When I read The Institute by Stephen King, I did not feel like I was reading at all. I was the one hitchhiking from Florida to New York, scraping by on nothing to start a new life. I was in Luke’s head in his bedroom, in the institute, feeling every character's emotions and thoughts. I recommend this book to anyone of high school age to read. The plot, complex characters, and powerful themes of Stephen King captivate the reader and animate the story in the reader's mind. 

The mind-bending plot of the story introduces a cop that hitchhikes from Sarasota, Florida to Dupray, South Carolina, and gets a job as a Night Knocker.  Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Another storyline begins with a Telekinetic prodigy named luke who has his parents murdered and is brought by kidnappers to the institution, a mirror-building of Luke's bedroom. The bedroom  door opens onto a corridor decorated with posters of romping children emblazoned with mottos like “JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE” and “I CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY!” The Institute is a perceived paradise for all that live there. He meets a girl named Kalisha who gives him the lay of the land and introduces him to the other inmates, all kids. The adults who run the Institute subject the children all of whom have telekinetic abilities to unexplained experiments, these include injections; flickering lights; blood samples; MRIs; and, worst of all, dunkings to the verge of drowning in a tank of water. If the kids comply, they get tokens for treats from vending machines offering snacks, alcohol, and even cigarettes. If they resist, they’re beaten or tased. After a few weeks, most of them will be transferred to the Back Half, a part of the Institute shrouded in rumor. No kid ever comes back from the Back Half. 

This book fits perfectly into Steven King's line of terrifying novels, but that does not mean that It doesn't echo some pretty unique themes. The idea of Childhood trauma and the abuse of children are conveyed profusely through the events of Luke's parent's murder and the actions of the institute on intelligent children.  The beatings and the vulgar rewards for following abusive tasks create a disgusting feeling around the institute.

The idea of complex characters is a mainstay in the creation of this horror thriller masterpiece. Whether it’s a hitchhiking night cop or a kid with murdered parents stuck in a concentration camp-like scenario inside what looks to be his bedroom. The characters allow the plots of the story which in the beginning are completely separate, to weave into one massive story.

With a strong plot, solid characters, and powerful themes. The element that ties the knot of this horror thriller is the figurative language and tone used throughout the story. The way that King writes captivates every brain cell of the reader to be engaged in every little detail. From the intense dialogue to the outlandish word choice. Every event is slowly built up like a bonfire, starting slow and every so slightly growing until it is roaring.

When It comes to horror novels, This is the first one I have ever picked up and read. I can confidently say that It will not be my last. Stephen King is a master author and has some of the best craft and book designs of anything I have ever read. He puts you on the ground in the story, pushes and pulls your emotions with the characters, and creates scenes through pages that leave you chilled to the bone.