Firestarter

Firestarter is a novel by the American writer Stephen King, first published in September 1980 by Phantasia Press. Two excerpts from the book appeared in Omni magazine in July and August of that year.

The story begins with Andy and Charlie McGee on the run. Both took part as students in a paid experiment at a university, and both came away changed: Andy can push people's minds, and Charlie, born afterwards, can set things alight. Their ability is inherited and it is dangerous, and a branch of the government known as The Shop treats the pair as an asset rather than as people, which is why Andy has kept his daughter moving and her powers half-concealed. When the family's position is finally traced, Charlie is taken to a facility where her ability is studied and tested to the limit.

The novel sits between King's horror and his science fiction, and its suspense comes from the gap between what a small child can do and what the adults around her are willing to risk to control it.