Man, Fuck This House: Novella Review
Okay, yes, I’ve been away for a while. But you know me — I believe in taking periodic breaks. Recently I changed jobs, as well as took my first vacation in like two years! It was well worth stepping away from the blog for a bit — and thank you for waiting for me!
And now I am back with another review. I know you looked at that title and were intrigued. But before we jump into things, I do have to self-promote a bit!
I know you, my dear and kind reader, haven’t forgotten about my debut collection, What Remains When The Stars Burn Out, which came out March 31st, right?
Twelve terrifying stories ranging from body horror to cosmic horror to sci-fi horror. Twelve custom illustrations. A whole lotta chills. Check out what other readers are saying:
Now enough about me! Let’s head onto the review!
The Author
Brian Asman writes, edits, produces, and acts! Based out of San Diego, his works include I'm Not Even Supposed to Be Here Today, Nunchuck City, and Jailbroke. His short fiction has been published in Breaking Bizarro, Welcome to the Splatter Club, and Lost Films, and his comics appear in Tales of Horrorgasm.
The Novella
Man, Fuck This House follows the suffering of a not-so-average American family that moves into an average haunted house. Or is it really that average?
Sabrina Haskins and her family have just moved into their dream home, a gorgeous Craftsman in the rapidly-growing Southwestern city of Jackson Hill. Sabrina’s a bored and disillusioned homemaker, Hal a reverse mortgage salesman with a penchant for ill-timed sports analogies. Their two children, Damien and Michaela, are bright and precocious. At first glance, the house is perfect. But things aren’t what they seem. Sabrina’s hearing odd noises, seeing strange visions. Their neighbors are odd or absent. And Sabrina’s already-fraught relationship with her son is about to be tested in a way no parent could ever imagine. Because while the Haskins family might be the newest owners of 4596 James Circle, they’re far from its only residents… - Man, Fuck This House Amazon landing page
The Review
I had this book recommended to me by several people and, honestly, the title caught my attention as well, so I decided to give it a go on vacation. I ended up enjoying it so much that I finished it on the plane trip over.
Asman has a wonderful way with character building, mixing humour with the horror, and landing an unexpected and shocking finish — Man, Fuck This House is a refreshing take on a common horror trope: the haunted house, which I desperately needed in my life.
It needs to be mentioned again, how well-written the characters in this book were, especially Sabrina and Damien — two characters that presented an interested and twisted dynamic a la We Need To Talk About Kevin style.
I also greatly appreciated how effectively Asman weaved humourous moments throughout the growing suspense. To say this novel gripped me and didn’t let go (much like the possessed house gripped its inhabitants!) is understating it. To put it simply, I didn’t want the story to ever end.
Man, Fuck This House also had an ending I never saw coming. It was oddly satisfying, as well as being rather disturbing. So, if you’re looking for a new take on the haunted house trope, this is the book for you.
9/10
x PLM
