While I was finishing the current book I was reading (I only had a couple of chapters left), I had this need to keep reading when I put the book down to rest my eyes or when I was doing stuff around the house.  

I had a quick look at my bookshelves and was drawn to my Stephen King selection. For reasons I can’t explain, my eyes were drawn to Pennywise on my shelves……. 

That’s when I finally checked out my Audible account.   I was reminded about my account when I realised I was still paying for Audible and not using it!  

(Don’t judge me! We all have done it!!)   

When I checked what books I already had, I discovered I had ‘IT’ by Stephen King on there. Years ago, I must have been interested, but seeing the time stamp of 44h 53m must have put me off starting the book in the first place……. With that said,  I can’t tell you why, but something inside me wanted to read a King novel.   

The clown was calling me, invented me into his world!  (For some reason, the book said ‘Epic’, but I know from the movies/TV show that it was a ‘Horror’.)

Quick note: I have seen enough content on this book to grasp what I was getting myself into.  And I was okay with whatever this book would throw at me. 

So I started listening.  

I was reading two books simultaneously, which got a little confusing, so I took a day break to finish reading the book on Kindle. I finished that book, and now I can concentrate on IT.  

At first, I was planning to get the Kindle version and start reading it myself, but I decided to stick with listening to the book. 

I’m so glad I did!

  Im not sure if there’s a different version out there, but the Audio version I got was read by Steven Weber.  I was so captivated by the way he read the story. I was hooked. 

Does this story need a brief explanation or does everyone know the story? 

What does the back of the book have………

“

27 years later, the Losers Club have grown up and moved away, until a devastating phone call brings them back…

Derry, Maine was just an ordinary town: familiar, well-ordered for the most part, a good place to live.

It was a group of children who saw- and felt- what made Derry so horribly different. In the storm drains, in the sewers, IT lurked, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each one’s deepest dread. Sometimes, IT appeared as an evil clown named Pennywise, and sometimes, IT reached up, seizing, tearing, and killing.

Time passed and the children grew up, moved away and forgot. THEN they are called back, once more to confront IT as IT stirs and coils in the sullen depths of their memories, emerging again to make their past nightmares a terrible present reality…

’They’ll float…and when you’re down here with me, you’ll float too’

”

(I am not sure if I’m going to keep that in)

My experience of reading this. 

I must admit that the movies help me a bit, but the book shows you even more details, and I feel closer to each of the group of friends (Bill, Eddie, Ben, Richie, Stan, Beverly and Mike) and the stuff they have all been through.  It helps that each character is different, which keeps things interesting, tackling all sorts of different issues.  The book shows you the kid’s POV and then shows you the grownup’s POV. So you see, the experiences as a kid can shape your decisions as a grown-up. 

 The book doesn’t hold back from its horror aspects!  

There were times when I felt like IT wasn’t the most ‘evil thing’ in this book.  I knew some things, but because book form has no restrictions.  I feel like Stephen King goes all out to make the situations as realistic and terrifying as possible, which makes the horror more scary, in my opinion. 

You got some POVs of the bullies. Honestly, those were the chapters I was terrified to listen to.  These kids are so messed up in the head!  I find it challenging to listen through at times.  

I think some of the bullies are worse than the clown! 

(There were times in the book when I actually HATED some of the human characters in this book!) 

Don’t get me wrong—the clown is scary when he shows up. There are a couple of intense and epic battles between our heroes and the clown.  

(The audio version does a good job that every time Pennywise speaks, it’s so scary and creepy!) 

And because you spend SO MUCH TIME with the back stories of the heroes, you really want them to get out safe and alive.    

I won’t go into detail, but there are two chapters in IT’s PoV that were super interesting to read.  ( the movies or shows don’t really show that).   Some backstory that makes you understand IT and what IT is feeling and thinking. They are really short, so you still have a ‘mystery’ of IT. 

There are other things I REALLY like in the book, but I can’t talk about them without going into spoilers! (There are some REALLY IMPRESSIVE CONCEPTS IN THIS BOOK!)

…………………………….

(The bad stuff)

I’m trying to decide if this is negative or not…….

The story is  

Listening to the book is 44h 53m 

or 

the copy of the book I have is 1166 pages

 or 

the Kindle version is 1376 pages 

(It is a BIG book!). 

And being a MASSIVE book, there are naturally one or two characters (in the town of Derry) that are a bit more annoying than others.  (Or is it just me).  The one that stands out for me is a cab driver.  He has this catchphrase, which he says over and over and over and over again, which was tiring to listen to.  

I’m sure there are other members of the town, but that one stands out the most. 

This is another very small thing, but switching multiple timelines did get a little confusing, and it took some time for me to realise what timeline I was in.  Is it the kids or grownup timelines?  

HOWEVER

Despite the little annoying things, I love this book, and it is a beautiful introduction to Stephen King’s horror stories. (being my first horror book). 

It’s been 1000+ pages, I somehow read this book in 5-6 days!!!!  :D.  

(This marks the first time that I have read over 1000+ pages of books and the first Stephen King horror book. 

 I can’t wait to read more of Stephen King’s work. 

PS. weeks after i wrote the review…..

I admit that is not the most in-depth review but those were my first thoughts after reading the book.

I’m still getting used to writing reviews. This review has been in the background for ages now, I have to go ahead and post it.

I am not 100% sure what the next book review will be.

I already read ‘The Shining’ and currently reading ‘The Haunting of Hill House’, so maybe when of them will be the next one?

if you have any recommendations, please let me know in the comments below