The Institute by Stephen King is a haunting story about a twisted place called The Institute, and the kids who reside within its walls.

The story starts with Tim Jamieson, a retired police officer who’s traveling to New York. En route, he gives up his seat on a plane and finds himself in Du Pray, South Carolina, a small town. There, he takes a job as a patrolman and settles down. 

Elsewhere, we are introduced to Luke Ellis. Luke is a genius. At only 12 he already has offers to attend prestigious colleges. His whole life is laid out in front of him, with endless opportunities. And in a span of one night, he loses it all. His parents are murdered and he’s kidnapped. When he wakes up in the morning, he’s at The Institute, a secretive facility hidden deep in the forests of Maine.

Here, he befriends other kids at The Institute, Kalisha Benson, Nick Wilholm, George Iles, Iris Stanhope, Helen Simms and later ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They reveal that the reason they have been kidnapped is because they all possess either telekinesis or telepathy, or even both, in rare cases. The Institute is lead by Mrs. Sigsby, who along with the staff are dedicated to extracting the children’ s powers for their own use. They attempt to enhance their powers by carrying out experiments and torturing them. After some time, they are sent to the “Back Half” though none of the kids are sure what happens there. 

Eventually, Luke grows used to life at The Institute. But as his friends start disappearing into the “Back Half” he knows it’s only a matter of time before he is too. With the help of Avery Dixon and a housekeeper, Maureen Alvorson, he is able to escape. He catches a train all the way to DuPray, South Carolina. It’s here where he meets Tim Jamieson and the other police officers. Thought at first skeptical of Luke’s story, Tim and his fellow officers eventually believe Luke after he shows them a video on a flash drive Maureen had given him and displays his powers. In the video it shows what happens in the “Back Half”, how the children’s minds are broken and how their powers are used to kill certain influential people. 

After a showdown with Institute staff who had tracked Luke to DuPray, Luke and Tim escape and head to The Institute, where they are determined to bring the place down once and for all.

This book had the perfect blend of humor and horror. Humor was incorporated through the children’ s interactions with one another, showing how despite the horrors inflicted upon them they are still children at heart. It makes it all the more devastating when it’s shown what happens to them. The author does a spectacular job at making the reader despise the staff of The Institute. You will be left rooting for the children and your heart will break every time they’re mistreated (which is often). 

My opinion on the ending… (Spoiler Warning)

The ending was beautifully written. After the children destroy The Institute, they get a visit from the director of The Institute. It’s revealed that he is the one behind it all. He explains that they were using the children’s powers to eliminate people who could bring upon the world’s downfall. He says they had another location, where people with the power to predict the future gave them the information of who would cause great misfortune in the world. The director says without the children, the world will suffer and might even be destroyed. Luke counters this but even then he’s unsure. It creates a moral dilemma, of whether the suffering of children is a fair price to pay for the better of the world. 

This was a heart-wrenching story, with characters that will stay with you well past the last page.