Firestarter by Stephen King

401 Pages

Paperback

Fiction

1980

I haven't posted anything in a few months. I have still been reading a lot, but haven't had a lot of time for keeping up to date on my posts. I am going to make a bunch of short reviews to get caught up. 

I have to admit that I have fallen back in love with Stephen King. He writes in a way that resonates with me so well. I can easily tear through one of his books in less than a week and he does a great job of making an story seem real. He succeeds most in making the characters seem like people you might meet at any time. 

Firestarter is a book I read as a young man and I thought I had remembered. I did remember a good portion of the book, but then it seemed like the last half of the book eluded me. We follow a man, Andy, and his daughter, Charlie, as they are chased around New England by members of the government. Eventually, it is demonstrated that Charlie has powers. She can manipulate objects, she can "push" people and she can start fires. Not just a little flame, not just a campfire, but fiery infernos that she can't control and destroy everything it contacts. 

This is one of King's earlier works and was gripping. I tore through it quickly and was disappointed when it ended.

3 - Emotional - Charlie is easy to love and you even begin to empathize with one of the men sent to hunt her down.

4 - Style/Readability - King has great skill in making a story flow. He is one of the easiest writers to get into so much you don't know how much time passes as you read.

3 - Long Term Impact - The book is already famous and relatively well liked even amongst the piles of other books he has written. I wouldn't put it at the top of his writing though.

10 out of 13. This seems right on. A very enjoyable book that would be liked by many. King is touted as a Horror writer, but this book demonstrates that he is much more than that.

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