The Institute by Stephen King

 "It came to him, with the force of a revelation, that you have to have been imprisoned to fully understand what freedom was."




Luke Ellis is a twelve year-old prodigy with a bright future, a best friend, two loving parents and a slight telekinetic power that occasionally freaks them out. He's all set to start his studies in two separate universities, when one night, three intruders kill his parents and abduct him, only to take him to the Institute. 
The Institute is a place where "they" incarcerate children and teenagers with telekinetic or telepathic powers and exploit them in the most inhumane ways.
The Institute is where innocence, and faith in humanity go to die.
The Institute is where impossible hope and friendship blossomed. 
No one has ever escaped before, but Luke isn't just an ordinary boy...

I've only read a few of King's books but The Institute tops them all.
King's writing is, as always, suspenseful and evocative. The twists don't come out of the blue but rather King takes us there methodically and with calculation.
The majority of POV's in this book are children's, children who were forced to grow up prematurely, children who bonded through their horrific experiences in the Institute, children who lost everything, including their faith in grown-ups, who are supposed to protect them. You will empathize and feel for them so strongly, that it will be hard to put the book down and stop thinking about it. 

The workers of the institute are a hateful, righteous lot that believe they are doing humanity a service by exploiting the children's powers for the "greater good". The most infuriating part was their anger, whenever the children were being anything but little lambs, because why on earth would you be uncooperative after being kidnapped and mistreated, right?
These grownups however, represent a deep philosophical dilemma; is the destruction of a few such a bad thing, when it ensures the safety of billions? 
   (My personal insight: YES! Yes it is.)


 

My ratings:
Plot: 5/5
Conclusion: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Movie Potential: 5/5



 

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