IT

In Derry, ME, a rash of violence sweeps the streets every quarter of a century. In 1957, Bill Denbrough and his Loser’s Club begin to witness supernatural events around town surrounding the murders–led by the murder of his kid brother. The center figure in this nightmare-come-reality is Pennywise the Clown, a monster who lurks the sewers of Derry. Now, the Loser’s Club are adults and It is back. When Bill and his friends were kids, they beat and almost killed It. Now, after Mike, still living in Derry, calls the club back to fulfill a promise and kill It for good, Bill and his friends travel back to their childhood home where it all started. Before they battle It, however, they have to remember the horrific events of their childhood and what tied their destinies together in the first place.

IT is a terrifying masterpiece by Stephen King that still remains relevant to this day. The monster is not simply a clown, but a symbol for everything we experience growing up into adulthood signalling our loss of innocence and childhood sense of “home”. A monster lurks beneath the streets of Derry, where child abuse, alcoholism, racism, and other prejudice reign behind closed doors. The symbolism, though blatant, is powerful. Interestingly enough, the close reader will also notice ties to major Stephen King novels throughout. For example, the chef with an innate psychic ability from The Shining is spoken of and even the beam holding the universe in place from The Dark Tower series is mentioned. Overall, this book is a deep dive into thematic memories of home and the overwhelming power of friendship. The horror of IT is just an added bonus. The film, which seems to follow the book much more closely than the 1990 TV mini-series, premiers in theaters Sept. 8, 2017.