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The Handyman Method
A chilling domestic story of terror for fans of Black Mirror and The Amityville Horror.
When a young family moves into an unfinished development community, cracks begin to emerge in both their new residence and their lives, as a mysterious online DIY instructor delivers dark subliminal suggestions about how to handle any problem around the house. The trials of home improvement, destructive insecurities, and haunted house horror all collide in this thrilling story perfect for fans of Nick Cutter’s bestsellers The Troop and The Deep.
When a young family moves into an unfinished development community, cracks begin to emerge in both their new residence and their lives, as a mysterious online DIY instructor delivers dark subliminal suggestions about how to handle any problem around the house. The trials of home improvement, destructive insecurities, and haunted house horror all collide in this thrilling story perfect for fans of Nick Cutter’s bestsellers The Troop and The Deep.
292 pages, Paperback
First published August 8, 2023
About the author
Nick Cutter
13 books7,472 followersHello Everybody!
I figured this bio was looking a little cobwebby, so here to update it a bit (Oct 2024). What's changed in the decade since I wrote my initial bio? Mmmm, not a lot. I still enjoy bubblebaths, strong coffee and passionate conversations, moonlit walks on the beach, eldritch horrors and biological horrors run amuck.
Oh, and I have a new book: The Queen!
The following years should see the arrival of The Dorians (2025?) and Gravenhurst (2026?), after which I will likely devolve into a puddle of sentient goo (2027 - RIP).
Yrs,
Nick Cutter
(but not really)
I figured this bio was looking a little cobwebby, so here to update it a bit (Oct 2024). What's changed in the decade since I wrote my initial bio? Mmmm, not a lot. I still enjoy bubblebaths, strong coffee and passionate conversations, moonlit walks on the beach, eldritch horrors and biological horrors run amuck.
Oh, and I have a new book: The Queen!
The following years should see the arrival of The Dorians (2025?) and Gravenhurst (2026?), after which I will likely devolve into a puddle of sentient goo (2027 - RIP).
Yrs,
Nick Cutter
(but not really)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,220 reviews
October 19, 2024
**2.5-stars rounded up**
The Handyman Method is a recently released Domestic Horror tale that left me scratching my head. Not necessarily because of the content, it never lost me, but because I don't know how to express how I feel about it.
Even days later, I can't put into words what about this didn't appeal to me. It's a good book, yeah, but in spite of its positives, I wasn't feeling it at all.
This story follows a young family, husband, Trent, wife, Rita and son, Milo, who are moving into a new home. The home itself is in an unfinished subdivision and it seems they are the first to the neighborhood.
Their move-in day is a little odd. You can already tell something is potentially off with this family. The husband in particular is giving off a vibe that resembles Jack Torrance after weeks at The Overlook.
He seems unhinged is what I'm trying to tell you.
After Trent finds a flaw in the wall of his wife's closet, he cannot rest until he fixes it. In order to do so he does what many of us do. He turns to YouTube.
He finds the channel of Handyman Hank, who is more than happy to guide Trent on his wall patch project, as well as many other things.
Meanwhile, Milo is having interesting experiences of his own at the new property. Some more traumatizing than others. Prepare yourself for some action with his pet turtle...
I don't know what else to say about this without giving plot points away, so let's just end the summary portion there. Now let's get into the dirt.
First, I was struck by how similar the family dynamic resembled The Shining. Trent's character especially seemed like he was Jack's less likable cousin. Even down to him losing his job due to an incident at work, the truth of which unfolds for us over the course of the story.
Milo as well felt very Danny, but actually I have no clue how old Milo actually was. To me, he could have been anywhere from 5, all the way to like 13. Honestly, I have no clue.
The Mom, Rita, was odd, but she didn't really impact me one way or another until the end.
I think I did this book a disservice actually by picking it up directly after I had read The Shining. It was literally the next book, so that was all front and center in my brain.
Therefore, I couldn't help but see comparisons around every turn in this story, and not in a good way. If I'm being honest, that did impact my experience with this book.
As far as the rest of it goes, it didn't do anything for me. It didn't do anything wrong either, I just wasn't feeling anything from the characters, or any atmosphere, or sense of place. It all felt very flat.
There was certainly plenty going on, as far as action and progression, but I just didn't care. I know so many people are going to love this. I've read some of the reviews and their experiences with it sound incredible.
I wish the same could have happened for me.
I'm glad I gave this one a shot. It had an intriguing premise overall. I just wish I could have connected more with the characters and plot.
As I've said before though, just because this one didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. I definitely feel like I am in the minority opinion at this point, so please check out all the other great reviews for this book.
If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, it's absolutely worth picking up. You could find a new favorite and then, feel free to come back and tell me how wrong I am!
Thank you to the publisher, Gallery / Saga Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm sad this was a miss for me, but I look forward to picking up more from both of these authors in the future!!
The Handyman Method is a recently released Domestic Horror tale that left me scratching my head. Not necessarily because of the content, it never lost me, but because I don't know how to express how I feel about it.
Even days later, I can't put into words what about this didn't appeal to me. It's a good book, yeah, but in spite of its positives, I wasn't feeling it at all.
This story follows a young family, husband, Trent, wife, Rita and son, Milo, who are moving into a new home. The home itself is in an unfinished subdivision and it seems they are the first to the neighborhood.
Their move-in day is a little odd. You can already tell something is potentially off with this family. The husband in particular is giving off a vibe that resembles Jack Torrance after weeks at The Overlook.
He seems unhinged is what I'm trying to tell you.
After Trent finds a flaw in the wall of his wife's closet, he cannot rest until he fixes it. In order to do so he does what many of us do. He turns to YouTube.
He finds the channel of Handyman Hank, who is more than happy to guide Trent on his wall patch project, as well as many other things.
Meanwhile, Milo is having interesting experiences of his own at the new property. Some more traumatizing than others. Prepare yourself for some action with his pet turtle...
I don't know what else to say about this without giving plot points away, so let's just end the summary portion there. Now let's get into the dirt.
First, I was struck by how similar the family dynamic resembled The Shining. Trent's character especially seemed like he was Jack's less likable cousin. Even down to him losing his job due to an incident at work, the truth of which unfolds for us over the course of the story.
Milo as well felt very Danny, but actually I have no clue how old Milo actually was. To me, he could have been anywhere from 5, all the way to like 13. Honestly, I have no clue.
The Mom, Rita, was odd, but she didn't really impact me one way or another until the end.
I think I did this book a disservice actually by picking it up directly after I had read The Shining. It was literally the next book, so that was all front and center in my brain.
Therefore, I couldn't help but see comparisons around every turn in this story, and not in a good way. If I'm being honest, that did impact my experience with this book.
As far as the rest of it goes, it didn't do anything for me. It didn't do anything wrong either, I just wasn't feeling anything from the characters, or any atmosphere, or sense of place. It all felt very flat.
There was certainly plenty going on, as far as action and progression, but I just didn't care. I know so many people are going to love this. I've read some of the reviews and their experiences with it sound incredible.
I wish the same could have happened for me.
I'm glad I gave this one a shot. It had an intriguing premise overall. I just wish I could have connected more with the characters and plot.
As I've said before though, just because this one didn't work for me, doesn't mean it won't work for you. I definitely feel like I am in the minority opinion at this point, so please check out all the other great reviews for this book.
If the synopsis sounds interesting to you, it's absolutely worth picking up. You could find a new favorite and then, feel free to come back and tell me how wrong I am!
Thank you to the publisher, Gallery / Saga Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm sad this was a miss for me, but I look forward to picking up more from both of these authors in the future!!
December 5, 2023
My actual rating is like 3.75 ⭐️
The Handyman Method is about a small family that moves into a fixer upper in the middle of nowhere, and who slowly falls under the influence of an entity that presents itself through social media. The husband falls under the grips of a how to fix it channel and becomes the epitome of toxic masculinity, and the son of a children’s show and ends up building these strange contraptions.
I think it’s safe to say that if you have struggled with Cutter’s writing in the past, but especially if you didn’t like The Deep or The Breach, you probably won’t like this one. I found that there were elements from all of his books present, and once I got used to the story I was able to enjoy it. Also, disclaimer that every single character in this is unlikeable. Every single one.
That being said, there were things I liked and disliked, so I’ll list them below-
Disliked:
The dialogue: While I think some of it was intentional, the dialogue was cringey and very jarring how unnatural it was.
Strange phrasing: I love all the weird tangents Cutter goes on in his writing, but this had a handful of vaginal metaphors that I could’ve done without lol Also, I don’t think anyone actually calls their significant other Hubby/Wifey non-ironically, but they were used almost as terms of endearment which took a lot of will power to keep reading 😂
The Home Depot Scene and the next line 40 pages proceeding that: genuinely one of the cringiest things I’ve read. Again I think some of it was intentional, but I seriously almost DNF’d it.
Liked:
The body horror: there was one like 20 page scene of something horrible happening that legit made me lightheaded it was so intense.
The “haunting” aspects: the way that the entity took control of the MC’s is classic Cutter. This esp gave the biggest The Breach vibes.
The horror elements in general: once I got beyond the cringe, there were more than a few scenes that really creeped me out. Cutter’s cosmic menace and descriptions of bad things happening is unmatched.
