THE INSTITUTE

5 stars out of 5

There are only two authors in the world whose books I not only willingly, but enthusiastically, open even when they're 500 pages or more. One is J.K. Rowling (long live Harry Potter) and the other is Stephen King. That's because with either author I've never, ever been sorry that I did - and I'm delighted to report that the winning streak continues with this one.

At the outset, though, I had some doubts. Oh, not about the quality of writing - that's never gonna happen with this author. But the subject matter - the kidnapping and psychological and physical torture of children - just isn't something I wanted to read about for that many pages (one or two would be more than sufficient, thank you very much). But back to that amazing writing ability: Within a couple of chapters, I'd been hooked - and the reeling in continued to the very last page (which I stayed up way past my bedtime to reach, BTW).

The story opens with the kidnapping of the precocious young Luke Ellis and, almost as an aside, murder of his parents. He's drugged, and when he wakes up he's in a room that looks just like his room at home except it's not; he's in The Institute in remote Maine. Soon, he learns that he's not the only one here; he's surrounded by many other youngsters - all with a propensity for telekinesis and telepathy or both. And before long, he learns that the future is bleak; many other kids have been here, been put through the wringer and sent to another wing of the complex - never to be heard from again.

Meantime, readers get a glimpse into the new life of former cop Tim Jamieson, who finds himself - temporarily, he expects - in out-of-the-way Dupray, South Carolina. Though seriously overqualified, he applies for and lands a job as a "night knocker," a non-cop who walks through the very small downtown to make sure all the businesses and buildings are secure. 

Most of the story focuses on the treatment, and mistreatment, of the youngsters at The Institute; all would like nothing better than to escape, but most are convinced that will never happen and some are even resigned to their fate. But as expected, their story and Tim's in the South Carolina setting come together at some point (no, I won't reveal when, how or why, but I will say the journey is filled with excitement, suspense and not a few rather gory details that kept me on the edge of my seat pretty much all the way through). It's not a perfect ending, but then I'm old enough to know that it's not a perfect world. It did, however, brighten the days I spent reading it. Well done!

The Institute by Stephen King (Scribner, September 2019); 576 pp.