Advantages: A compelling read with excellent storyline Disadvantages: I was up all night reading it.
My life is, as many these days, hectic and there are times when I just want to escape from it all. When I feel like this there is nothing better than escaping into a good book. You see, I love to read, and although I will read any book my favourites are those that feature horror or fantasy. And my favourite author is Stephen King who, in my opinion, writes the very best horrors. I read my first ever Stephen King at the age of 14, and I was hooked, ... ...The Author
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Stephen King was born in Portland, Maine, America in 1947. His first sojourn into the field of writing was at the tender age of 12, when he and his brother started a local newspaper. His first published novel, however, was “Carrie”, which arrived in 1974. He is a prolific writer, and has published countless novels and short stories, many of which have been adapted as movies, both as Stephen King and Richard Bachman.
The ...
sandemp 02.01.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Firestarter - Stephen King
Advantages: Paranoia, strange powers, men in black - if you like that kind of thing, check this out. Disadvantages: On the other hand, if you don't like that kind of thing...
'Firestarter' is perhaps one of King's less well known books - certainly it is among the least talked about. At the time of publishing it must have seemed as though the master of horror was taking his fiction in a new direction, for this is far easier on the terror than other novels from the same period.
The book follows a father and daughter on the run from a government agency investigating psychic powers. During their University years, the mother ... ...were administered a drug called Lot 6, supposedly a hallucinogen. At the time, they weren't o know that the drug would in fact give them psychic powers. When in later life they had a baby girl, they were alarmed to discover that she was pyrokinetic - able to start fires with the power of her mind. Now the government has decided to reclaim its experiment, and put it to work as a weapon.
Far more a thriller than a horror, the novel remains deeply ...
RichardW 11.12.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Firestarter - Stephen King
Advantages: Completely hooked from the first page Disadvantages: No obvious disadvantages
Young Charlie McGee is a very special girl. The result of scientific experimentation on her parents, she has the ability create fires wherever and whenever she chooses, by force of will alone. On the run from sinister government agents with her telekinetic father, she only wants to forget her monstrous abilities, and live a normal life. When the pair are captured, Charlie must decide between saving her father and using her fiery powers at the whim ... ...weapon.
Less of a horror novel than straight suspense but no less powerful for all that. Despite some obligatory gore sequences early on this develops along different lines instead with a great combination of chase and intrigue. What makes this so convincing is the characters, as with all early King novels you feel that only a little effort was placed into the overall story line. He just thinks up a fairly routine plot device stirs it up with enough ...
toon_33 23.06.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Firestarter - Stephen King
Advantages: a great read, you can sleep at night afterwards Disadvantages: you may never trust the government again
Stephen King's imagination is legendary. This is one of the books that gave him that reputation. It is a thoroughly believable book that is able to touch on sixth sense, conspiracy theory, and terror all at once. The story tracks the movements of a father and his daughter who are on the run from government agents. Through a series of flashbacks the reader is able to piece together the government funded experiment that went, depending on one's point ... ...The girl is the product of two people that participated in the experiment and is therefore affected to a much greater degree. This book is not as obviously frightening as King's other stories, and is therefore accessable to more people, but it is very disturbing on a much more subtle level. ...
JeffSumm 23.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Firestarter - Stephen King
Advantages: Gripping, nervous, highly realistic Disadvantages: Don't even think of buying it if you're afraid of fire!
...plot, but she is a firestarter - in other words, using her mind she can start fires of terrifying proportions.
That is the premise. The story that springs from it is superb, believable, gripping, involving. You will feel for Charlie's plight, you will shudder at those who attempt to capture her.
This is not a monsters and evil story, which is the stereotype Stephen King regrettably finds himself stuck with. Rather, it's an exceptional novel based ... ...not seem far-fetched after the first hundred pages, I promise.
However, it is not the events that will ensnare you. It will be the characters. They are almost scarily perfect, and will have you rooting for them or loathing them. No-one fails to inspire a feeling, and they make the book. ...
AndrewDalton 11.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Firestarter - Stephen King
Advantages: Loveable characters, great ending, 500 pages. Disadvantages: Too long for some?
Stephen King is arguably one of the best writers alive today, if not of all time. He made himself famous with books such as Carrie and The Shining, and more recent books such as Cell. He specialises in Horror books, although he has also branched of into fantasy books on several occasions. In my opinion this book is somewhere in between horror and science fiction.
The story follows the struggles of single father Andy McGee and his adorable daughter ... ...have given both of the psionic abilities. Charlie has the ability to start fires using her mind, a talent known as pyrokinesis. She is the story's main character, and the government assosiation "The Shop" are constantly hunting her down in order to test and harness her seemingly boundless power. Stephen King portrays the struggles of the young girl (around the age of 7 in the novel), as she tries cope with her extraordinary power and the government ...
JamieJCO 29.08.2008 (12.09.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Firestarter - Stephen King
This is one of the longest books that King has ever written and quite possibly the best. It follows a father and daughter on the run from an organisation which wishes to keep the girl in a laboratory and study her. The reason for this? It's because the parents of the kid were part of an experiment in which they gained psychic powers from taking a drug called Lot 6. The girl who never actually took the drug has immense power far greater than any of ...
Mohammed 19.07.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Firestarter - Stephen King
Advantages: If a book can be perfect, Firestarter is. Disadvantages: It ends.
...the Shining so I gave Firestarter a chance. What a decision! Now, I've read over 100 books and Firestarter is EASILY the best read yet. In my opinion, everything about it is perfect. The characters, the plot, the theme, the writing, the list goes on and on. This book will make you laugh, make you cry, all while keeping you on the edge of your seat. I'm not one to spoil anyone by telling what happens so I'll just say don't walk, run to your bookstore ...
quintfl 10.03.2007
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Firestarter - Stephen King
The king of horror returns with Firestarter. One of Stephen King's outstanding novels, that goes past the point of terrifying. Once I picked it up I could never put it back down again. Stephen King's fascinating and frightining story of an evil goverment agency, a drug experiment gone wrong and a little girl named Charlie who has a terrifying gift.
It is a must read for anybody who likes to be on the edge of their seat. I guarantee that once you ...
stusam 22.03.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Firestarter - Stephen King
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