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Shitshow
Latrine Technician vs. Dark Carnival?
Yep.
After his mother is diagnosed with dementia, Sunday McWhorter needs a job with flexible hours and a company vehicle. It just so happens that the local porta-potty company is hiring.
The job stinks, but it’s a solid paycheck that allows Sunday to take care of his mom. Everything goes smoothly until Autumn and the beginning of county fair season, when people start going missing and body parts start being found…inside the very tanks of the porta-potties Sunday is charged with cleaning.
Is there a serial killer? A human trafficking ring? An epidemic of haunted toilets?
Sunday finds out the hard way when the simple job of vacuuming sewage becomes a tussle between worlds.
Yep.
After his mother is diagnosed with dementia, Sunday McWhorter needs a job with flexible hours and a company vehicle. It just so happens that the local porta-potty company is hiring.
The job stinks, but it’s a solid paycheck that allows Sunday to take care of his mom. Everything goes smoothly until Autumn and the beginning of county fair season, when people start going missing and body parts start being found…inside the very tanks of the porta-potties Sunday is charged with cleaning.
Is there a serial killer? A human trafficking ring? An epidemic of haunted toilets?
Sunday finds out the hard way when the simple job of vacuuming sewage becomes a tussle between worlds.
Audible Audio
Published September 2, 2025
17 people are currently reading
9626 people want to read
About the author
Chris Panatier
23 books210 followersChris lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, daughter, and a fluctuating herd of animals resembling dogs (one is almost certainly a goat). He writes short stories and novels, "plays" the drums, and draws album covers for metal bands. As a lawyer, he goes after companies that poison people.
Chris's short fiction has appeared in many places. His novels come from Angry Robot, Sobelo Books, and Rapture Publishing. He's a member of SFWA and HWA.
Chris's short fiction has appeared in many places. His novels come from Angry Robot, Sobelo Books, and Rapture Publishing. He's a member of SFWA and HWA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
October 16, 2025
I was surprised by this book, it's short and powerful.
I thought it would be a light and absurd story, but instead I found a true and great horror tale, with a lot of feelings and still a humorous touch.
I loved the creepy carnival setting, the horrific possession aspects and the upside - down dimension.
Perfect Halloween read.
I thought it would be a light and absurd story, but instead I found a true and great horror tale, with a lot of feelings and still a humorous touch.
I loved the creepy carnival setting, the horrific possession aspects and the upside - down dimension.
Perfect Halloween read.
September 14, 2025
This is one of the most entertaining horror books I’ve read this year. It’s a perfect blend of light and dark dialogue. It will have you laughing throughout the story along with some very creepy, gruesome carnival horror that will make you cringe. The ending may make you shed a tear with the mother and son relationship.
The title may be off putting to some but it is a fantastic story well worth the read. Never would have thought a porta-potty could lead to an alternate dimension of a dark carnival full of shit tainted ghosts. Definitely going to read some of his previous work. I highly recommend this new release, 5 stars all the way!
The title may be off putting to some but it is a fantastic story well worth the read. Never would have thought a porta-potty could lead to an alternate dimension of a dark carnival full of shit tainted ghosts. Definitely going to read some of his previous work. I highly recommend this new release, 5 stars all the way!
June 6, 2025
Dear Reader:
If you loved the horror movies of the 1980s and 1990s that were green lit by studio executives who were snorting their lunches, then SHITSHOW is probably for you. Of course, I added a little bit of heart just for good measure. Watch out, this one might sneak up on you!
Have fun and bring a change of clothes! It's about to get gross.
Chris
p.s. Stay away from those cheap carnival stuffed animals, you never know what's really inside them!
If you loved the horror movies of the 1980s and 1990s that were green lit by studio executives who were snorting their lunches, then SHITSHOW is probably for you. Of course, I added a little bit of heart just for good measure. Watch out, this one might sneak up on you!
Have fun and bring a change of clothes! It's about to get gross.
Chris
p.s. Stay away from those cheap carnival stuffed animals, you never know what's really inside them!
July 20, 2025
far from a shitshow this story was a show stopper, the emotional depth took me by surprise, seriously from reading the description i didnt expect Chris to kick me right in the feels with this one, themes of family and grief are explored to a backdrop of nightmarish gore and laugh out loud moments, it's funny, but also real sad and a bit disgusting honestly?
September 25, 2025
This novel knows exactly what it is, and it revels in it. With a sympathetic everyman of a main character and interesting ancillary characters Panatier has crafted a fun little story that manages to wear its heart on its sleeve while also delivering on dark carnival fun. The world-building and character development are done really well, with convincing dialogue and a confident sense of place. The plotting is similarly fast paced, never really giving you a chance to rest, which works. Although it isn’t ever actually frightening, there is some wonderful imagery, as well as a genuine sense of both peril and loss. The story is campy and the emotional messaging pretty heavy-handed, but it is consistently fun. I was actually reminded of Joe R. Lansdale’s Bubba Hotep while reading this story, which is wildly different in terms of plot but feels similar in sensibility and tone. I suppose this is technically a novel but just barely, and it uses its word count efficiently. I actually wouldn’t have minded a few more graphic scenes, either some brief action set pieces or our main character stumbling onto the consequences of those horrific actions, because the story is relatively tame, all things considered. If you pick up a title like this you probably have a good idea of what you’re in store for, and Panatier delivers.
