Firestarter is a science fiction novel written by Stephen King and published in 1980. The story follows Charlie McGee, a young girl with extraordinary pyrokinetic abilities, and her father, Andy McGee, who both become targets of a secret government agency known as "The Shop."
Charlie and Andy's story begins with a government experiment gone wrong. In the late 1960s, Andy and a group of college students participate in a research project involving a new psychoactive drug called Lot Six. The drug grants its users temporary telepathic and telekinetic powers, but also has dangerous and lasting side effects. Andy and Charlie are the only survivors of the experiment, and while Andy's powers are minor and fade over time, Charlie is born with the ability to start fires with her mind.
As Charlie grows older, her powers become more and more dangerous, and she and Andy are constantly on the run from The Shop, who wants to use Charlie's abilities for their own purposes. Along the way, they are aided by a group of rebels who are also trying to take down The Shop.
The novel explores themes of power, control, and the consequences of experimenting with the unknown. It also touches on the relationship between a father and daughter and the lengths a parent will go to protect their child.
Overall, Firestarter is a fast-paced and thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. It's a classic science fiction novel that is sure to leave a lasting impression on any reader.
Firestarter Book Summary
. Are we being serious? She continually demands to see her father as they promised. She wanted to know where her father was, and she tried to communicate. Andy and Vicky went on to get married and they now have a nine-year-old daughter named Charlene "Charlie" McGee, who has the ability to start fires at will pyrokinesis as a result of the experiment that Andy and Vicky participated in. Firestarter was one of the few "classic" Kings I had left to read I had never watched the movie either , and yet I wasn't particularly excited about it, it seemed like a Carrie-knockoff almost! After the suicide of his psychiatrist, Andy is able to meet and Push Cap, using him to plan his and Charlie's escape from the facility, as well as finally communicating with Charlie.
Retrieved November 15, 2022. The, at the time of publishing still hot, cold war spy conspiracy secret agency setting with the human free drugs experimentation background, makes it a suspenseful read, especially as it escalates towards more complexity than in other of King´s works, especially including a kind of meta level, not focusing on the local dread and terror or cosmic horror, but on the conseq We don´t need no water, let the pyrokinesis burn, burn one hotter with obsessive compulsive forced washing mysophobia, burn. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. First off, for years now, I cannot read the title without hearing the When some cash-poor college students volunteer for an experiment, they have no idea of the Pandora's Box they are about to unleash. Since Charlie could not bring herself to target the spot where her father and the Captain stood, he hypnotized her and made her attack.
Ralph smiled back, undaunted. And the man's name was. Best scene in story: In one of the final scenes, when Charlie really lets her power loose, the heat and damage are overwhelming and the details were amazing. . Don't get me wrong. Unfortunately, the commercial success of the book did not translate into box office receipts in spite of how closely it followed the book.
And she almost does… but then decides to spare him. Clouds of steam rose from it and then one-way glass began to fog over. David Keith, Drew Barrymore, Martin Sheen, George C, Scott. He felt that she was his, and he was willing to patiently wait for her to trust him. Full Book Notes and Study Guides Sites like SparkNotes with a Firestarter study guide or cliff notes. One little girl could be the start to a new and chilling weapons program, if all goes well.
Wanless diatribe and should have explored the horror of the immensity of her probable power but it just came out as politically preachy. Rainbird, a professional killer working for the Shop, pretended to be Charlie's friend and negotiated with her: to make the Shop truly desperate for a demonstration of her power, if she showed a small amount of her power, they may grant her access to see her father; Rainbird's actual intentions were to kill Charlie when the Shop was done with her. Are we being serious? He didn't want to yell at his little girl, but he had to make her afraid and ashamed of what had happened. Using a combination of the Push, Charlie's power, and hitchhiking, the pair escape through Albany, New York and are taken in by a farmer named Irv Manders near Hastings, New York. .
Detailed Review Summary of Firestarter by Stephen King
There was not feeling of common guilt of being responsible why Charlie turned out to be a firestarter. She hypnotized young boys on the road and took one of the bikes and wore their clothes to travel to find her father. When I pulled it out of my King TBR jar for my October read, I was admittedly slightly disappointed. Retrieved May 15, 2022. He makes her promise never to use her powers to hurt anyone. But given that Charlie was born with powers, they want to study her.
The now-rogue Charlie sets both on fire, mentally unlocks all the security doors, and walks through the facility killing everyone. Arriving at the Albany airport only slightly ahead of their hunters, Andy is almost immobile. Charlie tries to use her power against Cody, but he feeds off Charlie's energy and renders her unconscious. Sharp, direct, and switching between different plotlines, also not usual for King, this is one of his underappreciated, early masterpieces. Rainbird is released when his holding cell is unlocked.
Scott as John Rainbird was a notable deviation from the book. The dad is taken into The Shop, where he is interrogated by the leader, Captain Hollister Gloria Reuben. In the book, her character was becoming drawn, but in the movie she was in the peak of health. Waiting for the bus to Phoenix, Arizona, Charlie meets James Richardson and learns that he was one of the victims of the LOT-6 experiment and knew her parents. The drug gave his future wife, Victoria Tomlinson, minor telekinetic abilities and him a telepathic form of mind control he refers to as "the push". This is sure to be something that the government can utilise to their advantage, though they will have to capture young Charlie and keep her powers at bay.
‘Firestarter’ Ending Explained: What That Ending Could Mean for a ‘Firestarter’ Sequel
It also altered their DNA enough to produce Charlie, their immensely powerful psychic daughter, whose abilities include pyrokinesis, hence the title. Read on to get the Firestarter plot summary, and the 2022 Firestarter ending explained. Very well written as usual from the King and the characters were very likeable. . Rainbird, who is in charge of the children, tells them about Charlie. In the suburban Washington D. Naturally, the government takes a great interest in Charlie, and operatives from the secret department known as "The Shop" want to quarantine and study her.
