The Institute Book Review

The Institute Book Review

“He was only twelve, and understood that his experience of the world was limited, but one thing he was quite sure of: when someone said trust me, they were usually lying through their teeth.” This quote is said by the narrator from The Institute, a sci-fi horror novel written by Stephen King in 2019, revealing to readers that even a twelve-year-old has developed keen common sense. In fact, the reason I picked up this book was that it was about a boy in middle school, and I felt that I might relate to him.  Additionally, Stephen King is known for writing horror novels, so I wanted to experience his so-called “magical” writing.

The book begins on a Delta flight from Florida to New York and at this point, we are introduced to one of the characters, Tim Jamieson. He is moving to New York to start a new chapter in life, after going through a divorce and being dismissed from his job. But as time passes, the flight doesn’t take off. A Delta employee then boards the plane, announcing that someone has to get off the plane to make room for a federal agent. (This reminded me of the incident on a United flight when a doctor was forcibly removed from an airplane to make room for United employees. Back to the story!) The Delta employee continues to bargain with the passengers, but no one budges. Once the employee offered 1400 dollars and a flight voucher for the next day, it was too good for Tim to resist. He takes the deal and gets off the plane. He does not intend to use the flight voucher but keeps the 1400 dollars. He hitches a ride with a librarian, who is transferring books throughout multiple libraries. He eventually ends up in DuPray, South Carolina, where he takes a job at the local police department. When Tim is being interviewed by the chief, we find out that he used to be a decorated officer of the Sarasota Police Department, and he retired due to an incident a few months prior.

We are then taken across the country to Minnesota and are introduced to the other main character, 12-year-old prodigy Luke Ellis, who has already been accepted to multiple colleges, contingent that he does well on the SAT. He takes the test and seems to do well. But one night, he is kidnapped and his parents are murdered. He is taken to a place called the Institute. Not knowing that he has been kidnapped, he wakes up in a room pretty much exactly like his own. When he realizes that he is not home, he freaks out. He soon meets other kids that have met the same fate as him. When socializing with these kids, he realizes the people running the Institute are definitely not telling the kids the whole truth.

As you’ve probably guessed, the kids in the Institute are being used like lab rats, which made me feel kind of angry because these are innocent children who haven’t even lived for that long. I never really thought about this when animals are tested in labs because it just felt like a part of life, but now thinking about this , it makes me kind of mad that these animals are unfairly being tested on and killed. It’s an idea that keeps occurring to me as I read, and this book helped me notice it for the first time.

 I won’t tell you more than that so I don’t spoil the story for you if you decide to read it. Here’s why this book is really making me think . It’s crazy how unrealistic the plot is, but at the same time, how realistic the themes are. An example is when Tim takes a risk and gets off the flight as if he’s embracing the fact that you only live life once, so live it by your rules. Another example is when Luke is taken to the Institute, proving that your life can be turned upside-down in a second and that everything you love can be taken from you. Even after this happens, the rest of the story exemplifies that it’s your reaction that matters.

Some drawbacks about the book are that there isn’t much humor, and whenever there is humor, it’s as bland as Hendrick House mystery meat. For example, the narrator refers to taking a 6:45 AM flight as having to “get up before God,” which is kind of funny, but not really. Also, while there is romance in the book, it is poorly done, as it is a bit too rushed in order to keep up with the story. My last complaint about the book is that when reading the book, sometimes, there is a bit too much information that bored me to the point that I skipped over some pages to get to the important parts. In my opinion, these aren’t big flaws, as these are not going to keep you from enjoying the book.

            Overall, The Institute is a decent read if you want to read something that will always surprise you just when you think you have it figured out with its level of suspense, while still having a fair share of realism. And on that bombshell, it's time to end. Goodbye.

-Sri