July 3, 2025
I want to start off first by saying thank you, Chris Panatier, for sending me an ARC to read and review ahead of the books release.
I also would like to add that this review and opinion are of my own.
I'm not going to lie. Going into this book, I thought, "How odd, a port-a-potty portal that leads to a dark carnival from hell?" It sounds ridiculous, but this really was a fantastic read! I enjoyed the horror, the humor, the love and dedication the main character showed to his mother, and I especially loved the spitfire Ms. Poppy!
This book made me Laugh, it made me cringe, and it even made me cry. It definitely was a hard one to put down! Another great book by Chris Panatier, I shouldn't have expected anything less!
I also would like to add that this review and opinion are of my own.
I'm not going to lie. Going into this book, I thought, "How odd, a port-a-potty portal that leads to a dark carnival from hell?" It sounds ridiculous, but this really was a fantastic read! I enjoyed the horror, the humor, the love and dedication the main character showed to his mother, and I especially loved the spitfire Ms. Poppy!
This book made me Laugh, it made me cringe, and it even made me cry. It definitely was a hard one to put down! Another great book by Chris Panatier, I shouldn't have expected anything less!
June 30, 2025
ARC reader here 😊
Another solid read by this author!
Do you like gore? Do you like creepy things? Do you like some comedy?
Pick this one up!
Absolutely was not expecting to shed tears, but it happened which should say something significant for a horror book about a porta-potty technician.
Another solid read by this author!
Do you like gore? Do you like creepy things? Do you like some comedy?
Pick this one up!
Absolutely was not expecting to shed tears, but it happened which should say something significant for a horror book about a porta-potty technician.
August 24, 2025
Chris Panatier had written the Texas bizarro romp you didn’t know you needed. Imagine a faecal-stained mix between Something Wicked This Way Comes and Event Horizon, with a blast of gutter humour and you’re somewhere close to this madness. Portaloos that transport our well meaning hero to a hideous (and hilarious) carnival hellscape - YES PLEASE. It’s the threeway lovechild of Joe Lansdale, Clive Barker and Ray Bradbury … and you’ll have a waltzer of a time with it. Just wash your hands after.
October 6, 2025
Portal-potties. Stop. I can’t. 😂💩
This was a shit-ton (pun intended) of campy, southern-fried carnival fun. It’s not necessarily the scariest book you’ll read this spooky season, but it’s packed with vivid imagery, a cast of likable characters, and a well-paced plot that is somehow both sweet and bat-shit crazy. I really enjoyed this one.
My advice: Flush your expectations. Enjoy the ride. 🎃🚽
This was a shit-ton (pun intended) of campy, southern-fried carnival fun. It’s not necessarily the scariest book you’ll read this spooky season, but it’s packed with vivid imagery, a cast of likable characters, and a well-paced plot that is somehow both sweet and bat-shit crazy. I really enjoyed this one.
My advice: Flush your expectations. Enjoy the ride. 🎃🚽
July 9, 2025
ARC Review: This book was like watching an '80s horror movie in the best way possible. Creepy circus vibes, weird humor, and just the right amount of chaos. The atmosphere was spot-on and the jokes landed perfectly. It was unsettling, hilarious, and totally unforgettable. I had so much fun with this one.
August 29, 2025
Oooh... this one was so much fun.
Just a dude named Sunday, taking care of his moms, who’s battling early onset dementia, and working a truly shitty job. Literally. He vacuums porta-potty poop water for a living. Things are going pretty okay until he’s delayed on one of his rounds at a fairground crawling with cops, all searching for a teenage couple who vanished at the carnival the night before.
Once they give him the all-clear, Sunday gets the hose and starts sucking... until something jams the nozzle. He’s used to fishing out garbage, so he figures it’s just another potato chip bag. Only... it’s someone’s face. Or rather, the skin of someone’s face.
Now it’s a crime scene. The porta-potty is officially evidence, and Sunday’s stuck hauling it away after signing for chain of custody. With nowhere else to dump it, he brings it home, along with a giant stuffed rabbit someone left behind near the toilets.
As missing persons reports pile up across county lines—all of them last seen at fairs and festivals, all heading for the crapper—Sunday starts to suspect something diabolical. And when his mom disappears, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
What follows is a wild, weird ride that leads him to a local museum run by the descendant of a dark carnival. From there, all hell breaks loose. It’s pure brain candy: fun, tropey, twisted, and surprisingly tender in all the right places.
To quote the author: “It’s like Doctor Who, except the Tardis is a shitter.”
Glad I got to read this one on the eve-eve-eve of its release!
Just a dude named Sunday, taking care of his moms, who’s battling early onset dementia, and working a truly shitty job. Literally. He vacuums porta-potty poop water for a living. Things are going pretty okay until he’s delayed on one of his rounds at a fairground crawling with cops, all searching for a teenage couple who vanished at the carnival the night before.
Once they give him the all-clear, Sunday gets the hose and starts sucking... until something jams the nozzle. He’s used to fishing out garbage, so he figures it’s just another potato chip bag. Only... it’s someone’s face. Or rather, the skin of someone’s face.
Now it’s a crime scene. The porta-potty is officially evidence, and Sunday’s stuck hauling it away after signing for chain of custody. With nowhere else to dump it, he brings it home, along with a giant stuffed rabbit someone left behind near the toilets.
As missing persons reports pile up across county lines—all of them last seen at fairs and festivals, all heading for the crapper—Sunday starts to suspect something diabolical. And when his mom disappears, he decides to take matters into his own hands.
What follows is a wild, weird ride that leads him to a local museum run by the descendant of a dark carnival. From there, all hell breaks loose. It’s pure brain candy: fun, tropey, twisted, and surprisingly tender in all the right places.
To quote the author: “It’s like Doctor Who, except the Tardis is a shitter.”
Glad I got to read this one on the eve-eve-eve of its release!
November 24, 2025
This is everything I look for in a horror novella: well-drawn poignant characters, flash bang storyline, flawed yet earnest protagonists with a deeply scary antagonist.
Sunday McWhorter is doing his best by his mom, as she slowly descends into dementia. He works hard driving a honey dipper, servicing porta potties in fairs and carnivals. Until people start to disappear, and Sunday realizes porta means PORTAL. Clever, funny, gross and disturbing yet heartwarming and hopeful as Sunday made me cheer out loud. This was a FUN read.
The dementia aspect hit me hard because of my mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s. I was invested in this book from page one.
The real amazing feat here is how Panatier can make a horror story about an evil monster that lives in a latrine into a charming and affecting story. I smiled for 200 pages.
Sunday McWhorter is doing his best by his mom, as she slowly descends into dementia. He works hard driving a honey dipper, servicing porta potties in fairs and carnivals. Until people start to disappear, and Sunday realizes porta means PORTAL. Clever, funny, gross and disturbing yet heartwarming and hopeful as Sunday made me cheer out loud. This was a FUN read.
The dementia aspect hit me hard because of my mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s. I was invested in this book from page one.
The real amazing feat here is how Panatier can make a horror story about an evil monster that lives in a latrine into a charming and affecting story. I smiled for 200 pages.
September 2, 2025
This book is batshit in the best ways. The main character is a latrine technician, Sunday, who has a grisly and strange discovery at a carnival porta-potty. The best way I can describe this book is that it feels like a late 1980’s horror flick with lots of humor (and some disgusting toilet stuff of course) and parallel dimensions and twisted versions of classic carnival attractions. It’s short, so you can easily read this in a couple of sittings. There are also themes of life and purpose. Sunday’s mother, who he cares for, has dementia, which is a major driver of the story as well. Panatier is a fantastic writer and Shitshow is certainly never boring.
Check this one out if you want some fun, bonkers horror with some humor and a little heart.
Thank you to the author and Sobelo Books for the eARC. Shitshow is out on September 2nd.
Check this one out if you want some fun, bonkers horror with some humor and a little heart.
Thank you to the author and Sobelo Books for the eARC. Shitshow is out on September 2nd.
November 16, 2025
What a crazy, fun story this was! I love Chris Panatier, and this had all of his wit and heart. This is a story about Sunday a latrine technician, who’s taking care of his mother who suffers from dementia (that’s hitting really close to home Chris!) People start disappearing all over Texas from fairs and the only thing in common is that there are porta potties in all of these places. This is a wild ride filled with plenty of gore but also a lot of love. Did I mention it’s incredibly funny too? Pick this one up if you love some fun horror that’s filled wonderful touching family dynamics! Thank you to Chris and Sobelo books for the arc! Out September 2
September 9, 2025
As Panatier says, it's like Doctor Who, except the Tardis is a shitter.
This was a fun carnival ride of a novel. At times touching, at times disgusting, the story had me grimacing and tearing up while laughing out loud.
Highly recommend to all my reader friends.
This was a fun carnival ride of a novel. At times touching, at times disgusting, the story had me grimacing and tearing up while laughing out loud.
Highly recommend to all my reader friends.
September 30, 2025
Want to be simultaneously nauseous and near tears? This, this is the one.
November 13, 2025
I grew up with the 'pull my finger Dad', so obviously, when I saw that this book was based on poop humor- I had to give it a read. Port o' Potties that lead to dark carnivals, yes please!
Not only is this book fun and unique, it was written really well. The characters were really lovable and who doesn't love an old school metal head son taking care of his aging mom story? I usually don't love dark comedy stories, but this one had me invested and laughing the whole time.
I read and listened to this book, and as a person that normally doesn't do audio books- I can highly recommend this audio book. The narrator was phenomenal and fit the main character really well.
If you like dark comedy/80s B Movies vibes (like Army of Darkness)- definitely give this book a try!
