A Book Review: The Institute by Stephen King
Stephen King has written many breathtaking, chilling works, but The Institute is one of his scariest simply because of the reality involved.
Introduction
The 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 books, and this one can stand toe-to-toe with the best of them. The kids are the heart and soul of this story, and their stories will tug at your heartstrings.
Summary
Mysterious 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 who 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 escaped.
Narration
The narration is in the third person by an outside, unknown perspective. It gives great detail on how each character focuses on seeing 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.
Setting
The book is set in modern-day America, 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.”
Theme
Just like 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 discusses how even the tiniest choices can lead to marvelous possibilities and circumstances.
Genre
The 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.
Author
Stephen King has shaped a generation with the over fifty books he has sold worldwide. 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 shares many of the same foundational themes and ideas as King’s other novels, The Institute tells a different story in a chilling way that will keep you up at night.
Plot
The 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 are 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 Opinion
Some 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's “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. This is just my opinion, of course.
My favorite would have to be Luke Ellis, as he is an enthusiastic and bright young kid who slowly changes. Luke might be played best by an unknown, but I believe Finn Wolfhard and 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 like 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 you and 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 from 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.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure statement for additional information.
You might also enjoy:
Steve Dalton is a writer, blogger, book reader, & reviewer. Web content for your website’s Home, About Us, Contact Us, and Blog pages is only an email away. Steve is a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. He provides a discount for Veterans, First Responders, & students.
Email [email protected] to hire him to write for your website.
Read his other reviews on Goodreads, and check his portfolio here.