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Grief Eater
Not yet published
Expected 1 Jun 26Visceral, gritty, and unforgiving, GRIEF EATER is a zombie story like you’ve never read before.
When Kristina rises from her violent death, she’s not the same fragile woman her family once abandoned. She’s rageful, powerful, and hungry—for the blood of the ones who were supposed to love her. With a newfound craving to see vengeance and grief served, she launches into a once-in-an-undead-lifetime journey across blood-slicked highways to the scorched Australian bush and her hometown. As her body fails and her mind fractures, she’s left with one final question: Is she here to forgive, or to feed?
A transgressive, gory examination of queer identity and found family, GRIEF EATER sinks its teeth into trauma and what it means to be devoured by grief.
Advance Praise for Grief Eater
“Grief Eater is a scathing rebuke. And yet it has so much heart. Every line of Osborne’s gorgeous prose is a knife that cuts like a balm. Lyrical, constantly surprising, essential—Grief Eater takes a familiar genre and transforms it into something entirely new.” —Cadwell Turnbull, award-winning author of the Convergence Saga
“This story will not spare you. It will reach into your chest and eat your heart. Osborne writes with brutal clarity about abuse and betrayal, about the queer joy and chosen family that will help you survive it. About how love and a quest for vengeance can be strong enough to move the dead. I’ve never read anything like it.” —K Tidbeck, author of Amatka and Jagannath.
“Grief Eater is an embodied, sensory experience: screaming, snarling grief; monstrous hunger; the desire for answers that can only be found in blood. Horror at its finest, as glorious, gory relief and release.” —Angela Meyer, author of Moon Sugar
“Soaked in blood and loss, Grief Eater is a bittersweet tale that is redolent with the transformative closure that comes after confronting painful trauma. A visceral and unflinching read!” —Suzan Palumbo, author of Skin Thief: Stories and Countess
When Kristina rises from her violent death, she’s not the same fragile woman her family once abandoned. She’s rageful, powerful, and hungry—for the blood of the ones who were supposed to love her. With a newfound craving to see vengeance and grief served, she launches into a once-in-an-undead-lifetime journey across blood-slicked highways to the scorched Australian bush and her hometown. As her body fails and her mind fractures, she’s left with one final question: Is she here to forgive, or to feed?
A transgressive, gory examination of queer identity and found family, GRIEF EATER sinks its teeth into trauma and what it means to be devoured by grief.
Advance Praise for Grief Eater
“Grief Eater is a scathing rebuke. And yet it has so much heart. Every line of Osborne’s gorgeous prose is a knife that cuts like a balm. Lyrical, constantly surprising, essential—Grief Eater takes a familiar genre and transforms it into something entirely new.” —Cadwell Turnbull, award-winning author of the Convergence Saga
“This story will not spare you. It will reach into your chest and eat your heart. Osborne writes with brutal clarity about abuse and betrayal, about the queer joy and chosen family that will help you survive it. About how love and a quest for vengeance can be strong enough to move the dead. I’ve never read anything like it.” —K Tidbeck, author of Amatka and Jagannath.
“Grief Eater is an embodied, sensory experience: screaming, snarling grief; monstrous hunger; the desire for answers that can only be found in blood. Horror at its finest, as glorious, gory relief and release.” —Angela Meyer, author of Moon Sugar
“Soaked in blood and loss, Grief Eater is a bittersweet tale that is redolent with the transformative closure that comes after confronting painful trauma. A visceral and unflinching read!” —Suzan Palumbo, author of Skin Thief: Stories and Countess
- GenresHorror
94 pages, ebook
Expected publication June 1, 2026
43 people want to read
About the author
Emma Osborne
11 books12 followersEmma Osborne (they/them) is a queer fiction writer and poet from Naarm Melbourne, Australia. Emma’s writing has appeared in Uncanny Magazine, Nightmare Magazine, Shock Totem, Apex Magazine, Queers Destroy Science Fiction, Pseudopod, the Review of Australian Fiction, the Year’s Best Australian Fantasy and Horror, GlitterShip, HOMETOWN HAUNTS edited by Poppy Nwosu and WASTELANDS 3 edited by John Joseph Adams.
