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The Program

(The Program #1)

Suzanne Young (Goodreads Author)

4.05 · Rating details · 44,800 ratings · 5,723 reviews

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 ke ...more

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Hardcover, 405 pages

Published April 28th 2013 by Simon Pulse

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· 44,800 ratings · 5,723 reviews

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Oct 11, 2012 Sandra rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nooo-way, omfg, stay-with-me-forever, liked-the-characters-some-or-all, first-book-in-a-series-on-trilogy, sad, young-adult, sexy-males, need-to-finish-this-series, love-triangles

After having some time to think, i made the overall conclusion that this book is the most frustrating and saddest book i have ever read.

The Program is set in a world where depression and suicide are considered a virus. If you are thought to have caught the virus, the handlers come to get you and take you to a facility known as The Program.

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Little teaser..
I look back at James one last time, and he gives me his signature smile, wide and cocky. But it's not real. Sometimes i think it's nev ...more

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Apr 11, 2013 MischaS_ rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: Everybody

Shelves: favorites, this-author-s-want-to-kill-me, best-books-ever, best-men-ever, strong-feelings, wow, top-20, best-girls-ever, pb

A funny thing about this book is that I only ever read it when on a train. For some reason, it became my travelling read.
The first part of the book was totally mindblowing. It left me speechless so many times. I loved how we were thrown straight into the story. All the time I felt like this would give me a heart attack! This book was/is amazing! I love it and I love James!
Except for the epilogue... I hate this type of epilogues: two weeks later, ten years later etc. That was slightly disappoin ...more

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Jul 20, 2014 Shelby *trains flying monkeys* rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult, end-of-the-world, liburry-book, read-2015

I can see why some readers of young adult are swearing off dystopic stories now. I actually like dystopia, but I can see that they are beginning to suffer from the same story different day tropes. This for me is one of those.

First of all, you have suicide as an epidemic. WTF?
Supposedly, one in three or four kids are killing themselves. Why? I don't remember reading why in this book. It vaguely mentions that anti-depressants have been over prescribed and that "might" be the reason. Dude, I don't ...more

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Jun 19, 2015 Maureen rated it it was ok

Well I had a lot of issues with this book, but there were *some* good things so I don't think a 1 star was necessary. It was very nearly that though! IF YOU LOVE THIS BOOK YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT LOVE THIS REVIEW JUST PRIOR WARNING.
Before we go further in this review, let me just say this book (and review) will have some trigger warnings for suicide, self harm, & depression.
Let's start with the positives. The plot of the book was really interesting and the writing was alright. I definitely sped t Well I had a lot of issues with this book, but there were *some* good things so I don't think a 1 star was necessary. It was very nearly that though! IF YOU LOVE THIS BOOK YOU WILL PROBABLY NOT LOVE THIS REVIEW JUST PRIOR WARNING.
Before we go further in this review, let me just say this book (and review) will have some trigger warnings for suicide, self harm, & depression.
Let's start with the positives. The plot of the book was really interesting and the writing was alright. I definitely sped through it because I wanted to know what happened. The ending was really interesting as well and makes me curious about the rest of the books in the series. It's fast paced and easy to read and get through.
NOW FOR THE NEGATIVES. The main plot of this book is that suicide is a contagious disease that The Program is trying to eradicate. THIS IS WHERE MY ISSUES BEGIN. Making suicidal thoughts and depression a disease to further the plot in a dystopian book is something I am not okay with. It trivializes it in SO MANY WAYS. And I am sure some misinformed people believe depression and suicidal tendencies are already contagious - we don't need a fictional book to further that point. YO EVERYONE DEPRESSION IS NOT CONTAGIOUS YOU DON'T NEED TO AVOID PEOPLE THAT ARE DEPRESSED YOU CAN'T CATCH IT FROM THEM. At one point a character self-harms and it is described as a symptom and I just could not. "Suicide" was a disease that started with the same signs and the same types of depression leading to the same result. Mental illnesses ARE diseases of the mind, but they are not all the same, nor are people the same under their influences. That was another issue I had - how depression was dealt with. It was all portrayed the same way with the same symptoms in different people...and depression isn't the same for everyone. It looks so different to so many people.
I am sure the author was trying to bring mental illness into the light since it is so often shunned and run from, but I don't think a dystopian book was the best place to do that. At all. To me, it just made these important mental illnesses seem like a trivial thing and a plot device. There are so many great ways to shed light on mental illness and this book did none of those things.
Other unrelated issues: there was some instalove and overall the characters were pretty not great. I didn't love Sloane as a protagonist, but I did like James a bit more than everyone else!
I personally felt like this book made light of a lot of serious topics that should be talked about in the correct way to help people that suffer from them. It's not edgy or cool or a disease that can be cured in a certain spoilery way (which I ALSO didn't agree with but didn't want to spoil). I just...really was annoyed with this book. And angry because it could've been so much better.
p.s. I am not a perfect person, so if I misrepresented something up in this review somewhere, plz let me know respectfully and I will change it! THANKYEW. ...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Kate rated it did not like it

Shelves: ya, science-fiction, unfinished

Edit, July 2014: Wow, so much passion about this review over a year later! While you can certainly feel free to leave comments on this review, I don't see my opinion of the book changing. The fact that the book is fiction does not change my opinion that it's irresponsible and unrealistic (particularly in a science fiction novel, which is supposed to be based on scientific fact) to portray mental illness in the way it is shown in The Program.

Books don't usually piss me off, but then I don't usual Edit, July 2014: Wow, so much passion about this review over a year later! While you can certainly feel free to leave comments on this review, I don't see my opinion of the book changing. The fact that the book is fiction does not change my opinion that it's irresponsible and unrealistic (particularly in a science fiction novel, which is supposed to be based on scientific fact) to portray mental illness in the way it is shown in The Program.

Books don't usually piss me off, but then I don't usually read books as poorly researched, offensive, and misleading as The Program.

The premise is that suicide is claiming the lives of one in three American teenagers - an epidemic. The government has developed a brainwashing program to remove the memories of teens they flag as suicide risks, thinking that if they remove the bad memories from someone's brain, they will magically stop being depressed and stop wanting to kill themselves.

Number one, this is some flawed science right here. DECADES of research has shown that chemical imbalances are what cause depression, not bad memories or personal experiences. There are people who have been through hell and back who don't have depression, and people who have led positive lives who do. I don't think the scientific community would suddenly throw all that research away and decide that brainwashing teenagers would be a good method of suicide prevention. Decades of research have also shown that repressing your feelings doesn't get rid of depression either, which Sloane and James seem to think it does.

Number two, this seems to take place in the extremely near future - as in, maybe a couple years from the present. Does Young seriously expect us to believe that NO ONE - no governing body, no organization, no suicide awareness charities - would intervene to try to stop this "Program" from development and implementation? That no uprising of mental health advocates would take place to protest this wildly inappropriate treatment of minor children?

Number three, you cannot "catch" depression and suicidal thoughts the way Young depicts in this book. You will not become suicidal by hanging out with suicidal people. It might not be the most pleasant experience, but it won't make you suicidal by association, as if it were a virus. I know that this is a fiction book, and that teens reading this book will be able to tell the difference between fantasy and reality. But when dealing with issues like mental health, which are ALREADY so misunderstood and stigmatized, I consider it irresponsible to paint depression and suicidal tendencies as contagious and something worth cutting ties with someone over.

There were other problems I had with this book, such as the codependency between Sloane and James being painted as "romantic," but the big ones above were enough to make me stop reading about halfway through. Don't, just don't collect this book. ...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Giselle rated it liked it

Shelves: own, arc

If I wasn't so bored with dystopians lately, this one might have been more enjoyable for me. Although it has a little contemporary feel to it more than most, and the plot direction it takes is different from the expected and clichés "run and hide from the big bad government", in the end I still felt that it was yet another dystopian novel that doesn't particularly stand out from the rest.

