I devoured this book in one sitting. I have recommended this book to people that have enjoyed the other works from the authors. I will continue to recommend this title in the future. Hope to see more collaborations in the future. Great blend of the haunted house and blood pact trope. Thank to NetGalley and the publisher.

I went into this one blind and I'm not entirely sure how to feel about it. I love a good scary house story, but this one unfortunately fell short for me. I think the only character I seemed to like was Handyman Hank and his quirky videos. I expected something completely different from this book and I am quite sad it didn't deliver.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝘼 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙈𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙮𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚 𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧.

The Troop by Nick Cutter is one of my favorite horror books of all time so I was so excited when I got an early copy of this book. I had such high expectations, but unfortunately, I had mixed feelings about this book.

I don’t think Nick Cutter’s style of writing will be for everyone, I personally enjoy it… it’s something different and interesting.

I mostly listened to this book via audio and I enjoyed the narration. However, the storyline was all over the place and I kept having to rewind because I was so confused. Also, I think the pacing was all over the place. During certain times of the book, nothing was going on and during other times there was too much going on.

Cutter will always do a fantastic job when it comes to body horror, it was no different in this case. I actually enjoyed the creepy moments in this book. There was so much potential with this one, but unfortunately, I think the execution fell flat.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Gallery Books for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

I'm a new fan of Nick Cutter and was excited to see a new one! In the synopsis, the plot is compared to Amityville and even without the explicit comparison, I would have drawn the same conclusion. In fact, I started to believe that this was just a retelling of Amityville. Which would have been just fine, to be clear. But then the last third or so took a wild turn and it is in fact a whole new story! Wow! I was literally gaping as I read on and the story got darker and twistier. And that's about all I can say without giving it away! I ended up liking this more than I thought, but I do wish the turn had come earlier; I was nearly uninterested before it grabbed me back just in time!
Thank you NetGalley for the advance digital copy. All opinions are mine.

Unfortunately I was having a difficult time getting into this book. The writing style was really off-putting to me and made it difficult for me to become immersed in the story. Thank you to the publisher for granting me access to an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Handyman Method
Written by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan
Read by Corey Brill
Book 253/200
Genre: Horror
Format: Audio/Digital, ARC
Pages/Time: 292/7hr 32min
Published: 2023
Rating: 7.75/10
Horror: 👻👻👻
Narration: 8.5/10

"But you can’t have it all, not at once, every duck in a row. Life won’t bend that way, and a belief in the possibility is corrosive… and all the while, the most precious stuff is sprinkled right at your feet, waiting to be held."

A new creepy tale from Cutter and Sullivan introduces new terrors into the already stressful home-buying process. As a self-proclaimed handyman, constantly finding things to fix, this book was uniquely terrifying. The team does a great job in creating an atmosphere of suspense throughout the novel and some truly disturbing imagery that I have become to expect from Cutter.

For me, this story did fall a little flat in the third act. Some of the revelations seemed that they weren't built up enough or out of nowhere. That being said I absolutely loved the ending of this book. Overall it was a fun and creepy read, well suited to any horror fans or new homebuyers.

The Handyman Method is the first Nick Cutter book I've read and I enjoyed it thoroughly. A great combination of horror and satire. None of the main characters are very likeable, but the strangeness of the story itself drew me in and kept me reading. I would recommend this to fans of Grady Hendrix.

TW: Language, misogyny, bullying, toxic relationships, abusive relationship, gaslighting, ageism, p-word, c-word, animal death (graphic), gory scenes, blood, violence, death by suicide, child abuse,

<b><big>*****SPOILERS*****</b></big>
<b>About the book:</b>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.
<b>Release Date:</b> August 8th, 2023
<b>Genre:</b> Horror
<b>Pages:</b> 292
<b>Rating:</b> ⭐

<b>What I Liked:</b>
1. The writing was good
2. I liked the plot
3. The ending twist was interesting
4. Creepy elements

<b>What I Didn't Like:</b>
1. Rambles rambling
2. Omg Trent wow
3. I hated the story

<b>Overall Thoughts:</b>
Boy, Trent could be best friends with Jack Torrance with the way he is an asshole to everyone - including his wife and kid. Omg no one is spared from his terrible treatment of them.

