The Institute

Published: 2019

The Institute (2019) begins as twelve-year-old prodigy Luke Ellis is kidnapped from his Minneapolis home after his parents are murdered. He awakens in a room identical to his own but located in The Institute—a facility deep in the Maine woods where children with telekinetic and telepathic abilities are imprisoned. In the Front Half, Luke meets other gifted children subjected to painful experiments that enhance their powers before they're transferred to the mysterious Back Half, from which no one returns. Meanwhile, in a small South Carolina town, former police officer Tim Jamieson takes a job as a night knocker (an unarmed security patrol) after abandoning his planned move to New York. As Luke discovers the Institute's true purpose—using enhanced children's powers for political assassination—he orchestrates an unprecedented escape, beginning a desperate journey toward Tim and the possibility of exposing the Institute's decades of crimes. The novel explores institutional evil through the contrasting perspectives of vulnerable children and complicit adults who justify atrocities in the name of greater good. King examines how bureaucracy diffuses moral responsibility, allowing ordinary people to participate in extraordinary cruelty. Through Luke's intellect and resilience, King also celebrates the power of resistance and solidarity among the imprisoned children. The story's themes of governmental overreach, child exploitation, and psychic abilities connect to earlier King works while reflecting contemporary anxieties about institutional power and the sacrifice of innocents for supposed national security.

Themes

• Child exploitation
• Institutional evil
• Psychic abilities
• Resistance
• Moral compromise

Adaptations

• TV series in development

Collector Notes

Draws thematic connections to King's earlier works featuring children with supernatural abilities, particularly Firestarter and The Shining. Won the 2019 Goodreads Choice Award for Best Horror.