A little reminiscent of Delirium, The Program involves teen suicide and how its become an epidemic, and the c If I wasn't so bored with dystopians lately, this one might have been more enjoyable for me. Although it has a little contemporary feel to it more than most, and the plot direction it takes is different from the expected and clichés "run and hide from the big bad government", in the end I still felt that it was yet another dystopian novel that doesn't particularly stand out from the rest.

A little reminiscent of Delirium, The Program involves teen suicide and how its become an epidemic, and the cure involves wiping them out into a clean slate. This means memory removal of anything that could cause negative feelings. Thus, if you're a teenager and you show any sort of negative emotions like crying, you better make sure no one sees you! I liked the idea of this world and I personally found it much more believable than Delirium, in the sense that I can see how society agreed to this mind erasing program if it will save their children from suicide (I had difficulty believing that society could be convinced love was a disease--but that is a review for another time >.<). I found the system intimidating and quite the paradox--some rather die than go through the program if they're flagged, for others, having your best friend, or anyone you love, not remember who you are is heartbreaking in every sense turning you emotionally vulnerable. Although it delivers a fairly predictable story arc, The Program is ultimately a tragic love story and this part was done quite well.

While the plot itself was enjoyable, I did not find myself connecting to the characters as much as I would have liked. They were likeable characters, but Sloane didn't strike me as an especially memorable MC. Same goes for the side characters, Sloane makes a few friends throughout the story, and none of them were well developed. They were used as nothing more than "extras". There is even one character who was kind of a creep for the bigger part of the book that annoyed me senselessly. He seemed to always be sneaking around intimidating Sloane every chance he got, and I didn't see the point of it. The book could have gone without him; he was gross, his storyline felt random and out of place, and when he had done his "task" to help the plot along (which could have been achieved without him), he was just gone and forgotten. He might be back in the sequel, but really I don't see the point--it seems his only role is to add unnecessary ickiness.

In the end, The Program is a love story. The main reason I didn't love this book is due to my distance from the romance itself. I have a hard time falling for a romance when one is already established beforehand. I love seeing connections strike and relationships bloom, when I get into a book with it pre-existing, I don't get that fluttery young love feeling towards it as much. There were flashbacks that showed the strength of their love for each other which helped, though this helped me understand their relationship, it didn't leave me swooning over it. Therefore, while I cared about the protagonist and what she was going through, and I deduced the implied sadness or tragic nature of it all, I felt like I was more of a curious observer than someone invested into the heart of it.

With so may previously failed dystopians this year, The Program is easily one of the better ones I've read lately. If I hadn't read so many I might have given this one more slack; as it stands I liked it but I don't see it sticking out from the masses in the cluster of dystopians in my memory.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Mitch rated it liked it

Reactions to The Program will differ I think based on which of these two scenarios you were expecting:

A) a thought provoking treatment of teen suicide
-or-
B) a typical dystopian that co-opts yet another attention grabbing premise only to degenerate into the same evil government conspiracy keeping apart the star crossed lovers plot

If you thought B), The Program is a perfectly fine book. Ignore this review and enjoy the book for what it is. Personally though, I thought A), so my reaction went from Reactions to The Program will differ I think based on which of these two scenarios you were expecting:

A) a thought provoking treatment of teen suicide
-or-
B) a typical dystopian that co-opts yet another attention grabbing premise only to degenerate into the same evil government conspiracy keeping apart the star crossed lovers plot

If you thought B), The Program is a perfectly fine book. Ignore this review and enjoy the book for what it is. Personally though, I thought A), so my reaction went from intrigued, to somewhat disturbed, before finally settling on disappointed. Suicide is, don't get me wrong, a serious issue of mental health, but while I certainly don't expect every young adult book to handle it with the grace of say, Karen Healey's The Shattering, I do think Suzanne Young could have done a much better job tackling the issue rather than just using it as gimmicky setup fodder for an otherwise average dystopian.