Not only is this book fun and unique, it was written really well. The characters were really lovable and who doesn't love an old school metal head son taking care of his aging mom story? I usually don't love dark comedy stories, but this one had me invested and laughing the whole time.
I read and listened to this book, and as a person that normally doesn't do audio books- I can highly recommend this audio book. The narrator was phenomenal and fit the main character really well.
If you like dark comedy/80s B Movies vibes (like Army of Darkness)- definitely give this book a try!
July 4, 2025
As the author says, it's like Doctor Who, except the Tardis is a shitter.
This was a fun carnival ride of a novel from Panatier. At times touching, at times disgusting, the story had me grimacing and tearing up while laughing out loud.
Highly recommend Shitshow to all my reader friends.
This was a fun carnival ride of a novel from Panatier. At times touching, at times disgusting, the story had me grimacing and tearing up while laughing out loud.
Highly recommend Shitshow to all my reader friends.
August 21, 2025
The nitty-gritty: Carnival horror meets gross-out humor in this wickedly funny, touching tale about memory, friendship and port-a-potties.
What if a port-a-potty was a portal-potty? That’s the idea behind Chris Panatier's Shitshow, a funny, gross, absurd and emotional story about a man dealing with his mother’s declining health and how he tries to save her. Not many authors can get away with mixing latrine humor and Alzheimer's, but Chris pulls it off splendidly.
We follow Sunday McWhorter, a fifty-something “latrine technician”—ok let’s be real, he services port-a-potties—who is dealing with his mother Regina’s dementia and still trying to keep his job. His neighbor Ms. Poppy watches Regina when Sunday is working, but even then it’s hard to monitor her 24/7. So when Regina goes missing one day, Sunday isn’t too worried. It’s happened before, and he knows where to look for her.
Except this time, Regina is gone. Sunday is determined to find her, and he suspects her disappearance might have something to do with another missing persons case at a local fairground, where two teens disappeared near a port-a-potty. With the help of Ms. Poppy, Sunday embarks on a weird journey to find his mother. Something evil is rising in Dublin, Texas, and Sunday must stop it before Regina is lost forever.
The humor in Shitshow won’t appeal to everyone, and honestly it’s not something I usually enjoy. But this is such a well written story, that the occasional turd joke or description of what happens inside the port-a-potties didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all. The idea of port-a-potties as portals to a dark carnival world is so outlandish—but it works, and I found myself laughing in the most inappropriate places. There are definitely some over-the-top gross-out moments, although they aren’t the focus of the story.
There’s plenty of crazy action as well, and Sunday is joined by a few memorable and very quirky characters. Ms. Poppy is a tiny, cigar-smoking woman who can’t believe Regina disappeared on her watch, and so she’s committed to saving her. Sunday meets a young girl named Gabby at a museum who has an interesting connection to what’s going on. Gabby also explains the title of the book, which is hilarious! I loved Sunday’s character too. He takes his latrine technician job seriously (which is funny in itself), and his devotion to Regina is heartwarming.
Sunday’s search for his mother adds a nice mystery element to the story, although it’s a bit of a circuitous journey that involves geo tags, an evil stuffed rabbit, and a visit to a museum. Once Sunday finds Regina, the story shifts into an emotional and devastating look at the effects of memory loss. Panatier gives readers a brilliant twist on dealing with these challenges, and the story ends on a poignant, hopeful note with a sort of magical, “wishful thinking” solution. Chris Panatier never disappoints—Shitshow is excellent and highly recommended.
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
What if a port-a-potty was a portal-potty? That’s the idea behind Chris Panatier's Shitshow, a funny, gross, absurd and emotional story about a man dealing with his mother’s declining health and how he tries to save her. Not many authors can get away with mixing latrine humor and Alzheimer's, but Chris pulls it off splendidly.
We follow Sunday McWhorter, a fifty-something “latrine technician”—ok let’s be real, he services port-a-potties—who is dealing with his mother Regina’s dementia and still trying to keep his job. His neighbor Ms. Poppy watches Regina when Sunday is working, but even then it’s hard to monitor her 24/7. So when Regina goes missing one day, Sunday isn’t too worried. It’s happened before, and he knows where to look for her.
Except this time, Regina is gone. Sunday is determined to find her, and he suspects her disappearance might have something to do with another missing persons case at a local fairground, where two teens disappeared near a port-a-potty. With the help of Ms. Poppy, Sunday embarks on a weird journey to find his mother. Something evil is rising in Dublin, Texas, and Sunday must stop it before Regina is lost forever.
The humor in Shitshow won’t appeal to everyone, and honestly it’s not something I usually enjoy. But this is such a well written story, that the occasional turd joke or description of what happens inside the port-a-potties didn’t detract from my enjoyment at all. The idea of port-a-potties as portals to a dark carnival world is so outlandish—but it works, and I found myself laughing in the most inappropriate places. There are definitely some over-the-top gross-out moments, although they aren’t the focus of the story.
