Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Firestarter by Stephen King

13 reviews

jazhandz's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Animal death, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer, Fatphobia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Transphobia

- adult/minor relationship insofar as Stephen King-typical adult men having feelings for little girls - eye horror and gore - medical experimentation - police brutality insofar as a government agency threatening civilians; it’s not the actual police but it checks a similar box imo - if you are afraid of snakes think twice about this one - King-typical racism ableism sexism etc throughout. the transphobia is only tagged bc it is, somehow, plot relevant.

superiour_medium's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

She do be starting fires

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

_marycappiello3's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

hyacinthed's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Complicated feelings on this one.

Strengths:

• Strong worldbuilding (as always)
• Great structure
• Solid development of Charlie/decent development of Andy
• Dude putting on lingerie and jerking it to a garbage disposal. Lit.

Difficulties:

• Literally everything relating to Rainbird. The overt racism in his characterisation (yes it was the '80s, no it has not aged well), the literal pedophilic overtones of how he thinks and speaks about Charlie.
• The homophobia sprinkled throughout.
• The constant fat-shaming of Andy after he blows up on thorazine (we get it, he's fat, you don't have to remind us once a page).
• The lack of resolution of Vicky's death - I was hoping for some kind of reconciliation/closure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Pedophilia

Minor: Homophobia

bookwormloverofbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

jonssweater's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Pedophilia and Racial slurs

summboo's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

The book did not live up to its hype in my perspective

setaggu's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, and Murder

heartshapedbooks's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

I've never read a book like, Firestarter, before and I absolutely loved it. The whole plot line of Andy and Charlie running from "the Shop" was eerie and exciting, and I loved how high the stakes were. The insight from all of the different character p.o.v.s made it very entertaining, yet frustrating because I just wanted to inform my favorite characters of what was going on around them. I sped through this book once I got into it, and I would definitely recommend to anyone who is into thrillers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, and Racism

okaylauren's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.75

Definitely reads like it was published in 1980. There were times when it dragged and dragged-- especially in the back half of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs