In Stephen King's 'The Institute', children with extraordinary talents are kidnapped and held in a sinister institution where their abilities are exploited. The story is seen through the eyes of Luke, a young boy who must navigate the terrifying world of the Institute while plotting his escape. As he forms alliances with other gifted children, they discover the dark secrets behind their captors' intentions. Tension mounts as the stakes grow higher, revealing a chilling commentary on the loss of innocence and the quest for freedom. This gripping tale will leave you questioning the boundaries of power and the resilience of the human spirit.
By Stephen King
Published: 2019
"We are all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?"
A NEW YORK TIMES 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2019 SELECTION From #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King, the most riveting and unforgettable story of kids confronting evil since It. In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.” In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute. As psychically terrifying as Firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power of It, The Institute is Stephen King’s gut-wrenchingly dramatic story of good vs. evil in a world where the good guys don’t always win.
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“We are all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?”
The Institute
By Stephen King
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Stephen King is a renowned American author, celebrated for his mastery in the horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, and thriller genres. With over 60 published novels and 200 short stories, King is best known for his iconic works such as "Carrie," "The Shining," "It," and "Misery." His writing style is characterized by vivid storytelling, deeply developed characters, and an ability to tap into the fears and anxieties of everyday life, weaving them into gripping narratives. King's influence on contemporary literature is profound, with many of his works adapted into successful films, miniseries, and even stage plays, earning him the title of the 'King of Horror.'
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