**spoiler alert** "Grownups are the real monsters"
I decided to pick up "It" mostly because of the new adaptation of the novel that came out this Septe**spoiler alert** "Grownups are the real monsters"
I decided to pick up "It" mostly because of the new adaptation of the novel that came out this September (btw the movie was AMAZING).
It follows a group of 7 people as children in Derry, Maine during the summer of 1958 and as adults in 1985 as they battle a terrifying creature while trying to navigate the struggles of childhood.
Overall, this book was great, but there were some things that irked me. First of all, it got really slow around 200-300 pages in. Since this novel is over 1000 pages. it was discouraging to not be motivated to read any and when I did finally pick it up, it looked like I had read nothing.
The other thing that made me dock a star was that a lot of the description wasn't necessary for the story. I didn't need to know exactly what a minor character that we'll never see again was wearing at the time. On the other hand, though, Stephen King's writing was great, but the book could have been a couple hundred pages smaller.
What I did like was that it actually scared me at times. I'm always looking for a book that can terrify me because I don't usually get scared by words. For something to usually scare me, I have to see it, but this novel actually scared me. What was physically happening didn't scare me, but when Pennywise, or It, started talking and tried to lure the children, I got scared.
The other thing that I loved about this book is actually present in many of King's novels. The true horrors in his novels aren't the monsters, it's society. Sure, Pennywise the Dancing Clown was creepy, but, in my opinion, abusive or absent parents, bullying, the slurs being used and racism are scarier than any made-up creature. That is the true horror of this horror novel.
Overall, this book was great other than a few things that didn't particularly please me. I do highly recommend this, though, as long as you are comfortable reading about triggering actions....more
This was my first Alison Weir book ever and I can't I was disappointed. Weir is known for her historical non-fiction, but sometimes non-ficti4.5 stars
This was my first Alison Weir book ever and I can't I was disappointed. Weir is known for her historical non-fiction, but sometimes non-fiction can be dry and overall boring, so to give myself the best impression of Weir's knowledge, I decided to pick up one of her historical fiction novels.
The Lady Elizabeth focuses on Queen Elizabeth I before she was queen. It follows her life as she tries to survive as her family members are put on and off the throne.
What I liked most about this novel was how much detail there was in every scene. Weir includes the smallest details, such as what is being eaten. I appreciated this detail since I'm mostly interested in these factors of their personal lives. Weir doesn't skip anything, not even the smallest events that are commonly passed over. She isn't scared of putting controversial events in her novel either.
Something that I had always overlooked in Elizabeth's life was her relationship with Thomas Seymour, the brother of Henry's third wife and the fourth husband of Henry's sixth wife. This situation played a huge part in Elizabeth's life, from when she was a teenager all to her death. Weir wasn't shy about describing exactly what happened during Elizabeth's time with Seymour and Catherine Parr.
Another factor that made me like this book was Weir didn't stray from history that much, but when she did, it was drawn from a rumor that was spread during Elizabeth's time. In her author's note, she defends why she put certain things into her novel and what was fact. My biggest pet peeve with historical fiction is that you can't believe what is being said without fact checking, but Weir's author note put me at rest.
The only reason I docked half a star was that sometimes it felt as if I had read 20 pages, but I had only read 5. Overall, this was a great novel. I plan to pick up more of Weir's fiction works and start on some of her non-fiction. I recommend this to anyone who wants credible historical fiction or wants to read about the Tudors. ...more
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