There’s plenty of crazy action as well, and Sunday is joined by a few memorable and very quirky characters. Ms. Poppy is a tiny, cigar-smoking woman who can’t believe Regina disappeared on her watch, and so she’s committed to saving her. Sunday meets a young girl named Gabby at a museum who has an interesting connection to what’s going on. Gabby also explains the title of the book, which is hilarious! I loved Sunday’s character too. He takes his latrine technician job seriously (which is funny in itself), and his devotion to Regina is heartwarming.
Sunday’s search for his mother adds a nice mystery element to the story, although it’s a bit of a circuitous journey that involves geo tags, an evil stuffed rabbit, and a visit to a museum. Once Sunday finds Regina, the story shifts into an emotional and devastating look at the effects of memory loss. Panatier gives readers a brilliant twist on dealing with these challenges, and the story ends on a poignant, hopeful note with a sort of magical, “wishful thinking” solution. Chris Panatier never disappoints—Shitshow is excellent and highly recommended.
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
Read
September 28, 2025Dnf 51% not giving fun and campy like the cover and title suggested.
June 28, 2025
Shitshow was, in short, unhinged. It was giving me a vision of a literal carnival from hell, Something Wicked This Way Comes style, arriving in The Upside-down. Only this carnival runs year round, just beneath the surface, or in this case, just on the other side a portapotty. It is also much more gruesome and unforgiving. We follow Sunday, our main character, and a few other characters. He ends up stumbling upon one of these portals (yes there is more than one) amid a string of unexplained disappearances in his town and it's surrounding areas. I do not want to give much more plot than this but the story also explores themes of grief, loss and body autonomy. It was much more emotionally deep than I expected and I love that. Thank you so much Chris for sending an ARC my way. You can preorder this book from Sobelo Books for some extra goodies. This book releases September 02, 2025!
September 21, 2025
I went into this book knowing very little other than it involved portable toilets as portals, a dark carnival and dementia. Sound weird to you? Maybe it is. But what Chris Panatier did with this story is just otherworldly. Literally.
This story was written so beautifully. The relationship between Sunday and his mother is so sweet, showing the lengths they would go to for one another. Sunday’s mother has dementia and is beginning to forget him and that will tug on anyones heartstrings. Having lost a grandmother to that awful disease it hit me particularly hard.
The dark carnival aspect of it was so much fun. Who doesn’t love a spooky carnival full of crazies and all kinds of torturous rides? The names of the rides are hilarious.
Ms. Poppy. Where do I even begin with Ms. Poppy. She is the neighbor we all want. She’s fierce and loyal and witty and funny. Definitely a character you’ll never forget. I would read an entire book about Ms. Poppy.
The journey these people go on is most definitely a shitshow and unlike anything I’ve ever read. The ending is what got me the most, though. Chris just nails it. You have to read this book!
This story was written so beautifully. The relationship between Sunday and his mother is so sweet, showing the lengths they would go to for one another. Sunday’s mother has dementia and is beginning to forget him and that will tug on anyones heartstrings. Having lost a grandmother to that awful disease it hit me particularly hard.
The dark carnival aspect of it was so much fun. Who doesn’t love a spooky carnival full of crazies and all kinds of torturous rides? The names of the rides are hilarious.
Ms. Poppy. Where do I even begin with Ms. Poppy. She is the neighbor we all want. She’s fierce and loyal and witty and funny. Definitely a character you’ll never forget. I would read an entire book about Ms. Poppy.
The journey these people go on is most definitely a shitshow and unlike anything I’ve ever read. The ending is what got me the most, though. Chris just nails it. You have to read this book!
October 4, 2025
What a fun, horrific and utterly disturbing adventure!! This book had me fully invested! I love the dark humor and the storyline kept me entertained. Reminiscent of an old school 80s horror {my favorite!} But the emotional depth was truly unexpected. And I will never look at port a potties the same ever again! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good satiric horror with substance!
Thank you to Chris for the e-ARC. It was a wild ride!
Thank you to Chris for the e-ARC. It was a wild ride!
September 27, 2025
This wasn't a total shitshow but it wasn't also not at the same time... eh. 🫠
June 25, 2025
When a Gen X sanitation worker discovers his mom, who has dementia, has gone missing, he will stop at nothing to find her. Including going down the portapotty that appears to have spirited her away to a carnival-themed hell realm. Plenty of fall festival fun and gross-out humor here, plus some truly disturbing torture scenes inside the Twilight Faire. Annnddd an extra special sentimental epilogue that takes the whole book to new heights. A quick, entertaining read, best accompanied by some Fireball whisky, that will make you think twice before using portable facilities or riding any roadside carnival attractions...
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June 26, 2025“Portal-potties. Sorta like Doctor Who, except the Tardis is a shitter.” Panatier takes the reader on one helluva carnival ride!
August 18, 2025
As I received an e-arc for Shitshow by the author, I had no idea what I was getting into. I went in completely blind. And I'm glad that I did, because Shitshow is wonderfully weird, off-beat, and fun to read. So I recommend doing the same. If, however, you don't like going in blind, feel free to stop reading. To the rest of you, I promise that I won't spoil anything.
