A review by greyetal
The Institute by Stephen King

5.0

This was my first Stephen King novel! I like the way he writes - there’s a big story going on the whole time, but also little details that feel really true to the characters. When I told Ross I was reading a Stephen King novel, he was surprised, because they’re scary & I’m not much for super scary media of any kind. But this one was more of a psychological thriller, where you’re trying to figure out what’s going to happen & what exactly is going on the whole time. There are some difficult themes, child abuse, suicide, murder. It’s about kids who are kidnapped & taken to an institute for their special abilities, but you’re primarily reading from their perspective and there’s a lot they don’t understand. There’s hard parts alongside lighthearted parts, and I was rooting for the kids the whole time. I thought it was great!