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A review by skylerhill
It by Stephen King
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Stephen King was almost certainly gifted the uncanny ability to write horrendously shitty people. Like oh my god.
Also, Stephen. Steve. Why on God’s green earth did you think it necessary to add the kids’ sex scene??? Personally feel as though you just, like, shouldn’t have done that and that it was in no way integral and you could’ve come up with something different but idk.
Anyway, this book is a lot: it’s thick, it’s outdated, it’s disgusting, it’s mentally challenging… but it’s also well-done classic horror, and maybe the most unsettling book I’ve ever read. I don’t think this is as good as The Shining (read the book, the movie’s mid), and there are plenty of modern horror pieces I’d recommend before this, but it’s still very effective at unsettling, for one reason or another. 8.25/10.
Also, Stephen. Steve. Why on God’s green earth did you think it necessary to add the kids’ sex scene??? Personally feel as though you just, like, shouldn’t have done that and that it was in no way integral and you could’ve come up with something different but idk.
Anyway, this book is a lot: it’s thick, it’s outdated, it’s disgusting, it’s mentally challenging… but it’s also well-done classic horror, and maybe the most unsettling book I’ve ever read. I don’t think this is as good as The Shining (read the book, the movie’s mid), and there are plenty of modern horror pieces I’d recommend before this, but it’s still very effective at unsettling, for one reason or another. 8.25/10.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail