The Key Differences Between It Chapter Two and the Book

Although the Losers are all close in the book, the film adds another layer to their connection by heavily hinting that Richie has been harboring romantic feelings toward Eddie ever since they were kids. This leads to Pennywise taunting Richie about revealing his secret, indicating that Richie is afraid for anyone to find out about how he truly feels. In the book, the fear of Richie's that Pennywise exploits is his fear of eyeballs, making his encounters with Pennywise still scary but far less personal.