Gurpal Sanghera

IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST STEPHEN KING NOVEL, CHOOSE A DIFFERENT BOOK. This is the first King book I've read. I expected it to be horror after watching Pennywise on the big screen, but it wasn't particularly chilling. Gifted children in an institute isn't an entirely new concept but it was worth a read. Nothing really happened in the first 200 pages of the book and I wasn't convinced the characters were children (I have never met any 12 year olds like that)! Averys transformation without spoiling the plot wasn't convincing at all. I feel as if more emphasis the characters are scared, vulnerable and abused in the first half of the story would have really added impact and made the reader sympathise and weep at their treatment. I don't even think the characters questioned their abilities once or struggled to come to grips with the fact they were different. I only really became immersed in the second half of the story as you become invested in the protagonist atleast (although not the most riveting ending) I'm afraid to say that King's work was good, but not brilliant as I was led to believe by his huge success. I think the Institute would be better served as a movie.