Reviews

The Institute by Stephen King

thekimberlyann's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

charlietuna92's review against another edition

4.0

This book at its core is a meditation on ethics. Is cruelty justified if it serves a greater good? How about if that cruelty was towards children? What actions are justified based on intuition and instinct?
The characters in this book were lovable. The overall plot was really good. And the pacing, which sped up overtime and got frenzied at the end, was excellent.
Another solid book by King.

cinderellacat's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I had a love hate relationship with this book but I know I will think about it again.

bevelynhugo's review against another edition

3.0

DNFed at 84%, might come back to it but this book was THICK so I wanted my progress to count for something

abernathy_33's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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

5.0

pcooms's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

gatlingxyz's review against another edition

4.0

I either forgot, or just flat-out don't know how Stephen King writes. (It's been ages since I read Carrie.)

The beginning of the book confused the hell out of me, and I thought that either I somehow forgot the description of the book, or it was a bait-and-switch. But I stuck through and finally got to the meat, which was preeeettttyyyy good. A bit slow at times, but I found myself craving the short chapters towards the end because it wasn't a daunting task to finish.

Overall, I enjoyed it. I probably wouldn't reread it, but I'd recommend it to people who like this kind of stuff.

domferreri's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I am becoming more impressed by Stephen King the more I read his work, mostly because I think my perception of him has changed with every passing story. I have always felt that King was the monarch of horror storytelling (pun intended), but I believe The Institute is a classic work of science fiction. In true sci-fi fashion, I found both the opening and ending of this story overly expositional. I also could not comprehend any of the technical jargon about the Stasi lights, even though it was explained multiple times by multiple characters. The Institute still contained elements of horror, including deeply disgusting descriptions of children being physically assaulted. However, this story was most compelling when Stephen King focused on the humanity of these supernaturally gifted children and their connection with characters like Maureen and Tim. I also enjoyed the Big Brother elements that helped Luke and Avery organise their escape from The Institute.

shonnyreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

4.25

spookycece13's review against another edition

I wasn't vibing with this book 😔