Overlook: A Story About Drugs, Disappointment and The American Dream

by Matt McCusker

Overlook is the story of five dysfunctional neighbors, denizens of a blue-collar community whose lives become entangled around the "missing" son of a local dry-cleaning magnate. Can an elderly sex-offender, an abusive veteran, a troubled teenage boy, a girl who sells pain pills, and a listless, bumbling stoner band together against the external forces that threaten their quietly broken lives? No. And so sex, betrayal, death—even masturbation ensue, changing life for those on Overlook Road forever.

Genres: Fiction

354 pages, Paperback

Published April 3, 2018

About the author

Matt McCusker (1986-Present) has no notable literary achievements to speak of.

Reviews

[Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

D.A.W.G. reporting in to say this is hard not to read in the author's voice.

[Rckay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Overlook in 3 days. It was a page turner unputdownable. Spielbergian capture of small unit of blue collar Americana but as if Speilberg was shot up with something crazy & rolled about in dust & dirt each day b4 filming. I was gripped and it is also very funny as well as dramatic. Cosmic and surreal and absurdist touches pump through the litter stewn realism like blood in the veins 10/10.

[Jimmy Wearn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My God this book was wildly depressing. And what is scary is I see so much of myself in it. The wide eyed depravity of youth, the desperate quest for meaning and self actualization, delusions of schemes to make life into a utopia, it all resonated so much with me.

The writing style is quite good, albeit very easily digestible. It aches of a visceral and real style, something that feels raw and true. I found myself absolutely tearing through this book incredibly quickly, it is pulpy and has natural momentum to the plot.

I appreciated the authors ability to seamlessly shit between the various 5 characters, ever so subtly shifting the voice and tone of the prose while maintaining a consistency true to the author itself.

In ways this book feels pleasantly voyeuristic, characters that we've all seemed to have met within our lives but perhaps not gotten to truly understand on a deep level. Although there is a hopelessness, a futility, a nihilism that frames the overarching tone the novel is at times quite hilarious. Certain things remind me fondly of my own misdeeds of days past, the details of the muffins had me giggling at how similar my life has been to Joel.

Although this book largely left me feeling hollow and empty, there is a subtle beauty in the inevitability of life that I think hangs in the background. They say good art should make the disturbed feel comfortable and the comfortable feel disturbed. Or something like that...

[Tim Blewden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I really really enjoyed this book, the shaman delivered on every level! I was initially skeptical about him writing the novel from 5 different perspectives, however, each chapter was as gripping as the last, and the small character subtleties and variance in internal dialogues meant each chapter felt unique. Matt is also a master of environment description, with pages full of detailed and beautiful prose.

The story itself, whilst ultimately having a rather depressing conclusion, was always gripping and the pacing flowed perfectly. What I loved most about the story was that all of the characters were flawed in their own unique way, but their combined troubles and misfortunes brought them together on a wild and unpredictable adventure.

Would highly, highly recommend this book!

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best self published book I’ve read. In all honesty it is slightly rough around the edges and could have used a bit of touch ups from an editor like the cover is a low resolution google maps screenshot. Other than that there’s really no complaints, i thought it was really funny and everything was just so familiar it resonated with me.

[Amee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book because of a boy, but said boy is no longer in my life so I no longer feel obligated to finish this.

[Daniel Shevalier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A meandering tail of blue collar Philadelphians that gets slightly more depraved at every turn. The shaman writes with an eloquence that turns the mundane to the grandiose and will keep you engrossed to the very end. At times enlightening, at times shocking, and at times depressing. This was an enjoyable read from one of my favorite comedians.

[Grant Knoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't really have a book to read, so I picked this up because I am a big fan of the author's podcast and it was free on Kindle. I ended up being surprised by how much I enjoyed it! A fun yet extremely depressing read with some fascinating characters in a world that McCusker seems to be very familiar with.

[Trinity Hayden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strangely engrossing

I don't really know what to think or how to feel about this book, but I liked it in a bizarre kind of way. I think you will enjoy it if you have a bit of a warped mind and an odd sense of humor.

