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...is the tale of an eight-year-old girl named Charlene McGee and her father Andy. Charlie is a pyrokinetic, a person who has the ability to start fires just by thinking about doing it. And The Shop, a shady government agency who performed drug experiments on Charlie\'s parents (and are the reason why Charlie\'s powers exist) are now after the father and daughter, bent on using Charlie as a weapon of war.
The novel begins with Andy and Charlie, out of money and literally running for their lives. Vicky McGee - Charlie\'s mother and Andy\'s wife - was murdered by The Shop years ago, and they both know how dangerous the government can be. Charlie has been taught since a very young age that her powers are something to keep in check, but Andy knows that there are times when Charlie must use them to protect them, much to Charlie\'s chagrin. Andy himself posesses a weak mind-control power (another gift from The Shop), which is useful at times but gives him increasingly intense headaches. Charlie doesn\'t want her powers but must use them; Andy needs his power but it is painful to use. The Shop wants them both, and such are the threads of a wildly exciting novel. We are given a few glimpses into the enemy territory, as well: the head of the Shop, known as Cap; the transvestite scientist Patrick Hockstetter (his final scene is King\'s goriest yet); and the very dangerous and slightly pedophilic John Rainbird, a government killer with his sights set on Charlie. Such a short description doesn\'t begin to describe the excitement of Firestarter. The fireplay in the novel is quite intense and enjoyable, the characters are well-drawn and complete, and the fact that the initial concept of pyrokinesis isn\'t entirely scientifically impossible makes the novel quiet chilling as well.
When I finally did get around to actually reading it I loved it. Reading it was similar to reading Carrie you hold your breath waiting for the next \"show.\" The next firestorm. And when it does happen, hold on to your asbestos because you\'re cooking! King has a knack for the \"waiting scene\" in that context; like his brand names, his small towns, and his paragraphical breaks, the intense hold-your-breath power-scene is among King\'s coolest trademarks.
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