Reviews

Firestarter by Stephen King

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wondernikel's review against another edition

2.0

2...I mean, I finished it...BUT I only enjoyed the first half...Haven't seen this movie nor do I have a desire to now...Loved the concept, but again with bogged down rants...

mattia_masciadra's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

nayelyr's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

jeremygibbs's review against another edition

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5.0

As I read King's books in order, Firestarter is easily one of my favorites thus far. Like in The Dead Zone and others, there is a dystopian government backstory. However, King makes it feel like a natural component of the story instead of an overt sermon to the reader. Of King's earliest works, Firestarter may be the best at the art of storytelling. The pace flows masterfully throughout the novel, leaving the reader with the uncontrollable desire to read just one more page. I highly recommend this book.

oisiveteolivaw's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

readingwithreagan's review against another edition

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3.0

The plot was very fast paced and suspenseful, taking what King did with Carrie and doing something new with it. I was very interested to see what would happen next, and the government agency angle added all new stakes to the psychic powers trope. The characters were definitely not all developed. Charlie was great, but also seemed a little old for her age. Her dad was an interesting character but also did not give me a ton. I thought Rainbird was the most intriguing purely because he’s disturbing, not because I know what made him that way. I think the setting was great in this book. I knew where they were, I could picture it in my mind, and there was so much great imagery used. *cough cough chickens cough cough* The writing was good, but doesn’t stand out for me like his other books have. This was still one of my favorite books so far, and I think despite not really remembering any stand-out pieces of writing, it still stands out as a story. The ending was both great and unexpected. I think that’s why it worked for me, and I thought about it afterward for a while. Final Rating- 3.5 out of 5 stars

lenajean's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

poweredbycroissants's review against another edition

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dark sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

lordsuggs's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

4.0

jazhandz's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This book essentially has four types of scenes: action, good guys, bad guys, and weird interactions between the good and bad guys. I happen to like these four scenes and think this was done decently well, although the first half was stronger and I would happily chop 70-odd pages out of the middle. It’s fine! Perfectly serviceable King book.

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