This is such a fun book!

Imagine Poltergeist but in a fast food place and you have The Ghost That Are Us. This story is told in a documentary fashion with interviews, evidence, and footnotes to help the reader understand the horror that took place at Burger City.. The characters are well-developed, realistic, and come alive of the page!

Reading this on the Kindle is tricky with the images and notations. I highly recommend a paperback, and I imagine that would have enhanced the experience; however, even with the odd formatting on an e-version, the book was a blast! Quick paced and a wild ride!

I typically love fake true-crime stories, but The Ghost that Ate Us was just a little too ridiculous for me. The writing was also a bit repetitive.

Thank you to Raw Dog Screaming Press & Erin for sending an ARC of The Ghost that Ate Us my way!

The Ghost that Ate Us is perfect for fans of the mixed media/non-conventional type: House of Leaves, Wylding Hall, Daisy Jones and the Six, etc. So, in other words, me. I'm a sucker for anything that lands outside of the box, and friends, The Ghost that Ate Us is so far out of the box. Daniel Kraus' novel is filled with interviews, anecdotes, and photographs of what happened at the Burger City off I-80. The Ghost that Ate Us plays itself off as a true story, so much so, that the person conducting these interviews & all that jazz is the man himself, Daniel Kraus.

This mockumentary-style book is so much fun. With both the cover and the synopsis, I'm honestly not surprised that I had such a blast. Kraus does such a great job at this format that I often forgot that this was a fictional account.

One thing that really sticks out in The Ghost that Ate Us is the colorful cast of characters; from Kit Bryant to Desdemona Mozley -- the characters in this book are so unique and I couldn't help but fall in love with them. Did I think I'd become strangely obsessed with these characters? Absolutely not. But alas, here we are.

And the horror! Oh, the horror. At times the scares are a bit.. silly. But it's scattered so perfectly throughout this book & the actual tragedy that Daniel Kraus leads up to is absolutely insane. This tragedy is often hinted at throughout the read & the payoff is so good.

This was such a fun book to read; so unique, so well-done & just an absolute blast from start to finish.

This was a fun book! I really enjoyed the juxtaposition of the spookiness of a haunting mixed with the silliness of a fast food restaurant setting. The characters were super interesting and there were some great horror elements.. I liked this being presented as non-fiction and appreciated the addition of photographs, drawings, footnotes, etc. The pacing felt a bit slow and kind of bogged down the story at times, feeling like it took some time to get to the crux of the story.

I hate to say this, but this was a DNF for me. I just could not take all of the droning on about the details of the town and the people. I stopped reading during the restaurant manager's details. I just didn't care. I know it was building to something, but I just could not get far enough to find out. Great cover though.

I had to read "The Ghost That Ate Us" after seeing the cover. The synopsis was spot on and I absolutely loved this goofy story, which I totally thought was non-fiction at the beginning and kept asking myself if this was true or not. I am a huge fan of true crime so this was the best of both worlds.

First up, thank you to the publishers/Netgalley for allowing me to read this book.

But I am DNF-ing after trying to get reading it multiple times. I cannot read it on my Kindle as my Kindle just ruins the format and the images. I cannot read it on my PC because the font is tiny and there is too much text. I thought maybe when I got my glasses (finally did an eye test and while my eyes aren't too bad, glasses are needed) that I could read better, and yes that is fine, but it is still too much. Too tiny font. Too much wall of text. Maybe if I ever come across this one in physical mode (probably a long shot given I live in a country where English isn't the first language), I will try it again, because I am intrigued by the blurb and the format.

Did not finish
I really liked the concept of this book and the cover is great but it didn't keep my interest past about 20% and it was too long for me to keep reading

This book is meta as hell and I love it for it.

Daniel Kraus purports to document the crime of the century. Six people killed, horribly, at Burger City in Iowa. Kit Bryant was the murderer. Or was he? There's evidence he was possessed by something monstrous and evil.

None of it happened. Not in real life. But fiction sometimes blurs those lines. And the man to blur those lines is Daniel Kraus. Horror writer, journalist and investigator. Kraus is on the case to piece together exactly what happened in an event that exists only in his imagination. But Kraus makes it feel real. Looking through the bodies, the videos, Kraus crafts all too human portrayals of the incident.

It's a desperate novel. It's anxious. The creeping sense of dread and wrongness is prevalent throughout the book. Kraus's investigations take on a life of their own, in a manner I haven't seen since Richard Chizmar's Chasing the Boogeyman. This could easily fail in execution, but Kraus is too good an author to let it.