Shitshow stars Sunday McWhorter as our protagonist. He is a caregiver to his mother, who is suffering from dementia. His job is a real shitshow on its own terms. He's the guy who goes around in a septic truck, emptying porta potties at fairs, concerts, and work sites. As it is autumn and fairs are in season, he's pretty busy.
At the same time, there's an epidemic, of sorts, of people going missing in the area he lives and works. After a complaint about one of his porta potties, he finds what could be a portal to a terrifying dimension.
I'll leave it at that. Shitshow has all the ingredients to be funny and entertaining from page one, and Chris Panatier more than delivers. What makes the story come alive are the characters. There's an oddness to each one that makes them memorable. Ms Poppy from next door is probably one of my favourite side characters ever.
What Shitshow comes down to, though, is caring for the ones you love. It's about being a decent person to those you love. And perhaps more importantly, how to let go when it's time.
Shitshow has a lot of heart and laughs. I think you'll love it. My thanks to Chris Panateir for offering me an e-arc for this review. My opinions on this book are sincere.
Shitshow stars Sunday McWhorter as our protagonist. He is a caregiver to his mother, who is suffering from dementia. His job is a real shitshow on its own terms. He's the guy who goes around in a septic truck, emptying porta potties at fairs, concerts, and work sites. As it is autumn and fairs are in season, he's pretty busy.
At the same time, there's an epidemic, of sorts, of people going missing in the area he lives and works. After a complaint about one of his porta potties, he finds what could be a portal to a terrifying dimension.
I'll leave it at that. Shitshow has all the ingredients to be funny and entertaining from page one, and Chris Panatier more than delivers. What makes the story come alive are the characters. There's an oddness to each one that makes them memorable. Ms Poppy from next door is probably one of my favourite side characters ever.
What Shitshow comes down to, though, is caring for the ones you love. It's about being a decent person to those you love. And perhaps more importantly, how to let go when it's time.
Shitshow has a lot of heart and laughs. I think you'll love it. My thanks to Chris Panateir for offering me an e-arc for this review. My opinions on this book are sincere.
August 11, 2025
Review originally appearing on FanFiAddict.com
Hello again dear reader or listener, you know how some books are true to their title? Well, Chris Panatier’s upcoming work is also technically true to its title but in all the best, if maybe too literal, ways.
With a thank you to the author for the review copy then, let’s get to why this hysterical sounding premise, hiding lots of heart, is worth your time!
On the book’s Goodreads page, the author describes this story as for fans of the “horror movies of the 1980s and 1990s that were green lit by studio executives who were snorting their lunches”, and suffice it to say that is a most perfect description. However, I’ll go one step further and say that, to me, this book felt like the raw poignancy and cursed carnival vibes of del Toro’s Nightmare Alley meets a Courage the Cowardly Dog episode, in all its macabre, gory, occasionally psychedelic, and darkly humorous glory. Children don’t get traumatized by their cartoons enough these days, frankly.
Recognizing that it being my favorite one growing up may explain a few things of who I am as a person was a big moment for me ngl, but we digress.
Dark carnivals call to me almost as much as haunted ships, in other words I’m a sucker for them, and, having read Panatier’s previous work, The Redemption of Morgan Bright, I knew I’d be in good hands when it came to atmospheric and evocative writing, which is a must for these types of settings.
Not shying from considerable gore and ickiness, sections of this book will have you shuddering at the imagined feel of something slimy making its unwanted and slow way down your naked back. While others will enthral you so much you’ll be swearing you can hear the faraway sounds of a carnival or fairground. One where the closer you get though, the more you realize how wrong the sounds coming from it actually are. Those screams in the distance are not delighted fear and adrenaline from a fast ride but something far more pained and haunting. People who hate carnivals will feel so validated in their fear of the uncanny that pervades them, and for those who, like me, actually thrive in such situations, welcome to the weirdness, it’s is delightfully unsettling here!
The protagonist Sunday is as relatable as they come even if you’re not in the same places as he is in life. He is pragmatic and armed with what he describes as “regular default amount of superstition” which makes him both endearing and a protagonist that doesn’t live in denial and frustrates the reader. Granted this book doesn’t have the time for prolonged disbelief given its length, but it was something I found amusing and charming on its own as a whole. In fact, nobody in this book is disbelieving of the weird shit that is happening for too long, if at all, and that is a source of hilarity that keeps you engaged with the fast pace of the story. It’s the kind of “aight, fuck it, let’s go” energy that is very much me and I can always get behind. Special mention also goes to deuteragonist flavored cigar smoking, Fireball drinking, Ms. Poppy, a no-nonsense chaotic queen we all deserve in our lives.
Moreover, after a classic opening chapter that hints at the proverbial monster in the closet, Panatier also presents the reader with a heartfelt and heartrending story about family, and the bittersweetness that mars every moment you spend caring for a loved one with a degenerative disease. As someone with a relative that’s in nearly the same stage of dementia as the protagonist’s mother, it would be an understatement to say that this story hit close to home.
