Book Review
Title: The Program
Author: Suzanne Young
Genre: YA/Sci-Fi/Romance
Rating: ****
Review: So, after the freaking devastating events in the Remedy, which I will be finishing when I can get a copy of the Epidemic, I was so excited to get into the Program. The opening to the Program was great, we are introduced to Sloane whose friend Kendra is taken away by handlers to be entered into the Program. Through her, we learn that suicide has become an epidemic and the only treatment is the Program which basically involves mind wiping the person on the Program. Along with her boyfriend, James and their best friend Miller they are trying to avoid the Program by putting on brave faces and hiding how they truly feel but together they can express themselves. However, we soon learn that several people are missing from the group but the most important are Lacey, Miller’s girlfriend who was entered into the Program by her parents and Brady, Sloane’s brother who killed himself.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Sloane and James are struggling to contain their emotions and often feel depression setting in but mask it well enough to not get taken away to the Program. However, Lacey’s return has sparked something in Miller and he is displaying behavior almost guaranteed to get him noticed and it does but before the Program can come for him, he decides to go out on his own terms leaving James and Sloane in a worse position than the one they started in. After Miller’s death James is being pushed over the edge and while Sloane tries to keep him close and away from the handlers in the end it isn’t enough, and James gets taken into the Program. Broken and utterly alone Sloane does try to kill herself, but she can’t go through it but I have a feeling something big is going to go done soon because Sloane isn’t going to let James become a mindless zombie like the other returners because it is not what he would have wanted. My gut feeling is she is going to voluntarily enter the Program and find a way to keep her and James together and with their memories rather than ending up like Miller or worse Lacey.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, Sloane hangs on to see James utterly determined that he will be the same when he returns from the program, but he isn’t. In her despair Sloane stops acting and her parents call the Program to take her away, but she tries to kill herself before they can, but she fails and wakes up in the Program, hurt, alone and betrayed. Despite this I don’t think the program is going to work on Sloane I believe that her will is strong enough for her to retain her sense of self and her memories in order to get back to James and remember who he is to her. During her first few days at the program Sloane doesn’t know what to do so she takes the pills and talks like she is supposed to be her memories are still intact for now although one of the handlers is drugging her and she wakes up missing a lot of time and a friend she made called Realm, seems to think that he might be doing something he shouldn’t when Sloane is unconscious. So far, Sloane seems to fall straight into the program and it does seem like it is helping her deal with her pent-up emotions, but she doesn’t want to lose everything that made her the person she is.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, Sloane has been in the program for nearly two weeks and her memories are being to fade away and she is terrified. However, the dark-haired handler named Roger tells her he has a way to allow her to keep certain memories, but it comes at a price. A price Sloane does pay but every time he gives her the medication to allow her to keep memories the price is going to go up and Sloane isn’t sure she can pay the price he wants but she doesn’t want to lose her memories either, especially the ones of Brady, Miller, and James. It is here at least that Sloane begins fighting back against the system refusing to take the pills although they find other ways of getting the medication into her, it seems she has even a little bit of her fire back.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, I was really enjoying where the novel was going, and I was eager to see what would happen to Sloane in the end, would she beat the system, or would the system beat her. As Sloane has been in the program for nearly four weeks now she has forgotten James, but her heart hasn’t and despite her seemingly blossoming romance with Realm especially after he got rid of Roger for her, she can’t help feeling guilty although she doesn’t know why. As Realm only has half a week left before he leaves, and Sloane has a fortnight she is scared of being slime but he promises to come back for her. However, we learn from Roger that James has been causing trouble for his handlers and that there might be a chance that he still remembers Sloane and could be acting. Or like Sloane, he might have forgotten but his heart still remembers her.
As life in the program continued for Sloane things just might be a lot more complicated than they first seem but very soon Sloane’s time in the program is over and she is returning home but, on the way, out she sees a girl that she almost recognises making me think that her treatment might not have been as effective as the staff think it was and I’m hoping she regains her memories soon.
Returning to normal life is a bit difficult for Sloane but her handler Kevin takes care of her, especially since Realm asks him to look at out for her. An interesting thing though is Sloane immediately comes into contact with her old friends including Lacey and James, and while she doesn’t remember Realm’s connection means that she is no longer being drugged. Despite having no memory Sloane is still attracted to James and is drawn to him but is wary of him because of his cold and aggressive demeanor. However, the pair soon gets closer and despite warnings from her parents and her handler Sloane really likes James. When seem asks Realm for help he tells her about Brady and how he really died and how she and James are connected to him but not that they were a couple. By doing this Realm is putting Sloane and James’ health at risk but Sloane does have memories returning.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, everything comes together. Realm offers Sloane the chance to remember especially since her parents are planning to send her back into treatment because she is hanging out with James again but thanks to Realm she, James, Lacey and Kevin all have a way out and the question is now will they make it to freedom before they are caught. Overall, I didn’t enjoy the treatment as much as the Remedy but there are links between the two novels but I still can’t wait to jump into the Treatment to see what happens to Sloane and James next.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Also see: The Remedy by Suzanne Young
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