I've also read The Institute and many of his other books and I can tell you that he actually hits the children very well in the dialogues. Nowadays there are some children who still speak normally and others who have already looked at the youth language. He only takes those who still speak normally.

Yes, if you like RomComs. And wagon-wheel coffee tables.

Ooooh, knowing which character the book ends on is always a thing I like to be aware of. It’s fun to know that before we meet the POV characters.

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If Colleen Hoover books are considered controversial, please do not read any actual decent literature. You might expire. She is not this edgy writer the TikTok crowd thinks she is. Her books are PG-13 soap operas designed to give middle-aged suburban women a cheap thrill and sheltered GenZ girls another soap box from which they can pretend to be offended.

I'm just here to say Steven King is a bad writer and take my downvotes.

Why do I do it? So others like me can see that they're not alone in hating the books and screenplays he's written.

I like reading (or at least knowing the gist of) the endings of books first, I’m with you. I’m autistic and I like to know what kind of emotional vibe I need to prepare to bring into the book. If the book is good then knowing the ending won’t ruin it, anyway; I like character and prose a lot more than plot.

I never thought the kids in his stories were dated. They’re usually from small towns and as someone from a small town, the dialogue can be sooooo different than kids from a city. It just really depends. A lot of his stories take place in Maine and they have an unusual way of speaking and thought process so that could be it.

And in one way the opposite of the book.

I have a joke/theory. The reason the hungry ones have been having trouble finding Shining munchies is because the Can-Toi have been collecting psychics to train as Breakers.

In the case of The Institute, those were all HIGHLY traumatized kids. Children with that level of trauma don't communicate well. I thought it was, at the very least, well thought out in their interactions, even if it wasn't exactly how kids interact. They eventually formed trauma bonds and on and on... I don't want to ruin it too much for anyone else. Someone else brought up Fairy Tale. My interpretation of that young man was a little bit of superimposing older kids attitudes on younger kids personalities. I think that's ok. I always tried to impress the geezers when I was younger, it does track that modern kids could at least attempt to do the same.

Are either of those my favorite books of his? Nah, but I did buy and read them all the way through. It's funny, Duma Key is the one closest to me at this point in my life (not because of major injury, just because of age) and I don't identify with that character at ALL.

I don't agree OP, I think the dialogue is written with intent. But you are 100% welcome to your opinions!

That’s totally the point! I personally loved the series and as a big sci-do/fantasy reader, it’s a must read in the genre for me because the topics and science NK Jemisin brings to the table and extremely well done and strong.

And hey not every book is for everybody no shame!

I’d be more than surprised if “Stephen King” isn’t a bunch of ghost writers these days.

Everything about his recent novels feels off. The Institute was just terrible.

You’re so very correct. Second person.

As for what you say about story: that makes some sort of sense. Using the second person narrative that makes me uncomfortable puts me in her shoes literally. It’s a great story device. Still, just couldn’t muster the interest in the book.

It's not so much a triggering thing, just... surprise I guess. I'd always heard about what a good author King was and then I was reading this drivel. Christine wasn't any better.

A book that I enjoyed that you can do the same with is literally any of them from the "Earth Children" series. The most well known from that would be Clan of the Cavebear. But there are pages and pages of beautiful descriptions about the world around the main protagonist (and a few uh, just straight animal sex scenes. I remember one with a mamoth in particular...) that overall add nothing to the story that you can skip. Fantastic books otherwise.

I haven't read The Institute, but I really didn't have trouble with Fairy Tale. The only time the man's language was strange was when he was on his journey, and that was affected by his location.

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I’d just like to state that I think you’re talking about the SECOND PERSON narrative. The “You” did this “You” did that? Correct? That’s second person. First person is “I” did this, “I” do that.

Not a spoiler but — I will say that if you read a bit more of the book, you’ll understand why Essun is speaking this way as she’s quite a broken and shattered character who is dealing with trauma — ie. She’s not fully present in the events going on in her life that take place at the start of the book.

I’ll also say that there’s an even deeper reasoning as to this you find out later in the book with a twist or two. But if you’re not enjoy it it — it’s totally understandable!

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He does like to write the spooky stuff, maybe he's hired some ghost writers?

Okay, I'll stop before you BOO me...

I really like most of King's concepts--the ideas are super cool--but I find his execution is often lackluster.

I couldn't even finish Fairy Tale. King's kids have gotten to be pure tropes these days. I think King tries to give characters and especially kids, some very specific tics and slang to make them "unique" in a place and time. And then he just over-does it to the point of caricature. Almost like he's making them "overly unique."

His "good" kids are so overly earnest and respectful that they just become very phony.

I'v had this problem with King since the 1980s. I vastly prefer his short stories versus his novels since the mid '80s. There's less of this caricature building.

Nor have I, but I have written other disturbing scenes in my life. It doesn’t mean I want to commit murder. I don’t know why people have so much difficulty separating an artist from the art.

And meanwhile, we got jokers running around accusing people of pedophilia because they don’t know the difference between art and artist.

I was just kind of open-mouthed while I realized what I was reading and then closed the book.

I dunno man, I've never felt like entertaining myself or readers with an underage orgy. Shit like that doesn't cross my mind.

I agree with you completely. Toxic relationships are fine to read about in books IF they are portrayed as toxic. Colleen Hoover didn't portray these relationships as toxic! She portrayed them as romantic! Young girls read her books and this is the example that they have of what a romantic and good relationship should be! It's disgusting!