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| Rating: 3/5 stars |
During our cruise I finished Firestarter by Stephen King which I found not as good as "Under the Dome" but not as bad as "The Gunslinger." The book was made into a movie starring former child actress Drew Barrymore, though considering this book was originally published in 1981, you probably already know that.
The story involves Andy McGee and his daughter Charlie, and it begins when they are on the run from "The Shop", a secret government agency who is interested in the pair due to their supernatural abilities. Andy, who during college was involved in an experiment in which he was injected with "Lot 6", developed the power of mind domination (which he calls "Pushing") though his ability causes him physical pain when used too much. 6-year-old Charlie, daughter of Andy and Vicky (another Lot 6 participant) seems to have a gift of mass destruction- pyrokinesis, being able to start fires with her mind, sometimes purposefully, other times when her emotions get the better of her. Since The Shop killed Andy's wife, he and Charlie have been on the run to avoid similar fates, or at least to avoid being locked up for the rest of their lives as science experiments.
Once Charlie and Andy are eventually caught, the sinister Rainbird, a government hit man who captured the pair, takes an interest in Charlie and feeds his sick morbid fantasies by imagining what it will be like to kill a child. All of this is under the watch of the emotionally-strained Captain J. Hollister who becomes very vulnerable to Andy's capabilities.
I enjoyed the action in this book. The chase and the fire scenes kept me coming back. I became slightly bored once Charlie and Andy were captured because basically there was a lull in the action. I still think that Stephen King is a hell of a story teller and has a true talent in weaving characters and themes throughout his novels. However, you can see how much he has matured as a writer when you compare this book to Under the Dome which is so much more epic and intricate.
Next up- Firestarter- the movie! Looking forward to pre-rehab Drew playing Ms. Charlie McGee.
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