There’s a twist that’s also pretty cool.
Yeah, I’m gonna recommend this book, but with the
🚨!!GIANT DISCLAIMER!!🚨 that it is weird, has a slow start, and is, unfortunately, cringe. But once you get past that, things do get pretty twisted, and is genuinely creepy at times.
The Handyman Method is about a small family that moves into a fixer upper in the middle of nowhere, and who slowly falls under the influence of an entity that presents itself through social media. The husband falls under the grips of a how to fix it channel and becomes the epitome of toxic masculinity, and the son of a children’s show and ends up building these strange contraptions.
I think it’s safe to say that if you have struggled with Cutter’s writing in the past, but especially if you didn’t like The Deep or The Breach, you probably won’t like this one. I found that there were elements from all of his books present, and once I got used to the story I was able to enjoy it. Also, disclaimer that every single character in this is unlikeable. Every single one.
That being said, there were things I liked and disliked, so I’ll list them below-
Disliked:
The dialogue: While I think some of it was intentional, the dialogue was cringey and very jarring how unnatural it was.
Strange phrasing: I love all the weird tangents Cutter goes on in his writing, but this had a handful of vaginal metaphors that I could’ve done without lol Also, I don’t think anyone actually calls their significant other Hubby/Wifey non-ironically, but they were used almost as terms of endearment which took a lot of will power to keep reading 😂
The Home Depot Scene and the next line 40 pages proceeding that: genuinely one of the cringiest things I’ve read. Again I think some of it was intentional, but I seriously almost DNF’d it.
Liked:
The body horror: there was one like 20 page scene of something horrible happening that legit made me lightheaded it was so intense.
The “haunting” aspects: the way that the entity took control of the MC’s is classic Cutter. This esp gave the biggest The Breach vibes.
The horror elements in general: once I got beyond the cringe, there were more than a few scenes that really creeped me out. Cutter’s cosmic menace and descriptions of bad things happening is unmatched.
There’s a twist that’s also pretty cool.
Yeah, I’m gonna recommend this book, but with the
🚨!!GIANT DISCLAIMER!!🚨 that it is weird, has a slow start, and is, unfortunately, cringe. But once you get past that, things do get pretty twisted, and is genuinely creepy at times.
September 9, 2023
My complete review of The Handyman Method is published at Grimdark Magazine.
The Handyman Method is a wickedly brutal horror novel coauthored by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan that provides a heinous twist on the classic haunted house theme while delivering equal doses of hilarity and horror.
As the novel opens, the young Saban family moves into a newly constructed home in an unfinished, isolated neighborhood. Despite being new, the house seems to be falling apart, starting with an enormous crack that Trent and Rita Saban discover in their walk-in closet. The crack itself is concerning, but not nearly as disturbing as what they find hidden inside.
To address these problems, Trent consults a series of YouTube videos by Handyman Hank. The YouTube star apparently has the solution to every problem, extending well beyond the domain of home repair.
But Hank also promotes old-fashioned toxic masculinity through subliminal messages that are readily absorbed by Trent. Handyman Hank becomes an increasingly nefarious figure as the book progresses, with his videos becoming more personalized for Trent’s specific situations. Before long, Trent is a pickup truck-driving, contractor card-carrying tough guy complaining to his disbelieving wife that she doesn’t understand how difficult it is to be a man.
The Handyman Method is a cutting satire of home improvement culture, featuring several side-splitting trips to Home Depot that highlight the one-upmanship of the Y chromosome crowd who compete to display the highest levels of testosterone-fueled manliness.
The Handyman Method is both a hilarious and horrifying read. I couldn’t stop laughing at the authors’ brutal takedown of Infowars-style toxic masculinity. At the same time, there are some truly excruciating scenes that made me wince in pain. This is the rare horror book that elicits genuine tears of both agony and laughter.
The collaboration between Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan is seamless. Their writing is ferociously funny and unrelentingly brutal. Cutter and Sullivan also give a unique spin on the classic haunted house trope, reaching a level of dread that I didn’t think possible. I was truly shocked by several of the plot twists, especially in relation to the house’s history.
The Handyman Method feels like an acid-tripping horror version of the classic sitcom Home Improvement. Overall, The Handyman Method is a riotous ride, delivering both a terrifying haunted house story and a biting satire of the male chauvinism that pervades home improvement culture.
The Handyman Method is a wickedly brutal horror novel coauthored by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan that provides a heinous twist on the classic haunted house theme while delivering equal doses of hilarity and horror.
As the novel opens, the young Saban family moves into a newly constructed home in an unfinished, isolated neighborhood. Despite being new, the house seems to be falling apart, starting with an enormous crack that Trent and Rita Saban discover in their walk-in closet. The crack itself is concerning, but not nearly as disturbing as what they find hidden inside.
To address these problems, Trent consults a series of YouTube videos by Handyman Hank. The YouTube star apparently has the solution to every problem, extending well beyond the domain of home repair.
But Hank also promotes old-fashioned toxic masculinity through subliminal messages that are readily absorbed by Trent. Handyman Hank becomes an increasingly nefarious figure as the book progresses, with his videos becoming more personalized for Trent’s specific situations. Before long, Trent is a pickup truck-driving, contractor card-carrying tough guy complaining to his disbelieving wife that she doesn’t understand how difficult it is to be a man.
The Handyman Method is a cutting satire of home improvement culture, featuring several side-splitting trips to Home Depot that highlight the one-upmanship of the Y chromosome crowd who compete to display the highest levels of testosterone-fueled manliness.
The Handyman Method is both a hilarious and horrifying read. I couldn’t stop laughing at the authors’ brutal takedown of Infowars-style toxic masculinity. At the same time, there are some truly excruciating scenes that made me wince in pain. This is the rare horror book that elicits genuine tears of both agony and laughter.
The collaboration between Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan is seamless. Their writing is ferociously funny and unrelentingly brutal. Cutter and Sullivan also give a unique spin on the classic haunted house trope, reaching a level of dread that I didn’t think possible. I was truly shocked by several of the plot twists, especially in relation to the house’s history.
The Handyman Method feels like an acid-tripping horror version of the classic sitcom Home Improvement. Overall, The Handyman Method is a riotous ride, delivering both a terrifying haunted house story and a biting satire of the male chauvinism that pervades home improvement culture.
August 18, 2023
Aww man....
You know what I hate? I loathe having to write a bad review for an author that I love and admire. I have read three of Nick Cutter's books plus one under his real name of Craig Davidson and have loved them all. Until now.
This. Is. The. Worst. Feeling.
I'm not sure what happened here. This was one of my most highly anticipated books this year. A haunted house (one of my favorite tropes) and Nick Cutter, it was as if the stars aligned and shined down on me. I was so very excited.
Then I opened the book and from the very first page I knew this was not going to be for me.
The gist is that a family of three, husband, wife, and young son move into their dream home. It's new construction so imagine their surprise when a large crack is found in the master bedroom closet. The unemployed, former lawyer, husband decides to turn to YouTube for advice on how to fix it. Here he finds Handyman Hank, a guy that seems to know it all about home improvement, and hubby becomes obsessed with Hank (and Home Depot for that matter) and fixing things around the home. What he doesn't realize is that Hank is sending him subliminal messages telling him to do terrible, terrible things.
Okay, so, here's my problem. This dude is the most awful husband and father I have ever read about. He was so off-putting, so mysogynistic, that I was literally recoiling every time he spoke. The problem here is that this wasn't all Hank's doing. This asshole was an asshole before they even entered the house. The wife, oh my, what a bore she is. The son, could have been anywhere from 5 to 12 years old, it was hard to tell and never made clear unless I missed it, but I couldn't stand that little pain in the ass either.
There is a graphic scene of animal harm, this is horror so not a total surprise to me, but I want to warn future readers that try to avoid these things. Avoid this like the plague!
The final denouement was just dumb.
This was a collaboration between Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan. I'm not familiar with Sullivan's work but me thinks he's probably not an author for me.
I have had my fair share of lackluster books this year, when you read a lot that's bound to happen, but this one is by far my biggest disappointment. 1 star!
Many thanks to Jorge @ Gallery Books for sending me a physical arc. I truly appreciate the opportunity. I only wish I had kinder things to say. 😞
You know what I hate? I loathe having to write a bad review for an author that I love and admire. I have read three of Nick Cutter's books plus one under his real name of Craig Davidson and have loved them all. Until now.
This. Is. The. Worst. Feeling.
I'm not sure what happened here. This was one of my most highly anticipated books this year. A haunted house (one of my favorite tropes) and Nick Cutter, it was as if the stars aligned and shined down on me. I was so very excited.
Then I opened the book and from the very first page I knew this was not going to be for me.
The gist is that a family of three, husband, wife, and young son move into their dream home. It's new construction so imagine their surprise when a large crack is found in the master bedroom closet. The unemployed, former lawyer, husband decides to turn to YouTube for advice on how to fix it. Here he finds Handyman Hank, a guy that seems to know it all about home improvement, and hubby becomes obsessed with Hank (and Home Depot for that matter) and fixing things around the home. What he doesn't realize is that Hank is sending him subliminal messages telling him to do terrible, terrible things.