The contractor at Home Depot brought back memories of dealing with them when I worked at a hardware store. They think the whole store is only for them and no one else to shop in. They want you to cater to them.

There were so many moments in this book where it just rambled. I found it very boring. Over the top descriptions of scenes that lead no where and had zero to do with what was happening.

I am absolutely confused as to who I was supposed to be cheering for in this book. There were no characters I liked or thought added anything to the story.

Did Rita <i>really</i> say that Trent was a good husband and father??? Okay she must be so abused she doesn't know what's real.

Not me mad that Rita leaves after this asshole threw their child from the roof. She comes back and they have tons of sex. I mean what doesn't make you so horny as your only child being abused by his father. She has the money to move out!! {edit - now I know what she came back - I think}

I liked the ending where the husbands have to be fed to the demon. I mean you wouldn't even have to ask me I would offer up Trent in 2 seconds. It wouldn't even be a question. I wouldn't even care we would have a party afterwards where Trent was eaten by a demon.

Oh my God and then like Trent goes back to the house to go fight it but she's like no Trent don't go back to the house. It was so stupid just let the demon take Trent he's not a good person. And we can argue and say that perhaps the house brought out the worst out of him but when we read earlier things from him he was not a good person. Demons only bring out already the shitty things about you.

Honestly I mentally dipped out when it came to Trent being stalked in the house. As if you can't tell - 👏🏻I did not care about Trent! How can you give us this character who is so horrible to his wife and his child and then expect us to even care that he is being stalked by a demon in a house?

I didn't understand the point of Little Boy tormenting the child if all along he just wanted the dad. He was promised the dad but he could take the child if the dad wasn't offered up.

Of course you think Rita could maintain peace? Nope she goes to the basement to save Trent and now the pact is no more. He isn't worth it! The whole neighborhoods men are going insane.

<b>Final Thoughts:</b>
This felt like if Jack Terrace was into home repair instead of writing. I read in the acknowledgements that this book was trying to be like The Shining. It successfully succeeded because I felt I was reading the generic version of The Shining. For some reason with this author I always feel like he is "borrowing" Stephen Kings work.

The writing style I felt was stellar. The author did a wonderful job at setting the atmosphere.

Where The Shining's success lies for Jack is that Stephen King makes you believe that under that drinking maniac there is a father and husband that cares for his family, but with this book we don't care because Trent is so over the top terrible from the beginning that there is zero hope that there is anything worth saving him for/from.

The lesbains are safe in this book. They are smart and don't have to deal with these Andrew Tate men.

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/horrorghoulreads/"><b>IG</a>|<a href="https://bookwordreview.wordpress.com/"><b>Blog</b></a>

<font face="times new roman" size="12pt"><i><b>Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery books for this gifted copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Handyman Method was an interesting take on the haunted/creepy house trope. This was an intriguing horror-mystery that had some gruesome content (why did that have to happen to the poor turtle?!!).

This is the first book that I’ve read by these authors. I liked the writing and I felt like the story flowed well even though it was co-written.

After reading this, I will never look at home improvement shows or Home Depot the same way again. Pick this book up if you love unique horror fiction that will keep you immersed until the bloody end. I wish the turtle part was left out though. 😳🐢

3.5/5 stars

I've followed Nick Cutter since loving The Troop and The Deep, as well as The Saturday Night Ghost Club written under his pseudonym Craig Davidson- all amazing contributions to the horror genre! I had wondered if Nick was out of the writing game since it's been awhile, but delighted to see this one come about. I think this book will resonate with a lot of our memories of the pandemic-we all wanted to make our homes and spaces nicer and spent hours on YouTube and at home improvement stores. I also believe Millennials (of which I am) will identify with the plot; we all grew up thinking college was most important and shunned the thought of trade schools. Because of this, many of us have no idea how to build things or work on things. The main character Trent shares an attitude a lot of us may feel going into a Home Depot-not know where to even begin when starting a project and feeling intimidated by the big boys-the contractors with the premium memberships. This was quite a unique possession storyline, which is what I appreciated the most. Very graphic as well, and if you have a soft spot for turtles, fair warning that Morty the Turtle does meet an unfortunate demise. The one aspect I did not like was the length- this book felt a little long and could have been wrapped up sooner. I think everything flowed pretty well, and it it had those points of humor, gore, and terror that I enjoy in horror (think Grady Hendrix!). Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC!

