Reviews with content warning for Child abuse - The Handyman Method

Interesting premise but the intensity of violence (real & imagined) was not for me. I'd advise checking the content warnings on this one. The language alone was a bit of a shock for me.

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mhh831666's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

the turtle part will live rent free in my brain forever and has thoroughly disturbed the fuck out of me lol. otherwise this book is quite hilarious with how over the top horrible and unlikeable the main character is and I love me an unlikeable main character (even though it isn't entirely his fault? but whatever he still sucks 🤷🏼‍♀️) I'm sort of halfway between hating and being indifferent towards the twist/explanation bit but it was at least surprising so that's good I suppose. but yeah be wary about the horrific animal cruelty/death part because that shit was awful. RIP sweet prince turtle whose name I have forgotten. you will be missed 💘☠️🐢☠️💘

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sdsmith80's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

<b>Toxic Masculinity is Terrifying!</b>

I heard so much praise for this book, I was both excited to dive in, and afraid it wouldn't live up to the hype. Luckily, it very much did. This book made me so uncomfortable and hurt my heart at times. These are the traits I'm looking for in books!

The first thing that popped into my head was "does too much Home Depot cause toxic masculinity?" Obviously I knew that wasn't what was going on, but damn. Also I love the Home Depot contractors. I could totally picture them in my mind. I even saw a little of myself in his addiction to the store, although without the negative traits. I just really want to buy all the equipment and fix up our house!

As Trent's attitude and behaviors got worse, I was so incredibly uncomfortable. Especially with the incident on the playset. My kiddos have some similar qualities to Milo, so it HURT. I will say that was the hardest part of the book for me to get through, personally. I just have to say, sometimes someone you love, not understanding you, and intentionally not even making an effort to, can feel worse than any physical abuse.

There was also a decent about of gore and body horror. Some of the things that really got me were the fingernail, Ned, and a moment that makes me wonder, what does Nick Cutter have against *******‽ Again, trying to avoid spoilers, lol.

Overall this was a dark, distributing, yet at times humorous, book. More than anything, it's made me hate the color pink! I don't know if I'll be able to stomach Pepto Bismol every again! I can't wait to check out both author's books in my TBR.

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vixenreader's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Trent is a deeply unlikeable character, and I never got the chance to truly care for him, but I cared about Rita and Milo, and the themes of toxic masculinity and the insidious nature of capitalist chauvinism is captured brilliantly in this novel. Also, there are phenomenal moments of body horror, especially with homeware appliances and power tools.

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