Okay, so, here's my problem. This dude is the most awful husband and father I have ever read about. He was so off-putting, so mysogynistic, that I was literally recoiling every time he spoke. The problem here is that this wasn't all Hank's doing. This asshole was an asshole before they even entered the house. The wife, oh my, what a bore she is. The son, could have been anywhere from 5 to 12 years old, it was hard to tell and never made clear unless I missed it, but I couldn't stand that little pain in the ass either.
There is a graphic scene of animal harm, this is horror so not a total surprise to me, but I want to warn future readers that try to avoid these things. Avoid this like the plague!
The final denouement was just dumb.
This was a collaboration between Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan. I'm not familiar with Sullivan's work but me thinks he's probably not an author for me.
I have had my fair share of lackluster books this year, when you read a lot that's bound to happen, but this one is by far my biggest disappointment. 1 star!
Many thanks to Jorge @ Gallery Books for sending me a physical arc. I truly appreciate the opportunity. I only wish I had kinder things to say. 😞
March 8, 2024
so stupid. so funny. so sick.
Read
August 31, 2023BOOK RESPONSE: THE HANDYMAN METHOD by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan
THE HANDYMAN METHOD by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: I have read and enjoyed all of Nick Cutter/Craig Davidson’s books. I have read a short story collection but Sullivan called ALL WE WANT IS EVERYTHING. He recently released, MARIGOLD
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978198219...
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
General Genre: Horror/Domestic/Small Town
Sub-Genre/Themes: Haunted House/Psychological/Family Drama/Technology (YouTube/Tablets)New house, DIY home improvements, Home Depot (lol)
Writing Style: Co-authored, Intricately plotted, graphic details, medium-length chapters
What You Need to Know: First things first, there is a fair amount of animal trauma in this book. A family pet is greatly harmed (it’s not a dog but does it matter? It’s bad.) For me, personally, I was able to get through it. One scene was excessive and awful but it fit the paranormal activity going on in the house, so it wasn’t for shock value or exploitation and I think it could be easily skimmed or skipped.
My Reading Experience: Total transparency, I was reading the physical ARC and couldn’t get into it. Something about the way the characters were written, and their dialogue, was sounding weird in my head. It was jarring. I put the book down in disappointment thinking I wasn’t going to pick it up again. When I logged into Audible a few days later, it came up as a suggestion and I pulled the trigger. Sometimes, an audiobook unlocks the narrative for me and I was hoping this would be the case because we included this book in a Night Worms package-we’re both HUGE Nick Cutter fans.
I’m happy to report it TOTALLY unlocked it for me. I will be recommending this book as one of the scariest books I have read. There were some scenes that took my breath away, or my mouth hung open in shock while I was listening, or I felt a chill; a shudder. So many things that I find scary are present in this book.
If you read the Shining, do you remember how you felt as soon as you realized what was happening to the family? The father’s part in what was happening? The mother’s?
Danny.
If you want to experience those feelings again…this is the book for you.
I loved the escalation.
There are specific characters that were exceptionally freaky every time they were present on the page (in my ear, actually…the audiobook narrator gave CREEPY voices to the paranormal activity)
Toward the end, some things felt a tiny bit repetitive but the absolutely BANANAS horror elements and graphic details were entertaining as hell, so I just enjoyed the feeling of it all going off the rails.
Don’t skip the acknowledgments.
Final Recommendation: If you’re looking for actual scares, a modern haunted house story with interesting characters, and a strong family dynamic-unique paranormal activity infused with a possession element, you will love this book. I highly recommend the audio for a bonus layer of chilling scenes.
Comps: The Shining by Stephen King, The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons, The Breech by Nick Cutter (Amazon audible original which was super scary
THE HANDYMAN METHOD by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: I have read and enjoyed all of Nick Cutter/Craig Davidson’s books. I have read a short story collection but Sullivan called ALL WE WANT IS EVERYTHING. He recently released, MARIGOLD
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978198219...
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
General Genre: Horror/Domestic/Small Town
Sub-Genre/Themes: Haunted House/Psychological/Family Drama/Technology (YouTube/Tablets)New house, DIY home improvements, Home Depot (lol)
Writing Style: Co-authored, Intricately plotted, graphic details, medium-length chapters
What You Need to Know: First things first, there is a fair amount of animal trauma in this book. A family pet is greatly harmed (it’s not a dog but does it matter? It’s bad.) For me, personally, I was able to get through it. One scene was excessive and awful but it fit the paranormal activity going on in the house, so it wasn’t for shock value or exploitation and I think it could be easily skimmed or skipped.
My Reading Experience: Total transparency, I was reading the physical ARC and couldn’t get into it. Something about the way the characters were written, and their dialogue, was sounding weird in my head. It was jarring. I put the book down in disappointment thinking I wasn’t going to pick it up again. When I logged into Audible a few days later, it came up as a suggestion and I pulled the trigger. Sometimes, an audiobook unlocks the narrative for me and I was hoping this would be the case because we included this book in a Night Worms package-we’re both HUGE Nick Cutter fans.
I’m happy to report it TOTALLY unlocked it for me. I will be recommending this book as one of the scariest books I have read. There were some scenes that took my breath away, or my mouth hung open in shock while I was listening, or I felt a chill; a shudder. So many things that I find scary are present in this book.
If you read the Shining, do you remember how you felt as soon as you realized what was happening to the family? The father’s part in what was happening? The mother’s?
Danny.
If you want to experience those feelings again…this is the book for you.
I loved the escalation.
There are specific characters that were exceptionally freaky every time they were present on the page (in my ear, actually…the audiobook narrator gave CREEPY voices to the paranormal activity)
Toward the end, some things felt a tiny bit repetitive but the absolutely BANANAS horror elements and graphic details were entertaining as hell, so I just enjoyed the feeling of it all going off the rails.
Don’t skip the acknowledgments.
Final Recommendation: If you’re looking for actual scares, a modern haunted house story with interesting characters, and a strong family dynamic-unique paranormal activity infused with a possession element, you will love this book. I highly recommend the audio for a bonus layer of chilling scenes.
Comps: The Shining by Stephen King, The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons, The Breech by Nick Cutter (Amazon audible original which was super scary
August 31, 2023
i love nick cutter, but he does seem intent on serially breaking any turtle-lover's hearts
October 17, 2023
The Handyman Method doesn't work. 🫠
The synopsis describes its horror mechanic as operating through "subliminal suggestions" in internet DIY videos. This is like describing a gut job as an easy refresh.
"Subliminal suggestions" implies finesse. Breadcrumbs dropped along the way, seeds slipped into soil surprisingly fertile - writing you can return to after finishing and discover all the little details you missed. It implies ambiguity. Carefully planted insidiousness.
The Handyman Method has no such devices. By "subliminal suggestions", it really means how-to videos explicitly telling you to:
- Rough up your kid
- Kill your pets
- Alienate your wife
- Mutilate corpses,
among other such disturbing things. Their only disguise is a sunshiney, YouTube-friendly veneer and some misleading video titles. That's all.
Being such a modern idea - controlling viewers by way of internet tutorials - one would think this horror threat would be something relevant and new. Out of control AI. Dark reflections of the chronically online mind. Internet personalities exercising cultlike control over their fanbase.
No. The threat is just plain old ancient evil. So ancient, so evil that its parameters and limitations are unset. It does it all and the kitchen sink—
Control over phones, tablets, and computers? Check.
Haunting a house? Check.
Blair Witch-esque effigies in the yard? Check.
Creaky cracks, creepy crawlies, and icky goo? Check.
Generational influence over a single family? Check.
The Shining level of control over the man of the house? Check.
The Tommyknockers level of mechanical inspiration in the little kid? Check.
Is there anything this monster can't do?
It's one of those horror threats that just does anything and everything the story requires of it. And more doesn't translate to more scary. Just a loss of ambiguity and subsequently mystery.
Every scenario in the book demands that the characters either be wholly devoid of better judgment or withhold important information from each other to keep themselves in danger. Everyone acts like a total imbecile at all times, and then the book tries to make a weakass comment on modern manhood and family — conversations these characters are not equipped to have.
One last thing: Petition for Nick Cutter to develop his own writing style and stop biting Stephen King's.
The synopsis describes its horror mechanic as operating through "subliminal suggestions" in internet DIY videos. This is like describing a gut job as an easy refresh.
"Subliminal suggestions" implies finesse. Breadcrumbs dropped along the way, seeds slipped into soil surprisingly fertile - writing you can return to after finishing and discover all the little details you missed. It implies ambiguity. Carefully planted insidiousness.
The Handyman Method has no such devices. By "subliminal suggestions", it really means how-to videos explicitly telling you to:
- Rough up your kid
- Kill your pets
- Alienate your wife
- Mutilate corpses,
among other such disturbing things. Their only disguise is a sunshiney, YouTube-friendly veneer and some misleading video titles. That's all.
Being such a modern idea - controlling viewers by way of internet tutorials - one would think this horror threat would be something relevant and new. Out of control AI. Dark reflections of the chronically online mind. Internet personalities exercising cultlike control over their fanbase.
