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A review by tacochelle
It by Stephen King
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
- 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.
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