THE INSTITUTE

Stephen King is a genre all of his own and no other book could exemplify it as well as this one. Truly, a GOAT.

This is my second Stephen King read after ‘Misery’ and I do not have the style, story and other reference points for comparison with his other books which many other readers may have. I loved ‘The Institute’ for its story and more than anything else the characters and the dialogues.The book starts with Tim Jaimeson moving from Florida in search of a job to New York. He had to leave law enforcement after an episode in a public place leads to litigation. On an impulse, he gets off a flight when offered a coupon as compensation. He decides to hitch hikes by road and gets to DuPray in South Carolina, a small town. He chances upon a ‘Night Knocker’ job for which though over-qualified, he decides to take it after speaking to the Sheriff. The conversation on why he had to leave Florida law enforcement is very well written and is a treat to read.The book digresses now to ‘The Institute’ where talented children are forcefully enrolled. Luke Ellis is a boy in Minneapolis with a high IQ, and while difficult, his parents look forward to getting him into college early as a gifted student. One night, Luke (12 years old) is kidnapped and his parents are murdered. At the Institute, Luke forms friendships with kids already there – Avery, Kalisha, Nick, George and others. Each of them is gifted, with special abilities of TK (Telekinesis) or TP (Telepathy). The Institute wants to test, enhance and leverage these abilities. There seems to be no escape for the kids. I guessed how Tim & Luke’s stories could possibly converge and it happens well after 60% of the book.A big book, but a story & characters which will stay for long (I reckon all of Stephen King’s books are probably like that). I loved Luke, Tim and Avery’s characters especially (and the dialogues they speak), and the writing is excellent.For a story such as this, as one would expect, some of the content is disturbing – the concept as well as what goes on in the institute with the kids. I found it a very engrossing read and definitely recommend it!My rating: 4.5 / 5.

The media could not be loaded.  The print is really small. It will be a strain for someone with weak eyesight. I don't know what the publishers were thinking.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, roughly 800,000 children are reported missing each year in the United States. Most are found. Thousands are not.Great events turn on small hinges.And thus you turn into the first page of a brilliant novel by Stephen King. The Institute isn't the generic Stephen King horror. Damn, it isn't horror at all. It's about this sinister organization, an Institute, that kidnaps children with special abilities and uses them for something you should find out while reading. Now, considering the fact about the missing children, this whole thing makes a great conspiracy theory and that's what makes the book scary.There are nail-biting moments where you just can't seem to stop reading. Especially when you reach the section "Escape".The story starts with Tim and how he reaches a small town. We are then taken to Luke in another State who has some special ability and is incredibly smart. At the Institute are other kidnapped kids, few of whom Luke creates a close friendship, on whom are conducted various tests and painful procedures before being taken to the mysterious Back Half. With each of his friends slowly being taken into The Back Half, Luke desperately plans his escape.After reading the book, you are left with an empty feeling, a void that would want to make you feel that the story never ended in the first place. King talks about friendship and how strong and eminently important that special bond is throughout your life.If you love reading King, his ability to point out all the intricate details and backstories of characters you never asked for, you are definitely in for a treat.

The story starts when Luke comes into picture , till that time it was lagging a bit but that also pays out in the end so we don't mind it much after the whole book

Telepathy, telekinesis.. a wonderful read. This was my 1st stephen king novel and struggled a bit to continue till 1st half, there onwards it picks up real nice. I read 3 of his other novels including misery Salem's lot, and decided to rate it 4 stars and not 5 because his previous works are all fabulous. This one is a great story but a bit slow or maybe it seemed so as it was my kings 1st novel and I was not used to reading such a thick novel before.

When it comes to thrillers , there is no one akin to Stephen King .He writes like no other , he writes like no recess . An absolute page turner .I will not get to the plot or discuss it in details as it may have spoiler .The story starts with Tim wandering and settling on a small sleepy southern town dupray as a night crawler . On far north though , life is turning upside down for luke , a special prodigy . In next couple of months , the two of them meet in unknowing circumstances and embarks the journey through courage and Luke ' s new found telekinesis.It thrills . It turns . It races . It runs .

I wouldn’t rate a King book low before reading it. This review is about the product and not the content. This edition was listed as a paperback but what I received seems like a mass market paperback instead. The font size is so small I might not be able to keep this book for my old age. This is a 750p book compressed to 490 pages to save production cost.

