like the worst art in this book was chosen for the cover, which is an odd choice. It doesn't give a good sense of the creator's glossy, darkly pastel-goth art style, which I really enjoyed.

This is a offbeat story of a girl who survived a Very Bad Thing, though perhaps "survived" is overselling it, and is trying to figure out who and what she is now. She doesn't really know who she is anymore, or what she's capable of. I enjoyed the chaotic world of the creeps, and I found all the weirdos in her orbit to be charming in their own ways, but this story didn't really come together for me until the end. Up until the final section, this was a visually striking dark fantasy/horror narrative, but at the very end it clicked for me what this story was "about." Actual people don't have to navigate life as a ghoul, so that's all hypothetical and fun... but people DO have to figure out how to live once their sense of bodily autonomy has been permanently challenged. Ashley's story engaged with these themes in a way that didn't feel didactic, or like a statement, but still folded in elements of the real world that made "Meat Eaters" work on multiple levels.

Also, there is a creature in here that I've never seen depicted before, and HOT GODDANG is it creepy AF.

If you like horror comics and dark humor, and/or if you've ever felt totally shut out from the 'normal world' after an experience that altered your perception of yourself forever, highly recommend this. I think it's a standalone but I'd read more in an artificial heartbeat if it turned out to be a series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for the ARC.