So I should begin by saying I have never read Stephen King's IT. When reading this book I got the sense it was influenced by/borrow from King, but I can't be sure as to the extent this is happening. Perhaps my opinion of this would be different had I read King first. Regardless, here are the current thoughts I have on The October Boys.

The author does a great job of building suspense in the opening act. The atmosphere and dread are heavy, the ice cream truck is menacing, and the disappearance of Ryan is unsettling. I felt my stomach drop when the boys split off and the truck decides to go after the lone straggler. It's a terrifying beginning, and the rest of this book is permeated with this same fear and tension (except for the ending, but we'll get there).

I liked the jumping back and forth between boyhood in 1988 and adulthood in 2016. It's interesting to see how the three remaining friends have grown up and how the past still haunts them. They all felt like fairly fleshed-out characters, and I genuinely empathized with how the Ice Cream Man was continuing to wreak havoc on their lives and relationships. Some of Tom's adjacent issues are ones I've dealt with myself in the past, and the conflict between him and his wife felt very real to me. Also, I have a little girl and so I felt like I could strongly relate to Luke in the second half of the book as he tries to protect his daughter (indeed the scenes involving her - both in nightmares and reaity - were some of the most disturbing to me).

I thought the background for the antagonist was interesting, but, as it goes with these types of stories, I found myself wanting to know more about him, his abilities, and how exactly the lore tied into the plot of the book. Regardless, the Ice Cream Man made for a very creepy and powerful foe. I was glad that Woods was brought back in the 2016 storyline to help the men conquer their childhood trauma.

There weren't many things I didn't like in this book, but I did feel like the female characters weren't as dynamic and detailed as the male characters. My biggest complaint is actually about the ending (don't you hate when that happens?), as to me it came across rushed and confusing. But to say more would be to venture into spoiler territory. Though the book left a sour taste in my mouth, overall it was a lot of fun to read - especially during the Halloween season!