Stephen King’s The Institute: A Book Review
The Institute: A Gripping Thriller by Stephen King
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The Institute by Stephen King is a true masterclass in suspense for readers seeking a thrilling experience. The story pulls you in immediately and keeps you guessing until the very end. King masterfully balances horrifying and emotional moments. The characters are incredibly well-developed, especially Luke, the brave and endearing main character, making them feel like familiar acquaintances.
The best part is the unpredictable writing, which builds tension with each chapter. Honestly, King’s depiction of the Institute and the oppressive environment he creates is some of the best writing I’ve ever encountered. The climax is exciting, and the ending left me completely satisfied.
This book also reflects on human resilience and the importance of hope. It is available for just over five dollars. 10/10. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to any fan of thrillers and science fiction!
Relative Clauses
Relative Pronouns and Adverbs
- Who/That –> Person (The player who/that scored the goal is happy.)
- Whose –> Possession (That’s the man whose racket I borrowed.) “whose racket”
- Which/That –> Object (I only watch sports which/that interest me.)
- Where –> Places (This is the gym where he used to exercise.)
- That/When –> Time (October is the month when I start university.)
Defining and Non-Defining Relative Clauses
- Non-Defining Relative Clauses (No Commas): These clauses provide essential information about the noun they follow. Without the relative clause, the sentence would be incomplete and lack meaning. Compare: That’s the athlete. That’s the athlete who won the gold medal.
- We can omit who, when, where, which, or that if it is the object of a defining relative clause, but we cannot omit whose. This is very common in spoken English. These are the trainers (which/that) he wore when he broke the world record.
- Non-Defining Relative Clauses (Commas): These clauses provide additional, non-essential information about the noun they follow. If we remove the relative clause, the sentence still makes sense. Compare: World Cup tickets are on sale now. World Cup tickets, which cost €200, are on sale now.
- We always use commas to separate a non-defining clause from the rest of the sentence. We cannot omit who, which, when, that, or where from a non-defining relative clause, nor can we begin one with that. His football kit, which his dad bought, was expensive.
That, What, and Which
- That is used:
- To refer to a noun/nouns that come before it. Tennis is the sport that I love most.
- After all, everything, nothing, something, and superlatives (compare). All that he wants is to win this race. Don’t believe everything that you read. Do the best that you can.
- In informal style instead of when, who, or which. Winter is the season that we go swimming. John is the guy that you’re looking for.
- In informal style instead of where, if we add a preposition of place at the end of the clause. This is the pool that we go swimming in.
- Which is used to refer to:
- A noun/nouns that come before it. Football is a game which I enjoy playing.
- The complete sentence that comes before it. We played a match today, which was exciting.
- What does not refer to a noun that comes before it. It acts as a noun and a relative pronoun and means “the thing(s) that.” I couldn’t believe what he was saying.
Vocabulary
Sport — Esport
- Active (adj) — Actiu
- Balanced (adj) — Equilibrat
- Championship (n) — Campionat
- Cheer (v) — Animar
- Competitive (adj) — Competitiu
- Drop out (of a race) (phr v) — Abandonar (la carrera)
- Event (n) — Esdeveniment
- Get through (to the final) (phr v) — Passar (a la final)
- Moderate (adj) — Moderat
- Motivate (v) — Motivar
- Sedentary (adj) — Sedentari (poc moviment)
- Sign up (phr v) — Inscriure’s
- Spectator (n) — Espectador
- Sporty (adj) — Esportiu
- Take part in (phr v) — Participar a
- Teammate (n) — Company d’equip
- Trophy (n) — Trofeu
- Well-being (n) — Benestar
Phrasal Verbs
- Come up with (phr v) — Inventar/presentar/tenir una idea (an idea)
- End up (phr v) — Terminar/acabar
- Go ahead (phr v) — Endavant
- Keep track of (phr v) — Mantenir-se al corrent
- Take over (phr v) — Encarregar-se
- Work out (phr v) — Hacer ejercicio
Health and Well-being — Salut i Benestar
- Be mindful (v) — Ser conscient
- Cut out (phr v) — Retirar/tallar
- Enroll (in a class) (v) — Inscriure’s (en una classe)
- Gain perspective (exp) — Guanyar perspectiva
- Get your heart rate up (exp) — Augmenta el teu ritme cardíac
- Get in shape (exp) — Posar-se en forma
- Hydrated (adj) — Hidratat
- Immunity (n) — Immunitat
- Keep fit (v) — Mantenir-se en forma
- Positive focus (n) — Enfocament positiu
- Rested (adj) — Descansat
- Set a goal (v) — Establir una meta
- Stretch (v) — Estirar
- Take a nap (v) — Fer una migdiada
- Take care of (somebody/something) (phr v) — Tenir cura de (algú/alguna cosa)
- Take up (phr v) — Acceptar/ocupar/començar
- Train (v) — Entrenar