The Institute by Stephen King

The Institute

by Stephen King
Published: Scribner, 2019
Pages: 576
Genre: Thriller
Amazon, Goodreads

“It came to him, with the force of a revelation, that you had to have been imprisoned to fully understand what freedom was.” 

About the book

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.

Review

The Institute is another decent novels in the long line of Stephen King’s works. 

The story focuses on 12-year-old Luke, a genius with limited telekinesis powers who is kidnapped in the middle of the night and taken to a strange complex known only as The Institute. Horrifying experiments are conducted on the children in what is known as Front Half in preparation for an unspeakable purpose. 

The Institute’s storyline is at risk of being too similar to countless other works, namely YA, if not for the in-depth character development and unique personalities of the book’s characters. 

Luke being characterized as a brilliant, wise beyond his years child with quick wit is, in my opinion, the best part of the novel.

King’s writing in The Institute is similar but yet different from his early works. I haven’t read a newer novel of his in a while, so it was a bit strange for me to come across current cultural references. 

Though I did enjoy the novel, there were a few times I felt like the plot dragged on. Some scenes I felt could have been cut down to keep the pace up.

The Institute is a pretty standard Stephen King book that I’d recommend to those who enjoy his works.

RATING (out of five puppies)

Favorite reads of 2019

Goodbye 2019! I read a lot of good books in 2019 but there were a select few that I was SUPER impressed with. I've listed my favorites below (in order in which I read them). Let me know your favorites in the comments below!

A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne - This was a fantastic read that I wish I had picked up earlier. It's essentially a sociopath's rise to fame and eventual downfall. With great writing and unique storytelling, it's one book I'd recommend to anyone. Click here to read my full review.

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant - The book focuses on a ship that are filming a mockumentary of mermaids mysteriously disappears and several years later, a new crew is assembled. What really makes this book stand out is how the creatures in the oceans aren't just mermaids: they're blood thirsty, violent sirens. I really loved this one! Click here to read my full review.

What the Eyes Don't See by Mona Hanna-Attisha - This non-fiction work is the biographical telling of Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha's discovery of the Flint water crisis and her part in exposing the scandal. The author is one badass woman who fights for her passion: the health of Flint's children. This was a great read!

Wilder Girls by Rory Power - Wilder Girls was one debut that definitely lived up to the hype. The author's writing is creepy and fantastic; she paints divide, gross scenes wrapped in an eerie atmosphere. Click here to read my full review.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - I wasn't sure if I'd like this one. Upon first glance it seemed too romance/contemporary for my liking. However, the book focuses more on the main character's mental illness and her coming to terms with her past. I definitely recommend it. Trigger warning: mental illness, sexual abuse.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo - This is probably my favorite book of the year! It's the author's first adult fiction work, and it's great! I've also read her young adult work, and her writing gets better and better. Ninth House really SHOOK me to my core. Click here to read my full review!

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - I know, I know. The hype for this book was several years ago when the HBO series came out. I just now read it, however, it was so much better than I had anticipated. It speaks volumes about human nature. Click here to read my full review!

The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware - If I had to pick a second favorite book of 2019, The Turn of the Key would most likely be it. It's really creepy and has a gothic feel with a modern twist. The story is a murder mystery who-dun-it with plenty of twists and turns. It was impossible to put down. Click here to read my full review!

The Whisper Man by Alex North - I selected The Whisper Man as an add-on when I restarted my Book of the Month subscription in October. I wanted a spooky Halloween read and I was not disappointed. It was thrilling and also had a scary, paranormal feel to it. Click here to read my full review.

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys - Set in 1950s Madrid, this historical fiction is a great, character-driven novel. The writing was great and really made me feel like I was actually in that time period experiencing all the things the characters were experiencing. Click here to read my full review.

Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Aurora Rising

by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Published: Knopf, 2019
Pages: 473
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
Amazon, Goodreads

I was born with the taste of blood in my mouth. I was born with my hands in my fist. I was born for war.

About the book

The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…

A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm

A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates

A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder

An alien warrior with anger management issues

A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering

And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.

Review

I was hoping Aurora Rising would be like the Illuminae Files, creative, thrilling and hard to turn away from; however, it didn’t quite make it.

What’s it about? 

At Aurora Academy, star pupil Tyler Jones is stuck with a ragtag crew and a girl woken up after being cryogenically frozen for 200 some years. He soon learns that the very girl he saved may be the catalyst that starts a war.

