Author: Suzanne Young
Rating: 5 stars!
Source: I received a finished copy from the publisher, to review without bias.
Summary: Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.
Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.
I try to read many of my local author's books when I can. Many of them visit my bookstore often, so I have plenty of opportunities to keep up with their new books, and meet them. (Of course, Stephanie Meyer visits less often, due to her supreme popularity, but that's okay with me.) I'm not sure how I've missed Suzanne Young's books in the past, but now I'll definitely be paying more attention to them!
Sloane lives in a possible-reality world where teenage suicide is a worldwide epidemic. No one is really sure what is causing it, but in her state a few school systems have teamed up to create The Program. Claiming they have the cure, The Program takes at-risk teenagers, or ones who show signs of infection (depression, bad things like that) and take them to their super-secret facilities to "fix" them. Which might or might not include the erasing of most your memories in the process.
This sounds similar to a run-of-the-mill dystopian storyline who has a corrupted government determined they're doing the right thing, but The Program stands on it's own, and the more contemporary setting really set it apart in my mind. So make sure to know, it is not dystopian, from anything I could tell. At least, with my definition: some world-ending event and the aftermath. This could very possibly happen right now. And no futuristic-y things are mentioned. Let's go with "government conspiracy book" because at this point in the series, you're not really sure what's responsible for the craziness.
The first part of the book is rather depressing, as one would expect by reading the summary. As much as I was engaged in the story, I felt myself being dragged down with Sloane's slowly deteriorating mind...until I realized, the fact that I was affected like this was the sign of a very good story. When I realized this, my wary opinion of the story changed dramatically and I read almost the rest of the book in one sitting.
The character building really holds this story together. Any book concerning memory tends to end up high on my favorites list, and what Sloane goes through vaguely reminded me of what we read in Flowers to Algernon. I'm not comparing the two books (as just books) in the least, because they're very different. But some plot points are familiar. Like in the way that we learn about the character and their life, then they try something/something happens to them, and then it completely changes who they are, and they completely lose themselves. Then toward the end...they almost end up close to the beginning stage again...if you've read both, do you get what I mean? I do intend to compliment The Program by badly explaining this concept. Wow I just read that through, and it still makes better sense in my head. Moving on.
I like Jay Asher's blurp on the cover: "Suspensful and touching, The Program feels frighteningly real." Because YES that pretty much describes the book perfectly. I should have just erased this entire review and only typed out that quote. The Program is such an excellent book because the psychology of it is truely frighteningly real. Who are you to trust when you're whole life of memories have been taken away so you don't even know who you are anymore? And then would you take that wonderful numbing medication? At a few points, I put myself in Sloane's shoes and tried to figure that out, and those questions are harder than you think.
It's been a few books since one has sucked me in like The Program has, so it was a great surprise, and I am glad to have it on my bookshelf. I highly recommend adding it to yours.
You'll like this book if you enjoyed....Any of Lauren Oliver's books, Jay Asher's books, or Flowers for Algernon. Also, If you usually read contemporary YA, or maybe if you don't (like me,) don't rule it out, because it's a fresh pick in the category, with a hint of an alternate reality vibe.
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Suzanne Young currently lives in Tempe, Arizona, where she teaches high school English. When not writing obsessively, Suzanne can be found searching her own tragic memories for inspiration. She is the author of several books for teens, including The Program, A Need So Beautiful, and A Want So Wicked.
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-Jane
I loved this book. I listened to it on audio and thought it was amazing. I need to get my review up. Can't wait for the next book.
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