patriciapfreitas's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Murder, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Suicide, Gore, Rape, Bullying, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexual harassment
khchen's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, and Bullying
Moderate: Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Body shaming, and Rape
ahhhhhkakamsjsksmsja's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Child death, Fatphobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Cursing, and Gore
Moderate: Antisemitism, Alcohol, and Drug use
erinamazing's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Child death, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Rape, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment
danicampbell0506's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gaslighting, Cursing, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Animal death, Child death, Ableism, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Stalking, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Sexism, Antisemitism, Gore, Pedophilia, Violence, and Rape
Minor: Infertility, Self harm, and Terminal illness
olvrhkl12's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Homophobia, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Physical abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Violence, Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship
versky8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Antisemitism, Sexual assault, and Rape
hiddeninfantasy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, Antisemitism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Infidelity, Injury/injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Self harm, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship
cinderrunner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
There are some good things about this book, but the bad significantly outweigh them. This is one of the most needlessly offensive and problematic books i have ever read. The only thing horrifying about this novel is that King had the audacity to include so much needless hatred and is still being praised for it. The level of racism, sexism, pedophilia/sexualization of minors, anti semitisim, etc is FAR beyond anything that is warranted by the plot and its honestly inexcusable. If you took a shot everytime King used the N word with a hard R, you'd die of alcohol poisoning somewhere between the one third and halfway mark. King is constantly using language and scenarios that sexualize Beverly, constantly mentioning the way her 12 year old body is maturing, painting her as a (and im quoting here) "whore" from almost every chatacters POV. Shes even sexualized in her own POVs.
Spoiler
Bill's catatonic wife is literally likened to a blow up doll at a sex storeSpoiler
the jewish character is the one he kills before they even get together as adultsSpoiler
the black character is the one King cast to stay in Derry and remain poor while the others prosper as adultsIt is also overlong, it could have easily been 400 pages shorter than it was. It dragged on and on. It doesnt genuinely pick up or reach a true climax til around page 950 (in my edition) so like 150 pages away from the end. That's ridiculous. King is constantly overloading the book with lore building and exposition that really isnt needed past a certain point. It took me 4 months of on and off reading to finally get through this thing. Ive never taken more than a month to read a book, even dense ones like the entire Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones) series, in my adult life.
Most people I have seen, even those who praise this book, don't count this as a book they would ever reread. If that's not a red flag i don't know what is. I cant think of a single book, even thick and complex ones, that i loved and wouldn't pick up again.
PROS: King is a genuinely skilled writer on a technical level and the book is well crafted. There are very thoughtful and interesting themes around childhood vs adulthood, the transition between the two, and the power of faith/belief. It really could have been a gorgeous novel if he leaned more into that earlier in the book and cut down on all the unnecessary bigotry and lore building. I likely would have loved this if it was shorter and less hate filled.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Violence, Child death, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cancer, Cannibalism, Classism, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Pedophilia, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Bullying, Alcohol, Child abuse, Incest, Injury/injury detail, Rape, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Animal cruelty, Racial slurs, Racism, Antisemitism, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Homophobia, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Stalking
The whole book is a trigger warning. It is full of violence, GRAPHIC bigotry, and the sexualization of women and especially minors.holylacydoll's review against another edition
Graphic: Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Suicide, Pedophilia, Rape, and Toxic relationship