Firestarter by Stephen King

Date: 1981
Publisher: Penguin
Pages: 401
Genre: Adult horror
Rating: 4/5

This is a story about secret government experiments and a young girl with an extraordinary power - a psychic ability that allows her to set things (and people) on fire. Her father is frantic in trying to protect her from those that would use her as a weapon, so the book opens with the two of them on the run.

This is a shorter King novel, which is good for a change from his usual 700+ page beasts. The other short novel I read of his was Misery, in which I absolutely loved. Similar to Misery, the focus on here is only on a small handful of characters instead of a mural of people. We are constantly zoomed in on what happens between Charlie and her father and it really pays off. One of the things I love about King is his way to really make the characters feel real, no matter how many there are. I find myself feeling interested and intrigued in all characters, even the so called "bad guys."

Sometimes, King's prose is amusing and I find myself chuckling at the words he chooses or weird things the characters say. That didn't happen as much in this novel, but it was still a pleasure to read. It was fast paced, exciting, suspenseful, and had a satisfying ending. I loved Charlie's development as a little girl and as a little girl in this terrible situation, and felt it was both appropriate and engaging. It isn't as strong of a book as Misery, but it is still a great read and I would recommend it to King fans that are looking for a fast paced, action read.

King of Horror: Misery by Stephen King

Misery by Stephen King

338 Pages
Published 1988, Signet
My rating: 4.5/5
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Paul Sheldon. He’s a bestselling novelist who has finally met his biggest fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes and she is more than a rabid reader–she is Paul’s nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house. Now Annie wants Paul to write his greatest work–just for her. She has a lot of ways to spur him on. One is a needle. Another is an ax. And if they don’t work, she can get really nasty… (From Goodreads.com )

 My Review:

I really enjoyed this one. It felt so realistic, which made it feel very creepy.

The protagonist, Paul, is an author that ends up in the care of a crazy fan/ex-nurse after being in an accident. She is nuts! Most of all, she wants him to continue writing the series of books he is known for. The set up – being trapped in a room with limited access to anything at all – feels like the story could be restrictive or drag, but it was quite the opposite. The tension and suspense was high in this one!

What I liked the most about the book was that whenever Paul was in a situation, he would think of all his options. The process of him thinking of his options felt similar to how my brain works so I felt like we were on the same page (har har puns). While reading, I would think of something and then Paul would think of it too. Then King would decide if it would work or not. It was exciting trying to figure out what to do during different situations. It made it feel like *I* was Paul and I had some crazy bitch after me. So, it felt exciting!

The amount of gore and horror was great. It was gruesome, but realistic, which is perfect for this type of story. It was also spaced nicely throughout the story. The ending was also very satisfying.