I didn't love this. The central idea of some type of evil corrupting good men into being the stereotype of toxic masculinity, and the protagonist's subsequent descent into manly madness, was solid and clever. But it went on for too long (despite a relatively short length) and got caught up in too-extensive scenes of gore, torture, and trips to Home Depot.

And even feeling too long, the primary antagonist's origin/purpose is vague and felt unfinished. A lot of things were left unexplained (the pods, for starters) and made it all feel relatively unsatisfying.

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan is a slow burn horror with plenty of graphic imagery. If you are sensitive to the death of pets/animals, this book may not be for you. I found that this book dragged a bit, but the storyline overall was enjoyable. Definitely read like a horror movie, albeit a slow one.

Special thanks to NetGalley, authors, and the publisher for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts. I have a special place in my heart for nick cutter. He is such a great horror author. His books always give me a feeling of claustrophobia. This book is no different. I loved how this book was a quick read and such a humorous horror. Overall, this book was such an interesting ride. Loved it. four out of five stars. I would read this book again for sure!

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan, 304 pgs, Pub date: Aug 8
Genre: Horror
Overall (out of 5) ⭐⭐⭐💫
Prose⭐⭐⭐
Pacing(1=slow 5=fast)⭐⭐⭐⭐
Character Development ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Scary (1=mild 5= terrifying)⭐⭐💫
Gore (1=clean 5=splatter)⭐⭐⭐
Atmosphere⭐⭐⭐⭐
Library or Buy-worthy: Library
Similar vibe: The Shining and It both by Stephen King, The Haunted and The Handyman both by Bentley Little, Prey by Graham Masterton, a hint of Freddy Krueger.

***Caution: Spoilers follow***

I have to admit, my attitude toward this book started off bad. The story has a distinct Stephen King/Bentley Little feel to it, which you experience right away at the beginning. From that I made assumptions that it would continue down that path. I happen to love SK and BL so I enjoyed that nostalgia but was a bit disappointed at the lack of originality. I'm saying right now that my assumptions were wrong. This story went in a totally unexpected direction and hooked me completely. We see the main character Trent's thoughts and his personality pretty clearly. Reminding me of the way Jack Torrance was written. Mental illness seems to play a part early on. There's an obvious parallel between father and son's experiences. Lots of vagina metaphors, LOTS. The story is told from multiple points of view. The transitions are clear so I didn't find that to be a reading hindrance. However it also made it so that I literally didn't like any of the characters.

About a third of the way in, Nick Cutter and Andrew F Sullivan get down to some serious gross horror business with a certain fingernail scene. I had to skim some of it, it was that bad, good... gross greatness... Anyway you get my point. From there on this horror story goes completely off the rails. This book goes way past weird right to the edge of bizarro. I didn't find it scary at all but there were some great gross scenes. What the authors have done here is to mix toxic masculinity and mental illness together with some pretty weird paranormal/occult circumstances to form a unique twisted tale. It's genius. If you value unpredictability in your horror, give this one a try. "The night ate his screams. The night ate everything."

Content Warning: for pet death, brief child abuse and verbal abuse (definitely could be triggering)

Trent, Rita and their son Milo arrive at their new home located in their new suspiciously unfinished subdivision and while getting settled, it isn't long before they uncover shoddy workmanship throughout their property. Driven to fix it himself, Trent tackles the work head on. However, as the work becomes increasingly complicated, it takes a toll on Trent's psyche. And what's going on with their son Milo and his troubling obsession with a specific YouTube channel? Is Rita hiding something from her husband and son that threatens to destroy their family?

I rarely inject profanity into my reviews, but Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan's THE HANDYMAN METHOD is one seriously fucked up book. Given that I've read nearly everything Craig Davidson has released under his Nick Cutter pseudonym, you would think I'd be used to a certain level of horror and depravity, but I was wrong. THE HANDYMAN METHOD goes to places I did not expect and brought to the surface a twisted type of dread that left me reeling.

In using seemingly "haunted" YouTube videos as the main driver of the novel's terror, they add a level of uneasiness that propelled the novel to a new level of creepiness. The way the videos and those in them warped the minds of the characters in the book felt completely original and something I honestly can't remember reading in another story. At least not in recent memory.

There are not many books that leave me feeling truly unsettled and uncomfortable, but this is absolutely one of them. There are a few moments where I felt like events went a little too far, but that's the whole point of the horror genre and why it has so many fans, writers and admirers. Cutter is known for pushing his readers to their absolute limits, so be forewarned that this story navigates into some pretty dark territory.

THE HANDYMAN METHOD is scheduled for release on August 8th, 2023.

Fair Warning: This book contains one of the more insane depictions of animal death I've experienced in quite some time. For those familiar with what Cutter presented in his novel The Troop, this may not be a surprise. However, this one scene in particular went on for so long reaching a point where I felt sick and needed to put the book down and walk away. Honestly, that may be a selling point for some people, but I thought it was worth letting people know what they're getting into with this one.

Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan’s The Handyman Method is an intriguing and inventive twist on the classic haunted house story. Trent, Rita, and their son Milo move into a brand new house, but there’s a few things that need to be fixed. As Trent wades into the home repairs he beings to experience some worrying personality changes.

I loved that it wasn’t a typical things-that-go-bump-in-the-night ghost story and there’s some incredibly gory body horror. It also mixes these supernatural frights with real world frights, specifically offering up a scathing critique of toxic masculinity. It’s a great combination of grotesque horror and sharp social commentary.

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan is a creepy twist on a haunted house story. When Trent and his family move into a new home, there are several repairs that need to be done. Trent does what anyone would do and begins looking up tutorial videos on YouTube. When the mysterious handyman Hank’s videos start to become more and more directed towards Trent, crazy things begin to happen in the home.

This book is being pitched as The Amityville Horror meets and episode of Black Mirror and I think that is a great comparison because it matches the vibes perfectly. This book was very eerie, especially if you are like me and rely heavily on YouTube to help with basic things around the house. I didn’t find Trent to be a particularly likable character so it was hard to want the best for him. But I feel like he is written that way on purpose. There are a lot of subtle poking at white make privilege in this book that felt very spot on but I do think some people will take it more seriously and find it misogynistic. I don’t think that was the intent because I have read other books by Nick Cutter and his writing has never come off that way to me. I think a theme in this book is definitely a critique of the male ego

My only issue with this book is some of it fell a little flat. I’m used to being in the edge of my seat, immersed in the atmosphere when reading a book by Nick Cutter and I didn’t feel that way about this book. I don’t know if it is because it was co-authored and they were trying to find a style they fit both of them or what exactly the issue was but it just felt different.

I still really enjoyed this book and thought it hit the creepy factor very well. There is some gore and body horror in this so be prepared for that if you are interested in this book.

"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."

Like evil This Old House, I'm SO here for it!

A family moves in to a new home, and strange things start to happen. That's the most basic way to describe this.

What this actually is....what this IS is something entirely different and terrifying. Using technology and its dangers as a common thread, this shows a family in crisis. The father, obsessed with fixing the issues with the home, that was SUPPOSED to be brand new, becomes enamored with a YouTube channel all about small house repairs, and the host, Hank, seems to be speaking ONLY to him. The son finds a strange..nest of sorts in the woods, and after it falls into a sinkhole, he finds another one, closer to the new house. And worse of all, the mother....the mother just watches it all, with a strange calmness and resolve.

There are moments of pure humor - every single visit to Home Depot was an adventure and exploration of white male privilege. There are also pure horror and just...terrible events. But, best leave those in the book and not here.

I don't know how I'm going to sleep tonight after finishing this. Maybe I should go roam the aisles at Home Depot....

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

I love horror books and this was a fun read. Full of lots of dark twists. I found the characters interesting and well developed, but sometimes a bit annoying. But I feel like most horror characters have annoying qualities. The writing was really well done and made me feel what was going on.

Lovecraft Encounters Steampunk! Beware the Gods of the Old Earth!

Those two thoughts prevailed in my mind as I perused the delectable, tantalizing, and ultimately terrifying THE HANDYMAN METHOD by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan. Prepare for gross and gory; enjoy how these authors peel the veneer off contemporary and traditional culture [especially the rampages of toxic masculinity and the drive in males to rise above and become heroic]. The terrors showcased here stem from a variety of loci: Haunted House; Haunted Land; prehistory; Cosmic Horrors (at least that far beyond time); Sacred Pacts with Evil; Matriarchy; Generational Legacies; Protecting the Unwary Ignorant Masses; Eternal Damnation in an entirely new and immensely terrifying format. If you've read either of these authors, you're aware you're on a wild roller-coaster of the Imagination; combine these two in tandem: it's like nothing, I venture to say, you've ever read before. Have at it.

A family (Trent, Rita and their son Milo and a turtle named Morty) have moved into their new home in an unfinished development community. From the beginning I thought why is Rita acting so weird about entering the house. She is hesitant and has an awkward interaction with Trent over it. Thus, begins the strangeness of this book.

From the beginning, Trent notices that things are not right. Their home appears to need some work. It shouldn't need work, it is a new home, but there are minor things wrong with it that need improving. From the very beginning, the vibe in this book is creepy and unsettling. Trent and Milo begin to be obsessed with certain programs. For Milo it's a children's program, for Trent it is a home improvement program.

Home Improvement has never been so scary.

Creepy with a capital "C". This book was unsettling, gory with body horror, and tense. I kept thinking "move, move, move" but moving isn't an option when something has a hold over you....

This was a hard one to rate for me. I enjoyed it, I can't say that I loved it. I did; however, love the vibe of this book. I was uncomfortable while reading this book. It is that unsettling. While reading, I keep thinking that this would make a great horror movie. There are so many elements in this book that reminded me of these books (and their movies): "The haunting of Hill House" and "The Amityville Horror”, and "The Shining".

Creepy, unsettling, and dark. This book will haunt you!

Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan do a great job in the horror genre, it had everything that I was hoping for in this type of book. I loved the concept in this world and thought it had a great suspenseful feel to it. I’m glad I got to read this as I really enjoyed how good this was.

This was a pretty solid book. I wasn't a huge fan of it, but it had a lot of the horror elements that I love and I was curious enough about the story to continue. I have read a few things by this author, and all of them (so far) have been okay. I think there's just a little something I'm missing from his work, but I can't quite articulate it. Horror is one of those genres where I really know what I don't like in a story, but it's often hard to articulate what I *do* like. Solid overall, also the cover is really cool I like it a lot.

Satire on toxic masculinity, DIY culture, and parenthood. Also, a pretty inventive haunted house story. It felt like a Bentley Little story. For many, that's a good thing.

But I really don't care for Little's work; too cartoonish. This one falls victim to that as well. A tad overwritten as well.

I do expect this book to do well though. It's too original not to.

This is the first book that I have read by either one of these authors. I had heard enough about Nick Cutter that I wanted to read this one.

When Trent is found to have faked his involvement in stopping a mad man at his law firm, he knows that his career is more than likely over. Take into account that his wife Rita is climbing the ranks at the same firm, that makes for a disgruntled employee and husband.

They buy a new house and notice right away that there are issues. Trent throws himself right into fixing things with the help of his new bestie - Handyman Hank, a Youtube Mr. Fix It. But, things aren't what they seem and Hank has other ideas.

Their son Miles on the other hand has some online friends of his own. And like his Dad, these friends are telling him to do things he wouldn't normally do.

This is one screwed up book, but in a very good way. Pulling Youtube in as a means to control some of the characters was a good take on things and I really liked that.

Thank you to the publisher, and Netgalley for a chance to review this book.

Nick Cutter does it again. Another frightening read from him. This book was very haunting. I didn't find it as disturbing as 'The Troop' but I still loved it.
I love this newer style of horror where technology is haunting, and no matter where we turn we can't escape it. This was a big win, and I hope every horror fan runs to read this book. I didn't want to put it down.

This may be one of the most twisted takes on a haunted house story I’ve read.

This deals with so much that I want to touch on. Toxic masculinity is a big one, and this does it in a way of poking the amount of fun that toxic masculinity and the fragility of it in itself as it deserves. But to pair that with this level of grotesque horror is genius.

A family of three move into this newly constructed house and immediately our protagonist, Trent, starts to deteriorate mentally. He is falling apart as the house begins to crumble around him, but he has this YouTube channel Handyman Hank to keep him company. As Hank walks him through all of these home renovation projects, Trent’s son Milo is having a similar experience with his Little Boy Blue channel. At just passing double digits, Milo is a curious boy, now filled with the compulsion to build things…

Things hit peak after peak in this house and just when you think it cannot get any worse, it does. But there is something much deeper at play here. On the surface this seems like a haunted house tale, but in reality it is this ancient horror that is leeching up from the earth and it must be stopped… but how?

This was vivid and intense. Some of the visual horror was pure perfection and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

(3.5 stars) haunted house & descent into madness tropes; unlikeable characters; gore; body horror; was really into this for the first half but then it felt like it was dragging on a bit; not a fan of the lore aspect; enjoyed the overall pace & the way the ending played out; a lot of great suspense build up; would make an awesome movie!

Special thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Nick Cutter is the king of body horror. It’s hard to gross me out but I found myself cringing throughout this jaw-dropping novel. I loved the backstory and especially enjoyed that the ending wasn’t tied up in a neat little bow where everyone lives happily ever after. A near perfect horror read.