mboard's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
First off, I wasn’t scared basically the whole book. Honestly, the scariest scene was adult Bev trying to escape her super abusive husband Tom to get to Derry to kill It once and for all. Tom being so unhinged stressed me the f*** out. My perspective is that It really isn’t that scary to adults hence why It is only visible to children and preys on them. The only reason the gang is terrified as adults is the memories of being attacked when they were young where the imprints of that trauma are carried with them into adulthood. The idea makes sense but I had high expectations of being scared and It did not deliver.
The characters and town of Derry are so real and lived in you feel like Derry was your hometown and you knew of Henry Bower’s to big bully and the nerds like Bill and Richie that were always nice but on the outskirts. But if I didn’t feel like I grew up with these kids after 1200 pages I would be irate. There were definitely some of the kids I liked better than others. Eddie is my boy. His mother pushing psychosomatic illnesses on him his whole life making him belief he’s weak and fragile. When faced with that fact he decides to stay comfortable and allow himself to be babied instead of essentially throwing away everything he thought he knew about himself. I felt that was so authentic and real I just wanted to hug him.
In terms of plot, I enjoyed the adults storyline over the kids but the way SK weaves the two timelines together especially at the end is masterful. There were times I was just in awe of how perfectly he transitioned between 1958 and 1985. The kids storyline of them just getting bullied wasn’t as interesting to me as the dread of facing It after 27 years and how their lives turned out after such intense trauma. The plot definitely wasn’t perfect though like why in the hell is there a child 0rgy?? Why are we getting descriptions of 12 year old Bev’s tiny t!tties? I don’t wanna hear it. Ew.
I just don’t know how I feel about it but it’s a book that is definitely memorable for it’s characters and atmosphere. Would I say it’s worth the read? Ehhhhh I don’t know.
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Homophobia
Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Antisemitism
malthe'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
5.0
BUT, this is the first book I’ve read after my 3 year reading slump AND I finished it pretty quick for how long it is (I would say). So it was able to keep my interested the whole way through, which is amazing. The writing can also be so so good.
I really don’t have that many negatives, except for the weird stuff like THAT scene. If you don’t look at those, this book is so fucking good!
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Blood, Bullying, Dementia, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Sexism, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal death, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
kreglow's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Hate crime, Infidelity, Stalking, Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, Xenophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Gun violence, Incest, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Torture, Cancer, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Police brutality, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Antisemitism, Fatphobia, and Fire/Fire injury
ehamlett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Sexual content, Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, Bullying, Racism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Abandonment, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Addiction
Minor: Religious bigotry, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Infertility, and Pedophilia
maggiefaerie's review against another edition
I really wanted to love this book. I'm not scared easily, and everyone I know says this is the most frightening book they've read. I've had some disappointments recently, so I wanted something to scare me at least a little. I finally threw in the towel after chapter 7-6.
This book drags so much. I'm 1/3 of the way in and there's so much bloated writing that I honestly don't feel invested at all. There's a balance between atmosphere and plot, and this book leans heavily on settings before establishing motives or developing the characters. I basically spent 10 hours reading a book with the exact vibes of Stand By Me when I thought I was reading horror. I'm really disappointed because I wanted to be completely and absolutely terrified by the book, and I was, but not because of the monster.
I honestly cannot get past the homophonia, anti-semitism, fat shaming, mysogony, abuse, and racism. If you want to read this, be aware that this book casually drops many slurs in reference to minority groups. The liberal character descriptors that involve all the really bad slurs you can think of were unnecessary and truly uncomfortable.
The abuse is also way too explicit for me. There's nothing I've enjoyed about this experience of reading this book.
Graphic: Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Toxic friendship, Rape, Child abuse, Child death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Antisemitism, Body horror, Bullying, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Medical trauma, Suicide, Blood, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Alcoholism
mariana_ct08'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
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual assault, and Violence
nickitaylor915's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Stephen King's It is a classic horror novel that explores the themes of trauma, friendship, and the power of fear. The story follows a group of childhood friends who reunite as adults to confront the evil entity that terrorized them as children. The characters are well-developed and the writing is both suspenseful and atmospheric. The novel is a masterclass in horror and the way that King builds tension and creates a sense of dread is unparalleled. The book is also a commentary on the power of trauma and how it can shape our lives. It's a haunting and thought-provoking read that will stay with you long after you finish it. I highly recommend It to anyone looking for a classic horror novel that is both terrifying and deeply moving.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Incest, Pedophilia, and Rape
ilaxaria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Incest, Gore, Racism, Suicide, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Child death, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Fatphobia
prunechips'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Pedophilia, Murder, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Sexual content, Death, Racism, and Misogyny
nicole_cob_reads'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? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Rape, Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Vomit, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Grief, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, and Physical abuse