The Institute By Stephen King
A classic King novel that will take you on a thrilling ride. The plot is fascinating, and I guarantee you will not be able to put the book down. Another perfect example of why Stephen King is the master of the thriller genre.
"The Institute" begins in Dupray, S.C. where King introduces us to Tim Jamieson, an ex-police officer who is searching for a job. Tim is able to find a job as a night knocker (a low-level patrolman). The book then abruptly cuts to Minneapolis, Minnesota where the reader is introduced to a 12-year-old boy named Luke. The following night, Luke is kidnapped from his home and both of his parents are killed. It turns out Luke is a prodigy that possesses telepathic abilities and as a result, he is sent to a facility (more like a prison) called The Institute. The Institute is home to a front half and a back half. The front half is the area in which other gifted children dwell. They can roam when they please and if they behave well, they are rewarded tokens (which can be spent to buy commodities). The Back Half, on the other hand, is a place of terror in which children are taken to in the middle of the night from the front half and don't return. Luke becomes sick of this prison and plans an escape with the help of some friends. Will Luke escape and uncover the true origin of The Institute? Well... go read and find out!
The plot is fast-paced and intriguing excluding the beginning. The first 50 pages that cover Tim Jamieson are relatively monotonous and seem irrelevant. However, I promise Tim Jamieson's role as a character is not understated later in the novel. The cast of characters in the novel are relatively average. Luke is an intriguing and strong protagonist. Trevor Stackhouse serves as a somewhat ineffective antagonist and throughout the novel, I never saw him as very menacing. Luke's friends are probably the highlight of the novel. The way Luke and his friends band together under the ruthlessness of The Institute is amazing. Kalisha and Avery work very well together as a sort of older sister looking out for younger brother dynamic. King has you rooting for Luke and his friends throughout the whole novel.
Many believe the stereotype that Stephen King only writes scary novels, but they couldn't be more wrong. "The Institute" is far from scary, but the premises is a little disturbing. The concept of children being taken from their homes and put into prison is not the most uplifting of ideas, regardless, "The Institute" stems far from a horror novel like King's most notable works such as "It" and "Pet Sematary". "The Institute" is a thriller through and through. I am surprised there is no TV adaptation announced for this novel, as it seems almost perfect for television. Overall, "The Institute" is a thriller with an "I can't put this book down" type of plot, a good cast of characters, and as expected with any Stephen King novel, exceptional writing.
