The Program

Title: The Program
Author: Suzanne Young
Pages: 408 (hardcover)
Series: The Program (#1)
Publication: April 2013
Summary: In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program.

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.

My Thoughts: First things first, despite the mini-rant that is about to follow, I did really enjoy this book. It's not an instant favorite of mine, though, but I did enjoy reading it and I appreciate the world that Young has built. However I do have a bone or two to pick. When I was reading Part I of this novel, I have to say, I thought Sloane and James were a bit too codependent. I understand that they were in love and all, but it was as if she couldn't function even semi-normally when she wasn't around him, which I'm assuming was a part of the disease. It got a little annoying at first and I found myself skimming the "he's my everything" parts, but once I got to Part II the story picked up in pace. This is when I was sucked in. You learn more about The Program and how it works from the inside out. Not only that, but this is when my favorite part comes into play: the character development. And god I love me some good character development.

My favorite part about this books would probably be how attached you become to Suzanne Young's characters not through the set up, but through Sloane's memories. I'm also a really big fan of dystopian books, but this one felt a little different. It wasn't like the government was trying to control everyone and keep the people under it's ever-watching thumb (does that even make any sense?). The people in the book were free to go where they wanted, eat what they wanted (I mean Coke and McDonalds still exists in this world), and they can even go on vacations. You don't feel that kind of freedom when it comes to other dystopian novels, and I like that change.

Another thing I noticed that sets this dystopian-esque book from the others is that most of the other dystopian societies you read about are ones that are long gone, yet in The Program you can tell that it's only the beginning of the end. It's a theme that you don't really get to see in many dystopians. Usually they might tell you how a society ended up this way, but you don't actually see it happen within the book.

The reason why this novel doesn't get five stars is mostly because of this theme of stubbornness being the female protagonist's fatal flaw.  Kind of like Clary, from Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series, Sloane is loyal and stubborn to the point of illogical recklessness. When you reach the ending, you understand why a little bit more, but it's a theme that's getting a little overused in YA literature. It's less prominent toward the end, but I started to grow tired of how Sloane would rebel for the sake of rebellion and act out for selfish reasons about halfway through reading this book. She doesn't really think of the consequences of her actions much until the end, but that's a problem with most teens so I guess it was quite accurate on that level.

All that aside, I did really enjoy this book. Young brings up a very thought provoking subject: if such an epidemic of suicidal teens were to happen, would it be best to get rid of the thoughts, painful memories, and darkness completely? Or is it best to let it happen, sacrificing the mental well-being of a few but in turn giving teens the freedom to feel a full range of emotion? In the end, it comes down to whether or not you can you really appreciate the highs of life without the lows. 
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars