Reviews

The Institute by Stephen King

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hettie_c's review against another edition

4.0

Stephen King books are a slow burn. It usually takes me months to make it through the first half of a book, and then I find myself tearing through the second half in one sitting. But I always end up really enjoying them. And this one was no exception. His plots aren’t always amazing, and his endings often suck, but his characters are why I keep coming back to his work over and over again.

This wasn’t my favourite of his works, but it was really good. I found the ending emotional, satisfying and also philosophical in the most uncomfortable kind of way. If you are a fan of King’s work, you should definitely give this one a go.

rennegade's review against another edition

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5.0

4.5 rounded up.

Another good one from King! I will eventually go back to listening to all of his classic horror books, but for now I am enjoying the books that are a bit off his beaten path.

I really enjoyed how the book started with the seemingly unconnected story of Tim Jamieson, a small town former cop who spontaneously gave up his seat on an overbooked airplane and headed out in a random direction. I had no idea where that was going, as the synopsis I read dealt with a kidnapped kid from Minnesota being taken to Maine.

Over the course of this 19+hour audiobook, I got Luke's story as well as how it eventually ties into Tim's story.

The kids were fantastic. I was so invested in each one, and I was furious at the adults involved in the Institute. The book brought up some big questions that we should probably ask ourselves more often about whether the end result is worth the path it took to get there.

I docked off half a star mostly because there were times when the book almost started to drag a bit. It always picked back up, but as with other King novels, I feel like it could have been a solid 75 pages shorter and been very successful.

Next up for me is 11/22/63!

cgrady17's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

smkean's review against another edition

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5.0

When King writes a story with children as main characters, you know it's going to be great. The Institute brings you along for a pretty weird ride, I loved the characters and the setting is vividly written, drawing you in. Definitely a great read that will leave you questioning the characters ending decisions for a while.

kayedykes's review against another edition

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5.0

Absolutely incredible. I have never read a book which has given me goosebumps or made me feel on edge and want to race reading to keep up with the pace of the adventure. King has absolutely blown it out of the park again with this one