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A review by joyceheinen
The Institute by Stephen King
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Luke Ellis, a 12-year-old boy from Minneapolis, is kidnapped from his home one night, by a mysterious team. He wakes up in a room that looks exactly like his own, but doesn’t have a window. Soon he meets peers who have been similarly kidnapped and inform him: they are locked up in The Institute, a facility for children with psychic powers. Luke and some of his friends are telekinetic and others telepathic. At first glance, the facility’s staff seems friendly, but turns out to have no good intentions. They experiment on the children and as those increase, more and more of Luke’s friend disappear into the secret half of the institution. Luke concocts an escape plan, but no one has ever succeed to do so.
At first glance, “The Institute” is not Stephen King’s most original work; children and adults with paranormal abilities have been popping up throughout his career from his debut “Carrie” to “The Shining”, “Firestarter” and “The Green Mile”, and many others. Its influence over the years is evident. This book felt a lot like the storyline of Eleven in the Netflix show “Stranger Things”.
Despite that not be the most innovative theme, King’s “The Institute” is an exciting, entertaining and at times moving story. The book gradually builds to a strong climax that reveals everything and more than you as a reader expect. I loved that ending. This book si more sci-fi, thriller and fantasy than gory horror. And much attention is paid to underlying themes of friendship and good versus evil. But there is still suspense in this story.
What I find very good about this book is that it’s both a good start for Stephen King newbies and recommended for his fans. I don’t think it’s one of his best books, because it is at times very uneventful and it drags a bit. But still a pretty good read.
At first glance, “The Institute” is not Stephen King’s most original work; children and adults with paranormal abilities have been popping up throughout his career from his debut “Carrie” to “The Shining”, “Firestarter” and “The Green Mile”, and many others. Its influence over the years is evident. This book felt a lot like the storyline of Eleven in the Netflix show “Stranger Things”.
Despite that not be the most innovative theme, King’s “The Institute” is an exciting, entertaining and at times moving story. The book gradually builds to a strong climax that reveals everything and more than you as a reader expect. I loved that ending. This book si more sci-fi, thriller and fantasy than gory horror. And much attention is paid to underlying themes of friendship and good versus evil. But there is still suspense in this story.
What I find very good about this book is that it’s both a good start for Stephen King newbies and recommended for his fans. I don’t think it’s one of his best books, because it is at times very uneventful and it drags a bit. But still a pretty good read.