[keving chaupiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homer: You owe me an apology!
George: Hey. You owe me an apology. If you were any kind of a father, you'd have disciplined that boy a long time ago.
Ray: You want to step back, Sir? You're trampling the flowers.
Homer: Ooh! Hiding behind your goons, eh, Bush? Well, you are a wimp!
George: Wimp, am I? Agent Johnson, Agent Heintz, you men stand down. All right, Mister: you want trouble? You're going to get trouble.
Homer: Oh, I want trouble, all right.
George: Then you're going to get trouble.
Homer: No, you're going to get trouble.
George: Oh, that's good, that's good, 'cause I want trouble.
Homer: Then we're agreed there'll be trouble.
George: Oh, yeah, lots of trouble.
Homer: Trouble it is.
George: For you.
Homer: For -- d'oh!

[S C · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unnecessarily wordy. The paperback I read was over 300 pages. With a proper edit, it could be tightened up closer to 200 and wouldn't lose anything in terms of storytelling. But the bigger problem is that the overall story isn't compelling enough to be a full-length novel. The most interesting and well-written aspect is the subplot featuring the teenage character and his relationship with his father. The other main characters are half-baked and should have been relegated to minor characters in what could have been a strong novella focused on the teen.

[Ali Royal · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good! Addicting to read and great at jumping between character’s perspectives. Thoughtful, gritty, funny, and sad. I loved it and can’t wait for McCusker to write another book.

[Troy Maida · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute chaos cover to cover, but done in a great way. Real life isnt a neatly run plot line with the happy resolution everyone wants, it’s messy and more often than not things just end up the way they end up and you gotta scrape the joy out of what you have left. Made even better if ur a D.A.W.G from the pod and recognize a lot of the ramblings and ideas Matt has talked about come to life in his characters. Highly reccomend!

[Amara Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thoroughly impressed with this read. I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, but I loved it. There are so many aspects to this and it feels like a real story about real people dealing with addiction and loss. Definitely recommend!

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing novel from an amazing mind. I hope he writes more!

[Mariah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Officially DNFing.

[Jonathan Hanagriff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sensational. Easily the best part of this story is the raw first person perspective from five completely different but equally impactful characters. Every thought is so r embarrassing and uncomfortable and yet relatable in a honest vulnerable way. It’s hard to describe or even conceptualize the creativity needed to create these perspectives in such a complete and detailed way. I’m left in awe of the author and in desperation to hear another thought from each character.

[Cory Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

The multi-person narrative is a great device that is used well. It is an amazing book, especially for a first time author. Matt McCuscker is funny and hell and apparently can write a book. Joel and Brenda's chapters were captivating from the beginning and Fin's chapters really developed along with him. John was a hard character to figure out but his story was a crazy one. Eddie's chapters were cool because it felt like a classic detective novel. The print job was really good with only 3 small mistakes by my count. I highly recommend this book. Also check out Matt's podcast Matt and Shane's Secret Podcast" for great humor.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and I almost cried twice. My boyfriend had been trying to get me to read this book for almost a year.

Lots of full circle moments. The characters are endearingly niche. I found myself skimming at times, but that’s more on me than the writing. It tended to be a page-turner. Glad I read this beautiful book!

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great book, does a great job of being funny while still having an excellent plot. Loved feeling like I knew all the characters and then watching them interact

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

No offense to the author, but I had low expectations when picking this up and I was fine with the possibility of being disappointed. However, this is actually a very good and entertaining read. The character profiles are very rich, unique, and their individual quirks bring them to life in a way that sticks with you.

At times, the delivery has a Bukowski tone, but it's distinct in its own way. The subject matter and crude base events have an overlap with some of those stories and the author's unabashed and pure descriptions of the emotion and grime are appropriate.

I enjoyed this, very much.

Note to the author: I'm not sure why you feel the need to collaborate with another author on a future book. Don't let the imposter syndrome control your decisions. You are a wonderful writer and ... make words work good side by side. Seriously, getting this on paper is a massive hurdle and you are a better writer than 92% of the population. Keep up the good/fantastic work. Also, thank you for writing this. Parts of the story will live in my head for years... throwing stones and pebbles... getting a pinkie or leg in a room because of the vibes... slurping up a shoestring. Wow, it was a fun read.

[Alan Noyes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was recommended this book by some anonymous stranger on /lit/. I bought the book based purely on the description and the short description of the author.

What a book this was. Death, depression, drugs, physical and mental abuse, bad family relations, wooks; this book has it all. Much different than the books I have been reading, but wanted to try some modern literature. There are quite a bit of typos but considering the author says he spent $200 on editing, I'll let it fly. I was very confused about the beer legos at the bar though.

The storytelling method was smooth. There were parts that really resonated with me and I could feel myself empathizing with some of the characters situations. Each chapter rotates between the main characters of the story and their idiotic adventure. The strongest dialogue of the story was probably the relationship between Fig and his father. Very easy read that I personally had a hard time putting down. Finished it in a day, would recommend.

[Kilgore Trout · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good stuff. Familiar with the author from stand-up and his podcast. It definitely is his voice. I found myself confused by the action in some passages. Some great stuff but recognized some of his more pretentious viewpoints come through. Other characters called out on these instances but it felt forced.

No spoilers but Eddie felt like he should have been a side character, not worth having entire chapters based on his perspective. John was compelling, joel annoying, Brenda not the best female character put to page, and Fig could be insufferable a lot of times. I mostly enjoyed it but the end kind of just fizzled out to nothing. Not that it had to be bombastic but felt it could have led to something of more substance.

Not sure if I would recommend, but to anyone but fans of his other non book work should enjoy it. I don't regret reading it and it was a page turner but it could have spent some more time in the oven.

[Christopher Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book made me relapse and then get sober in 48 hours.

gosh dang it matt.

a tasty smoothie of psychedelia and modern fiction. the pov switches were very fun, although i wish their levels of psychedelic perspectives were a bit more separated. it seemed like joel was the over arching narrator even when it was “supposed” to be the others.

being a long time fan of the author highlights this singular judgement, since i can hear his voice in the text no matter the character in focus.

all in all, objectively progressive book. such a gripping style and hope to find more like it in the future.

dawgs or die 😤

edit: the cover is the worst ive ever seen.

[Bob Comparda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far exceeded my expectations of a self published novel written by a comedian. Story jumps between the perspectives of five characters of different ages and genders whose lives get intertwined. Great character development and a great plot. Theres a lot to unpack here about life, about how money, parents, drugs, and circumstance can effect the lives of not just one person, but also the people that are in their lives, and how quickly a bad situation can get out of control. Had a little of everything, comedy, action, drama, thriller, crime, love, etc.

[Benjamin Holm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spell binding. I ripped through this book in 3 days. Entangled themes of poverty, class, mental health, and substance abuse presented completely in an unpretentious way. Clever one liners throughout the novella lend relief to the constant amount of chaos and suspense taking place on Overlook Drive.

“The whole ensemble ended up coming off as some kind of hyper-whorish active wear, like if lulu lemon made a separate clothing line for getting fingered on the bus”

Would make a great HBO mini series

[Kevbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big fan of world building detail that can get to the point of being completely useless information. As a D.A.W.G, I enjoyed seeing how much of Matt's personal story made it in there. Complex and flawed characters, an anxiety inducing story, and a killer ending. Loved this book. If you're reading this, just remember, there's no law that says you can't be in a business establishment completely soaked in water.

[Patrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Very impressed at the way Matt can write, it is far more immersive than I thought he would have written, with lots of color throughout the storyline. However, after listening to Matt for a while, I saw a little too much of him in every character and they all blended together to lose individuality.

[Steve Wojcik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I liked how it read the pacing and how it really sucked you into the story. I ended up finishing this in a day cause I couldn't put it down. The author is a wordsmith and his way of describing things in such a unique and creative way but being so spot on kept me very engaged. I would certainly recommend this book to others

[RC · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great set of characters

I really enjoyed this book. There are a group of fascinating characters living across from each other all on the same collision course. I first thought this was a humorous novel and there are funny parts. But the plot is dead serious…and highly intriguing.