This book is a chilling and wickedly brutal horror novel written by the talented coauthors Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan. It takes the classic haunted house theme and adds a heinous twist, delivering a unique blend of horror.

This novel also serves as a cutting satire of home improvement culture, offering humorous glimpses into numerous visits to Home Depot. These visits showcase the comically exaggerated attempts of individuals to outdo one another in displaying their manliness.

While the story builds slowly and creates a chilling atmosphere, there are moments where it can feel somewhat repetitive.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the ARC of this book.

I am a big Horror and Nick Cutter fan, but this book was not my favorite. I was left very confused after reading it, not because I didn’t understand it, but because I just wasn’t sure what about it I didn’t like. I couldn’t put my finger on it. It’s well written, and there’s plenty of horror and satire elements, but this book just didn’t gel with me. Could be the toxic masculinity aspect. Or the poor turtle.

On the surface it appears to be a haunted house story, but then it evolves into something quite different. The main character Trent, his wife, and son Milo move into a new house but it appears to be falling apart, so Trent starts watching YouTube videos of ‘Handyman Hank’ to fix things up. Then everything goes to hell and Trent changes into a terrible person. And there is something wrong with Milo’s pet turtle. And there’s something weird in the crack in the closet. There was definitely a lot going on, and the book was engaging and well-paced, and the plot was unique and intriguing.

Overall, I’m glad I gave it a shot and read it, but I definitely feel like I’m in the minority opinion of people who didn’t think this book was amazing.

I loved this take on a haunted house story. Handyman Hank is now one of my favorite horror characters. I especially enjoyed the fingernail scene. It was shocking and gross but written so well. I definitely had a grimace on my face reading that part.


Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

“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.”

This book was a wild ride. As much as I hated the Handyman Hank videos, I seriously cracked up at some of them. He is extremely misogynistic and it definitely rubs off on Trevor. He’s bored and lost his job so why not completely renovate the random issues with their brand new house 😂 I think this resonated with me so much because of all the projects we have done on our house. I just chuckled when he literally has no idea what he was doing in Home Depot (hi. It’s me.) His wife Rita didn’t seem very present in their marriage or the book. You could tell she would do anything to protect their son, Milo. The ending of this book was wild and Rita is definitely more present in it. I will say there is some animal death in the book, apparently turtles aren’t safe in Nick Cutter’s book. Overall, a fun horror that I thoroughly enjoyed

Not even sure what to say about this one. Creepy? Yes. Gross? Yes.Weird? Yes.
Toouch toxic masculinity for my taste but it was written authentically.
Hard to describe this book without giving away a lot.
But if you are a horror fan and like a nasty twist this is for you.
Thank to @netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion

Trent, Rita, and son Mila move into their new home, which immediately shows signs of needing repairs. Under the influence of Handyman Hank's how-to YouTube videos, Trent tries to repair his house while losing his sanity.

A unique idea for a haunted house story. I think my having high expectations of bug horror made it a bit of a disappointment for me. I also really did not care for any of the characters at all. I suppose that must have been intentional but it made the story less engaging. Some scenes were scary in their gore factor but not much else. I enjoyed some of the ideas here but it was definitely not my favorite of Nick Cutter's.

this book is a fuckin' trip!

I don't know what I was expecting from this book when I went in, but it took some very creepy and weird turns. I love weird stories, but Nick and Andrew.... What do you have against turtles!? 😱

I don't want to say too much about this one as it's best to go in blind, I think. But I will say I loved the way toxic masculinity was portrayed. It was all at once scary, true to form, and hilarious. I never knew if I should be offended, horrified, or just laugh. I did a lot of laughing (sshhhhh) 🙃

It was really unique how the authors introduced some of the characters through YouTube videos. But oh man, do they play a big role in this story. As much as I hated Hank, I also loved him. The way he fits into the story and is woven in was so interesting.

From the start, this book is all sorts of weird and then quickly goes to creepy af. It's the creep/horror factor that had me like, wtf! I loved it. The whole book was just so well done, and the story fit together so seamlessly.

Bravo! I'm a fan.

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: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

WOW. This was such a binge worthy book. I flew through this in two days; basically 24 hours actually. This book gave Jack and Danny Torrence vibes SO MUCH. I loved the build up, but felt like the twist was kind of a let down. I was really vibing with the poltergeist/haunted house theme, and felt like a curse was way out in left field. However, I am a huge fan of Nick Cutter and his writing, so this was a solid 4 star read for me.

Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan have been on my radar for a while, but I had yet to read any of their work and was really excited to get a chance to read The Handyman Method!

I loved the general premise of this book: a young family moves into a new house in what is eventually going to become an idyllic, family-oriented suburban community, but right now they are seemingly the first ones there. The house seems perfect at first (barring a front yard that is not landscaped to our dad/husband, Trent's, preferences), but there soon seems to be an almost never-ending list of odd problems that keep popping up in need of improvement. Trent discovers an online handyman known as Handyman Hank who just so happens to have videos for almost every home improvement project Trent has (I think we can all relate to having used Youtube at some point in our lives to help us solve or fix something), and Trent is soon sucked into Handyman Hank's tips, which start to become about more than just tips for around the house. Unfortunately for the Saban family, things start getting more and more out of their control and things take some shifts.

As much as I loved this premise, it did end up working out for me quite as I’d hoped it would. For one, I honestly didn’t find any of the characters all that interesting or likable. The kid, XX, is the closest to interesting, but for some reason I just felt like I was held at an arm’s distance with him. The husband is also meant to be unlikable (or at least I would assume that’s intentional), and as much as I tend to enjoy unlikable characters, he was unlikable to the point that I almost struggled to read from his perspective because I just could not stand him. There were one too many annoyances that really bothered me, which ended up being a bit of a hurdle for me and my enjoyment of The Handyman Method.

In addition to the husband being unlikable, I also felt as though his hostility really permeated the entire story to where the entire book felt quite aggressive and this put me off a little bit, as it left me feeling angry and frustrated. Anger is clearly a central part of this book, but it left me feeling like I couldn’t quite get invested in this book in a meaningful way. I always give credit to books that are so well written that they are able to effectively make me feel strong emotions, but unfortunately this one leaned too much into frustration for me to enjoy it.

The pacing for The Handyman Method also felt a bit off. Things often seemed to go from zero to 100 extremely quickly and in ways that didn’t make sense to me because they didn’t feel fully developed. Similarly, the lack of build up to certain points ended up feeling choppy rather than impactful, and left the story lacking a better flow from one moment to the next. There never really seemed to be any time to get your bearings, and not in a good way.

What The Handyman Method did do incredibly successfully, however, was create a wonderfully creepy haunting atmosphere full of the unexpected and disturbing. I delighted in wandering around this house and wondering what problem was going to pop up next. The authors truly know how to create a sense of dread for just what our characters are going to do next–or what they will be confronted with next–and it is these elements that make me excited to try out some other books from them.

This is not a book for the fainthearted, as there are plenty of tough topics covered, as well as plenty of gore and just plain gross moments that will surely keep you awake. There are plenty of tough topics covered, plenty of gore, and honestly just some just plain gross moments that I think will either keep you hooked or turn you off from the book. As an additional note, there is an animal death in here that was extremely graphic and difficult to read, so just a head’s up for that.

All that being said, this is definitely a book that will be memorable for me and I still absolutely plan to check out more work from Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan in the future. I didn't love The Handyman Method as much as I'd hoped to, but not every book is a good fit for everyone, so hopefully the next ones will be! If you're looking for a horror that will constantly surprise you and is sure to throw all sorts of terrifying things at you, then The Handyman Method is the book for you to check out next.