No. The threat is just plain old ancient evil. So ancient, so evil that its parameters and limitations are unset. It does it all and the kitchen sink—
Control over phones, tablets, and computers? Check.
Haunting a house? Check.
Blair Witch-esque effigies in the yard? Check.
Creaky cracks, creepy crawlies, and icky goo? Check.
Generational influence over a single family? Check.
The Shining level of control over the man of the house? Check.
The Tommyknockers level of mechanical inspiration in the little kid? Check.
Is there anything this monster can't do?
It's one of those horror threats that just does anything and everything the story requires of it. And more doesn't translate to more scary. Just a loss of ambiguity and subsequently mystery.
Every scenario in the book demands that the characters either be wholly devoid of better judgment or withhold important information from each other to keep themselves in danger. Everyone acts like a total imbecile at all times, and then the book tries to make a weakass comment on modern manhood and family — conversations these characters are not equipped to have.
One last thing: Petition for Nick Cutter to develop his own writing style and stop biting Stephen King's.
Want to read
May 2, 20235/2/2023 - Book Mail!!! 📪
My deepest gratitude to Jorge at Gallery Books who was kind enough to send me a physical arc withOUT me having to murder anyone at all! Prison orange isn't really my color so crisis averted! 😜
I have been waiting a very long time for a new Nick Cutter novel and IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!!
(Okay, so pub date is technically in August but you know what I mean)
Just look at that exquisite cover. 😍
Gallery / Saga press if you're listening: I will beg, borrow, steal, or even murder to get an early arc. 🔪
My deepest gratitude to Jorge at Gallery Books who was kind enough to send me a physical arc withOUT me having to murder anyone at all! Prison orange isn't really my color so crisis averted! 😜
I have been waiting a very long time for a new Nick Cutter novel and IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!!
(Okay, so pub date is technically in August but you know what I mean)
Just look at that exquisite cover. 😍
Gallery / Saga press if you're listening: I will beg, borrow, steal, or even murder to get an early arc. 🔪
September 3, 2023
This was written as only two men could write it. It acknowledges toxic masculinity in a way that feels more exploitative for the sake of horror, than being used to shine a light on the way it infiltrates culture. It's not bad, but it didn't inspire much sympathy from me.
Nick Cutter has something against turtles. I said it. This is not a drill. Prepare yourself for that.
Generally, this reminded me of a cosmic-horror-adjacent The Shining. Much like Jack, Trent is slowly losing himself in his home. There is the body horror that you might expect from Cutter, and the plot took a turn that I didn't quite expect. Though, I wouldn't call it a"twist" so much as a bridge of sorts.
There was also too much vagina imagery in here. I only remember two instances, but given the tone of this story and the authors who wrote it, even one was too many. I'm talking metaphor comparing a doorway to a vulva, or something of the like. I don't remember specifically, but it stood out in a way that made me think it would connect to the story in a bigger way, especially after it was brought up again, and when it didn't it made it a little awkward...
I did enjoy the YouTube aspect of this, and the commentary about the way social media influences us. It felt very modern in the way the horror manifested. But it also had limitless and unspecified supernatural systems, so if you like your paranormal to make sense, steer clear.
Nick Cutter has something against turtles. I said it. This is not a drill. Prepare yourself for that.
Generally, this reminded me of a cosmic-horror-adjacent The Shining. Much like Jack, Trent is slowly losing himself in his home. There is the body horror that you might expect from Cutter, and the plot took a turn that I didn't quite expect. Though, I wouldn't call it a"twist" so much as a bridge of sorts.
There was also too much vagina imagery in here. I only remember two instances, but given the tone of this story and the authors who wrote it, even one was too many. I'm talking metaphor comparing a doorway to a vulva, or something of the like. I don't remember specifically, but it stood out in a way that made me think it would connect to the story in a bigger way, especially after it was brought up again, and when it didn't it made it a little awkward...
I did enjoy the YouTube aspect of this, and the commentary about the way social media influences us. It felt very modern in the way the horror manifested. But it also had limitless and unspecified supernatural systems, so if you like your paranormal to make sense, steer clear.
August 18, 2023
Psyched to read this. The last I read a Nick Cutter book was in 2020. Here we goooo
4.5🧑🏼🔧
Well, this takes diy Home improvement to another level. This had the classic horror trope of a family, a douche bag husband, wife and kid, having to move to a house in the middle of nowhere. Dbag is that toxic guy who's trying to make his kid more "manly." Also, he has taken it to himself to fix the house with the help of a YouTube channel called "The Handyman Method." There starts the metamorphosis of the dbag to top notch dbag. This was so well done. It proves that good old tropes can still work if written well. And the self awareness of Nick Cutter about his enimosity towards 🐢 is hilarious. 4.5 cos I wanted a lil more insidiousness😌
4.5🧑🏼🔧
Well, this takes diy Home improvement to another level. This had the classic horror trope of a family, a douche bag husband, wife and kid, having to move to a house in the middle of nowhere. Dbag is that toxic guy who's trying to make his kid more "manly." Also, he has taken it to himself to fix the house with the help of a YouTube channel called "The Handyman Method." There starts the metamorphosis of the dbag to top notch dbag. This was so well done. It proves that good old tropes can still work if written well. And the self awareness of Nick Cutter about his enimosity towards 🐢 is hilarious. 4.5 cos I wanted a lil more insidiousness😌
October 23, 2023
Man, it sucks to write that, but I’m nothing if not honest in my opinion. I’ve read offerings by Nick Cutter, Patrick Lestewka and Craig Davidson and none have been a mess like this. The story here is about a husband, wife and their young son who are moving into a new build in what is promised to be an up-and-coming subdivision. Immediately upon arrival they find they may have purchased a lemon, but hey no problem!
Okay, this had some potential. I mean as soon as you give me a father who has been put on some sort of administrative leave who moves out to the middle of nowhere vibes with the fam it calls to mind a certain other horror story with a real Father of the Year nominee . . . .
Throw in a little side of Monster House and it could have been #nomnomnomnomnom. But Cutter blows his load SUPER early and gives away what should have been a twisty twist at the end. Not to mention the narrative should have strictly been Trent’s up to that point for this to truly work because absolutely no time was spent trying to develop the wife or son characters. Cutter is still Cutter and doesn’t hold back on the gross-out moments whatsoever, but the storytelling itself is pretty thin. This either needed to be cut down to a super shorty short or sent back for a complete re-write and another hundred pages added to fix all the problems.
1.5 Stars and rounding up because I have been a fan in the past (just maybe don't do any more collabs)
March 22, 2023
There’s no way I’m starting this review without saying A HUGE MASSIVE MASSIVE THANK YOU to Andrew F. Sullivan for moving mountains and getting me a digital ARC. I can’t thank you enough and I really, truly appreciate that!
It was back in 2014 when I discovered Nick Cutter through getting his novel, ‘The Troop.’ It was a phenomenal horror story and led me into rushing out and grabbing ‘The Deep.’ Since then, I’ve also dove into more of Nick’s work. I mean Craig’s. As many know – there’s still a few who don’t – Nick Cutter is a pseudonym for author Craid Davidson. Same with Patrick Lestewka, whose books I’ve also read. Between the three, I find myself drawn slightly more towards Craig’s literary approach, but if you want brutal and unhinged, Nick and Patrick are there for you.
As for Andrew F. Sullivan, it wasn’t until just last year, in 2022, that we connected and since then we’ve struck up a great friendship and having read his masterpiece, ‘The Marigold’ already, I know he’s an absolute beast of a writer. Which will answer the question some of you may be wondering – why’s Nick Cutter co-authoring a book with Andrew F. Sullivan? They answer that in the acknowledgements and the journey from initial conception to finished novel was fascinating and very interesting to read about. These two horror heavyweights have delivered a novel that’ll have you completed riveted from start to finish.
What I liked: On it’s surface (pun intended), the story appears pretty straightforward. Having recently been put on administrative leave, Trevor and his wife Rita have purchased a new house in a new development and move there with their son, Milo and his pet turtle, Morty.
But immediately things are not what they are supposed to be. There’s no sod. There’s a crack in the wall. And the house seems to be ‘dipping.’ Trevor, having no outlet now that he’s jobless, decides to take things into his own hands, and finds a Youtube channel, titled The Handyman Method, that will guide him through how to fix his house himself.
It’s here that Cutter (occasionally dipping into Lestewka territory) and Sullivan begin to have fun. There’s things in the walls. The man in the videos appears to be directly speaking to Trevor. Milo finds an odd structure in the woods with strange squirming things and a sink hole underneath. Morty begins to grow pink sludge. And Rita sees them unravelling and takes it in stride. Because she knows things and that layering, the texture of revelation works so well to create this chaotic, unnerving deception.
As we go further in the book, we see a mother doing everything she can to protect her son, and a father becoming completely unhinged and going so far off the deep end there can’t possibly be a way back. I do have to add, every single scene at Home Depot was a riot and the descriptions of the guys there and the interactions had me chuckling with their absurdity and accuracy.
Additionally, I really enjoyed the use of technology as a maddening device. Having a six-year-old son who watches random Youtube videos on his tablet, that had me smiling when Milo began to have his own experiences and it seemed so completely plausible.
The ending is fantastic and wraps it up really ‘nicely,’ and I use that word tentatively. This is a Cutter/Sullivan affair afterall.
What I didn’t like: I loved this one from start to finish, and what we learn worked so well for the overall story. Saying that, I found the discovery of the structure in the woods odd, when it was all said and done, because it didn’t seem to completely fit into the mythology that they’d built. The lore seems to have said one thing and this was something different? Not sure. Maybe it was a second one that was happening or maybe I just completely missed that!
Why you should buy this: This novel is a banger from beginning to end. It’s got a solid structure with the house and the family moving there, but this goes into so many different avenues that it’ll appeal to fans of every horror subgenre. We get some Barker-esque scenes, some brutality coupled with some truly emotional family moments – see Morty the turtle – and Cutter and Sullivan absolutely were writing this with huge grins on their faces. It comes off of each page. Two ultra-talented authors having a blast and subtly infusing this straight-ahead-horror story with elements of environmentalism, commercialism, the technology takeover and toxic masculinity. I had an absolute blast with this one and I think this one’s going to shoot off the shelves like a rocket come release day!
It was back in 2014 when I discovered Nick Cutter through getting his novel, ‘The Troop.’ It was a phenomenal horror story and led me into rushing out and grabbing ‘The Deep.’ Since then, I’ve also dove into more of Nick’s work. I mean Craig’s. As many know – there’s still a few who don’t – Nick Cutter is a pseudonym for author Craid Davidson. Same with Patrick Lestewka, whose books I’ve also read. Between the three, I find myself drawn slightly more towards Craig’s literary approach, but if you want brutal and unhinged, Nick and Patrick are there for you.
As for Andrew F. Sullivan, it wasn’t until just last year, in 2022, that we connected and since then we’ve struck up a great friendship and having read his masterpiece, ‘The Marigold’ already, I know he’s an absolute beast of a writer. Which will answer the question some of you may be wondering – why’s Nick Cutter co-authoring a book with Andrew F. Sullivan? They answer that in the acknowledgements and the journey from initial conception to finished novel was fascinating and very interesting to read about. These two horror heavyweights have delivered a novel that’ll have you completed riveted from start to finish.
What I liked: On it’s surface (pun intended), the story appears pretty straightforward. Having recently been put on administrative leave, Trevor and his wife Rita have purchased a new house in a new development and move there with their son, Milo and his pet turtle, Morty.
But immediately things are not what they are supposed to be. There’s no sod. There’s a crack in the wall. And the house seems to be ‘dipping.’ Trevor, having no outlet now that he’s jobless, decides to take things into his own hands, and finds a Youtube channel, titled The Handyman Method, that will guide him through how to fix his house himself.
It’s here that Cutter (occasionally dipping into Lestewka territory) and Sullivan begin to have fun. There’s things in the walls. The man in the videos appears to be directly speaking to Trevor. Milo finds an odd structure in the woods with strange squirming things and a sink hole underneath. Morty begins to grow pink sludge. And Rita sees them unravelling and takes it in stride. Because she knows things and that layering, the texture of revelation works so well to create this chaotic, unnerving deception.
As we go further in the book, we see a mother doing everything she can to protect her son, and a father becoming completely unhinged and going so far off the deep end there can’t possibly be a way back. I do have to add, every single scene at Home Depot was a riot and the descriptions of the guys there and the interactions had me chuckling with their absurdity and accuracy.
Additionally, I really enjoyed the use of technology as a maddening device. Having a six-year-old son who watches random Youtube videos on his tablet, that had me smiling when Milo began to have his own experiences and it seemed so completely plausible.
The ending is fantastic and wraps it up really ‘nicely,’ and I use that word tentatively. This is a Cutter/Sullivan affair afterall.
What I didn’t like: I loved this one from start to finish, and what we learn worked so well for the overall story. Saying that, I found the discovery of the structure in the woods odd, when it was all said and done, because it didn’t seem to completely fit into the mythology that they’d built. The lore seems to have said one thing and this was something different? Not sure. Maybe it was a second one that was happening or maybe I just completely missed that!
Why you should buy this: This novel is a banger from beginning to end. It’s got a solid structure with the house and the family moving there, but this goes into so many different avenues that it’ll appeal to fans of every horror subgenre. We get some Barker-esque scenes, some brutality coupled with some truly emotional family moments – see Morty the turtle – and Cutter and Sullivan absolutely were writing this with huge grins on their faces. It comes off of each page. Two ultra-talented authors having a blast and subtly infusing this straight-ahead-horror story with elements of environmentalism, commercialism, the technology takeover and toxic masculinity. I had an absolute blast with this one and I think this one’s going to shoot off the shelves like a rocket come release day!
February 11, 2024
I first picked this up through the library on the kindle, and got about as far as Trent getting into the handyman stuff because of the crack in the wall of his new house, (early in the book) but didn't get back to it until recently when I was shopping on Audible to use my last credit.
I listened to the sample and had a feeling I would like this audiobook.
Listening to this story as an audiobook took it up several notches for me. The narrator of this book was fantastic!! I felt like Nick Cutter's (and Andrew Sullivan's) writing and this narrator blended perfectly. I felt like he did everything RIGHT. He did the different voices great, and he made the funny parts even funnier.
Did I completely understand what was going on in this book? At times, no. But I really enjoyed Cutter and Sullivan's style of writing horror and I enjoyed the ride.
I liked how both Trent, the main character - the husband in the house, and his son Milo get "guidance" you could say from an internet source like YT. (maybe it was YT? can't remember) Trent has Hank the handyman. He's teaching Trent via DIY videos. Milo has a character he looks up to and the name fails me right now. At first all seems rather normal (although Trent seems a bit off and possibly not very nice at times) and then as the story goes on you realize there is something more sinister going on.
The story took some weird, interesting turns and it had a horror trope I really like in books.
If you liked this one - a horror story with a handyman, I want to recommend a couple others. The Handyman by Bentley Little, and The House of Long Shadows by Ambrose Ibsen.
I listened to the sample and had a feeling I would like this audiobook.
Listening to this story as an audiobook took it up several notches for me. The narrator of this book was fantastic!! I felt like Nick Cutter's (and Andrew Sullivan's) writing and this narrator blended perfectly. I felt like he did everything RIGHT. He did the different voices great, and he made the funny parts even funnier.
Did I completely understand what was going on in this book? At times, no. But I really enjoyed Cutter and Sullivan's style of writing horror and I enjoyed the ride.
I liked how both Trent, the main character - the husband in the house, and his son Milo get "guidance" you could say from an internet source like YT. (maybe it was YT? can't remember) Trent has Hank the handyman. He's teaching Trent via DIY videos. Milo has a character he looks up to and the name fails me right now. At first all seems rather normal (although Trent seems a bit off and possibly not very nice at times) and then as the story goes on you realize there is something more sinister going on.
The story took some weird, interesting turns and it had a horror trope I really like in books.
If you liked this one - a horror story with a handyman, I want to recommend a couple others. The Handyman by Bentley Little, and The House of Long Shadows by Ambrose Ibsen.
August 22, 2023
Write angry!
A gnarly, nasty little number here... Definitely one for the animal lovers out there 😁 - The more you complain, the worse Nick hurts them. I always find it funny when people complain about animal cruelty in a book, especially if they are fine with children being murdered and raped etc. Nope! animals are fair game in my book. This one reminded me a little bit of 'The Shining'.
A father starts losing his mind after moving into a new home. There's plenty of body horror, strangeness, and some straight-up angry writing. I love Nick Cutter. The Deep is one of my all time favorites. The Handyman Method isn't quite as good, but, I read it in two sittings, and It's absolutely worth a read.
A gnarly, nasty little number here... Definitely one for the animal lovers out there 😁 - The more you complain, the worse Nick hurts them. I always find it funny when people complain about animal cruelty in a book, especially if they are fine with children being murdered and raped etc. Nope! animals are fair game in my book. This one reminded me a little bit of 'The Shining'.
A father starts losing his mind after moving into a new home. There's plenty of body horror, strangeness, and some straight-up angry writing. I love Nick Cutter. The Deep is one of my all time favorites. The Handyman Method isn't quite as good, but, I read it in two sittings, and It's absolutely worth a read.
September 2, 2023
Toxic masculinity was the real monster all along... Seriously. The monster basically takes the form of an evil Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs.
So many problems with this book. None of the characters are even remotely likeable. The beginning is a confusing mess because it feels like the first 50 pages of the story are missing. The ending was so anticlimactic it wasn't even worth writing, let alone reading.
The comparison to Black Mirror in the blurb is a bold faced lie (maybe the Red Mirror stuff they introduced last season). Technology isn't the problem in this story. Yes, it's used by the monster, but if YouTube and iPads weren't around, it would be VHS tapes and Walkmans, or books.
So many problems with this book. None of the characters are even remotely likeable. The beginning is a confusing mess because it feels like the first 50 pages of the story are missing. The ending was so anticlimactic it wasn't even worth writing, let alone reading.
