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First published back in November of 2024, Matt Shaw’s novel ‘The Challenge’ set out to deliver the most extreme, disgusting and repulsive horror story that the author has written to date.
The book was originally crowd funded through IndieGoGo, with pre-order funding closing in November 2024. The campaign included deluxe versions of the book, which amongst other perks, included a ‘Bonus Chapter’.
Unsurprisingly, the novel isn’t available via Amazon. You can, however, pick up a copy directly from the author here.
David Gusting was the man who’ll do anything. For the last few years, under the name Mr D. Gusting, he’d been running a successful online channel where viewers would issue challenges upon him. Challenges which push one’s limits. No matter how vile, how repulsive, how disgusting, as long as there was no personal injury or anyone else affected, if he was challenged then he’d give it a go. If he fails the challenge, then he pays £1,000 to the setter of the challenge.
Since starting the channel he’d amassed over a million followers. Each video instigating a flood of messages, many setting new challenges for Mr D Gusting to take on. Those challenges which haven’t been done before, are scribbled down in a black book, whereupon every Sunday, he’d upload a video showing the book and the challenges to come.
So far, he hadn’t passed on any challenges. Not a single failure. Not a single denial. As such, despite the sheer number of challenges presented to him, no one had won the £1,000. Because of this, he’d become a sort of online celebrity in his own right. The man who would try anything.
His success had meant he’d been able to pack in his day job, now earning enough through his online content to live a relatively comfortable life. Well, apart from the odd stomach ache, moments of nausea, or similar problems that come as a consequence from taking on such challenges. That and amassing an ever-growing list of foodstuffs he can no longer face, again because of his challenges.
Despite the income he’s making, his family are still far from impressed with what he does. His brother, Simon, was the golden child. However, David, was nothing but a disappointment. A loner who can’t even get a girlfriend. Although, who’d want to date a man who chows down the contents of used condoms from a brothel? Who’d want to kiss a man who’d sucked upon used tampons collected from the wastebin in a disabled toilet?
There was one girl, however. A single name amongst all of the comments on his videos. Kay Evans. A girl who said if she had the chance, she’d date him. What Mr D. Gusting did in his videos was more than just a cheap thrill for her. She wanted to meet him. She wanted to know him. She wanted to experience his world, before her time ran out…
Matt Shaw isn’t a man who’s afraid to delve into some downright nauseating and repulsive shit. Many of his novels fall firmly into the ‘Extreme Horror’ category for damn good reason. So, when he commences a book with a note declaring the novel’s intention is to push the boundaries, it’s aim to disgust the reader, you’re gonna sit up and take note.
In essence the novel was written as a challenge for the author to write the most disgusting shit he can, as well as challenging the reader to get through the entire book, whilst the story itself is about a character who undertakes vile challenges. A sort of three-way meaning for the title. Clever huh?!
This had then manifested into is a novel about an online celebrity who just does the vilest stuff for views. I’m gonna show my age here, but who remembers ‘The Hopefuls’ on Channel 4’s late-night show ‘The Word’ (1990 – 1995)? Well, this is basically that, but plummeting to much, much deeper depths of vileness.
We start out in relatively tame territory, with bogies, mucus and earwax forming the key ingredients for consumption. However, even with these tamer opening challenges, Shaw depicts them with an absolutely revolting degree of both vivid detail and nauseating realism. In fact, I was quite taken aback by how utterly believable our hero’s experience to each one was.
I’ll admit, even with these early challenges, I was wincing as I read. Bogies do it for me. Even the thought of them absolutely repulses me, as I know it does many others. Shaw clearly knew about this common aversion, so capitalised on this with the malicious gusto of an evil torturer.
However, those are just the early challenges. Things soon get a fuck-tonne worse! And I really mean it. This book should really have a huge warning emblazoned on its cover!
The depths of vileness Shaw plunders is unbelievable. This shit is easily on par with Samuel R Delany’s ‘Hogg’ (1995), or Wrath James White’s ‘The Bug Collector’ (2024). We honestly have some of the most disgusting, yet horrifically imaginative scenes of depravity set to paper.
We have all sort of vileness being sucked, licked, and consumed by our hero. We have sex acts which send cold shivers of repulsion down your spine. We have a scene that’s pretty much taken straight out of Shaun Hutson’s ‘Assassin’ (1988)…yeah, the infamous maggot scene…only here Shaw’s ramped up the vileness to hellishly uncharted new territory.
Obviously, if this was just scene-after-scene of depravity, then it’d be a pretty darn boring read. However, behind all of this filth and corruption, is a sad storyline of love, loss and one man’s struggle through gaining acceptance. A story about a loner, who finally finds someone, only for his world to self-implode in monumental tragedy.
In some ways there’s a lot of similarities between this and the likes of ‘Nekromantik’ (1988) or indeed Jonathan Butcher and Michelle von Eschen’s novel ‘Motel Styx’ (2024). A beautiful marriage between the despicable depths humans might venture into, and the beauty of sex, love and the endless pursuit of happiness. Only here, we have almost every taboo being served up on a platter of splatter – from coprophilia, to necrophilia, and everything in between. Hell, this is the only novel where you’ll find the immortal line “a meaty-meal of clotted, cummy, cunt-clumps”. Shaw is truly a modern-day Shakespeare!
So yeah, there’s definitely a degree of pitch-black humour within the novel. One which you’ll find you cling to for dear life, as you try to wade through the filth and degradation. There’s no getting away from it, you’ll feel soiled reading this book. Shaw’s vileness will taint you, corrupt something within you, and leave you that little bit different afterwards. Irreparably damaged? Maybe. Tainted to some degree? Definitely.
Nevertheless, it’s a fucking good read. It’s a story that’s built around a truly enthralling character arch. One that pulls you in from early on and coerces you along this repulsive but strangely compelling journey.
It honestly is a love story! A fucked-up, hard to swallow, outrageously dark and nihilistic love story. And like with ‘Nekromantik’ (1988), you find yourself being persuaded to see links between love and corruption. Between beauty and perversion.
It's a difficult read. A repulsive and vile read, which makes you think “What the fuck, Matt?!”. But it’s all so magnificently compelling. I think Shaw’s probably one of a very small number who’s able to bring a sense of beauty to snowballing a slimy shit, whilst firing a maggoty load into someone. Yeah, we fucking go there! And it’s beautiful!
Challenge complete.
Bonus Chapter – 5 Pages
The IndieGoGo purchased hardback and deluxe versions of the book include an additional chapter slotted in at the very end of the tale. If you’ve not read the novel yet, then don’t read this review any further, as I’m about to include a monumental spoiler about the end of the novel. Got it. Stop reading!
Ok, so now that we’re alone….first off, fuck was that novel a nasty-ass read?! Jesus!!! Anyway, as I said, the bonus chapter slots in at the end, after David realises he’s in quite a pickle with the remains of poor old Kay scattered all around him. Of course, what does he do before the police break in? Why, he cuts the top of her head off and fucks the tumour that’s been eating away at her brain, that’s frigging what! Holy-fucking-shit is Shaw mentally disturbed?! Who thinks up this sort of shit?! Man! I need a scorching hot shower to scrub myself clean after this vileness.
Shaw, well done, mission accomplished.
The novel runs for a total of 337 pages (which includes the bonus chapter).
© DLS Reviews
