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jdkauthor's review
5.0
Originally posted over at my personal blog site, Night Terror Novels
“That’s the thing about her, and with all fire, really. Once you start to feed her, once she gets reminded of how good it feels to burn… Well, she’s fire. She’s always going to want more. She’s going to burn everything until there’s nothing left.”
– Michael R. Goodwin, “The Wiseman Bridge”
“That’s the thing about her, and with all fire, really. Once you start to feed her, once she gets reminded of how good it feels to burn… Well, she’s fire. She’s always going to want more. She’s going to burn everything until there’s nothing left.”
– Michael R. Goodwin, “The Wiseman Bridge”
davemusson85's review
5.0
For some weird reason I put off reading this collection for a while. It was all over my Instagram feed but I kept jumping in elsewhere. So, I appreciate how late I am to the party when it comes to raving about this collection of chilling shorts, but…wow, this is Really Very Good! I burned through this set (bad pun intended) in no time at all and was blown away by Goodwin’s creativity and confidence. This guy is one heck of a storyteller and I will be bumping his other work up my TBR pile!
melissa_boyer's review
5.0
Absolutely amazing. Short story collections you have some great stories and some not so great stories. Not in this book. Each story is well crafted. I’ve read the author’s other books and enjoyed them but How Good it feels to Burn is Michael’s best work. His story telling just gets better and better.
If you haven’t read this book yet, don’t put it off any longer.
If you haven’t read this book yet, don’t put it off any longer.
harrieteverend's review
5.0
Incredible!! This is my first time reading Michael's work, and I was not disappointed! Ranking my top three favorite stories, I would have to say: 1) Existence. 2) Phantom. 3) Power Lines. But you are seriously missing out if you don't check out this macabre collection of tales. If you are into horror stories and want to be creeped out or unsettled, I highly recommend checking out this book. This man has a gift.
nwreader's review
5.0
I have read only one other book by this author and thought it was good but this anthology is a major winner for me. I started reading this on a two hour plane ride home and ended up reading over half of it in one sitting (which is a lot for me) because all the stories kept my interest. There's a wide range of different types of horror; from gross body horror to monsters..to the supernatural..to gory nightmares..to spooky legends..it really has it all.
Goodwin's writing style is also so easy to read and not too "wordy" if that makes sense. He tells the stories, gives little details to add atmosphere and then smacks you in the face with twists that just might surprise you. A lot of the storylines I didn't know where they were going to go or how they would end which makes reading anthologies like this one so much more fun!
I think my only critique which doesn't affect the rating (all my personal preference) is that I was hoping for little "authors notes" after each story about the whys, whats, hows, etc about the stories. I love reading about the inspirations behind stories and even the mundane details with the book. It adds a personal touch for me.
But, I can say I was pleasantly surprised with HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO BURN because usually there will be only a few stories that I will truly like but with this book, I loved almost all of them. I can't wait to see what else Goodwin publishes in the future because this was a gem to read. I recommend this to people who like anthologies (obviously), who are curious about this authors work, who likes good old-fashion horror and well..bloody gore.
Stand out stories I loved:
- BITE: literally had to stop reading while I was vacationing in a dark cabin. Scary atmospheric story about an evil entity.
- EXISTENCE: I loved the whole photography storyline in this. A mysterious figure shows up in pictures after a boy begins practicing his craft but discovers it can be deadly.
- LEAVES: the last scene in this surprised me and left me wanting to know more. A small village that had a killer supernatural forest looming close by, ready to take what it can.
5/5
*Thank you to the author for the e-arc for my honest review. I know some people are hesitant with high ratings after seeing this note but honestly, this is an entertaining anthology.
*CW: There are definitely triggering things in this. If you want specifics just DM me.
Goodwin's writing style is also so easy to read and not too "wordy" if that makes sense. He tells the stories, gives little details to add atmosphere and then smacks you in the face with twists that just might surprise you. A lot of the storylines I didn't know where they were going to go or how they would end which makes reading anthologies like this one so much more fun!
I think my only critique which doesn't affect the rating (all my personal preference) is that I was hoping for little "authors notes" after each story about the whys, whats, hows, etc about the stories. I love reading about the inspirations behind stories and even the mundane details with the book. It adds a personal touch for me.
But, I can say I was pleasantly surprised with HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO BURN because usually there will be only a few stories that I will truly like but with this book, I loved almost all of them. I can't wait to see what else Goodwin publishes in the future because this was a gem to read. I recommend this to people who like anthologies (obviously), who are curious about this authors work, who likes good old-fashion horror and well..bloody gore.
Stand out stories I loved:
- BITE: literally had to stop reading while I was vacationing in a dark cabin. Scary atmospheric story about an evil entity.
- EXISTENCE: I loved the whole photography storyline in this. A mysterious figure shows up in pictures after a boy begins practicing his craft but discovers it can be deadly.
- LEAVES: the last scene in this surprised me and left me wanting to know more. A small village that had a killer supernatural forest looming close by, ready to take what it can.
5/5
*Thank you to the author for the e-arc for my honest review. I know some people are hesitant with high ratings after seeing this note but honestly, this is an entertaining anthology.
*CW: There are definitely triggering things in this. If you want specifics just DM me.
spillinggrace's review
5.0
“She’s always going to want more. She’s going to burn everything until there’s nothing left.”
HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO BURN by Michael R. Goodwin
In this collection of 12 short stories, Goodwin crafts delightfully dreadful tales that are sure to send a shiver down your spine. In a world where short story collections can have a tendency to leave readers with burnout fatigue, this collection does the opposite. Readers will be left feeling anxious and invigorated to find out what happens next in this chilling page turner.
There were certainly some stories that I enjoyed more than others, but as a collection they were perfectly put together. My personal favorite stories in this collection were:
Leaves
HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO BURN by Michael R. Goodwin
In this collection of 12 short stories, Goodwin crafts delightfully dreadful tales that are sure to send a shiver down your spine. In a world where short story collections can have a tendency to leave readers with burnout fatigue, this collection does the opposite. Readers will be left feeling anxious and invigorated to find out what happens next in this chilling page turner.
There were certainly some stories that I enjoyed more than others, but as a collection they were perfectly put together. My personal favorite stories in this collection were:
Leaves
needfulreads's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
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