| Title | : | Kindness |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9798846019003 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 43 |
| Publication | : | Published August 30, 2022 |
Jay and his siblings live in fear of their father, a man with a strict set of rules enforced by his brutal temper. One of the many rules Father stresses the most is to stay out of the garage, which is always kept locked. When his father invites him inside the garage one day, Jay notices that the rest of his family is nowhere to be seen. Once inside, he is overwhelmed by a horrible, rotten smell.
Then, Father takes out an axe.
Dark secrets and horrible truths are revealed in this harrowing and dark tale, all in the pursuit of one coveted thing: REVENGE.
Kindness Reviews
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3.5 ⭐️ Honestly, didn’t even know what to expect from this novel, but it was quite interesting. What happened to the main characters mother and sibling was fucked up, but I’m glad he got his vengeance against his father. Quite interesting that something as violent as an ax is named “kindness.” Could be a bit gory for some readers as the details of death are pretty gross, but still a good, short read.
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A dysfunctional father who is a bully to his sons, inciting a tremendous fear in them, shows his youngest his ‘Kindness’. Eventually it’s only a small step to use ‘Kindness’ for revenge!
What I love about Michael’s stories is his way of putting us on edge not by creating monsters or ghosts and ghouls but by putting regular people in situations where they need to make snap decisions and monsters are human… everyone can be the monster in one of his stories… (even in Smolder the real monster didn’t live in the woods but it was the ex-husband!)
I read this, in the collection Devil’s Rejects (edited and collected by Michael himself - see my review for the collection on its page on Goodreads) and it was one of my favourites in that collection! -
Goodwin's tale of familial horror is as sharp as an axe blade, swung with a natural elegance that steadily cuts through layers of horror till it reduces the reader to a bloodied stump. It's a tale of double-edged revenge that cuts both ways.
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I had the privilege of reading this story before it was release and I can happily say it’s my favourite of everything I’ve read by Michael so far. There’s a raw beauty to this story’s language that captures the heart and makes you all too aware of the horror unfolding on the page. Simple yet elegant, Michael Goodwin is a master.
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I didn’t realize when I bought this that it was only 37 pages! But none the less it was good, I just wish there was 300 more pages. Definitely has peaked my interest in this author.
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Another great, quick and twisted short story from Goodwin. Like his other stories, this one is fast-paced and relentless. Goodwin does a great job in presenting characters that you know you're supposed to hate but keep reading juuuussstttt to make sure that justice is served, the right way. His writing is crisp and clear, like always, so it demands your attention for the whole story.
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An incredibly well written and haunting short story on the cycle of abuse. This one will stay with me for a long time.
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Another amazing short story by Michael. Some cringy goodness with a satisfying ending.
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An enjoyable, twisted, short story.
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short but didn’t really enjoy this. first, the plot summary basically gives away most of the book. you can easily guess what generally happens. i also was expecting a better explanation for why the father did what he did. all i’m trying to say is that this needed more relevant horrifying plot details.
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Kindness is a brutally unnerving story written in the most fascinating and delicate way. Goodwin has such a gift for finding a nerve, plucking it, then making you want more. A truly talented author can make the scariest monster out of a regular person. Goodwin has done just that.
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5/5 - such a crazy good short horror story