Emma is a graduate of the 2016 Clarion West Writers Workshop and are an Aurealis and Australian Shadows Award finalist.
Their debut novella “Grief Eater” is forthcoming at Interstellar Flight Press. They currently live in Sunbury with their girlfriend and three wonderful cats. You can find Emma on BlueSky at @redscribe.
Emma is a graduate of the 2016 Clarion West Writers Workshop and are an Aurealis and Australian Shadows Award finalist.
Their debut novella “Grief Eater” is forthcoming at Interstellar Flight Press. They currently live in Sunbury with their girlfriend and three wonderful cats. You can find Emma on BlueSky at @redscribe.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
January 29, 2026
4.5 stars! First of all, thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. This is a novella set in Australia during a zombie apocalypse. We follow our main character Kristina after she gets attacked and killed, when she is in her “zombie” form. Usually in a novella, you don’t get a lot of character depth. But I truly resonated with Kristina and came to care for her a lot. There are some gory/graphic parts, but this is also very emotional and examines her traumatic childhood. I loved learning about her and Josh’s friendship. And for what happens after that, I say GOOD FOR HER! This cover is also stunning. I highly recommend this one and would love to read more from this author!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for sending me this ARC!
Grief Eater is a very intense and fast-paced story. I was not expecting this book to be so heavy and emotional. The trauma that Kristina experienced growing up shaped her entire being, even in death.
It was interesting to read from a 'zombie' perspective, to see how they processed emotions and actions and how intelligent they still were after they had been turned.
*spoilers below*
Her thirst for blood was almost as consuming as her need for revenge, and even if she didn't get the results she wanted from eating her worthless, abusive family, I'm glad she found enough peace to fade into the mindless blood lust she craved.
This was everything a novella should be. Fast paced, gripping and emotional. 4.5 stars
Grief Eater is a very intense and fast-paced story. I was not expecting this book to be so heavy and emotional. The trauma that Kristina experienced growing up shaped her entire being, even in death.
It was interesting to read from a 'zombie' perspective, to see how they processed emotions and actions and how intelligent they still were after they had been turned.
*spoilers below*
Her thirst for blood was almost as consuming as her need for revenge, and even if she didn't get the results she wanted from eating her worthless, abusive family, I'm glad she found enough peace to fade into the mindless blood lust she craved.
This was everything a novella should be. Fast paced, gripping and emotional. 4.5 stars
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*TW* for domestic abuse, especially directed towards a child/young adult.
"The blood brings back the shine in my eyes, the blush to my cheeks."
It’s the undead apocalypse in this grim novella, but it’s not your average zombie story. Set in Australia, our queer girl Kristina has a plan to survive. But before she can meet up with her long-time best friend, a trans man named Josh, she’s attacked and turned into one of the flesh eating monsters she’d planned to outrun.
The zombies in Emma Osborne’s story are not what you’re used to. They’re not delirious, rotting cadavers falling apart as they drag themselves around town. When they feed, they heal and their strength is renewed.
Now, I love some family dysfunction in my fiction, and this one delivered a little too well. Our main character is horribly hated by her family. Her alcoholic father is physically abusive, and she can do no right in her mother’s eyes. When Kristina gets hit by her father, her older brother laughs as if she deserves it. And this abuse started way before she came out as gay.
Her objective? Kill the family that never loved her, that showed her nothing but pain. When a zombie feeds on a human- and it doesn’t have to be brains- they glimpse that person’s memories. So, when Katrina gets to her childhood house where her parents still reside, what will she see when she sinks her teeth into them? Will they have any fond memories of her at all? Did they ever love her?
"I hope he’s alive so that I can be the thing that kills him."
The platonic love she had for Josh was awesome. I’m glad she had some light in all that darkness. There's also a scene where she’s eating a man, and in his memories she sees this young girl and feels the love he had for her, his daughter. It was heartbreaking to read about Kristina temporarily experiencing this feeling of unconditional love when she never received it.
I thought it was really neat that she doesn’t seem to look like a “zombie.” Besides being dirty and not wearing shoes (or pants?) she looks normal. It’s when she engages the superhuman strength or unhinges her jaw that you know something’s up.