It's a commentary on true crime, how these incidents are ghosts that consume us, draw us in and won't let us leave. It's eerie from start to finish and absolutely terrific.

5/5

I could not put down THE GHOST THAT ATE US. Almost comprehensive and perfect in its verisimilitude, this book's great achievement is validated by the fact that many reviewers who have read and loved the novel STILL don't know if it's a "real" true crime book or a "fake" one. Kraus has internalized the rhythms, tone, and structures of the true crime genre-- the introduction alone nails the teasing of lurid details, claims to exclusive content, and muted but subtle personal agenda of the true crime writer. It's pitch perfect. He also walks a near perfect line of ambiguity that so much horror strives for but doesn't achieve. Is Burger City-- or one of its employees-- plagued by a poltergeist? Or can the unexplained phenomena be attributed to group psychosis? You will never know for sure, but you will enjoy the wild ride.

If, like me, you were assigned to read Fast Food Nation and watched Super-Size Me at an impressionable age, then you already know some of the horrors of fast food. Daniel Kraus’ The Ghost That Ate Us adds in a few more with a possible poltergeist, grisly murders, and a legacy burned into a rural landscape. Written as a nonfiction exploration into the cause of the Burger City Tragedy, the inclusion of interviews with survivors, photographs, and footnotes blurs the line between fact and fiction with every page. The novel balances its contemporary exploration of trauma with a past excitement for discovery and the unknown. While this balance isn’t always perfect and can sometimes confuse, uncovering and releasing the truth comes with a pound of flesh to spare. This is a fresh concept served with plenty of revulsion and a side of sympathy.

Daniel Kraus’s new novel, "The Ghost That Ate Us," is an incredibly difficult book to talk about without venturing into spoilery waters. It's a true-crime facsimile that's more of a rumination on the ways traumatic events can bring people together and irreparably destroy them than it is a tale about the event itself. But it's also a dark, almost satirical critique of both true-crime and paranormal nonfiction - in the best way possible. With a densely constructed plot that slowly builds up to an absolute cracker of a climax, "The Ghost That Ate Us" might be one of the most unique horror stories I've read in a while. But it's also one of the most effective.

We all remember the Burger City Tragedy of June 2017. Six dead after a strange nine months filled with alleged paranormal activity, violent crimes, and bizarre news coverage. But what really happened at Burger City #8 between September 2016 and June 2017? Is there any truth at all to the stories of the Burger City Poltergeist? Or is the whole thing just a hoax, a convenient excuse to shift blame from those who deserve it to some kind of paranormal entity? Daniel Kraus seeks to answer all of these questions and more in "The Ghost That Ate Us," finally telling the true story behind this horrific tragedy. Featuring interviews with the survivors and an in-depth analysis of the available evidence, "The Ghost That Ate Us" weaves together a tale of naivete, opportunism, mismanagement, and brutality that just might finally put a rest to this whole sordid affair.

Of course, "The Ghost That Ate Us" is a work of fiction written in the style of a true-crime book. A style that Kraus both skewers and makes great use of. If you're a true-crime fan, you'll immediately recognize some of the tropes he utilizes (and subsequently pushes as far as they'll go). It's through that combination of fiction and nonfiction that Kraus creates this all-engrossing, dramatic, and horrifying story. And best of all, he avoids the most common trap in true-crime stories by not actually telling readers what the specific crime is until the book’s climax. At times, this sometimes makes the book feel a bit dense and confusing. But as the climax hits, you quickly realize that those earlier, confusing chapters were expertly laying the groundwork for this explosive conclusion. And it's a total delight - a suspenseful page-turner from start to finish.

To be clear, "The Ghost That Ate Us" isn't a comedic book. It's not trying to make fun of true-crime novels or paranormal stories. It is, however, a critique of those genres. Or, at least, the opportunistic, uncaring industry that revolves around them. Because the thing that stands out the most when reading "The Ghost That Ate Us" isn't its bonkers plot (though let me tell you, things get absolutely wild at times) or the novelty of the story's execution. It's the way that Kraus explores the story's characters and how their lives have been irreparably damaged by this traumatic event. Much of the book focuses far more on how the characters are doing nowadays than on explaining the specificities of the Burger City Tragedy and the events that led up to it. And I'm so glad that's the angle he takes because it makes for a far better story.

