Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

It by Stephen King

140 reviews

quietlyreading2023's review against another edition

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whatrobinsonreads's review against another edition

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

4.25

In IT, Derry is America in 1958 and 1985. Thriving on the surface, with well-stocked shops downtown and nice houses with nice families surrounding it. It’s truly the shining city on Up-Mile Hill. But beneath the surface lurks an evil otherworldly presence that uses Derry as a feeding pen. It exerts unseen power over the people and keeps them silent, feeding on the townsfolk cyclically every 27 or so years. One of my favorite parts is how It is in everything—the air, the water, the houses, the factories, the fields. It’s the town (says Bill). It’s all the isms and fears imaginable rolled into one horrifying character: Pennywise, IT. When seven children decide to take It down, they alter their lives forever. 
Despite being 1,150 pages, it reads fast. And I’m left wanting more. Except, ofc, when I want less (yes I’m talking about that scene). Strong pacing. Terrific description. Many metaphors and lots of allusions. The narrative is the best part. Some of the language is outdated and many offensive terms are used, the n-word being used in particular a lot when the narrative focuses on Mike, the one Black character in the book, besides his dad, and the only main character who isn’t white. 
TW-wise: the book is 100% about bullying. It’s about overcoming bullying with your friends (albeit with more bullying, but what are you gonna do with one maybe two sociopaths and a kid who’s nicknamed Belch?), and coming together despite the distance of so much time. 
That scene: why did she have to sleep with all of them? King couldn’t have had her just like, suggest Eddie re-look? It’s so unnecessary. They don’t really know if It’s dead or gone away, they haven’t exhausted all their options looking wise, and it’s supposed to compare her to the library’s glass tunnel, well dude, objectification much? That turns her into this vessel so they can transition to adulthood and she can through them? Just…wtf with that scene. Sucks cause I love the rest of the book—Eddie was my guy 💔— and this scene is absurdly and frustratingly gratuitous. 

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macliffe's review against another edition

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Too much sexual content

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neleusb's review

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

audiobook with stephen weber is FANTASTIC, absolutely hard to get through some parts content wise, i was spoiled going in and still cringed at all that stephen king had to say
the tom shit in its entirety and the INTENSE sex scene with the kids at the end
and
the spiritual alien eternal pain in my ass twist with finding out what pennywise IS, and it is a she and SHES PREGNANT, and sorry a turtle made the universe and gave bill a pep talk to kill a clown like what was that
. absolutely gripping

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poorlyassembled's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0


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aminami's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0


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sirlivingston's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

King uses his horror sci-fi genre to write a beautiful coming of age story about a group of kids who learn to overcome real life monsters, and the monsters in their minds, through friendship and love. The world can be good - even when you're facing an evil monster in the sewers.

"He thinks that it is good to be a child, but it is also good to be a grown up and able to consider the mystery of childhood... its beliefs and desires." "Childhood has its own sweet secrets and confirms mortality, and that mortality defines all courage and love. To think that what was looked forward, must also look back. That each life makes its own imitation of immortality, a wheel." - It by Stephen King 

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haileyeh's review against another edition

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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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pax007's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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aljj's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad 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

2.0

I can not feel more more conflicted by a book given how it started and it ended. I like the journey and the characters, but the subject matter is extremely uncomfortable and weirdly handled.

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