"The blood brings back the shine in my eyes, the blush to my cheeks."
It’s the undead apocalypse in this grim novella, but it’s not your average zombie story. Set in Australia, our queer girl Kristina has a plan to survive. But before she can meet up with her long-time best friend, a trans man named Josh, she’s attacked and turned into one of the flesh eating monsters she’d planned to outrun.
The zombies in Emma Osborne’s story are not what you’re used to. They’re not delirious, rotting cadavers falling apart as they drag themselves around town. When they feed, they heal and their strength is renewed.
Now, I love some family dysfunction in my fiction, and this one delivered a little too well. Our main character is horribly hated by her family. Her alcoholic father is physically abusive, and she can do no right in her mother’s eyes. When Kristina gets hit by her father, her older brother laughs as if she deserves it. And this abuse started way before she came out as gay.
Her objective? Kill the family that never loved her, that showed her nothing but pain. When a zombie feeds on a human- and it doesn’t have to be brains- they glimpse that person’s memories. So, when Katrina gets to her childhood house where her parents still reside, what will she see when she sinks her teeth into them? Will they have any fond memories of her at all? Did they ever love her?
"I hope he’s alive so that I can be the thing that kills him."
The platonic love she had for Josh was awesome. I’m glad she had some light in all that darkness. There's also a scene where she’s eating a man, and in his memories she sees this young girl and feels the love he had for her, his daughter. It was heartbreaking to read about Kristina temporarily experiencing this feeling of unconditional love when she never received it.
I thought it was really neat that she doesn’t seem to look like a “zombie.” Besides being dirty and not wearing shoes (or pants?) she looks normal. It’s when she engages the superhuman strength or unhinges her jaw that you know something’s up.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Melbourne has been overrun by zombies, and Kristina is planning to escape with her best friend. But before she can reach their rendezvous point, she is attacked and turned into a zombie herself. Suddenly, she is much more powerful and no longer feels the insecurities that plagued her as a human. Instead, she can feel the memories of the people she kills, and this realization awakens a need for answers: What did her parents and brother really feel toward her during her childhood, when she was relentlessly abused by those who should have loved and protected her?
I felt apprehensive about picking up this book because I don’t normally read horror, and I definitely don’t like gore, but I was so intrigued by the premise that I decided to give it a chance. I am so glad I did, as this novella was perfect! In just under 100 pages, Emma Osborne tells a complete story of Kristina’s life and "undeath." The story is wonderfully queer, featuring a lesbian protagonist, a best friend who is trans and gay, and several queer side characters. The content warning for homophobia should be taken seriously though, as Kristina’s birth family inflicts a lot of homophobic abuse on her in addition to other traumas.
The story is told in the first person, using the present tense for Kristina’s life as a zombie and the past tense for her life before death. The narrative flows perfectly; nothing felt extra and nothing was missing. Grief Eater is a powerful tale about rage and trauma, the catharsis of revenge, and the complex reality of craving closure. Kristina is an amazingly human protagonist, and I cared deeply about her story.
I recommend reading Emma Osborne’s short story, Don’t Pack Hope (published in Nightmare Magazine 67: April 2018), for another perspective on a Melbourne overrun by zombies. It’s a true delight!
Thank you Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!
I felt apprehensive about picking up this book because I don’t normally read horror, and I definitely don’t like gore, but I was so intrigued by the premise that I decided to give it a chance. I am so glad I did, as this novella was perfect! In just under 100 pages, Emma Osborne tells a complete story of Kristina’s life and "undeath." The story is wonderfully queer, featuring a lesbian protagonist, a best friend who is trans and gay, and several queer side characters. The content warning for homophobia should be taken seriously though, as Kristina’s birth family inflicts a lot of homophobic abuse on her in addition to other traumas.
The story is told in the first person, using the present tense for Kristina’s life as a zombie and the past tense for her life before death. The narrative flows perfectly; nothing felt extra and nothing was missing. Grief Eater is a powerful tale about rage and trauma, the catharsis of revenge, and the complex reality of craving closure. Kristina is an amazingly human protagonist, and I cared deeply about her story.
