The Institute

Parts of this were very good. King excels at writing kids. Luke and his friends and the other kids at the Institute are believable and engaging. They're worthy heroes of this supernatural thriller, and probably the only truly scary thing about the book.

I also enjoyed Tim Jamison and the other residents of Dupray, South Carolina. King sets up the drifter character of Tim very cleverly; you're not sure at first whether or not he's trustworthy. The story of him proving himself, getting his backstory, and finding a new place for himself in Dupray is satisfying. Also, the scene where the citizens of Dupray rush to the rescue of the Sheriff's office, all of them packing heat to defend their town, is one of the best moments of the book.

Where The Institute lost me was with Mrs. Sigsby and her sadistic slacker employees. These characters aren't that menacing or even interesting. We spend a lot of time with them, especially when they're on the hunt for an escapee and we see every step of their process. I have a feeling that if we knew less about them, they would seem more powerful somehow.

The mismatch of the heroes and villains is a problem if you're trying to create any feelings of suspense and excitement about the conflict.