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lovelymisanthrope's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I saw this book in Barnes & Noble and was intrigued by the cover and title.
"Man, Fuck This House" follows the Haskins family as they move to their new home located in Jackson Hill. Sabrina, the mother, is bored with the life she feels like she settled for, Hal, the father, is excited to start his new job and take care of the family he is oblivious to, Michela, the daughter, is the seemingly normal one, and Damien, the son, has spent his life trying to convince his mom that he is a demon. A fresh start for this family feels like the right thing, but when Sabrina starts seeing impossible things, she believes the house is haunted. Unfortunately, no one else sees anything, so maybe she is just finally going mad?
There was something overtly pretentious about the writing in this book, which really turned me off. I think the writing and inner monologue made sense for Damien's character because of how he is trying so desperately to be portrayed, but it really did not work for me throughout the rest of the book. The writing felt stilted, and it took me the first 100 pages to really become acclimated and be able to read and stay invested in the story.
My other big grievance with this story was the extreme gore that felt like it came out of nowhere. For example, there is a scene where someone sees something, and they end up clawing their eyes out. This is a character we met for one page, and it did not feel authentic at all. Wouldn't his first reaction be that someone is playing a trick on him? Why did he immediately cut his eyes out?! I am fine with gore, but it did not feel organically written, it felt forced for a shock factor from the reader.
One thing I did enjoy (spoiler) is the perspective we receive from the house. I think I would have enjoyed this story more if the entire novella was written from the perspective of the house rather than a mix of other characters. That is such a fresh idea for a haunted house story.
I am definitely curious to read more from Brian Asman in the future.
"Man, Fuck This House" follows the Haskins family as they move to their new home located in Jackson Hill. Sabrina, the mother, is bored with the life she feels like she settled for, Hal, the father, is excited to start his new job and take care of the family he is oblivious to, Michela, the daughter, is the seemingly normal one, and Damien, the son, has spent his life trying to convince his mom that he is a demon. A fresh start for this family feels like the right thing, but when Sabrina starts seeing impossible things, she believes the house is haunted. Unfortunately, no one else sees anything, so maybe she is just finally going mad?
There was something overtly pretentious about the writing in this book, which really turned me off. I think the writing and inner monologue made sense for Damien's character because of how he is trying so desperately to be portrayed, but it really did not work for me throughout the rest of the book. The writing felt stilted, and it took me the first 100 pages to really become acclimated and be able to read and stay invested in the story.
My other big grievance with this story was the extreme gore that felt like it came out of nowhere. For example, there is a scene where someone sees something, and they end up clawing their eyes out. This is a character we met for one page, and it did not feel authentic at all. Wouldn't his first reaction be that someone is playing a trick on him? Why did he immediately cut his eyes out?! I am fine with gore, but it did not feel organically written, it felt forced for a shock factor from the reader.
One thing I did enjoy (spoiler) is the perspective we receive from the house. I think I would have enjoyed this story more if the entire novella was written from the perspective of the house rather than a mix of other characters. That is such a fresh idea for a haunted house story.
I am definitely curious to read more from Brian Asman in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Violence, Death, Torture, Gore, and Death of parent
ericarobyn's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
3.5
Man, Fuck This House by Brian Asman is a story of a very unusual house, a tense family dynamic, and one very long prank that threatens to push this family over the edge.
When a family moves into a new house, the wife is shocked to find that she’s not alone. A man keeps popping up and disappearing in weird places that no human could disappear into. At first, she thinks she is losing her mind, but when her neighbor points out that the spirit has only really helped her, she briefly sees things in another light. But it’s not long before things take a turn.
This story was so wonderfully dark and suspenseful! If dark humor isn’t your thing, tread lightly here.
My favorite character was the naughty little boy, Damien. Take the dark snark of Wednesday Adams and dial it up to an eleven and you’ve got the mindset of this kid! His lifelong prank was something else. While I was so nervous to see what he would do next, I couldn’t help but look forward to it.
The storyline itself was also wild! I did not see that ending coming, but I absolutely loved it!
My Favorite Passage from Man, Fuck This House
Sabrina gasped, looked about for a weapon. The bathroom offered nothing obvious, because it was a bathroom, not an armory. A man that big would simply laugh if she tried to brain him with a shampoo bottle or a bar of soap. Wait, the towel rack –
My Final Thoughts on Man, Fuck This House
A must read for horror fans that like dark humor mixed with the paranormal and a bit of oddity. I had a great time reading this tale!
The book title itself makes me laugh so much. When my husband, Alex, first saw the book when it arrived from Gibson’s Bookstore, he read the title out loud, laughed really hard, and then said, “That has to be the BEST book title!”
Content Warnings
Moderate: Torture and Gaslighting
Minor: Gun violence
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