I recommend reading Emma Osborne’s short story, Don’t Pack Hope (published in Nightmare Magazine 67: April 2018), for another perspective on a Melbourne overrun by zombies. It’s a true delight!
Thank you Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the opportunity to read this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Grief Eater accomplishes so much in such a short amount of time. I was surprised by how emotionally deep the story was, and by how much I cared for Kristina even before the end, despite it being only 96 pages. Kristina’s character felt painfully real - multidimensional in her love, her grief, and her tragedy. It also has an intriguingly fresh take on zombies, and I loved the balance of gore and emotion.
Poignant and powerful, with beautiful moments of found family and acceptance, the story is bittersweet amongst the themes of abuse and trauma. Reading it, I was reminded of "It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over" by Anne de Marcken, but Grief Eater hits with a much stronger punch.
It's short, brutal but also tender. It will be a story that sits with me for a long time, and definitely recommend it to readers interested in emotion/character driven horror.
Huge thank yous to Interstellar Flight Press & Emma Osborne for this ARC read.
Not a direct spoiler, but discussion of the emotional journey that you may want to experience for yourself first:
Poignant and powerful, with beautiful moments of found family and acceptance, the story is bittersweet amongst the themes of abuse and trauma. Reading it, I was reminded of "It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over" by Anne de Marcken, but Grief Eater hits with a much stronger punch.
It's short, brutal but also tender. It will be a story that sits with me for a long time, and definitely recommend it to readers interested in emotion/character driven horror.
Huge thank yous to Interstellar Flight Press & Emma Osborne for this ARC read.
Not a direct spoiler, but discussion of the emotional journey that you may want to experience for yourself first:
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Wow, a lot of this was quite painful to read.
This story is sad, tragic and dark.
But not in a typical thrilling zombie apocalypse fashion. It is way heavier psychologically, honestly to the point where I ended up being mostly un-phased by the physical, gorey elements.
Which is strange for me to say about something like this!
I am intrigued by the concept of death system here.
Books about zombies that are self-aware, remember their past life, and have real emotionality are few and far between- but will always be something I can get behind.
Kristina is just so incredibly easy to root for from the very beginning. I mean, given her story- I think you basically have to be somewhat invested in her journey.
I am leaving this story feeling… sad. and also kind of empty.
Partially from the overall mood of the story, and partially because there isn;t a super-defined “happy” ending, where all is well. (but, really, why would there be? It isn’t in the nature of what’s happening here)
But I am not dissatisfied with that experience… if that makes any sense!
I think the feeling I received is well-aligned with the intention.
So that is a job well-done.
Thank you to Netgalley, Interstellar Flight Press | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Members’ Titles and author Emma Osborne for providing me with the eARC of “Grief Eater”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: June 01, 2026
This story is sad, tragic and dark.
But not in a typical thrilling zombie apocalypse fashion. It is way heavier psychologically, honestly to the point where I ended up being mostly un-phased by the physical, gorey elements.
Which is strange for me to say about something like this!
I am intrigued by the concept of death system here.
Books about zombies that are self-aware, remember their past life, and have real emotionality are few and far between- but will always be something I can get behind.
Kristina is just so incredibly easy to root for from the very beginning. I mean, given her story- I think you basically have to be somewhat invested in her journey.
I am leaving this story feeling… sad. and also kind of empty.
Partially from the overall mood of the story, and partially because there isn;t a super-defined “happy” ending, where all is well. (but, really, why would there be? It isn’t in the nature of what’s happening here)
But I am not dissatisfied with that experience… if that makes any sense!
I think the feeling I received is well-aligned with the intention.
So that is a job well-done.
Thank you to Netgalley, Interstellar Flight Press | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Members’ Titles and author Emma Osborne for providing me with the eARC of “Grief Eater”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: June 01, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received a free eARC of Grief Eater from Interstellar Flight Press via NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Content warnings: Grief, death, queerness-related trauma.
As a gay man, I’ve found that queer fiction which portrays pain in a way that feels both genuine and relatable can be difficult to find. Grief Eater has accomplished that feat in a concise and unique manner.