I appreciated that it shows sides to the illness that media often forego unless they’re going for that Drama category Oscar nomination, for one. But also the ugly duality that exists within carers. We love the person we’re caring for while mourning the person they were. We hate ourselves for wishing for different circumstances while trying to not be harsh on ourselves or the person we’re caring for when they have really bad episodes. We make the best of it while pondering if maybe it is a softer if prolonged way to say goodbye, one that doesn’t hurt as much when the time finally comes. And that is what this story is about at its core, I thought, letting go. What can happen when you don’t and would rather risk corrupting something good, or prolonging something painful rather than accepting its end.
It’s an incredibly hard reality, and yet the author gave it both the respect and truthfulness it deserves, while also lightening the load of it in a way that didn’t trivialize and, if anything, it might feel like an understanding soft landing for those in the carer role. That alone deserves all the praise, and if the gore and horror antics aren’t an issue, this is a book I’d recommend to anyone facing similar circumstances as it is both escapist and cathartic.
Overall the parallels Panatier draws across the story and its characters are masterful, the peppered in critique of certain current topics downright delicious (there is one scene I won’t spoil where the aforementioned Queen Ms. Poppy delivers a line that had me take a break from reading to say “Panatier, The Man that you are” out loud), and the final wrap up of the story bittersweet and yet perfect. Truly, my only main critique with the author’s previous work was that he had overdone it in some aspects of the narrative, which tired me out and got me out of the story. Nevertheless, I still loved his style and the way he went about tackling important topics so I promised myself I’d keep reading him. I’m very pleased to say he absolutely course corrected with this upcoming book as nothing is too much, it is snappy, to the point, and effective.
It’s an enthralling few hours that’ll have you cringing as much as chuckling and awing. Food for thought but in a light and delicious appetizer way. You might be questioning my food parallels considering how gross the content of this book can get at this point, but to that I can only say: my friends tell me I’m abnormal 🙂
Shitshow comes out September 2nd through Sobelo Books (pre-order here) and believe me when I say that you need this stinky portal of dark humor in your life.
Until next time,
Eleni A.E.
Hello again dear reader or listener, you know how some books are true to their title? Well, Chris Panatier’s upcoming work is also technically true to its title but in all the best, if maybe too literal, ways.
With a thank you to the author for the review copy then, let’s get to why this hysterical sounding premise, hiding lots of heart, is worth your time!
On the book’s Goodreads page, the author describes this story as for fans of the “horror movies of the 1980s and 1990s that were green lit by studio executives who were snorting their lunches”, and suffice it to say that is a most perfect description. However, I’ll go one step further and say that, to me, this book felt like the raw poignancy and cursed carnival vibes of del Toro’s Nightmare Alley meets a Courage the Cowardly Dog episode, in all its macabre, gory, occasionally psychedelic, and darkly humorous glory. Children don’t get traumatized by their cartoons enough these days, frankly.
Recognizing that it being my favorite one growing up may explain a few things of who I am as a person was a big moment for me ngl, but we digress.
Dark carnivals call to me almost as much as haunted ships, in other words I’m a sucker for them, and, having read Panatier’s previous work, The Redemption of Morgan Bright, I knew I’d be in good hands when it came to atmospheric and evocative writing, which is a must for these types of settings.
Not shying from considerable gore and ickiness, sections of this book will have you shuddering at the imagined feel of something slimy making its unwanted and slow way down your naked back. While others will enthral you so much you’ll be swearing you can hear the faraway sounds of a carnival or fairground. One where the closer you get though, the more you realize how wrong the sounds coming from it actually are. Those screams in the distance are not delighted fear and adrenaline from a fast ride but something far more pained and haunting. People who hate carnivals will feel so validated in their fear of the uncanny that pervades them, and for those who, like me, actually thrive in such situations, welcome to the weirdness, it’s is delightfully unsettling here!
The protagonist Sunday is as relatable as they come even if you’re not in the same places as he is in life. He is pragmatic and armed with what he describes as “regular default amount of superstition” which makes him both endearing and a protagonist that doesn’t live in denial and frustrates the reader. Granted this book doesn’t have the time for prolonged disbelief given its length, but it was something I found amusing and charming on its own as a whole. In fact, nobody in this book is disbelieving of the weird shit that is happening for too long, if at all, and that is a source of hilarity that keeps you engaged with the fast pace of the story. It’s the kind of “aight, fuck it, let’s go” energy that is very much me and I can always get behind. Special mention also goes to deuteragonist flavored cigar smoking, Fireball drinking, Ms. Poppy, a no-nonsense chaotic queen we all deserve in our lives.
Moreover, after a classic opening chapter that hints at the proverbial monster in the closet, Panatier also presents the reader with a heartfelt and heartrending story about family, and the bittersweetness that mars every moment you spend caring for a loved one with a degenerative disease. As someone with a relative that’s in nearly the same stage of dementia as the protagonist’s mother, it would be an understatement to say that this story hit close to home.
