The Institute
THE INSTITUTE is about children who are tested for telepathy and telekinesis at birth and late kidnapped by these crazies who think they can prevent nuclear war by using the collective minds of the kids to off potential monsters.
The book starts a little cumbersomely with a guy in South Carolina who takes a job as a kind of night watchman also called a Night Knocker. Later on that connects to the main story about the kids who've been kidnapped, but not until late in the story. I didn't even recognize him until I read the term “night knocker”.
One of the kids, Luke Ellis, is only twelve years old but he's got a scholarship in two different schools, MIT for engineering and Emerson for English Literature. But THE INSTITUTE wants him because he's got minimal telekinesis. That proves to be a mistake.
There are two parts to The Institute, the front half and the back half. Once you get to the Back Half they start showing the kids movies that enhance their extra sensory abilities, but it also turns them into zombies, or Gorks as the kids call them. The Back Half is called Gorky Park, after the book.
Luke establishes a relationship with a black girl named Kalisha, a rebel named Nick, who fights back, and Avery, a ten-year-old with strong telepathic powers. He also finds an actual human being among the staff, a maid named Maureen. He helps her pay off her husband's credit card debts. Bill collectors have been hounding her, despite the fact they're separated. She helps him escape. Once he escapes, the book picks up speed with a lot more suspense. Turns out The Institute has spies everywhere called stringers who help trace Luke's escape route.
One thing I've always liked about King's books is that he grabs you right away. I've never been thrilled with the horror genre, but he'll get you anyway. My favorites are those that are more realistic like MISERY and the three recent mysteries. This one is somewhere in between. He doesn't go overboard with the extra sensory stuff until we get to the Back Half where the kids are beyond help.
The book starts a little cumbersomely with a guy in South Carolina who takes a job as a kind of night watchman also called a Night Knocker. Later on that connects to the main story about the kids who've been kidnapped, but not until late in the story. I didn't even recognize him until I read the term “night knocker”.
One of the kids, Luke Ellis, is only twelve years old but he's got a scholarship in two different schools, MIT for engineering and Emerson for English Literature. But THE INSTITUTE wants him because he's got minimal telekinesis. That proves to be a mistake.
There are two parts to The Institute, the front half and the back half. Once you get to the Back Half they start showing the kids movies that enhance their extra sensory abilities, but it also turns them into zombies, or Gorks as the kids call them. The Back Half is called Gorky Park, after the book.
Luke establishes a relationship with a black girl named Kalisha, a rebel named Nick, who fights back, and Avery, a ten-year-old with strong telepathic powers. He also finds an actual human being among the staff, a maid named Maureen. He helps her pay off her husband's credit card debts. Bill collectors have been hounding her, despite the fact they're separated. She helps him escape. Once he escapes, the book picks up speed with a lot more suspense. Turns out The Institute has spies everywhere called stringers who help trace Luke's escape route.
One thing I've always liked about King's books is that he grabs you right away. I've never been thrilled with the horror genre, but he'll get you anyway. My favorites are those that are more realistic like MISERY and the three recent mysteries. This one is somewhere in between. He doesn't go overboard with the extra sensory stuff until we get to the Back Half where the kids are beyond help.
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