The comparison to Black Mirror in the blurb is a bold faced lie (maybe the Red Mirror stuff they introduced last season). Technology isn't the problem in this story. Yes, it's used by the monster, but if YouTube and iPads weren't around, it would be VHS tapes and Walkmans, or books.
June 29, 2024
What the…. Reading this story was a bit like watching a car crash happen… you want to look away but you’re too mesmerized to do so.
Yes, it was creepy and bizarre and had me thinking “huh” most of the time. I didn’t like a single dang character except Morty the turtle (IYKYK 😭) and they did him dirty.
So basically this continues to be the trend with most of Nick Cutter’s stories I read. I love the scary elements, but everything else is sooooo overcomplicated.
Yes, it was creepy and bizarre and had me thinking “huh” most of the time. I didn’t like a single dang character except Morty the turtle (IYKYK 😭) and they did him dirty.
So basically this continues to be the trend with most of Nick Cutter’s stories I read. I love the scary elements, but everything else is sooooo overcomplicated.
October 28, 2023
Summary: Do you think misogyny and casual homophobia are funny? Do you consider yourself an alpha male and think women cause everything bad that’s ever happened to you? Do you like haunted house novels with nothing groundbreaking? You'll love this!
Originally I gave this 2 stars. It was a 1.5 rounded up, but I've changed it to a 1-star rating.
This is your usual haunted house novel. The only interesting bit is that the way the evil stuff is introduced is not with the kid seeing the ghost but by the dad watching a YouTube video. The end. Once you're done with the first chapter, everything is just your usual haunted house novel.
The ending couldn’t be less interesting, you've read it before. You've watched it before.
The writing is not bad at all but it was also not good. This book is about a cis white man who considers himself to be a great (alpha) man and a great husband and dad. He starts watching these YouTube videos that teach him how to fix the house while making constant misogynistic jokes (i.e., Why don't you ever buy a woman a watch? Because ovens have clocks!) on top of homophobic stuff. Maybe I’m a party pooper, but I don’t think misogyny and homophobia are funny.
The irony here is that this misogyny and ‘alpha male’ shit is supposed to signal the ‘evil influence’ of whatever paranormal thing is going on, but the main character himself is just slightly better. The sex scene is horrendous and silly (though I’m sure both authors were really proud of it) and the characters were flat. I felt by the end of it you were supposed to feel something towards the wife (empathy? Anger?). But why? She was just a supporting character in this story about The Great Man-Husband-Daddy story who is then turned as the scapegoat for everything bad that happens to him.
Anywho, this is my first Nick Cutter and I have seen many reviews disappointed in the book and saying how his other work is nothing like this, so I’m still planning on reading The Troop eventually.
Originally I gave this 2 stars. It was a 1.5 rounded up, but I've changed it to a 1-star rating.
This is your usual haunted house novel. The only interesting bit is that the way the evil stuff is introduced is not with the kid seeing the ghost but by the dad watching a YouTube video. The end. Once you're done with the first chapter, everything is just your usual haunted house novel.
The ending couldn’t be less interesting, you've read it before. You've watched it before.
The writing is not bad at all but it was also not good. This book is about a cis white man who considers himself to be a great (alpha) man and a great husband and dad. He starts watching these YouTube videos that teach him how to fix the house while making constant misogynistic jokes (i.e., Why don't you ever buy a woman a watch? Because ovens have clocks!) on top of homophobic stuff. Maybe I’m a party pooper, but I don’t think misogyny and homophobia are funny.
The irony here is that this misogyny and ‘alpha male’ shit is supposed to signal the ‘evil influence’ of whatever paranormal thing is going on, but the main character himself is just slightly better. The sex scene is horrendous and silly (though I’m sure both authors were really proud of it) and the characters were flat. I felt by the end of it you were supposed to feel something towards the wife (empathy? Anger?). But why? She was just a supporting character in this story about The Great Man-Husband-Daddy story who is then turned as the scapegoat for everything bad that happens to him.
Anywho, this is my first Nick Cutter and I have seen many reviews disappointed in the book and saying how his other work is nothing like this, so I’m still planning on reading The Troop eventually.
August 7, 2023
I’m a huge fan of Nick Cutter’s work so I was really excited to find that he had this book coming out! Overall, I thought it was great! It reminded me of Bentley Little’s books (he’s one of my favorite horror authors) as he and his co author took such a mundane topic and expanded it into one heck of a horrifying read! Some moments had me chuckling while others freaked me out. Who would have thought YouTube videos could be so sinister…
The Handyman Method has some body horror, a haunting, and a twist that I did not see coming. If you’re a horror fan I think this book is definitely worth checking out. I devoured it. I hope the two continue to write together because I’ll purchase anything they write!
𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ Horror Novels
❥ Hauntings
❥ A little bit of body horror
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Handyman Method has some body horror, a haunting, and a twist that I did not see coming. If you’re a horror fan I think this book is definitely worth checking out. I devoured it. I hope the two continue to write together because I’ll purchase anything they write!
𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙
❥ Horror Novels
❥ Hauntings
❥ A little bit of body horror
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
August 10, 2023
From the beginning, something was off with this. Overall it’s a good concept but just a fails to delivered. Not much of a story in this, as it really goes nowhere fast. On a positive note… this does make you chuckle quite a few times but unfortunately those are the only few positives. In terms this became a dull story with no teeth.
The story starts with the Saban family moving into their new property. Off the bat something is wrong with their new home. With cracks starting to show early, that’s when the story goes nowhere, the rest of the read became very forgettable. The character development in this was poor and plot offered nothing. Disappointing read to say the least.
2.5⭐️ For me.
The story starts with the Saban family moving into their new property. Off the bat something is wrong with their new home. With cracks starting to show early, that’s when the story goes nowhere, the rest of the read became very forgettable. The character development in this was poor and plot offered nothing. Disappointing read to say the least.
2.5⭐️ For me.
October 2, 2023
2.5 stars
The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan is a horror novel about a family that moved into a new housing development.
First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Trent Saban, his wife Rita, and their 9-year old son Milo move into their new home in an unfinished residential development. Trent, a lawyer, is on leave after an incident in the office. His wife, a senior partner in the same firm, is still working.
Trent has plenty of time at home to fix a few things around the house, inspired by Handyman Hank, who he found on a YouTube channel. Hank is a "man's man", and soon Trent takes on all of his nasty traits.
Meanwhile, son Milo has been watching his own videos, and is building things that couldn't possibly work, but do.
My Opinions:
At different points in this book, I wanted to quit. The death or suffering of ANY animal is repulsive to me, so points were lost there. Then, there was a lot of misogyny, and DIY projects (and Home Depot -- where I gladly go with my husband to buy plants, but not daily).
The book is about a man's descent into madness, which I believe, started before they moved into a demonic/haunted house. The house itself was probably the main character, and that was the real horror. Unfortunately I didn't like ANY of the characters...and if I can't cheer for someone, why bother. Trent was a disaster before the move to the house, Milo was just a kid (and often a brat), and Rita went along with everything. I actually came close to liking Rita. Occasionally, both Trent and Rita showed compassion for their son, but more often than not, Milo was either on his own, or being man-handled. Rita, of course, had many secrets.
Now, for the good things. The actual writing and imagery was really good. I was surprised it was written by two people -- they collaborated very well. And the plot was definitely horror-based. So, overall, if you like a good horror story, and don't mind misogynistic and despicable characters, you will probably like this one.
I will probably be in the minority, but this one was just not for me....and I was really hoping for a new horror writer (or two) to follow, so I am disappointed.
For a more complete review of this book and others, (including the reason I chose to read/review this book, as well as author information and contact details), please visit my blog: http://katlovesbooksblog.wordpress.com/
October 19, 2023
The Handyman Method has proven to be pretty divisive here on Goodreads, and ultimately, my experience with the book fell somewhere in the middle. There was a lot of good, creepy stuff here, but it kind of lost its way for me towards the end.
The Saban family -- Trent, Rita, and their son Milo -- have recently moved to a new build in an unfinished housing development. Because he's on hiatus from work after a traumatic event occurred at his office, Trent decides to throw himself into All Things Home Improvement. He's aided by Handyman Hank, whose DIY YouTube channel has almost no subscribers, but who seems to know exactly what Trent needs, even through a phone screen. Soon, he's not only assisting Trent with his home improvement projects, but providing instructions for how Trent can patch up other areas of his life as well. Because within the Saban family, cracks are definitely starting to form...and not just on the walls.
The idea of some type of insidious entity subliminally communicating through a YouTube channel is so viscerally creepy, and Nick Cutter and Andrew Sullivan use this concept to full effect in The Handyman Method. There are several scenes that thoroughly creeped me out, definitely aided by Corey Brill's fantastic narration of the audiobook. I like how Cutter and Sullivan explore toxic masculinity -- how a person may have those qualities lying dormant within, those thoughts circulating in their head, until they are triggered or made vulnerable by some external source that brings it all to the surface. The book is tense, atmospheric, violent, and eerie.
When the source of the haunt is revealed, though, I got a little lost. Without veering into spoiler territory, I'll just say that some aspects of it didn't make any sense, and the messaging became a bit muddled. I wasn't sure what Cutter and Sullivan were trying to tell me -- misogyny is bad? (duh) but also kind of that men are pushed into it by the women in their lives? (SIT DOWN, SIRS!) I really don't know.