I appreciated that it shows sides to the illness that media often forego unless they’re going for that Drama category Oscar nomination, for one. But also the ugly duality that exists within carers. We love the person we’re caring for while mourning the person they were. We hate ourselves for wishing for different circumstances while trying to not be harsh on ourselves or the person we’re caring for when they have really bad episodes. We make the best of it while pondering if maybe it is a softer if prolonged way to say goodbye, one that doesn’t hurt as much when the time finally comes. And that is what this story is about at its core, I thought, letting go. What can happen when you don’t and would rather risk corrupting something good, or prolonging something painful rather than accepting its end.
It’s an incredibly hard reality, and yet the author gave it both the respect and truthfulness it deserves, while also lightening the load of it in a way that didn’t trivialize and, if anything, it might feel like an understanding soft landing for those in the carer role. That alone deserves all the praise, and if the gore and horror antics aren’t an issue, this is a book I’d recommend to anyone facing similar circumstances as it is both escapist and cathartic.
Overall the parallels Panatier draws across the story and its characters are masterful, the peppered in critique of certain current topics downright delicious (there is one scene I won’t spoil where the aforementioned Queen Ms. Poppy delivers a line that had me take a break from reading to say “Panatier, The Man that you are” out loud), and the final wrap up of the story bittersweet and yet perfect. Truly, my only main critique with the author’s previous work was that he had overdone it in some aspects of the narrative, which tired me out and got me out of the story. Nevertheless, I still loved his style and the way he went about tackling important topics so I promised myself I’d keep reading him. I’m very pleased to say he absolutely course corrected with this upcoming book as nothing is too much, it is snappy, to the point, and effective.
It’s an enthralling few hours that’ll have you cringing as much as chuckling and awing. Food for thought but in a light and delicious appetizer way. You might be questioning my food parallels considering how gross the content of this book can get at this point, but to that I can only say: my friends tell me I’m abnormal 🙂
Shitshow comes out September 2nd through Sobelo Books (pre-order here) and believe me when I say that you need this stinky portal of dark humor in your life.
Until next time,
Eleni A.E.
August 6, 2025
I will preface this review by saying that I read almost exclusively horror novels and Hubby and I watch almost exclusively horror movies. He rarely reads (thanks AuDHD!!), so when I come upon a book with an entertaining or unusual plot or logline, I usually share it with him for his input/our discussion.
Let’s just say that the description of Shitshow by Chris Panatier was a huge hit when I announced to him I was reading an advance copy of an e-novel that was about:
‘A haunted porta-potty that serves as a portal to a turn of the century demonic carnival, and is also to blame for a spate of missing persons in small town Texas.’
Full of atmosphere, written so well I was visualizing it in my head the whole time I was reading it and also so much humor and heart.
I would totally hang with Sunday McWhorter, and that is the highest praise I can give any fictional (but he feels so real!) character.
Thanks to the guys at Sobelo books for the advance e-copy of this book!
Let’s just say that the description of Shitshow by Chris Panatier was a huge hit when I announced to him I was reading an advance copy of an e-novel that was about:
‘A haunted porta-potty that serves as a portal to a turn of the century demonic carnival, and is also to blame for a spate of missing persons in small town Texas.’
Full of atmosphere, written so well I was visualizing it in my head the whole time I was reading it and also so much humor and heart.
I would totally hang with Sunday McWhorter, and that is the highest praise I can give any fictional (but he feels so real!) character.
Thanks to the guys at Sobelo books for the advance e-copy of this book!
November 11, 2025
I won this book in a giveaway and I’m SO GLAD as it was on my TBR already. It’s no secret that The Redemption Of Morgan Bright by Panatier was one of my favorites of 2024 and I know y’all are probably tired of hearing about it, but too bad.
Shitshow was such a fun and disgusting romp through a carnival from hell, and I think fans of many horror sub-genres will find something to love here. It’s been touched on by a lot of reviewers already, but this is a surprisingly heart-felt book as well. The “potty” humor was gross and silly but we also have Sunday fighting a losing battle against his mother’s memory loss. Then there are also the supernatural horrors to contend with.
For a book that was packed into 216 pages, I felt this one delivered more immersion and story than you would reasonably expect. Check this one out if you love shit, carnivals, and monsters!
P.S. The pork urchins were hilarious.
P.S.S. I’m currently reading an ARC of Daytide and have preordered the deluxe edition from Rapture Publishing because holy moly it’s gonna be great.
Shitshow was such a fun and disgusting romp through a carnival from hell, and I think fans of many horror sub-genres will find something to love here. It’s been touched on by a lot of reviewers already, but this is a surprisingly heart-felt book as well. The “potty” humor was gross and silly but we also have Sunday fighting a losing battle against his mother’s memory loss. Then there are also the supernatural horrors to contend with.
For a book that was packed into 216 pages, I felt this one delivered more immersion and story than you would reasonably expect. Check this one out if you love shit, carnivals, and monsters!
P.S. The pork urchins were hilarious.
P.S.S. I’m currently reading an ARC of Daytide and have preordered the deluxe edition from Rapture Publishing because holy moly it’s gonna be great.
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