https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking ABC Reading Journal for 'Firestarter' by Stephen King en-us 2018-04-07 20:06:10 UTC 2025-11-18 07:26:39 UTC hello@padlet.com kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/249613305 This story has a very riveting beginning. It starts with the main character, Andy, and his daughter being pursued by two suited men. You do not know why they are chasing him, but it keeps you on edge. Then, Andy falls into a flashback/dream sequence, where we are introduced to him as a young college student who signs up for a government experiment. We can begin to hypothesize that somehow this experiment has made him dangerous or valuable, which is why he is wanted by the suited men.]]> 2018-04-09 01:38:57 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/249613305 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/249614115 This book is written by Stephen King. King is a famous horror and mystery author, with immensely popular books, including 'Carrie', 'It', and 'The Shining'. Many of his novels have become cult classics, and some have been adapted into movies and television shows. 'Firestarter' is a science-fiction/thriller novel, and is not in a series. ]]> 2018-04-09 01:44:18 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/249614115 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/250410128 1. 'Renegades' by X Ambassadors (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSJhrO2Ydao) because this song talks about how the underdogs run away and don't accept the end, and this is similar to how all the odds are against Andy and Charlie, but they keep evading their pursuers and stay alive.

2.'Dust Bowl Dance' by Mumford & Sons (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z2yY5GhDto) because Andy keeps using his powers to cover for Charlie, but he just keeps getting weaker. He is going to be captured if he keeps hurting himself, but he has nothing but his daughter, and that drives him to save her.

3. 'Demons' by Imagine Dragons (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWRsgZuwf_8) because Andy is dying inside, but he makes everything seem as if it's alright for Charlie as he does everything for her. He loves her so much, and doesn't want her to see his pain.]]> 2018-04-10 17:49:36 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/250410128 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/250417253 1. King is a huge Red Sox fan, and had a cameo in the Sox-based movie Fever Pitch
2. He was hit by a car, and then bought the car that hit him
3. He had such a bad drug/alcohol problem that he doesn't remember writing Cujo
4. He suffers from triskaidekaphobia
5. More of his books have been adapted into movies than any other living author
6. King was once mistaken for a vandal when he started signing books during a visit to an Australian book shop
7. He loved the movie 28 Days Later, so he bought out an entire screening of it (275 tickets!)
8. He witnessed his friend die in a train accident as a child, but has no memory of it
9. He threw the first draft of Carrie into the trash, but his wife Tabitha made him keep it
10. King always tries to write at least 2000 words each day]]> 2018-04-10 18:01:40 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/250417253 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/250461147 Andy is one character that constantly experiences this, as he is being chased down by the government because they want to use Charlie's and his abilities against their will. This prevents him from trusting anyone and leads him to constantly use his powers to manipulate people around him so he and Charlie won't be caught.]]> 2018-04-10 19:23:36 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/250461147 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/250465168 simile: "Andy's head felt like a slowly swelling lead balloon" (King 45)
metaphor: "Her face was a pallid moonlet in the dark" (King 38)
hyperbole: "'...they wouldn't give a squirt if you pedaled in on a unicycle'" (King 47)]]> 2018-04-10 19:32:43 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/250465168 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/251652889 My favorite quote is, “Hadn’t somebody said that perfect paranoia and perfect awareness were the same thing?” (King 51). I find this quote to be very deep. In this world where technology is everywhere, you never know who can watch you or hear you. We as a society have to fear everything because we don't know what actually is innocent.]]> 2018-04-13 17:12:21 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/251652889 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/251962463 This story is formatted as third person omniscient. While most of the story is told in Andy's point of view (and refers to him as 'he' rather than 'I' or 'you'), we are able to see through the eyes of other characters such as Cap and Charlie.]]> 2018-04-16 01:18:12 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/251962463 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/252567431 To Charlie:
You didn't get to choose the powers you have. They were forced upon you, and for that I am so sorry. I know you're so scared right now. You may be mad at your dad for constantly making you use your powers, like at the farm, but he loves you so so much. He is hiding his pain, and is killing himself so you can live. Don't be mad at him; instead, love him and cherish him, because your time together may be limited with the Shed approaching.]]> 2018-04-17 13:44:01 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/252567431 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/252574999 Rainbird is almost 7 feet tall, with long black hair in a ponytail and a very scarred face with a missing eye due to his time in Vietnam. He is half-Cherokee and proud of his heritage. He is at peace with the world and god, but is obsessed with death. When he learns about Charlie, he is fascinated and wants to both befriend and kill her.]]> 2018-04-17 13:56:48 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/252574999 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/252978317 The climax of the story is when Charlie and Andy are finally captured by the Shed. Andy begins to suspect that the government knows they are at the cabin because he has not received a response to his letters he sent to newspapers (he thinks they were intercepted). Knowing this, he tells Charlie to pack. They leave the cabin the next day, but as soon as they step outside, they are shot with drugged darts, and are taken to the Shed's headquarters. This is the turning point as Charlie and her dad can not run anymore, and instead are to be subject to tests and imprisonment. ]]> 2018-04-18 13:23:07 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/252978317 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/252982364 There are many settings in this book, but one of the most significant ones is Andy's cell at the Shed headquarters. He describes the prison as nice enough that sometimes a person could forget they were in a cell. It had four rooms, one of those being a bathroom. He had a color TV (with three new films each week), and amenities like a kitchenette. The entire cell was in decorator colors, and there was a shag rug in the living room. There were small glass loopholes for surveillance purposes. Well-printed pictures decorated the walls.]]> 2018-04-18 13:29:26 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/252982364 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253144339 One of the best zingers in this book is on page 230, where King writes, "...her ass was nearly as wide as a bank president's desk". I found this so hilarious that I almost laughed out loud during FSA testing. King is very talented at making some good similes, but this one certainly ranks number one. The way he said it so casually really made it a zinger.]]> 2018-04-18 18:13:07 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253144339 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253240927 The protagonist of Firestarter is Andy McGee, father of Charlie and a man with his own telepathic powers (although they weaken him and make him very sick). He conflicts with Rainbird during Charlie's and his separate imprisonment at the Shed HQ. Rainbird, trying to get closer to Charlie, becomes her father figure while posing as an orderly. Andy has the disadvantage as he has constantly told Charlie that her powers are bad; Instead, Rainbird supports her powers (because he wants to see them) and tells her that they are a gift. Andy could never connect too well with Charlie as they were constantly on the run and he is the only parent since her mother was murdered.]]> 2018-04-19 00:43:57 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253240927 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253242547 "He came in slowly, dressed in a brown and balding leather jacket over a faded plaid shirt. Old and scruffed Dingos peeked out from beneath the cuffs of his faded straight-leg jeans. The top of his huge head seemed almost to brush the ceiling. The gored ruin of his empty eyesocket made Cap shudder inwardly" (King 181).

This paragraph is filled with imagery, which really adds to the scene. King's description emphasizes the power levels between the two, and how Rainbird brings an ominous and scary tone into the room. It shows how even though Cap is supposedly in command, Rainbird is smarter and holds the upper hand.]]> 2018-04-19 00:53:30 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253242547 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253361737 One book I've read that I feel is similar to Firestarter is Witch & Wizard by James Patterson. In this book, a brother and sister are being chased by the government after they are accused of having special powers (which one of them, by the way, is the power to light things on fire *cough Charlie cough*), similar to Andy and Charlie. Another similarity is that the brother and sister do not know how to use and control their powers, like how Charlie is scared to use hers because the fires could get out of control.]]> 2018-04-19 11:27:48 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253361737 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253562156 Firestarter was adapted into a movie under the same name in 1984. It stars Drew Barrymore as Charlie, David Keith as Andy, and George C. Scott as Rainbird. The film was shot around Wilmington, Chimney Rock, and Lake Lure, North Carolina (and is said to have started Wilmington's film industry). Rodger Ebert called it boring and unconvincing, giving it 2 out of 4 stars. In 2012, King described the film as one of the worst made from his books, describing it as "flavorless; it's like cafeteria mashed potatoes". ]]> 2018-04-19 17:52:36 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253562156 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253676563 Keep running, not free
Killing myself to save love
