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I bought this a few months after COVID influx in Tennessee when the book stores reopened. I'd never heard of Joe Hill, but I saw this book on an end cap, and saw decent reviews.

His style was vaguely reminiscent of Stephen King, but perhaps it was all the rock references, which I always enjoy.

It had me hooked early on, since the action and suspense built up rather quickly. I was at peace with the ending, and that's always a plus.

Only after I finished and googled Joe Hill did I find out who he was, lol. Well, I'll have to check out his other works.

Nothing like getting halfway through a book and realizing you've read it before. Not my favorite collection by King

This is the first King book I've read since Duma Key, which was an utter disappointment because the last third of that book veered way off course.

The Institute was a thoroughly modern King return to form. I was immersed in the circumstances of young people taken from their homes and put into a place where they were no longer individuals, but commodities.

The juxtaposition of an authority figure who wields stinging words through smiling lips is the real life horror that anyone can identify with at some point in their own past or present.

The last third of this novel grasps you until you can't bear to put it down to try to finish the next morning. Loved it.

This was the first time I'd heard the author read his own work, and I was a bit surprised how well he did. The characters were likeable and did grow and change as the story progressed. The ending left me hanging somewhat, but maybe I need to learn more about the backstory to fill in the blanks. I especially loved how the main characters were able to bring a divided community together.

Paul's writing was clear and his story easy to follow. It moves somewhat chronologically through his journey, and while I enjoyed the book and appreciate what he was trying to say, I couldn't quite grasp why this book is as popular as it is.
He's a driven man, certainly ambitious, and comes across as someone who strives to be his best all the time, perhaps some of that seemed unreal to me, because most of us have frailties of some sort. It's like that person in a job interview who's asked what their weakness is, and they answer that they care too much about their work.

Vance's struggles will be familiar to anyone who grew up on the poor side of the tracks, and even if you didn't but had addiction ruin your family dynamics, you'll find familiar patterns in here, as well.