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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
Significant violence including deaths by pyrokinesis and agency brutality; the finale is explosive
Language
A lot
Strong profanity throughout
Sexual Content
Barely any
No sexual content
Substance Use
Barely any
None
Emotional Intensity
A lot
The horror of being hunted by an institution with unlimited resources; the weight of a child's power she cannot fully control
What this book is about
Charlie McGee, eight years old, can start fires with her mind—an ability she inherited from parents who participated in a college drug experiment run by the Shop, a secret government agency. Stephen King's thriller follows Charlie and her father as they're hunted by the agency that created them. A surprisingly emotional King novel underneath the horror.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Government violence against children
The Shop's brutality includes psychological experimentation
Reader Verification
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