This is the first book I have read from the perspective of a zombie. I would be lying if I told you had I had not wondered what they experience. In other books, TV shows, and Movies, zombies vary from brainless hunters, to sophisticated hive minds. How Osborne brings Kristina to life in her death is a unique perspective, and will sit with me whenever I consume zombie media.
This novel is short, but packs in so much story and emotion in so few pages. I felt Kristina’s emotions. The rejection, rage, and hope of redemption. Her journey to utilize this unforeseen gift to get then answers she needs to finally rest.
This book may not be for everyone, but it worked for me. It is dark, and full of emotion. It’s a story that the queer community can relate to, to know they are not alone. It will tug at your heartstrings, but will also encourage you to examine your life and relationships for what truly matters.
Content warnings: Grief, death, queerness-related trauma.
As a gay man, I’ve found that queer fiction which portrays pain in a way that feels both genuine and relatable can be difficult to find. Grief Eater has accomplished that feat in a concise and unique manner.
This is the first book I have read from the perspective of a zombie. I would be lying if I told you had I had not wondered what they experience. In other books, TV shows, and Movies, zombies vary from brainless hunters, to sophisticated hive minds. How Osborne brings Kristina to life in her death is a unique perspective, and will sit with me whenever I consume zombie media.
This novel is short, but packs in so much story and emotion in so few pages. I felt Kristina’s emotions. The rejection, rage, and hope of redemption. Her journey to utilize this unforeseen gift to get then answers she needs to finally rest.
This book may not be for everyone, but it worked for me. It is dark, and full of emotion. It’s a story that the queer community can relate to, to know they are not alone. It will tug at your heartstrings, but will also encourage you to examine your life and relationships for what truly matters.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Zombies are always fascinating, but this was the first time I read a book where you get the zombie POV and I loved it. You really get the whole process from when Kristina is attacked and dies, turns and then slowly changes, her new body so strong and craves for blood, the killing is blissful and the eating is glory. However, she still thinks, has a mind and that is quite unique to read about regarding a zombie.
When Kristina feeds on a human she also gets memories of their past life and she starts thinking about her sad past. The loves he had and lost and how poorly she was treated by her homophobic family. She can still feel hate and her hate for her family is beyond anything, her body screams for bloody revenge, she must get to them somehow.
I would have loved if this book had been much longer. A full story about Kristina before and after to really get her. Now it just like a glimpse but still worth reading of course.
I received a free ARC via NetGalley and leave an honest review voluntarily.
When Kristina feeds on a human she also gets memories of their past life and she starts thinking about her sad past. The loves he had and lost and how poorly she was treated by her homophobic family. She can still feel hate and her hate for her family is beyond anything, her body screams for bloody revenge, she must get to them somehow.
I would have loved if this book had been much longer. A full story about Kristina before and after to really get her. Now it just like a glimpse but still worth reading of course.
I received a free ARC via NetGalley and leave an honest review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Grief Eater starts off with the main character, Kristina, getting bitten and thus turned into a zombie. From there, she makes the journey home to her family by whom she has suffered tremendous amounts of abuse, seeking revenge and understanding with her new zombie senses.
I love a good zombie story and this one really delivered in a refreshing way.
The way Kristina was technically a zombie but she still kept some of her human mind, was believable to me. Kristina has become a zombie with base desires of feeding - but she also still retained her desire of needing to know why her family hated and abused her. This singular need that drove her to make the miles on foot to her childhood home and exact revenge as a zombie was done so well, with flashes of her childhood.
A fantastic short story that's not really about zombies, but as a vessel to explore topics of grief, childhood abuse and trauma.
Thanks to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for a copy to review.
I love a good zombie story and this one really delivered in a refreshing way.
The way Kristina was technically a zombie but she still kept some of her human mind, was believable to me. Kristina has become a zombie with base desires of feeding - but she also still retained her desire of needing to know why her family hated and abused her. This singular need that drove her to make the miles on foot to her childhood home and exact revenge as a zombie was done so well, with flashes of her childhood.
A fantastic short story that's not really about zombies, but as a vessel to explore topics of grief, childhood abuse and trauma.
Thanks to NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for a copy to review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Interstellar Flight Press and NetGalley for the ARC!
Kristina has been transformed, no longer the same fragile woman—now she is powerful and hungry for vengeance.
Grief Eater is an intense queer horror that achieves so much in such few pages, while also providing a refreshing take on zombie apocalypses. I love that we experience Kristina's change and follow her as a zombie, yet her initial hold on her humanity provides so much insight. She is such an authentic character. I particularly loved the aspect that zombie's obtain memories through their food.
Set against an Australian country backdrop, we feel Kristina's isolation from both her time as a human and a zombie. Everything from her rage to her hope was captivating.
Kristina has been transformed, no longer the same fragile woman—now she is powerful and hungry for vengeance.
"Even dead, I am hungry. No heartbeat. No breath. Gone but animate, broken and ravenous."
Grief Eater is an intense queer horror that achieves so much in such few pages, while also providing a refreshing take on zombie apocalypses. I love that we experience Kristina's change and follow her as a zombie, yet her initial hold on her humanity provides so much insight. She is such an authentic character. I particularly loved the aspect that zombie's obtain memories through their food.
Set against an Australian country backdrop, we feel Kristina's isolation from both her time as a human and a zombie. Everything from her rage to her hope was captivating.
"My body is choked with flesh and blood, but I am so very empty."
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Now this story is amazing! It has grief, revenge, blood, and gore... my type of story. It grabbed me within the first pages and I devoured the story in one evening. Took about two hours. This will be one of my favorite stories of the year, I can already make that promise.
I do have one issue with the flow of the story in some parts. While there are repetitive sections of the story, I love this book so much that I overlooked that flaw and had a hell of a good time.
The spiteful feeling and revenge I felt in the story calmed my angry heart. The idea to not care enough about the outcome of your life as long as you can finally say that you are free from abuse and neglect. Priceless.
Read this quick story. It is definitely worth your time. I need more stories from Emma Osborne
I do have one issue with the flow of the story in some parts. While there are repetitive sections of the story, I love this book so much that I overlooked that flaw and had a hell of a good time.
The spiteful feeling and revenge I felt in the story calmed my angry heart. The idea to not care enough about the outcome of your life as long as you can finally say that you are free from abuse and neglect. Priceless.
Read this quick story. It is definitely worth your time. I need more stories from Emma Osborne
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An interesting take on zombies where they can consume the memories of people they feed on and seek out people they knew in life by scent. If you could see the innermost thoughts of the people who had the biggest impact on your life, what could stop you? This novella brings up a lot of big topics in the little space it takes up, like the subjectivity of memory and what we leave behind when we pass. It also tackles different kinds of death. What it's like to be dead to someone when you're still living and how we live with the grief of that loss. Overall, a thought provoking debut that will sit with me for a while.
Thank you NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thank you NetGalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was genius.
A zombie story told from the POV of a zombie, who retains just enough sense of self to…..seek revenge. This had a lot of classic zombie elements but also some very original twists that I enjoyed a lot. Creativity and originality always get bonus points from me.
This wasn’t a happy story. It was sad, but that doesn’t quite do it justice. This is a very psychological story, where all the brain-eating gore actually takes a backseat to the heavier emotional elements. I never thought that a scene where someone gets eaten alive would have me saying the cannibalism was the least upsetting part. It is also a very satisfying story….kind of. I recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.
A zombie story told from the POV of a zombie, who retains just enough sense of self to…..seek revenge. This had a lot of classic zombie elements but also some very original twists that I enjoyed a lot. Creativity and originality always get bonus points from me.
This wasn’t a happy story. It was sad, but that doesn’t quite do it justice. This is a very psychological story, where all the brain-eating gore actually takes a backseat to the heavier emotional elements. I never thought that a scene where someone gets eaten alive would have me saying the cannibalism was the least upsetting part. It is also a very satisfying story….kind of. I recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC. This honest review was left voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Grief Eater offers a fresh take on the zombie apocalypse. We follow Kristina through her journey of being attacked, dying, turning, and slowly changing as the story unfolds. Throughout her quest for vengeance, she reflects on the good and bad relationships that have shaped her life, which adds real emotional depth to the story.
