It's the story of a group of friends who as children did a very, very brave and noble thing. A supernatural force lives under their hometown of Derry, Maine. This force hibernates in thirty year cycles and comes to the surface to feast upon its prey - human children. It thrives on their fear as well as their flesh, and typically disguises itself as the demonic clown known as Pennywise. The children defeat the horror, but fail to kill it. They vow that should it rear its head again later in their lives, they will come back and finish what they started. They grow up, leave Derry, get lives, marry, pursue goals, but one day, It returns, and the friends are united again to destroy the eldritch force of evil beneath Derry.
The story has an amazing cast of characters. The plot is well threaded and the premise alone is fantastic. It's a long read, but well worth it. Anyone who wants a good scare should pick up this book and give it a