Originally Published: September 15, 1986

By Stephen King

This is a monster of a book (pun-intended), both in subject matter and in length.

In 1958, a group of kids get haunted by a supernatural being deemed “It,” which takes many forms that scare them the most. The worst form comes in Pennywise the Clown, who will haunt your dreams. In 1985, the gang of kids (minus one) comes back together to kill the demon once and for all. The stories are told in parallel, so both climaxes happen at once.

This book is normally 1000+ pages in printed form and is packed full of frightening images and intense moments. Stephen King masterfully writes incredible detail, but often too much. During the climaxes, I was getting slightly angry that there was still detail instead of just the fighting.

And It’s final form? A waste of an ending.

Final say: Invest your time. ★★★★☆