It’s that time of year that all Constant Readers look forward to – a new release!
Right when I saw the announcement I had to pre-order a copy right away.
THE INSTITUTE – Stephen King (Released September 10th, 2019)
I joined in on a huge buddy read/discussion with Dennis (of @scaredstraightreads) and that group chat was so much fun. You’ll have to take a peak at all of the posts we’ll be sharing at the end of the month here and join in on the discussions.
My Thoughts: 5/5 stars
This book got me out of my slump of nothing but 3 and 3.5 star reads for the month of September. When I saw that THE INSTITUTE was taking place in Minneapolis I got really excited – not many books are set in Minnesota so it’s always fun reading about a familiar place. If there’s something that King does well it’s the coming of age stories and getting us to connect with the kids in the story. From the beginning you get so invested in their struggles and trying to fight along side them.
I know that it’s still relatively early to be getting reviews out for this new book, so I don’t want to get into too much detail and run the risk of spoilers, so I’ll try to keep this short and sweet. This 500+ page door-stopper only took me 3 sittings to read (mainly because I made myself stop at 2am two of those times). King is always able to set the scene for the readers and transport you there instantly. Despite there being a lot of characters, everyone has their own distinct voice and they don’t get lost in the shuffle of things. Even some of the more minor characters King was able to connect you to them.
I’ve seen some other reviewers make comparisons to X-Men and Stranger Things and I couldn’t agree more! It’s amazing what powerful kids are capable of and I think this would be a really good one for those new to King. This mammoth had me hooked from the first chapter until the final page and I have been reminded why I love King’s books.
Jessicamap Reviews 