I’ll focus on the positive first. The characters were very distinctive and interesting. I really liked the storyline. Aurora Rising WAS similar to the Illuminae Files as they are both science fiction novels set way in the future and aboard spaceships. I also have to admit that the ending was exciting.

As for the negative, Auri really bothered me at the beginning. I mean, this girl wakes up after 200 years to discover her family is all dead and all she focuses on is how hot she thinks Tyler is. Auri seemed shallow, insubstantial and just really freaking annoying. 

Switching between multiple perspectives from first person was confusing for me.  Though the characters had striking personalities, they didn’t have distinctive voices. This could have been avoided by writing in third person.

Overall, Aurora Rising was enjoyable even though I had a few issues with it. I feel it’s worth a read for those who like YA science fiction.

RATING (out of five puppies)

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

Long Bright River

by Liz Moore
Published: Penguin Group, 2020
Pages: 496
Genre: Mystery
Amazon, Goodreads

All of them children, all of them gone. People with promise, people dependent and depended upon, people loving and beloved, one after another, in line, in a river, no fount and no outlet, a long bright river of departed souls.

About the book

In a Philadelphia neighborhood rocked by the opioid crisis, two once-inseparable sisters find themselves at odds. One, Kacey, lives on the streets in the vise of addiction. The other, Mickey, walks those same blocks on her police beat. They don't speak anymore, but Mickey never stops worrying about her sibling.

Then Kacey disappears, suddenly, at the same time that a mysterious string of murders begins in Mickey's district, and Mickey becomes dangerously obsessed with finding the culprit — and her sister — before it's too late.

Review

Long Bright River is a raw, unforgiving story of the strained relationship between two sisters and the ultimate cost of opioid addiction.

Addiction is a monster that doesn't discriminate. From the disadvantaged poor to the privileged rich, opioid addiction is sweeping across the United States. It's even become a problem where I live in rural Illinois.

Novels like Long Bright River show readers who may not have been touched by addiction how this disease ruins families.

The story is told from the perspective of Mickey, a 33-year-old cop in Philadelphia whose sister is a drug addict. Though their relationship is at best strained, Mickey's sister is missing and while searching for her, Mickey reflects on her difficult childhood and struggle to raise her son. There's a string of murders occurring in the area, and Micky races to find her sister and the killer before the unthinkable happens.

Author Liz Moore has a unique voice perfect for this type of storytelling. It's very much a slow-burning suspense focused on character development, rather than a whodunnit mystery.

The writing is beautiful and the characters haunting in a way that sticks with you long after finishing the novel.

I highly recommend Long Bright River.

RATING (out of five puppies)

November 2019 Wrap Up

Hi all! I can't believe it's already December and one month away from 2020! I read a lot of good books in November.

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule - A non-fiction detailing the fascinating story of Ted Bundy and how author Ann Rule discovered she was close friends with a monster, The Stranger Beside Me was shocking. My rating: ★★★★

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan - Slated as a quirky, fun read, I wasn't a fan of this one. I've heard you need to be in the right mood for so maybe I wasn't. My rating: ★★

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys - I devoured this book in an entire day! It was so good! I definitely recommend it for those who enjoy historical romances. Check out my full review here! My rating: ★★★★★

Feed by Mira Grant - Feed is a zombie novel surrounding a team of blogger journalists who uncover a political scandal. I really liked this one! Click here to read my full review! My rating: ★★★★

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo - This is one of my favorite - if not one of my favorite - books of the year! It was dark, enthralling and impossible to pull away from. Click here for my full review! My rating: ★★★★★

The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell - A decent mystery for those looking for a rainy day read! My rating: ★★★★★

The Reckless Oath We Made by Bryn Greenwood - I loved this unconventional love story! Check out my full review here! My rating: ★★★★★

A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray - A really liked this book, though I gave it a slightly lower rating because there wasn't much character development and the love triangle was annoying. My rating: ★★★

#Murdertrending by Gretchen McNeil - #Murdertrending is a thrilling horror novel about a young woman who gets sentenced in the murder of her step-sister and sent to battle live in isolation with other convicted felons. The plot is unique and interesting. Trigger warning: Violent. My rating: ★★★★★

Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard - A solid mystery full of twists and turns. My rating: ★★★★★

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh - I was disappointed by this one. I loved the setting but was ultimately let down by the lack of character development. Check out my full review here! My rating: ★★★

Imaginary Friends by Stephen Chbosky - Imaginary Friends is a good book but the storyline was dragged out. I left the novel feeling frustrated. Check out my full review here! My rating: ★★★

What did you read this month?

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

Imaginary Friend

by Stephen Chbosky
Published: Grand Central Publishing, 2019
Pages: 720
Genre: Horror
Amazon, Goodreads

We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.

About the book

Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with her child. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It's as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out.

At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. for six long days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a treehouse in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again.

Review

It’s been a long time since I’ve been so frustrated with a book. This is a GOOD book that left me breathless in certain parts but ultimately failed by being too long.

Don’t get me wrong. I like a long novel that as long as it has an interesting plot and great character dynamics and writing. Unfortunately, at least in my opinion, Imaginary Friends doesn’t quite make the cut.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of my favorite books of all time, so I nearly peed myself when I saw that Stephen Chbosky published another novel. 

So let’s start with the basics: the plot involves a young boy whose mother is running from a bad boyfriend. They settle in a small town in Pennsylvania. All seems well until Christopher goes missing for six days in the mysterious woods; he comes back home but with an imaginary friend no one else can hear. This plot is very similar to many of Stephen King’s plots, such as The Shining or Firestarter — a young child with unusual powers that ends up facing trouble and gets help from some older, wiser adult.

The thing is, though, this book is not bad! It’s well-written with strong character development and a thrilling storyline. It seems like I’ve already read this book while I was in the middle of reading it.

The book also drags on a bit, especially at the end. There were definitely some scenes that could have been cut that weren’t necessary. At the end, I was frustrated that I put quite a bit of time into reading a 700+ book that was overall very good but didn’t need to be so long.

RATING (out of five puppies)

The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

The Beautiful

by Renée Ahdieh
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2019
Pages: 440
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Amazon, Goodreads

“My actions speak for me. If you feel them to be heartless and cruel, then so be it: I am heartless and cruel.”

About the book

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans is a safe haven after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent in the middle of the carnival season, Celine is quickly enraptured by the vibrant city, from its music to its fancy soirées and even its danger. She becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's enigmatic leader, Sébastien Saint Germain.

When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in Sébastien's own lair — the second dead girl to turn up in recent weeks — Celine battles her attraction to Sébastien and suspicions about his guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.

After a third murder, New Orleans becomes gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose — one who has now set Celine in his sights. As the murderer stalks her, Celine finally takes matters into her own hands, only to find herself caught in the midst of an age-old feud between the darkest creatures of the night, where the price of forbidden love is her life.

Review

I’m having a hard time putting together my thoughts on this novel, I’m going to break it up into two parts — what I liked about the novel and what I didn’t like.

I know The Beautiful is going to be compared to Twilight but they are completely different stories. I admit, I loved the Twilight books when I was in high school; the movie series is what ruined the franchise. Don’t go into The Beautiful thinking it’s some high school love story about glittering vampires. This story actually follows Celine, a young French woman travels to New Orleans to escape a dark secret. She accepts an offer to design a gown for an alluring, mysterious woman who takes Celine under her wing and introduces her to an intoxicating crowd of strange, non-quite-human individuals. Death soon follows Celine, and she discovers that beautiful does not mean safe.

The Beautiful is marketed as a vampire novel, but it’s really about evil. The word vampire isn’t even used as a description until the very end. I feel like this gave an added dark element to the storyline. Instead of Celine arriving in a new world and acting all “OMG vampires! How crazy!”, it’s more of Celine discovering that is evil in this world and that she has some wickedness inside herself.

The author does a great job of providing a dark, creepy atmosphere throughout the story while showcasing Celine’s unwavering fearlessness and endless wit.

Such as: 

“You do not belong in this world, Celine. It may be beautiful — intoxicating even — but beauty is a danger to behold, for it often masks the decay lurking beneath. Et ça fini toujours dans le sang.”

And it always ends in blood.

“I am not so captivated by the beautiful, monsieur.” Celine met his gaze without wavering. “For I know beauty is only a moment in time.”

Though I enjoyed the story, and the novel was full of attention-grabbing quotes, I felt there was a lack of character development that could have really made The Beautiful stand out. I won’t get into the ending because I don’t want to revel spoilers but I also felt it was anticlimactic. The lack of an emotional connection to the characters is what ultimately made The Beautiful fall flat for me.

RATING (out of five puppies)