Deep in the Maine woods, the Institute holds kidnapped children with extraordinary abilities—telepathy, telekinesis—subjecting them to cruel experiments. Twelve-year-old Luke Ellis is their newest captive, exceptionally gifted and targeted for the Institute’s sinister plans. In South Carolina, former cop Tim Jamieson is about to face the biggest case of his career. Inside the Institute, Luke and his friend Kalisha know they are prisoners, but hope emerges when Luke meets Avery Dixon, a younger recruit with mind-reading powers beyond measure. Together, they may outsmart even the formidable Mrs. Sigsby. The Institute is a thrilling, suspenseful, and heartbreaking story of childhood betrayed, courage, and the triumph of hope.