Viewed within the context of some of Kraus's other books, this focus on the characters’ respective trauma isn't particularly surprising. It's a theme that crops up in books like "Bent Heavens" and "The Autumnal." But it's also so much more interesting than purely focusing on the minutiae of solving this crime or proving/disproving the paranormal aspects. Throughout the book, you grow to truly care for these characters, all of whom came from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds and all of whom were searching desperately for some way out of their situations. These horrifying events united them almost as much as they destroyed them. And that's beyond fascinating. For these characters, the true tragedy doesn't necessarily lie in the traumatic event itself, but in the aftermath. In the scars and guilt it leaves behind with the survivors. And Kraus explores that idea to all of its gut-punching glory.

As far as the horror goes, the supernatural elements certainly take a backseat to everything else. After all, Kraus makes it pretty clear from page one that he's skeptical of the whole Burger City Poltergeist thing. So, most of the book is told from the perspective of someone simply trying to understand why a person might be drawn into either believing or perpetrating such a horrific hoax. And honestly, that's far scarier than something like "The Amityville Horror." "The Ghost That Ate Us" is plenty terrifying without the poltergeist in question. Between the specifics of the actual tragedy and the general societal horror that befalls most of the characters, it's hard to shake how upsetting this book is. The whole thing is basically a waking nightmare, filled with an ever-increasing sense of dread that digs into your soul in the best way possible.

At the end of the day, "The Ghost That Ate Us" is a horrific, brutal, emotional read. It's the perfect combination of fiction and nonfiction, all at once skewering the paranormal/true-crime genres while adhering to most of their tropes. The horror is very visceral and character-driven, with Kraus spending much of the book delving deep into his characters and exploring who they are now and who they were before the tragedy. And that ending - let's just say it's in your best interests to stay as unspoiled as possible. If you're looking for a new scary read, "The Ghost That Ate Us" might just scratch that itch. It's unlike anything I've read in quite a while. And I loved every page of it.

I have tried to start this book multiple times and have a hard time keeping the characters straight. It has a lot of potential and for me it just might be the e-book formatting making it confusing. The footnotes and the added pictures specifically make it difficult with the e-book formatting. I'm going to leave my review off of Goodreads for now because I do plan on purchasing a physical copy of the book when it is released and try again. It is a really unique concept and sounds like it will be a lot of fun.

Very, very interesting premise and approach.
The book is written in the fashion of a scholarly thesis which doesn't sound like it would work, but actually works very well. Pretty much a mockumentary "true crime" style novel, this piece of fiction, its description, and reading a few chapters will send you straight to the internet to find out whether the author is having you on or not
And even THEN, you won't be sure.
Dragged on a bit in the middle, picked up the pace for the last quarter, and overall was a very enjoyable read.
Keep in mind that the only way to read this as an e-book is in PDF format (it contains footnotes that don't lend themselves to EPUB or AZW3)

Wow. This was really good. Different, but good. I like the true crime feel, with great characters and pacing. Couldn't wait to see how it turned out. Can't wait to read more from Daniel Kraus and Raw Dog Screaming Press.

DNF - By the 30% mark I began asking myself if I were really, truly, enjoying what I was reading & the answer was, unfortunately, no.

I was roped-in by the concept of this plot & I think with some very efficient editing this story would do well as a novella. That is to say, the excessive physical descriptors surpassed shocking & became a nuisance to read. Everyone had lost a shocking amount of weight or they were shockingly addicting to substances or they were shockingly overweight or they had become shockingly morose....is read as redundant & the brutality of the descriptions brought no legitimacy to the novel. I hesitate to say this last bit because the narrator could have been harsh & a very uncouth person but the way that the novel is written teeters on abundance in the minute details as well as lacking in the eloquence that would be necessitated with creating a fictional event in the real world (a poltergeist appearance slammed as the source to a mass murder).

Every time I read about how horrific a character was in appearance & how 'back woodsy' they were, I drew further & further out of the intrigue I had been doused in & found myself not wanting to continue at all. There is a very distinct line between simply staying atrocities for the sake of saying them & weaving them into sentences that create a vivid image in the mind of the reader.

