danimacuk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Blood, Bullying, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Violence, Mental illness, Torture, Child abuse, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Racial slurs, Self harm, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Cursing, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Racism, and Medical content
snarkandspark's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Death, Cursing, Child death, Bullying, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Infidelity, Grief, and Gore
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Gun violence
oops_i_read_it_again'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? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.75
Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Racial slurs, Slavery, Death of parent, Suicide, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Pedophilia, and Racism
Beverly, a young girl, is descriped sexually multiple times throughout the book. Every male character wants to have Sex with her.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
jackbifrost's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Animal death, Fatphobia, Gore, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Hate crime, Suicide, Violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Terminal illness, Confinement, Gun violence, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Classism, Toxic friendship, and Vomit
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.Â
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.Â
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.Â
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
riversonq's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Antisemitism, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Xenophobia, and Suicide
Minor: Antisemitism and War
izzettl'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Alcoholism, Child death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, and Biphobia