I had a few other issues -- the characters of Rita and Milo felt a bit flat, Milo's age was too ambiguous, and several plot elements were maaaybe a little too reminiscent of The Shining. I'm still a Nick Cutter fangirl, but The Handyman Method was not quite what I hoped it would be.
Content warning for an incredibly graphic and heartbreaking instance of animal harm.
The Saban family -- Trent, Rita, and their son Milo -- have recently moved to a new build in an unfinished housing development. Because he's on hiatus from work after a traumatic event occurred at his office, Trent decides to throw himself into All Things Home Improvement. He's aided by Handyman Hank, whose DIY YouTube channel has almost no subscribers, but who seems to know exactly what Trent needs, even through a phone screen. Soon, he's not only assisting Trent with his home improvement projects, but providing instructions for how Trent can patch up other areas of his life as well. Because within the Saban family, cracks are definitely starting to form...and not just on the walls.
The idea of some type of insidious entity subliminally communicating through a YouTube channel is so viscerally creepy, and Nick Cutter and Andrew Sullivan use this concept to full effect in The Handyman Method. There are several scenes that thoroughly creeped me out, definitely aided by Corey Brill's fantastic narration of the audiobook. I like how Cutter and Sullivan explore toxic masculinity -- how a person may have those qualities lying dormant within, those thoughts circulating in their head, until they are triggered or made vulnerable by some external source that brings it all to the surface. The book is tense, atmospheric, violent, and eerie.
When the source of the haunt is revealed, though, I got a little lost. Without veering into spoiler territory, I'll just say that some aspects of it didn't make any sense, and the messaging became a bit muddled. I wasn't sure what Cutter and Sullivan were trying to tell me -- misogyny is bad? (duh) but also kind of that men are pushed into it by the women in their lives? (SIT DOWN, SIRS!) I really don't know.
I had a few other issues -- the characters of Rita and Milo felt a bit flat, Milo's age was too ambiguous, and several plot elements were maaaybe a little too reminiscent of The Shining. I'm still a Nick Cutter fangirl, but The Handyman Method was not quite what I hoped it would be.
Content warning for an incredibly graphic and heartbreaking instance of animal harm.
June 16, 2023
First and foremost, I'll say that The Handyman Method reads like a horror movie - albeit one that drags on at times. Cutter's imagery is easily the novel's best (and most sickening) selling point. This is especially true for On that note, I want to give a huge warning to those sensitive to animal death, because The Handyman Method features one of the most extensive and sickening animal deaths I've ever read. For some, this might add to the horror and tone of the novel; for others, it might be the point where you DNF the book.
A day after finishing The Handyman Method, I'm still unsure of what happened. I mean, I know what happened, but the why and how are a bit fuzzy. I would have loved it if there was more lore included on how Handyman Hank and the agreement started and continued throughout the different generations of Rita's family. We get tidbits of information, but I feel like there could have been more.
And then that ending. Is Handyman Hank just... out in the world now? And Trent, Rita, and Milo are just going about their daily lives as if they didn't just unleash this monster - well, we don't know exactly what it is, but for simplicity's sake, we'll call it a monster - into the world? It was certainly a dramatic ending but it delivered little satisfaction to me as a reader. The climax with happened so close to the end of the novel that it felt as if I were left hanging.
If you're a fan of horror, I think there's plenty to love about The Handyman Method; the detailed and horrific imagery, the unique 'monster', and instances of dark humour, to name a few. But if you're squeamish, don't like similes/metaphors to insects, and dislike the horror genre, maybe sit this one out.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of The Handyman Method to review. All thoughts are my own and are not influenced by any third party. #TheHandymanMethod #NetGalley
A day after finishing The Handyman Method, I'm still unsure of what happened. I mean, I know what happened, but the why and how are a bit fuzzy. I would have loved it if there was more lore included on how Handyman Hank and the agreement started and continued throughout the different generations of Rita's family. We get tidbits of information, but I feel like there could have been more.
And then that ending. Is Handyman Hank just... out in the world now? And Trent, Rita, and Milo are just going about their daily lives as if they didn't just unleash this monster - well, we don't know exactly what it is, but for simplicity's sake, we'll call it a monster - into the world? It was certainly a dramatic ending but it delivered little satisfaction to me as a reader. The climax with happened so close to the end of the novel that it felt as if I were left hanging.
If you're a fan of horror, I think there's plenty to love about The Handyman Method; the detailed and horrific imagery, the unique 'monster', and instances of dark humour, to name a few. But if you're squeamish, don't like similes/metaphors to insects, and dislike the horror genre, maybe sit this one out.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of The Handyman Method to review. All thoughts are my own and are not influenced by any third party. #TheHandymanMethod #NetGalley
September 7, 2023
From the beginning of this book an ominous tone is set. From the moment the family steps foot into their new home, they notice that there are problems with it, made even worse by the fact that it was meant to represent a new start for them. They had high hopes on a house that was literally sinking into the ground, so it didn't take very long for the situation to take an even darker turn. The first project Trent takes on sees supernatural elements introduced and readers are propelled into a world of creepy symbols, strange occurrences, and characters who can’t be trusted. As is true of most works of horror, the story quickly slides into an unrecognizable place where characters and situations become more and more outrageous, more and more creepy, causing more and more self-doubt to the main character that it has decided to attach itself to...and in this case it's Trent. However, the question remains as to whether Trent is the one sliding into madness, or if it's the world around him...specially in the house, that is changing. Milo, the son, describes his family as having "weak spots" to begin with, and the house immediately takes that to heart and exploits that by dragging them each into a hellish world of frightening creatures that are seen in both the daytime and the nighttime. The family is allowed a few weeks of bliss once the initial scary creepiness settles down. But it is the eye of the storm, and the author shows that it is only numerous elements of foreshadowing that suggest this calm is very short-lived. Milo desperately attempts to please his father in their new home, but the house is not the only thing that is changing...Trent is changing along with the house. It seems that Milo can't ever quiet find common ground with his dad. I believe Milo's thoughts sums it up fairly well...“If he could just do that, strengthen his mind, it’d make his father happy. And when Dad was happy, the house was happy. And when the house was happy, they could all be happy.” Oh Yes...you diffidently want this house to be happy!
November 14, 2023
I think I probably should just accept that I don't particularly vibe with Cutter's style.
I really liked the idea behind this one but the execution just fell kinda flat for me. The whole thing with the video characters becoming more and more unhinged would have worked better if there had been only one of them or if we hadn't known pretty much all along that the wife was part of the problem. Never really managed to get invested in any of the characters either, except maybe the poor turtle.
I really liked the idea behind this one but the execution just fell kinda flat for me. The whole thing with the video characters becoming more and more unhinged would have worked better if there had been only one of them or if we hadn't known pretty much all along that the wife was part of the problem. Never really managed to get invested in any of the characters either, except maybe the poor turtle.
September 7, 2023
This book is unlike anything I’ve ever read and that’s saying something because I’ve read a lot of fucking books! Whoever described it as Black Mirror meets Amityville Horror hit it RIGHT on the nose, I couldn’t have described it better myself. It’s incredibly unique and beyond creepy and honestly, I’m still a little in awe of what I read. It’s just that freaking good! Slight trigger warning for some animal abuse but it’s worth pushing through for the rest of the story because it’s some damn excellent horror. Sometimes I’m wary of collaborations with books but this was absolutely seamless. I really can’t say enough great things about this story, if you like having your pants scared off then you don’t want to miss this one!
September 11, 2023
4.5/5 stars rounded up to 5 stars for Goodreads!
This was so creepy!!! It definitely gave me Stephen King's The Shining vibes. Add this to your Spooky season TBRs folks! (Note: Not sure what's up with Nick Cutter and turtles but....trigger warnings for pet death.)
This was so creepy!!! It definitely gave me Stephen King's The Shining vibes. Add this to your Spooky season TBRs folks! (Note: Not sure what's up with Nick Cutter and turtles but....trigger warnings for pet death.)
August 30, 2023
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2023/08/29/...
If there’s one thing I learned from reading Nick Cutter/Craig Davidson is that he is not at all subtle, and with the lack of nuance being especially true with The Handyman Method, co-written with Andrew F. Sullivan, I imagine that has something to do with why I struggled. The story relies too much on the shock factor when delivering its horror, going about it by trying too hard to make you angry or gross you out. More and more, I just think I’m becoming inured to this routine.
The story opens with a family moving into their dream home, which should have been pristine given that it is a new construction. But right away, husband and father Trent Saban finds a large crack in a wall of the master bedroom closet. A former lawyer by trade with no DIY experience, he nonetheless decides to take care of the problem himself, turning to the YouTube channel of someone he found called Handyman Hank for advice. Before you know it, Trent finds himself down the rabbit hole of home improvement, becoming eerily fixated with Hank and his “Handyman Method.”
Meanwhile, Trent’s disaffected wife Rita becomes increasingly aloof in the face of their big move and this subsequent flurry of activity, but does her distancing have anything to do with her husband’s new obsession or is it something more sinister? What’s clear is that neither of them are paying much attention to their son Milo, who begins having many of his own disturbing encounters. Unbeknownst to his parents, the young boy’s attention has been captured recently by a YouTube channel he himself has been frequenting, one owned by a seemingly innocuous kid-friendly influencer called Little Boy Blue.
Credit where credit’s due, The Handyman Method turned out to be a very different kind of “haunted” house story than what I was expecting. The concept was definitely interesting, taking and melding elements from such classic horror as It or The Shining, making something unique out of its results. That said, this isn’t quite Stephen King. In fact, it’s hard to pin down what exactly this is. At times, it reads like a satirical take on lives consumed by social media, or a scathing jab at toxic masculinity. Whatever it is though, by the second half, the book transforms into something else entirely, changing the overall tone of the plot. It does make me wonder if it has something to do with this being a collab.
Then there was the lack of subtlety I mentioned. Trent was so unlikeable to the extreme, he was practically a caricature checking off every item on the “Build-A-Character You Hate” kit. It’s one thing to make me dislike a protagonist, it’s another to make me not take him seriously at all. Then there was the gore factor and one particularly gruesome scene involving an animal death (I have a pet turtle that was a rescue, so the unpleasantness of that scene hit me especially hard). There’s a time and a place for this type of over-the-top and in-your-face horror, and I know an audience for it exists, but personally I think I am over it.
The ending was also a bit confusing, like somewhere along the chain a link went missing because I had a hard time connecting all the plot’s many scattered dots. Again it occurs to me that multiple authors might have played a role in this, but I don’t know. Just like I don’t know what to make of the ultimate revelation of the house and the special connection it had with the family. I think the book could have gone in a very good direction, but somehow things didn’t come together as well as they should have.
All in all, I would consider The Handyman Method to be a middle-of-the-road horror. I wanted a bit more, but it’s a good read if you enjoy a good bloody gorefest.
If there’s one thing I learned from reading Nick Cutter/Craig Davidson is that he is not at all subtle, and with the lack of nuance being especially true with The Handyman Method, co-written with Andrew F. Sullivan, I imagine that has something to do with why I struggled. The story relies too much on the shock factor when delivering its horror, going about it by trying too hard to make you angry or gross you out. More and more, I just think I’m becoming inured to this routine.
The story opens with a family moving into their dream home, which should have been pristine given that it is a new construction. But right away, husband and father Trent Saban finds a large crack in a wall of the master bedroom closet. A former lawyer by trade with no DIY experience, he nonetheless decides to take care of the problem himself, turning to the YouTube channel of someone he found called Handyman Hank for advice. Before you know it, Trent finds himself down the rabbit hole of home improvement, becoming eerily fixated with Hank and his “Handyman Method.”
Meanwhile, Trent’s disaffected wife Rita becomes increasingly aloof in the face of their big move and this subsequent flurry of activity, but does her distancing have anything to do with her husband’s new obsession or is it something more sinister? What’s clear is that neither of them are paying much attention to their son Milo, who begins having many of his own disturbing encounters. Unbeknownst to his parents, the young boy’s attention has been captured recently by a YouTube channel he himself has been frequenting, one owned by a seemingly innocuous kid-friendly influencer called Little Boy Blue.
Credit where credit’s due, The Handyman Method turned out to be a very different kind of “haunted” house story than what I was expecting. The concept was definitely interesting, taking and melding elements from such classic horror as It or The Shining, making something unique out of its results. That said, this isn’t quite Stephen King. In fact, it’s hard to pin down what exactly this is. At times, it reads like a satirical take on lives consumed by social media, or a scathing jab at toxic masculinity. Whatever it is though, by the second half, the book transforms into something else entirely, changing the overall tone of the plot. It does make me wonder if it has something to do with this being a collab.
Then there was the lack of subtlety I mentioned. Trent was so unlikeable to the extreme, he was practically a caricature checking off every item on the “Build-A-Character You Hate” kit. It’s one thing to make me dislike a protagonist, it’s another to make me not take him seriously at all. Then there was the gore factor and one particularly gruesome scene involving an animal death (I have a pet turtle that was a rescue, so the unpleasantness of that scene hit me especially hard). There’s a time and a place for this type of over-the-top and in-your-face horror, and I know an audience for it exists, but personally I think I am over it.
The ending was also a bit confusing, like somewhere along the chain a link went missing because I had a hard time connecting all the plot’s many scattered dots. Again it occurs to me that multiple authors might have played a role in this, but I don’t know. Just like I don’t know what to make of the ultimate revelation of the house and the special connection it had with the family. I think the book could have gone in a very good direction, but somehow things didn’t come together as well as they should have.
All in all, I would consider The Handyman Method to be a middle-of-the-road horror. I wanted a bit more, but it’s a good read if you enjoy a good bloody gorefest.
August 8, 2023
Having loved Nick Cutter's previous horror novels, I knew I had to read his latest novel, The Handyman Method: A Story of Terror, cowritten by Andrew F. Sullivan. I wanted to see what he did with the haunted house motif. If it was half as terrifying as what he did with ocean exploration and camping, I knew horror fans were in for a treat.
From the very first, I knew something was off with The Handyman Method. The original synopsis mentioned satire. Reviews on Goodreads from other galley readers commented on how funny it was. Not just funny - one of the reviews I read described it as hilarious. This is not what you expect to read when trying to learn more about a horror story.
I will say that The Handyman Method is scary. From the appearance of the very first crack, you know something is wrong with the entire property. That sense of dread increases with each chapter. Mr. Cutter and Mr. Sullivan keep their cards close to their chests so that the few twists they add are unexpected and add to the tension.
As for the satire/humor other readers mention, I suspect they believe the ominous DIY Youtuber is the satirical portion of the novel. Except, all he does is spout misogynistic statements about women and encourage the idea of an alpha male. Misogyny isn't funny. Ever. To call the handyman satirical is just a sad excuse to think his statements about a woman's place are funny. If anything, the DIY guy isn't amusing or satirical but another hint that the property is not all it appears to be. Thankfully, the publisher removed any mention of satire in its marketing. As for the reviewers, I suspect they belong on a different end of the political spectrum than me.
Where The Handyman Method disappoints, however, is with the ending. The ending Mr. Cutter and Mr. Sullivan chose for their story is unfulfilling. There is very little in the way of resolution. I understand the lack of a happy ending because it is more realistic for any novel to have a fairy tale conclusion. However, The Handyman Method ends in a way that makes it possible for a sequel, even though there is no hint that they plan to or even thought about continuing the tale. It is very unsatisfactory, akin to an early Stephen King novel wherein they didn't know how to end the story and picked the easiest route.
My final impression of The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan is that it is a decent horror story. I believe Kiersten White's latest horror novel is better, as I found it much more unsettling and psychologically terrifying. The way The Handyman Method ends leaves a dissatisfying impression, and the rest of the story is forgettable. None of the characters develop beyond their archetypes, and the plot easily fits into every other haunted house mold. The Handyman Method is not what I expected from Mr. Cutter, which may be the most disappointing aspect of my reading experience.
From the very first, I knew something was off with The Handyman Method. The original synopsis mentioned satire. Reviews on Goodreads from other galley readers commented on how funny it was. Not just funny - one of the reviews I read described it as hilarious. This is not what you expect to read when trying to learn more about a horror story.
I will say that The Handyman Method is scary. From the appearance of the very first crack, you know something is wrong with the entire property. That sense of dread increases with each chapter. Mr. Cutter and Mr. Sullivan keep their cards close to their chests so that the few twists they add are unexpected and add to the tension.
As for the satire/humor other readers mention, I suspect they believe the ominous DIY Youtuber is the satirical portion of the novel. Except, all he does is spout misogynistic statements about women and encourage the idea of an alpha male. Misogyny isn't funny. Ever. To call the handyman satirical is just a sad excuse to think his statements about a woman's place are funny. If anything, the DIY guy isn't amusing or satirical but another hint that the property is not all it appears to be. Thankfully, the publisher removed any mention of satire in its marketing. As for the reviewers, I suspect they belong on a different end of the political spectrum than me.
Where The Handyman Method disappoints, however, is with the ending. The ending Mr. Cutter and Mr. Sullivan chose for their story is unfulfilling. There is very little in the way of resolution. I understand the lack of a happy ending because it is more realistic for any novel to have a fairy tale conclusion. However, The Handyman Method ends in a way that makes it possible for a sequel, even though there is no hint that they plan to or even thought about continuing the tale. It is very unsatisfactory, akin to an early Stephen King novel wherein they didn't know how to end the story and picked the easiest route.
My final impression of The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan is that it is a decent horror story. I believe Kiersten White's latest horror novel is better, as I found it much more unsettling and psychologically terrifying. The way The Handyman Method ends leaves a dissatisfying impression, and the rest of the story is forgettable. None of the characters develop beyond their archetypes, and the plot easily fits into every other haunted house mold. The Handyman Method is not what I expected from Mr. Cutter, which may be the most disappointing aspect of my reading experience.
August 8, 2023
DNF @ 60% because I genuinely have no idea what is happening and why and at this point, I do not care.
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