Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

It by Stephen King

89 reviews

kchamberlin04's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad 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

stephen king writes such beautiful things about friendship. unfortunately he also writes graphic misogynistic underage sex scenes so

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Car accident, and Sexual harassment

uhh. just be careful

keywork1331's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

• 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? No

4.0

This is one of my favorite books I’ve read in a long time. I didn’t expect to be such a fan, given I’ve not read King before. Of any film of television I had consumed associated with his writing (which also was not much), the characters and stories presented felt flat and a little lifeless. His writing is so much richer in context and visuals. It’s a pleasure to read. You really come to understand the place, Derry, and love the brave kids who choose to confront a seemingly eternal and invincible evil. 

I’d rate higher if not for the disturbing treatment of the female protagonist in the group. I think King could have achieved his thematic point without having all the boys lose their virginity gang banging her. Yes, the kids battle an evil and are thrust into adulthood. We get it without taking this unnecesary, pervie step. Just because it’s horror, doesn’t make it okay. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

sylviaisme's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse and Rape

Minor: Racism

quietlyreading2023's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

tacochelle's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• 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

3.0

Putting my thoughts into a list because I have plenty. All the spoilers, because I need to rant.

- The opening chapter with Georgie's death is so good, it's just so frank and brutal, it shows the bond between Bill and Georgie before he dies.

- So damn long. Really needed editing, cut out a lot of repetitive scenes, extra details that only confirms what we already know, etc.

- I love the cosmic horror of what It is, its true form as the Deadlights, how it warps the town of Derry around its existence. 
I even enjoy the cosmic turtle encouraging the Losers, it just furthers the idea that what they are dealing with is so beyond human understanding that it drifts into the absurd.

- I actually like the details on each of It's victims, it shows what it's capable of, the sort of kids that fall on the wayside only to end up it It's path. 

- I liked the friendship between the Losers, King does a really good job of making (most of) them likable, and showing how they become a sort of found family for each other. They help each other with their broken family life and trauma, remind each other that their feelings are valid and does not make them crazy.

- But good lord, Ritchie sucks. He's so obnoxious, with few redeemable moments.

- I didn't mind how sadistic the bullies were. It gave more variety to the sort of prey It feeds on. And part of what made Henry so fucked up was both his racist abusive father, and the influence of It pushing him to madness. It made sense to me.

-Bill's wife Audra feels underused. The ending with her was so weird and feels out of place.

- The gangbang scene was unnecessary. Sure maybe in the mind of a preteen sex can unite them, give you clarity and make you an adult, but for it to actually give them the knowledge of how to leave It's lair is stupid.

-The Losers Club's strong friendship is what ultimately guve them the power to defeat It once and for all. It makes sense when they forget each other the first time because they didn't actually kill It like they thought. But for them to forget each other at the very end when they do kill it feels antithetical to the story. And if they do forget each other, how do Ben and Beverly hook up after that? It doesn't add up, and doesn't make for a satisfying end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Vomit, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

craighead_the_wolf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Murder

haileyeh's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

1.0

Once again, the movies are better…if only because you don’t have to put up with King’s egregious sex scenes and over the top racism. Seriously, someone needs to investigate this man.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexism, Blood, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Cursing, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism

kiwifay's review against another edition

No amount of alcohol or coke can make this good. No amount of alcohol or coke can make me ignore the thousands of slurs.

I think I’ll take my copy camping and use it as fire starter.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

danibee123's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Antisemitism

shannonleestrouse's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail