Book Review | The Handyman Method

Trent Saban is recently unemployed and when he moves into a new home with his family, he decides to take up DIY home renovations to occupy with time. This leads him to get really invested in a Youtube channel called The Handyman Method, and, all in the meanwhile, his young son becomes obsessed with a children’s show called Little Boy Blue.

However, as time goes on, the videos they watch become increasingly personal and disturbing—leading them to question their reality.

Conceptually, the premise for The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew Sullivan sounded super trippy and meta and reminded me of the classic unfiction series Alantutorial or the movie Await Further Instructions. It sounded right up my alley and I wanted to love it so badly, but it left me with mixed feelings.

What really grated me is how insufferable and obnoxious being inside Trent’s head is. He’s an over-the-top macho man who constantly nags and complains about his wife. I get that he’s supposed to be a satirical stereotype, but the issue is that I feel for the story’s particular ending to work, it requires for readers to root for characters that they’ve been built up to hate.

I was in it more for the absurdity of the situation unfold. That’s really what redeemed the book for me. It’s a delicious decent into madness and I loved how off-the-rails unhinged and surreal the story got. I mean, this book gets BONKERS in the best possible way and manages to deliver some of the most stomach-churning nightmare fuel that I’ve read in a while, and for that, I’ll give it 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you, NetGalley and Gallery / Saga Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Details:

Publication Date : August 8, 2023

Publisher : Gallery / Saga Press

ISBN: 1982196726

Pages : 304

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