The war never ends]]> 2018-04-20 01:55:37 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253676563 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253676897 After a dramatic confrontation in the stables, Andy is shot dead by Rainbird, who is killed in a large fire caused by Charlie, who escapes. She then finds the Manderses again and stay with them, almost as their granddaughter. She regains her strength and travels to the Rolling Stone magazine offices, where she fulfills her father's dream and gets to reveal their story to the world.]]> 2018-04-20 01:57:59 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253676897 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253678593 I was very sad that Andy died without getting to spend much time with his daughter after half a year of separate imprisonment. If I could change the book, I would keep Andy pushing Rainbird to jump, but he would not get shot and instead be wiped out from exhaustion. Then, when he awakens, he discovers he doesn't have his powers anymore. This allows him to lead the normal life he never got. He rejoins society with Charlie, who gets to make friends and grow up normally in society. After the wild escape, the government would give up due to the lack of resources to cover the destruction up.]]> 2018-04-20 02:10:04 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253678593 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253679338 One lesson from Firestarter is that all choices and odds must be carefully thought out, as Andy thought that the college experiment with a $200 participation reward would be an easy way to get quick money, and that there was a good chance he would be injected with water (the control group) instead of Lot 6. However, he got the drug, which induced negative side effects for him and altered the abilities of his child.]]> 2018-04-20 02:15:37 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253679338 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253770585 I would visit Rainbird and I would ask him these questions:
1. How connected are you to the Cherokee beliefs? I would ask this because he is Cherokee, but he constantly inflicts violence and seems to believe in an unnamed deity.
2. Do you fear your own death? I would ask this because he is fascinated with death and feels almost religious when he sees life go out of a person's eyes, but yet he never approached the idea about what he would feel like when he dies.
3. What was your childhood like? Rainbird is a very unique character that follows his own rules, but is also very ruthless and kills people. I'd love to know what beliefs his parents taught him.
4. Did you ever love someone? He constantly mentions how he loves Charlie (sometimes he seems very pedophilic). He is not the handsomest or nicest man, but I feel like having a loving relationship would have changed him, and I would like to know how.
5. If you could have one thing in life, what would you want? Rainbird seems like a man who doesn't need anything, and is pretty much the opposite of materialist. I feel like I would get a very deep insight into his character if I knew what he would get.]]> 2018-04-20 11:23:42 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253770585 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253799891 Q1: How do Andy and Charlie acquire their powers?
A: Andy participates in a scientific study at college and is injected with a mysterious chemical called Lot 6, which gives him an almost hypnotic power of telepathy. While there, he bonds with a girl named Victoria, who is also injected with the drug and gets telekinetic abilities. They eventually marry and have a child (Charlie) whose genetics were somehow altered with the two drug recipients, and she receives pyrokinetic abilities which start to show at a very young age.
Q2: Who is Rainbird and why is he hired by the Shed?
A: Rainbird is a veteran and hitman who is hired by Cap to capture Charlie and Andy after many failed attempts by Shop agents.
Q3: Why does Charlie choose the Rolling Stone magazine as the news outlet to share her story?
A: Charlie decides it is not too major that it would be stopped by the government, and has no ties to them either. She also believes it is the most unbiased and reliable.]]> 2018-04-20 12:58:36 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253799891 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253898510 I would definitely recommend this book to any teenager to elder. This novel is a perfect mixture of thriller and sci-fi, and King always keeps the reader on the edge. The characters and their relationships are well-described, and their interactions are fascinating. King's use of figurative language and imagery creates a very detailed world. The way this story blends fiction and truth creates a scary realism that could be possible.]]> 2018-04-20 16:17:33 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253898510 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253898604 2018-04-20 16:17:47 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253898604 kxtie https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253898676 It is very hard to connect to this book due to the uniqueness of the situations that occur. One of the many things that I absolutely do not connect with is having mind powers. I have wished to change peoples' minds many times in my life, or perhaps have the power to be able to move or destroy things. However, I do not have these abilities, unlike Charlie, Victoria, and Andy. To be fair, though, the benefit of not having these powers is not being chased by the government...]]> 2018-04-20 16:17:57 UTC https://padlet.com/kxtie/firestarterstephenking/wish/253898676