IntroductionThe Institute depicts monsters that aren’t supernatural, but instead, look just like you and me. In this review, I’ll give an overview of this novel without spoilers while expressing my opinion about his latest thriller.I have read most of Mr. King’s book, and this can stand toe-to-toe with the best of them. The kids are the heart and soul of this story. Their stories will tug at your heartstrings.SummaryMysterious individuals sneak into a home at night and kill the parents of a genius child prodigy named Luke Ellis. These individuals then kidnapped Luke and put him in The Institute in the backwoods of Maine with other kids that also have abilities like telekinesis and telepathy. Now Avery, Iris, Luke, and multiple other children must find a way out of this sinister institute that seeks to exploit their abilities, even though no one has ever successfully escaped before.NarrationThe narration is in the third person by an outside, unknown perspective. It gives great detail on how each character focused on sees the world. For example, the parents of Luke are both proud of and scared for their child. Tim Jamieson, a drifter with a law enforcement background, who takes on the job of “night knocker,” has a pessimistic outlook on the world that gradually brightens the longer he stays in DuPray, South Carolina.SettingThe book is set in modern-day, as it mentions and takes a few jabs at Donald Trump as the president. This drives the underlying plot about the horror of abducting children and treating them as a means to an end. Stephen King has criticized the Trump administration for inhumane acts for “the greater good,” a similar theme expressed in The Institute. The book, according to The Washington Post Review, calls out “the inhumane treatment of children and the loss of a moral compass for those who inflict it.”ThemeJust as It and some of his other works, The Institute has a side theme that emphasizes working together can be more powerful than we realize. The Institute also talks about how even the tiniest choices can lead to marvelous possibilities and circumstances.GenreThe Institute’s genre is “horror.” In fact, The Institute won the Goodreads Choice Award in the Horror category, garnering nearly 40,000 more votes than its closest competitor, even beating out King’s son Joe Hill’s Full Throttle.King’s other works that fall into this genre have shown to have compelling, edge-of-your-seat plots, but this is considered one of his scariest. The horror of the underlying message of this latest work and the possible posers of our government, give readers more chills than killer clowns, vampires, rabid dogs, and ghosts.AuthorStephen King has shaped a generation with the over fifty books he has sold all over the world. Some of his most famous novels like It, The Shining, 11/22/63, and The Stand, have moved on to other forms of media like movies and television series. Though it has many of the same foundational themes and ideas that King’s other novels have, The Institute tells a different story in a chilling way that will keep you up at night.PlotThe longer Luke stays in the institute, the more he learns about the sinister system and how it’s structured. Obedient kids are treated with tokens for various treats at a vending machine, while those who aren’t compliant get punished, often severely.The agents in the institute conduct sordid experiments on the inhabitants to strengthen their abilities, or so it would seem. However, some of the children believe it is just sadistic torture.My OpinionSome of the main characters include Luke Ellis, Kalisha, Avery Dixon, Iris, George, Nick, Tim Jamieson, Mrs. Sigsby, and Trevor Stackhouse.The director, Mrs. Sigsby, is tasked with running cruel experiments on these extraordinary children. If I were casting a movie or TV series for this book, I would choose Linda Hunt “Hetty Lange” from NCIS: Los Angeles to star in her role. Just put her in a red pantsuit and stand back!I would probably cast Dean Norris, the Town Councilman from Under the Dome as Trevor Stackhouse, the Security Supervisor. You might also remember him playing the drug enforcement agent in Breaking Bad. Likewise, I believe Ryan Gosling would fit the part of Tim Jamieson very well. Just my opinion, of course.My favorite would have to be Luke Ellis, as he was an enthusiastic and bright young kid who slowly changes. Luke might be played best by an unknown, but I believe Finn Wolfhard, Mike Wheeler in Stranger Things could also pull off the part.The main characters interact similarly to two people in a chess match: each has to make a move and be able to predict what the other will do. Any of the cast of child actors from Stranger Things would fit right into this story.If you’re someone who likes to read about the horrors hidden within our society, then The Institute will be a good read for you. I encourage others to read this book, as it makes you think about the world around us as well as what it’s becoming. The initiation of change can’t come without awareness, first.I’ll happily read more from Stephen King because he tells what seems like regular stories in such a unique perspective that it makes those stories intriguing. I’m one of the “constant readers” who would buy if he published a new book every week.

On the evidence of The Institute, the master storyteller's powers aren't waning. What a terrific imagination Stephen King has, and luckily for us readers, the skill to mould his ideas into amazing tales. Over the many years I've been reading, I've found King to be a bit hit and miss, but this novel about kids with special talents being kidnapped and taken to a sinister facility is up in the top tier. A steady build up that begins to move through the gears towards the climax, characters I gelled with and a story that I couldn't wait to get back to every time I left it. Not my favourite, but not far behind, so 9/10 rounded up.

As with the ending of every King tale I feel a bit melancholy, for I become so wrapped up in the story and the characters that reading the date at the end of the last chapter physically hurts. Fairy Tale stayed with me for a long time, but I believe The Institute will hover in the back of my mind for a long, long time. If you're not a King junkie, I'm truly sorry!

Thoroughly enjoyed this, demolishing it in a couple of days. I lost a bit of my interest in King through the Dark Tower series and have only returned to him in passing. If this is an indicator, he’s got me under a spell again.

Wow! This was a disturbing yet excellent story, which delved into the depths of human behaviour and those that attempted to justify their motives. Nothing justifies such behaviour...better the world died.The characters were believable as was the plot, despite the 'way out there concept'...there isn't much that surprises me anymore. I liked the 'paranormal' aspect and the wonder about the gifts within the human brain.The writing style was terrific, though it was unexpected to read 'me either' instead of the correct phrase 'me neither'. It was fast-paced with an easy flow; certainly plenty of tension. I think every emotion was explored.Highly recommended.