One of my favourite aspects of the book is how the zombies consume the memories of the people they feed on, making them far more complex than typical zombies. We usually think of zombies as mindless creatures, so getting their point of view and insight into their thoughts made the story even more engaging.
Thank you Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the ARC.
One of my favourite aspects of the book is how the zombies consume the memories of the people they feed on, making them far more complex than typical zombies. We usually think of zombies as mindless creatures, so getting their point of view and insight into their thoughts made the story even more engaging.
Thank you Netgalley and Interstellar Flight Press for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It's been a while since a horror, especially such a short read, made me feel the way this book did. It broke my heart, squeezed my stomach, and at times even had me on the brink of tears. The writing style may be understated, but that does not make this book any less emotional.
I loved the take on the zombie subgenre, giving us the perspective of the monster, who is not the villain in this case, and twisting the subgenre into something visceral and sad. Grief Eater retained all the gore you'd seek out in a zombie story, whilst also becoming its own thing entirely.
I would highly recommend this quick read, especially for fans of books like The Lamb.
I loved the take on the zombie subgenre, giving us the perspective of the monster, who is not the villain in this case, and twisting the subgenre into something visceral and sad. Grief Eater retained all the gore you'd seek out in a zombie story, whilst also becoming its own thing entirely.
I would highly recommend this quick read, especially for fans of books like The Lamb.
February 1, 2026
Osborne’s Grief Eater is an incredibly visceral and haunting horror-short. I absolutely loved the intensity of the writing, the anger and emotion really radiated from the pages.
Short stories can often be a little hit and miss, given the length it can be hard to resonate with the character but the time jump style plotting was utilised really well, even if I found some parts just a little repetitive.
I’d absolutely recommend this to any zombie or queer horror lover, and would love to read anything longer form by Osborne, as I think her writing style would be incredible with a chance to explore these themes in a bit more depth.
Short stories can often be a little hit and miss, given the length it can be hard to resonate with the character but the time jump style plotting was utilised really well, even if I found some parts just a little repetitive.
I’d absolutely recommend this to any zombie or queer horror lover, and would love to read anything longer form by Osborne, as I think her writing style would be incredible with a chance to explore these themes in a bit more depth.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The sea will exist and endure longer than anyone who ever hurt me” 🌊
I’ve never read a story told from a zombies pov before but I loved it. 🧟♀️🩸
This book dives into the complexities of family trauma, the challenges of growing up queer & trans, the impact of loss, and of course grotesque zombie gore. 🪦🔪
This book is absolutely gut reaching and will tug on your heart strings but in the best way possible. 🥲🫀
I recommend every one read this! It’s only 89 pages and a gorgeous read. 🫶💛
Thank you so much to NetGalley for this early ARC copy of “Grief Eater” :D
“The sea will exist and endure longer than anyone who ever hurt me” 🌊
I’ve never read a story told from a zombies pov before but I loved it. 🧟♀️🩸
This book dives into the complexities of family trauma, the challenges of growing up queer & trans, the impact of loss, and of course grotesque zombie gore. 🪦🔪
This book is absolutely gut reaching and will tug on your heart strings but in the best way possible. 🥲🫀
I recommend every one read this! It’s only 89 pages and a gorgeous read. 🫶💛
Thank you so much to NetGalley for this early ARC copy of “Grief Eater” :D
February 2, 2026
This story is exactly what I was looking for: bloody, vengeful and gory to the extreme. Emma Osborne was not holding back at any point and I am so glad for that. Perfect pacing and plot, I was hooked from the first pages and have no criticism whatsoever. I will definitely read more of their work in the future.
Thank you NetGalley for the copy!
Thank you NetGalley for the copy!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This little horror really packs a punch as it delves into queer identity and acceptance, drowning in rage, trauma and grief whilst giving us a really interesting spin on the zombie apocalypse.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read Grief Eater!
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read Grief Eater!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
thank you netgalley for this arc!!
a short gory, queer, biter story of a young girl full of grief who is set on getting her revenge.
a short gory, queer, biter story of a young girl full of grief who is set on getting her revenge.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Enjoyed this book by Emma Osborne, but it was a hard read. Tough subjects. #GriefEater #NetGalley
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