The length of this book felt obscenely long as well. Though I enjoyed being given some back story for every single character, there are so many of them & it got to the point where I couldn't distinguish between Kit & Quinn--both their voices/dialogue & history & presence felt identical--which can perhaps be attributed to my weaning interest. Structurally the ARC needed revision. There were a great deal of errors & this truly took away from the effort of the author to craft a story. In tandem with my inability to distinguish between every single person in the slew of village people who came & went within the narrative, these errors made it difficult to appreciate why I was continuously reading about everyone who was worse done by than the other person.

A study on the horrors & sorrows of small towns & those amongst its citizens who have struggled to make it in any place of the world is a story worth telling & I did feel very tangibly sad for all the characters. There were indeed trapped by many facets, both on & off the page. But, the page count kept mounting & I didn't feel it necessary to revisit every bit of history that brought every single person or group of people, together to experience this supernatural phenomena. Perhaps this can be attributed to what I sought to find in this book.

Kraus has an interesting story on his hands & with edits this could be a stunning story with dual narratives touching on the tremors of failed potential, morbid supernatural phenomena, collective mania, post traumatic stress, isolation & popular culture. I hope to see this book reach its full potential because, Kraus certainly has the ability to get it there.

DNF

I just couldn't get into this book.

I liked that it provided diagrams etc... but unfortunately as an ebook format they weren't easy to see clearly.

Great idea for a book but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

I don't think I will ever forget this book. I thought it was disturbing and creepy but oddly compelling at the same time. I am a true crime buff and I do enjoy the occasional macabre story. If you are like me than you will also enjoy this book. The craziest thing about this book is that it's completely true.

DNF - While the writing is superb with descriptions, the narrative wasn't compelling enough for me to see this past the 50% mark. The chapters unfold with abrupt switches between locations and interviewees without transitions, similar to jump cuts in documentaries which work fine on film, but provide a disruptive experience for readers.

It's an odd thing.
For me at least.
I'm not a huge podcast listener, nor am I a big True Crime buff in any sense.
I'm also not a big fan of movies based on a big massive true event. For instance - the movie based on the plane that crash landed in the river by New York. I can't wrap my head around why you'd want to sit and watch a dramatized version of something that you can read/watch real news stories and videos about.
But, that's just me, and as I said - it's an odd thing.
But - a second but here - for some reason, I massively enjoy fictionalized podcast novels. Case in point - Matt Wesolowski's 'Six Stories' series. It follows the host of a True Crime podcast as he gets to the bottom of events that shocked everyone. It works for me and maybe it does because it's fiction and I can't simply Google the events.
Which brings us to 'The Ghost That Ate Us,' by Daniel Kraus. I've only read one release from Daniel prior to this (the phenomenal 'Bent Heavens') and really loved it. I wasn't 100% sure about how this one would play out, but went in with an open mind.
Kraus presents this as a true-factual story, but as it is 100% fiction (well with real parts in it) I decided to try and push down my internal bias about podcast/investigative non-fiction pieces and go in with as much of a blank slate as possible.

What I liked: The story follows Kraus as he investigates the events surrounding a supposed haunted Burger City location. We get to hear from the key players who worked there or witnessed incidents and Kraus does a great job of highlighting these events, while attempting to convince the reader that he still doesn't fully believe everything.

He does a masterful job of making this highly detailed, but still readable, maintaining a flowing style of storytelling. The research details are both fiction and non-fiction, which really highlights to make this a 'meta' piece and will keep readers guessing as to whether this is fact or fiction.

The characters he's created here were really great. Seeing how they've all been impacted by these events was fascinating and as the book moves along and more and more layers are exposed and deceptions and truths revealed, the meta aspect really works its magic to keep the reader on their toes.

What I didn't like: While it works most of the time (especially in the latter half), the meta aspect and the fact vs fiction aspect continued to jar me when it would come up. I went in wanting to read a wholly fictionalised story, but when Kraus' name would pop up or real events would be discussed (the Trump/Clintion election plays a role early on as an example), it threw me for a loop, as it would take me out of the story for a moment.

The ending here is going to be divisive, I believe. It really worked for me, especially with how things ramped up to that moment, but I think it will be a 50/50 split for those who read it and whether it worked for them or not.

Why you should buy this: 'The Ghost That Ate Us' was a really well done piece and one that you can tell Kraus really dove into and poured his entirety into it. It was a blast from start to finish and the level of storytelling really showcases why, when this type of book works, it really works.

Kraus is an author I need to read more of, but between 'Bent Heavens' and now this one, I think he's also an author everyone needs to check out! This was fantastic! Huge thanks to Erin and RDSP for sending me an advance copy!