Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

It by Stephen King

126 reviews

mandle's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is a great horror book Stephen King did a beautiful job with this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

shannonleestrouse's review

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

sommarborne's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

esskaysquared's review

adventurous challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

This is my first Stephen King book since I read Pet Sematary in middle school and was just way too scared by it. Having seen both the TV miniseries and the more recent movies, I was able to really focus on the storytelling rather than the scares. 

That said, I don't think I've ever read a longer book and finishing it left me exhausted! At a certain point reading felt like a chore, although some sections were really thrilling and moved quickly.

I would have given a higher rating (4 or 4.25), but I wasn't really prepared for all the racial slurs and racist stereotypes/impressions/jokes, and it really majorly detracted from my enjoyment in reading the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Antisemitism, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

chadconnecticut's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Two things about this book are true: that something being popular does not preclude it from being good, and that SK was deep in his cocaine years when this book was written, and it shows. 

There are moments of brilliance. King’s prose is lush and evocative, and his examinations of fear and coming of age are beautiful, haunting, and sad. The violence is gripping; the horror is affecting. 

Is the book too long by at least 300 pages? Absolutely. Is Richie Tozier a tough character to read from a contemporary lens (especially in an audiobook)? Of course. But the DNA of modern horror can be found all over this book, and the literary landscape wouldn’t be the same without it. 

I doubt I’ll read it a second time, but my perspective on the horror canon has been enriched for having read it. King is good. This book is good. The Scene That Will Never Make It Into Adaptations is…a choice that I wouldn’t make personally, nor do I think it would hold up in contemporary fiction, but in the context of both the narrative and the time in which it was written, it wasn’t as jarring and awful as I expected. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Blood

drone232's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective tense slow-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

4.0

This is an epic of horror literature. It is about a group of children going up against the ills of adult society which have manifested in the form of a horrifying and enjoyably malevolent monster. It is also about their adult selves as they try to remember their childhood and refind their childhood hopes and selves. Interspersed are narratives about a great many side characters and their woes. A deep and expansive work, bogged down by occasional instances of going over the line with the horror and sexism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Gaslighting

sighclopss's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, and Torture

shire_girl99's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Animal cruelty

There are a lot of uncomfortable descriptions of children's bodies. While they aren't written to be sexual, they are weird and unnecessary.

annaofjesup's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Sexual content, and Blood

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

dannybailey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

I believe reading this as a woman is a different experience from reading this as someone of the male sex. But, I suppose, you could argue that for all books, yet I think that this book really has a notable difference in experience compared to all the other books I've experienced/read/listened to.

In saying that, I am aware that it is very much a personal thing and not a problem with King and his story-telling that made it difficult for me to get through and enjoy this book (especially since I was expecting to enjoy this one in-particular). 

I love King's novels and stories, but upon reading this one, I am forever disappointed in the discovery that I do not enjoy all his novels and stories. This one had a lot of upsides— definitely. But the second half of this book really drained me. I was very done with all the sexual references and activities, all the violence often associated with that sexual content and context, it really raised red flags in my head that made me feel sick and deeply disturbed, to a point where it overshadowed a lot of the good stuff in this story, for me.

Aside from my own personal perception and experience (of which I'm sure will be relevant to others who read this book), as a story it is still one I can understand why a lot of people love and find compelling. It is well written, full of vivid detail (which I found both good and bad) and a very epic story that is most certainly an intrigue to take part in.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail