Hooked on Books discussion

Members Starting the BR: Elizabeth, Amanda, and Danielle
Challenge: Time Traveler's Challenge
Book: Firestarter by Stephen King

Anyone is free to join in this Buddy Read! Happy Reading!

Started this one today! All I can do is picture Drew Barrymore as Charlie while I'm listening to this. 😂

Elizabeth wrote: "Started this one today! All I can do is picture Drew Barrymore as Charlie while I'm listening to this. 😂"

I don't think I ever saw the movie version. I'll be starting this one today too, in a little while.

I probably haven't seen it since I was a kid - they remade it again a couple years ago and I've never seen that version.

I'm 12% in, just finished ch 20. So far I'm interested... and more importantly following things since the timelines jump a bit (which can sometimes take me a while to follow, if that makes sense).

I have a question though...
(view spoiler)[So, did Lot-6 cause the ability that Andy now has, or did it just like unlock it or something? (hide spoiler)]

edit to add: Ok.. Part 2, ch 6 seems to answer my question. Rewinding this section to make sure I got it.

The further I get in this one... I have vague memories of the movie - the older one with Drew Barrymore.

I’m at 61%. Taking a short break. I think I’ll actually finish this one today.

So, I like it BUT… man does the middle drag. It has some interesting things going on (view spoiler)[ - being in captivity, trying to trick & befriend Charlie - (hide spoiler)] but just so much boring filler too.

So, I finished. I liked it... but didn't love it. I felt it dragged too much in the middle.

I'm at 44% - it's been stressful at home the last couple days and I haven't been listening as much as I thought i would. I probably won't finish this until Thursday but hopefully I can get a couple more hours in tonight!

Just finished - i can see why you said it dragged in the center because I felt the same way. The beginning was great but everything after that was pretty flat for me. I gave it a 3. I really enjoy King's writing but everything is always so long - too long. 😂

Elizabeth wrote: "Just finished - i can see why you said it dragged in the center because I felt the same way. The beginning was great but everything after that was pretty flat for me. I gave it a 3. I really enjoy ..."

I feel that he fills the longer ones with substance .. but not so much this time. Interesting that you said it was flat later. I said the same thing, that the whole last arc of the story fell flat for me. Same word choice.

The beginning was so exciting and I literally just let the audio play while I was cleaning to get it done with. I didn't feel like the ending had like a big arc not like in the beginning.

I'm starting today. I hope it doesn't drag too much for me, but it prob will lol I just finished a book I kinda have a hangover from too 😭

I feel like it's the worst when a book starts off strong and then drags. If I had to choose, I'd rather a book start off slow and have a strong finish.

When did it start to drag for you guys? I'm on Chapter 6 of The Tashmore, Vermont section so about 43% in and I'm liking it so far. I feel like I'm waiting for it to get boring but hoping maybe it won't be that way for me lmaoo

but one question that came up so far

(view spoiler)[ so he left his house after he found his wife murdered. The Shop people like covered it up right? Bc idk how he wouldn't be wanted for murder if his wife was found and he's gone? Assuming she has other people who would report her missing? (hide spoiler)]

Amanda wrote: "When did it start to drag for you guys? I'm on Chapter 6 of The Tashmore, Vermont section so about 43% in and I'm liking it so far. I feel like I'm waiting for it to get boring but hoping maybe it ..."

Hopefully your experience will be different. I would say, and this is from memory so I might be off, the parts that dragged were from just over 50% up to later excitement and maybe 80% or so.

Amanda wrote: "but one question that came up so far

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I don't think they explain exactly how they covered it up, just that they did. But, I also don't think Vicky and Andy had a super common life, that it might be easy to spin something of why/how they are gone. I mean, he's been gone with Charlie ever since he found his wife. And they (the Shop) most definitely cleaned up afterwards. (hide spoiler)]

Ok... I guess I need to qualify the "slower" section. While interesting in part, it sort of felt like he was being paid per word... so... lots of filler. I'm used to some authors being overly descriptive and am normally fine when Karin Slaughter and Stephen King do it, for example. But this didn't feel quite like that. There were just fillers that went off on tangents. But, who knows, maybe it was just my mood. So, I liked it, but this isn't one I'll likely reread.

danielle wrote: "Ok... I guess I need to qualify the "slower" section. While interesting in part, it sort of felt like he was being paid per word... so... lots of filler. I'm used to some authors being overly descr..."

Ah, okay. I know what you mean. I felt that way with 11/22/63 tbh - I liked it a lot and I loved the ending but that book definitely could have been like 300 pages shorter lmao he was very tangential

Through Chap 7 of The Blackout

(view spoiler)[ Rainbird is giving me...gross vibes. What are his intentions with Charlie?? The way he talks about her is concerning?? I know he said "not intimately" but based on how he talks about her..it kinda seems like that's part of what he has in mind (hide spoiler)]

Through Chap 8 of The Blackout

(view spoiler)[ okay well this chapter kind of confirmed my suspicions. He's clearly a psychopath (hide spoiler)]

Through Chap 16 of Endgame:

(view spoiler)[
I really love the whole “ricochet” aspect of what can happen with Andy’s pushes. I love stuff like that lol how a push can latch onto a deeply repressed thread in someone’s subconscious (like shame with Pynchot), and how you never really know what word or phrase is going to set that thread off. And Pynchot’s death was so gruesome and unsettling because it felt symbolic of what he’d been struggling with under the surface 😭 and now its happening with Cap too i'm scared of what's gonna happen with the golf clubs (hide spoiler)]

Amanda wrote: "Through Chap 7 of The Blackout

[spoilers removed]"

Agreed. Some of the descriptive words had me worried where it was going.

Do you guys watch stranger things? I actually think it was inspired by Firestarter lol there's a lot of similarities. I see some "IT" influence in Stranger Things too

Amanda wrote: "Do you guys watch stranger things? I actually think it was inspired by Firestarter lol there's a lot of similarities. I think it was inspired by "IT" too"

I only ever watched S1.

Through Chap 16 of Endgame - End

(view spoiler)[ I was so sad when Andy died :( I agree, though, the very ending was a little anticlimactic, but I actually enjoyed most of it! It felt fast-paced for me (hide spoiler)]