It by Stephen King, Viking, 1986

There is a monster loose in Derry, Maine in 1958 that is targeting children. A group of stereotypical loser kids (a stutterer, an obese boy, an asthmatic mama's boy, etc.) become friends, eventually defeat "It", and then drift away from each other and Derry. 27 years later "It" unwakens and begins another reign of terror, which has erupted in cycles since the beginning of time. The loser kids are grown up and are all unequaled successes in their careers (with the exception of Mike, who stayed in Derry-he's a librarian) and have no recollection of their previous encounter with the monster until they return to Derry to fight "It" again-and to fight their personal demons.

Like most of King's books, the character development is phenomenal, the storylines interweave seamlessly, and I as a reader couldn't wait to see what happened next. AND-it's really scary!

Readers who enjoy this book may also like these fiction titles: Revelation by Bentley Little, Signet, 1999 fits the bill for the reader looking for more terror, horror, and ancient evil. Summer of Nights by Dan Simmons, Putnam, 1991 won the Locus Award in 1992 for this tale that sounds extremely similar to It including a timeless monster that's devouring children, adults that don't seem to notice, and children deciding that ending the terror lies in their own hands.

Readers who enjoy this book may also like these non-fiction titles: On Writing: a Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, Scribner, 2000 offers insight from King on how he got his often twisted ideas and follows his long road to success. Killer Clown: The John Wayne Gacy Murders by Terry Sullivan, Pinnacle Books, 1991 offers a glimpse into the life of a human monster and the horrifying facts of a real life serial murder case (spoiler alert: the monster in It sometimes appears as a clown).