Widely regarded as the king of horror and one of the best storytellers of multiple generations, Stephen King has amassed a library worth of material over the years. It's this immense work rate that can result in readers falling behind on his work, with it being easy to become oblivious to the release of a new book. Additionally it's also extremely easy to fall behind due to the vast amount of produce the author publishes, with it being hard to keep up at times. It's the latter of these that proved the case with The Institute, having only recently gotten around to finishing it despite being on my bookshelf since its initial release in 2019.
Awoken in the middle of the night to the sounds of his partner murder, Luke Ellis is quickly abducted and loaded into the back of a black SUV, being whisked off to the titular Institute. Once he comes to, Luke finds himself in a room that looks exactly like his own, with the only difference being there's no windows. As he gets accustomed to his new surroundings our brilliant young protagonist quickly discovers that his “special” talents are more than just coincidental occurrences, being one of many talented children subjected to various tests.
Before we get to all this, the book introduces us to its secondary protagonist, Tim Jamieson, a disgraced cop who leaves his job in Florida following a freak accident. Deciding to leave his previous life behind, Tim finds himself in the small town of DuPray, South Carolina taking on the post of Night Knocker. The decision to break readers into its plot through this secondary narrative proves an interesting one, with Tim's unfortunate circumstances setting the tone for this book's overarching themes. Not only does it allow the intense abduction of Luke to become even more shocking, but it also puts into motion events that won't become prominent until late on in the story’s narrative.
One thing that Stephen King is a master of is creating intriguing concepts, with the way he intertwines supernatural elements into the real world being truly special. This is no different with The Institute, with the telepathic and telekinetic abilities of these children captivating at every possible moment. This intensifies as we progress through the story, with the development and self awareness of these gifts resulting in pivotal twists to the narrative. King handles each moment with the utmost grace and finesse, with the characteristics of these talented youngsters being infectious to say the least.
Talking of our band of supernatural adolescents, King always seems to be in his element when focusing on how children react to the unexpected. Whether it's the first half of It or the incredible short story The Body, the author has always found a way of making his young protagonist mature enough to feel credible. This is no different in The Institute, with King conveying the way they adapt to their powers perfectly. Luke in particular proves to be a fascinating character, as despite never coming across as the bravest or strongest amongst the Institute's test subjects, he adapts to his surroundings at an alarming rate, using his intelligence in a way that makes him more valuable than he initially appears.
The antagonists of this story are the Institute staff themselves, with there being various levels of corruption within their ranks. Feeling like a mental health hospital crossed with a concentration camp, this sick and twisted facility reeks of everything that makes King novels so enticing. From its sinister aura to its regimental routines, this Institute more than delivers when it comes to the fear factor. As for the staff members themselves, they prove a mixed bag, as despite most of them being evil and vindictive, with the higher ups being methodical in their decisions, there are a couple of kind souls amongst their ranks, showing a level of humanity.
The only major gripe I had with this book was its pacing. Despite being full of gripping twists and turns there are several points where the plot feels a little stretched out. This is quite surprising from King, as despite being known for lengthy masterpieces like The Stand, the author usually has an impeccable understanding of plot development, with his compact short stories being a prime example of this. Things do, however, pick up as we move closer to the book's conclusion, with the way King conveys action feeling both dynamic and explosive.
Verdict
The Institute is a gripping coming of age tale that intertwines supernatural elements into the real world in a way that captivates from start to finish. Despite at times feeling a little stretched out, Stephen King once again proves why he's a master storyteller, with the way he develops our young prodigies and builds tension being truly mesmerising. Throw in exciting action sequences and a gripping conclusion, and you're left with a story that's begging to be revisited.
7/10
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