theshonz0705'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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Gore, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Murder, Suicide, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Sexism, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Racism, Self harm, Grief, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Antisemitism and Incest
sav_22'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
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Domestic abuse, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Gun violence, Gore, Gaslighting, Excrement, Death of parent, Alcohol, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Torture, Misogyny, Mental illness, Infidelity, Hate crime, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Body shaming, Body horror, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Death, Confinement, Bullying, Blood, Violence, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Medical trauma, Incest, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Cursing, and Alcoholism
bomenvernietiger's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Medical trauma, Stalking, Vomit, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Excrement, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Antisemitism, Gore, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, and Suicide
Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Ableism, Cancer, and Islamophobia
rtthalia'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
Moderate: Child death, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Suicide, Alcohol, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Abandonment, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Grief, Homophobia, Incest, Rape, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Violence
fatymahsy's review against another edition
1.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual content, Murder, Child death, Pedophilia, and Gore
gamefroggit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Derry feels tremendously alive even beyond the creature that dwells there, the goings on and its people often feel quite real amidst the fantastical and bizarre events that call Derry home. To benefit and break the story however, the town and its people are so assured that the creature that stalks them falls back from monster status, as some of the human inhabitants of Derry, and the world itself, are far more terrifying in a far more real manner. The great antagonist, almost akin to its presence in the book, is more on the sidelines, poking ITs head in far too often to make sure we know it's there rather than pulling strings in more meaningful ways in the background. For a being that boasts to cement fear for a day job, ITs sorely lacking.
The people though and the realities the kids of Derry face, now that sure is unsettling. There is an uncomfortable reality in Derry, not one that a scary clown had anything to do with. Ignorance, abuse, misfortune, are all too abundant with many victims to suffer and those to inflict it. The reality of not ever really knowing beyond the surface of someone, or something, and all the strange ways we come about them stands clear, backed up by our cast of abusers, victims and spectators. This is where the horror of IT truly shines.
The characters feel quite pulled along, points are elaborated too much in cases, and the true scale of the events of IT feel a bit at odd with the perspective forced upon the people who witness them on one side of the coin. The other is a solid world, one that has a heartbeat and all the horrors that accompany it, and some poor souls trying to find their way through it. It doesn't all quite add up into one clean adventure into the dark, but there are some satisfying, and uncomfortable stories to pull from IT and its playthings.
Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Pedophilia, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Suicide, and Sexual content
hanreadin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
1.5
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Fatphobia, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Antisemitism, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Mental illness, and Incest
Minor: Vomit
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
1.0
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: Animal death, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Self harm, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Cancer, Cannibalism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child death, Pedophilia, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Incest, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, Alcohol, Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Gore, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Excrement, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
The whole book is a trigger warning. It is full of violence, GRAPHIC bigotry, and the sexualization of women and especially minors.chelseachips's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Blood, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Police brutality
Moderate: Infertility, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Sexism, and Violence
kamirose1's review against another edition
2.0
Graphic: Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Rape, Bullying, Racism, Ableism, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder