Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

It by Stephen King

243 reviews

1800jay's review against another edition

I didn't actually finish this book nowhere close. I couldn't get past the horrific themes of the story (and I'm not talking about the clown or murders) Some of the biggest themes in this book include homophobia, racism and sexual assault. As a member of the LGBT community obviously, the homophobia hit me the closest to home. I am aware of when the story was published and that the AIDs epidemic was a very real thing. But reading pages of dialogue with characters calling people "faggots" and saying "God sent AIDs to kill you" was too much for me. It's important to recognise history and learn from it and I'd probably recommend straight people read things like this to see the truth of what LGBT people have gone through and continue to go through. But when it is the history of your community and it's shown in this way it hit too close to home for me and made me uncomfortable.
I'd be really interested in hearing how other gay people found this book, especially any older readers who lived through the 80s and the AIDs crisis. I'd also be interested to hear how other victims of these types of themes found this book. Were you able to get through it and thought it was a really truthful example or did it bother you too?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Antisemitism, Medical trauma, and Murder

Also, I heard there is a gangbang scene with an 11-year-old and just no thanks.

disauci's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gore, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Minor: Homophobia and Blood

Contains a child orgy scene

chiefbrodyjaws's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.0

Idk... some parts were pretty interesting while others were laughable. Stephen King in general doesn't frighten me so most of his books (other than Mr. Mercedes, which i still had problems with) fail to scare me or creep out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, and Suicide attempt

rooree93's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-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

5.0

Read this when I was about 13 and forgot a lot of the plot, so reading it at 31 and remembering what's going on as the characters remember it was a fun ride. It's a long slog and there's definitely some moments that drag on, but at the same time it's great learning each character intimately, including the setting. 
I love all the characters, can see bits of myself in each person, didn't relate too much to any one, but if I had to choose a favourite it would have to be Ben.
Pennywise is such a great villain, utterly evil, no redeeming features at all, but has just enough wackiness included that you're almost looking forward to his next atrocity. 
The narrator of the audiobook was absolutely fantastic as well, there was enough subtle differences between each of the characters, that they all felt distinct and made the whole story feel more alive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

arnya's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Sexual assault

httpscl0d4gh's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Violence

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

The only scary thing about this book was the cover. (I’m going to have to find a longer book to read before the end of the year so that I don’t have to look at this cover anytime I revisit my 2024 year in books!).

Book was difficult to read and weird. There were a lot of characters, and time was too fluid. It wasn’t like many books where chapters vacillate between past and present or future. Time actually would switch within the same chapter (at times, even the same paragraph or scene). It made it hard to follow the events.

Also, I failed to see how Beverly’s act of love did anything at all for any of them, especially given how the book ends. And what was up with the Yoda turtle????, especially its explanation of its stomach ache???? Definite two most WtF moments for me.

I kept thinking I was reading an early version of Stranger Things, but Google assured me this book had no contribution to the show, despite a number of similarities.

I’m glad I didn’t DNF it, but neither am I glad I read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

tayrod4594's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I completely understand all the reasons people object to this book, in particular with regard to THAT scene. But this book is ultimately a meditation on childhood, specifically that twilight time between childhood and adulthood. It's told in a fantastical way, of course, but it both mourns and celebrates the ability to believe in anything and everything as only kids can do. And it makes it very clear that there is a power in that belief, a great power that can, in this case, quite literally save lives and destroy monsters. Even with that scene, this is King at his best, melding the paranormal horrors of the monsters beneath our beds and the everyday horrors of the world with a masterful touch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Antisemitism, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

scheierndevin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

librarianboy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail