576 pages
English language
Published Aug. 7, 2020 by Gallery Books.
The Institute is a science fiction-horror thriller novel by American author Stephen King, published on September 10, 2019, by Scribner.
A great read that’s very reminiscent of Stranger Things. It’s only the 2nd King book I’ve read but I love his non-horror works.
"I liked this book much more than I expected, and it really wasn't about what I thought it would be about. It's not a comic-book story. It's definitely a Stephen King story. King did a nice job of telegraphing the ending, so the reader doesn't have inappropriate expectations that would lead to disappointment.
Having worked with thousands of kids, I felt like these characters were real, the kids as well as the ""teachers."" Our world is full of cruelty, and it takes a tribe to stand up to that. Stronger together.
My only struggle with the characterization is Avery. It's hard to believe that a kid with that level of TP can be that naive. Accidentally poking around peoples thoughts would kill naivety pretty quickly. But still, I loved him as a character.
The final section with the lisping man gives the story a nice closure and hits again on …
"I liked this book much more than I expected, and it really wasn't about what I thought it would be about. It's not a comic-book story. It's definitely a Stephen King story. King did a nice job of telegraphing the ending, so the reader doesn't have inappropriate expectations that would lead to disappointment.
Having worked with thousands of kids, I felt like these characters were real, the kids as well as the ""teachers."" Our world is full of cruelty, and it takes a tribe to stand up to that. Stronger together.
My only struggle with the characterization is Avery. It's hard to believe that a kid with that level of TP can be that naive. Accidentally poking around peoples thoughts would kill naivety pretty quickly. But still, I loved him as a character.
The final section with the lisping man gives the story a nice closure and hits again on the theme of doing the wrong things for the right reasons."
