Stephen King Fans discussion

New King book!

Here is the description from Goodreads:

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


Here is an except from Entertainment Weekly if you want to read it:

https://ew.com/books/2019/02/01/steph...

Sounds good! Can't wait to read it.

The story has a bit of reality and kind of a futuristic society of brain’s. Wondering if the institute plans on creating the perfect group of people by using natural selection.... inquiring minds would like to know....

they sound like "breakers"....no?? Mmmmm

Already on my list!

Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
Breakers.... could be......

Kenneth wrote: "Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
Breakers.... could be......"

.... I am trying not to get my hopes up about DT easter eggs.... but even soooooo.....

Aww, this is a little disappointing. It sounds like Firestarter 2.0 and I'd rather read something totally new. But hey, at least we have a new book to look forward to!

Summer wrote: "Aww, this is a little disappointing. It sounds like Firestarter 2.0 and I'd rather read something totally new. But hey, at least we have a new book to look forward to!"

I feel exactly the opposite! I've always felt The Shop was one of King's scariest inventions and this sounds like more of them. It feels like something that could really exist. Kind of X-files-ish.

I just finished Firestarter and the replacement of director Cap was a female unnamed. I wonder if it is Mrs. Sigsby?

September 6 book will be released and come September 10th IT chapter 2 is released in the movies.... Looks like a banner month for big Stephen King.... A September to remember....

Kenneth wrote: "September 6 book will be released and come September 10th IT chapter 2 is released in the movies.... Looks like a banner month for big Stephen King.... A September to remember...."

Can't wait.

Kenneth wrote: "September 6 book will be released and come September 10th IT chapter 2 is released in the movies.... Looks like a banner month for big Stephen King.... A September to remember...."

Sounds like it!

Just about to start. Who’s reading it at the moment?

I’m 30% in so far.

I'm about 2/3 in. It's very, very good! I've always wished King would revisit The Shop and this feels very much like that.

Also, for us Dark Tower fans... this is very, very believable.

I have to restart it. I got lost somewhere near the beginning and connecting that part to the children

So much on my list to read and so little time. Thanks for the heads up on the conditions. I did read Firestarter but I'm still on Blane with my KaTeT.

Bought the book and it finally came in, started reading it and cannot wait to see how the story unfolds.

Anyone else start the book yet?

I’m about 80 pages in so far. Although the themes are classic King, I feel like his writing style is a little different in this one.

I've finished and loved it!

Just started last night.... very excited! :)

So, TPs have (view spoiler)[BDNF, measurable in nanograms. Could this be the technical term for what The True Knot called steam? (hide spoiler)]

Michael wrote: "So, TPs have [spoilers removed]"

Maybe, but I don't think entirely, because (view spoiler)[ later you learn that the BDNF number isn't entirely accurate and not what they REALLY want. (hide spoiler)]

I am around page 150. It seems... almost like a YA novel? Maybe it feels that way because A) child characters, and B) I just finished re-reading It, and in the intervening 35 years King's prose has gotten more efficient, giving it a simpler, cleaner edge?

Would this be appropriate for a kid who’s already read books like firestarter and the Shining?

Wyatt wrote: "Would this be appropriate for a kid who’s already read books like firestarter and the Shining?"

I think so. There is nothing sexual and the language is real world and not gross, so as long as they are a mature kid, they'd probably love it. I feel like this could almost be a continuation of Firestarter.

Hi Constant Readers,

I have finished reading "The Institute" and posted my review of on the following link for those who are interested in reading it (however, although I stay away from spoilers, I highly recommend finishing the book before reading my review):

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

To great reading!

Dean the Bibliophage wrote: "I'm starting this today - how did people get on with it? Looks a creepy one!"

There are a lot of good things about The Institute but very little creepy or scary in my opinion.

I have been a long time Dean Koontz fan, in addition to King, but I have not read Sole Survivor (from 1997) until now. And I am now about to start The Institute. The strange thing is that in Sole Survivor (at the end) there is something called The Institute that is a place for children with psychic powers. Probably just a coincidence. Or that King and Koontz have a secret going on. Well, probably not. But still cool. :-)

I read the book. I enjoyed it.

I'm about halfway and loving it. All of the details makes the story much more plausible. That's one of the things I love most about King. He can make the weirdest stories sound possible.

I'm sorry to say, I found the whole thing rather dull. King remains a highly skilled writer, there are no big holes in the book, but in the quest for plausibility the whole thing turned out boring, IMO. I posted my review here if anyone is interested.

Hi everyone. I joined Stephen King Fans over a year ago, but never had a read match up with my timing. Well that just changed. I received The Institute from Cemetery Dance and an email notification of the group read starting Oct 1. I'm In! This will be fun.

Loved this book, in my opinion it is his best work in years

I love this book!

Currently reading this book. It’s very good and it’s driving me crazy to know the ending. Impatiently reading page by page. So good. Hope it stays that way.
SPOILER





This past Sunday by 13 year old lab Nicky passed away. Reading about brave Nicky in the book was kind of symbolic and heartwarming

I just read this book a few weeks ago and loved it. The book definitely had the classic King feel to it. I loved how I was instantly drawn into the storyline and became caught up in what was happening fairly quick. :)