It

It
By Stephen King
Viking, 1986. 1,138 pgs. Horror

In 1958 Derry, Maine, an evil creature is tormenting and killing children, unseen by the adults. Seven kids form a friendship, battle the creature, and all goes quiet for 27 years. Then, in 1985, the killing starts again. Librarian Mike Hanlon, one of the original seven children, calls the other six to remind them of the pact they made to return to Derry if it ever seemed like the creature had reappeared. Will they be able to finish the job this time around?

This book is a beast! I decided to read it because of the new movie, and because Pennywise is such a significant horror icon. However I didn’t realize it was over 1,000 pages. I suppose that can’t be helped when you’re telling a story from the point-of-view of seven characters across two time periods. Because so many different (though converging) stories are told, this is a roller-coaster of a book with a lot of buildup and mini climaxes before the final showdown, which I appreciated. It kept be going through the slower sections. The horror in the story comes not just from It, but also because of some pretty brutal bullying that I found to be more disturbing than the creature itself. Overall I enjoyed the book and would be happy to recommend it, but it’s definitely not for everyone.

ACS