Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

It by Stephen King

206 reviews

ardentlyandi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Came for Pennywise, stayed for The Losers Club. A heartfelt tale about childhood friends and togetherness. Slow paced but always moving forward. Each character feels real (Beverly and Stan less so) and fun to read about. I didn’t care for depictions of Beverly, and I don’t really believe the sewer scene was necessary. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, and Suicide

Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content

theshonz0705's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

If I could pick apart the central plot of this book from its infuriatingly problematic elements, it would be a 5. But I can’t, and It is spoiled by too much that is irredeemable. Take a look at some of the content warnings to see what I mean. I’m the first person to go to bat for King, but this isn’t a case of challenging writing that’s simply hard to read. The author just got this one really wrong. A lot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Incest and Antisemitism

emccardel's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

Very mixed bag. Some elements were 5 ⭐️ and others were 0 ⭐️ 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Antisemitism, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

cowahbull's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• 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

3.75

While this book has its flaws I enjoyed reading it. The characters are lovable and even the evil characters are well written. Pennywise the Clown deserves his place in classic horror monsters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Police brutality, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Rape

cararainx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

I revisit this book from time to time and I am always taken aback by certain passages. Yes the ending is weird Kingesque cosmology, but the epilogue has some of the best prose King has ever written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment

kreglow's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

A bit overlong, and some of the content is questionable to say the least. Still one hell of a ride.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

chambecc's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I read this book almost a year ago, and naturally find it still occasionally bursting forth into my head. 
 
 It, I think, is properly described as a horror epic, not strictly a novel. The book is a veritable brick at roughly 1150 pages, and I took a bit over 2 months to read it (caveat being I took breaks to read other material, but still). 
 
 I'm a King fan and will generally read most anything by him. But in some ways, I think "It" will always be my favorite book of his. Less because of detailed descriptions of a vulgar, malevolent, shapeshifting entity terrorizing a small town in Maine, and more about the book's heart: friendship. Growing up. Overcoming fear. The fading of memory. How our roots haunt us even when we thought we've left them behind. 
 
 Ben, Beverly, and Richie are some of my favorite King characters ever. But every kid in the book has a voice, a perspective, that broadens the narrative and makes you more deeply invested in the story's outcome. A common complaint is that the book is too long. Speaking candidly: I think the book was exactly as long as it needed to be to tell the story of the Losers' Club and their odyssey to conquer the manifestation of pure evil, which we commonly know as Pennywise. 
 
 And more importantly - to my brain, anyway - is the friendship that suffuses the story. The love these kids have for each other. The loyalty. Their marrow-deep trust of each other, despite facing visceral terror. In many ways, King is at his best when he's writing kids, and this book shows it better than any other. 
 
 King doesn't regard himself as much of a prose stylist, but I think this book shows that the man writes wonderfully. The descriptions of Derry are granular and gorgeous to read at points. I still think about the passage of Bill soaring over the hill on his bike and into downtown Derry, not caring about mortality, fear, his stutter - pure, unvarnished freedom. Bill Denbrough beats the devil, indeed. 
 
 I'm not sure I'd say "if you only ever read one King book, let this be it (or is that It?)... but on the other hand, if you're craving something that isn't just horrifying and skin deep, pick this one up. Who knows... maybe you'll float, too. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Murder

Moderate: Misogyny and Racism

ehamlett's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicide, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, and Religious bigotry

sav_22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

analea_lucille's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail