I chose a book that waited a while on my shelf for my next read of 2023, Stephen King’s “The Institute”.

I’m a King fanboy; everyone who knows me knows that. So let me cut right to the chase: this book is brilliant. It is absurd that the man is still pumping out books of this calibre at this stage in his career. King has written so many classics that he could get away with phoning it in at 75. But that’s not King’s style. Instead, he has added another masterpiece to his long list of masterpieces.

The book follows two characters. The first is a shamed policeman on the search for something new. The second—and most important—is a boy, kidnapped in the middle of the night and taken to a detention centre in Maine. Where else would King set it?

It’s, of course, less horror than some of King’s other works. But it recalls his other pieces, such as “Firestarter”. If you’re a fan of his kids-with-psychic-powers books, you’ll adore “The Institute”. Hell, even if you’re not, I’d still recommend it. It’s that good.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll repeat it, King is king.