Then again, it's no wonder the strongest elements of The Program are in the first of this three part book, when Young seems to be actually writing about suicide. Normally, I'd find the idea of people in white lab coats just waiting to haul kids away at the first sign of mental illness ridiculous, but in this case combined with the depictions of rampant depression and the threat of the radical fix provided by The Program, I had a lot to chew on. I liked trying to figure out whether Sloane was an unreliable narrator because she could've been depressed herself (explaining her attitude towards The Program), looking at the situation from the parent's point of view (which for once is actually believable for a dystopian, I totally get why parents would put their kids through The Program rather than standing by, doing nothing, and allowing something bad to happen), and having to decide whether the results of The Program, in lives saved, are worth the costs. Heck, I even liked how Sloane and James sort of had to rely on each other after Sloane’s brother’s suicide, so for a brief while at least, I could definitely say I was intrigued by the whole setup.

Unfortunately, it really was a brief while, because even though thoughts were provoked, they never went anywhere. Instead, it seems to me like Young never really planned to explore the suicide issue in the depth I was expecting and instead just takes an almost simplistic, black and white view to the whole thing. There really aren't any shades of gray with Sloane and her friends being 'good' while The Program is 'evil', and where does that lead? Don’t join The Program because you'll leave a mindless zombie, but what's the alternative? Denying reality until one day you just off yourself? I just really didn’t feel like it was Young’s intent to explore suicide as an issue; instead her intent all along seems to be for The Program to be the evil government conspiracy doing bad things to Sloane and her friends disguised in this case as suicide prevention and treatment, and it just didn’t feel right without having some sort of effective alternative; Sloane doesn’t want treatment and she doesn’t really want to kill herself either (at least when she’s not sick), but what should she do then? It's hard to blame a government conspiracy for being evil when they're doing exactly the kind of thing I would expect a government to do given an epidemic of teen suicide - step in and stop it.

Now that brings me to Part Two and Three, where the book really falls apart. I don’t have a problem with Sloane’s time in treatment or how she tries to beat The Program once she gets out per se, but it’s nothing more or less than any other dystopian plot dealing with government conspiracies or memory loss - although it’s kind of weird Sloane’s magically all better once she arrives without going through any sort of treatment or healing process. Instead, it’s what Young doesn't say about suicide treatment that really bothers me. What she’s saying I guess is in the world of The Program depression is linked to certain memories, and excising them causes the subject to be cured (ok... incredulous but sure I’ll accept this for the book to work), and yet to fight The Program Sloane ends up looking for her lost memories. The same ones that supposedly made her suicidal in the first place. Wouldn’t she become depressed and try to kill herself again then? Has she really been cured then? Do these plot twists really explore the suicide aspect? Or are they just to set up yet another true love will overcome the evil dystopian government conspiracy induced memory loss plot because Sloane obviously reunites with James on the outside?

I guess my problem is, for a book about teen suicide, The Program isn’t really about teen suicide. The suicide angle ultimately makes very little sense and the treatment aspects of The Program are only superficially explored, the rest of the book is just a generic dystopian that doesn’t build upon the teen suicide premise as much as exploit it for world building points, and that just doesn’t feel right to me. ...more

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Feb 26, 2017 Sophie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

This is one of my new favorite books.
And I mean it's a top favorite.

I can't even explain how much I love this book. And I think a lot of my love for it could come from the fact that it really hit home. I've never personally had depression, but when I was in high school there was someone in my life who was really, really important to me. And I was right there during every second of his battle. It was really devastating, and something I don't like to remember very often, but this book brought me ...more

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Sep 23, 2014 Sophie's Reading Corner rated it really liked it

Shelves: emotional, bad-boys, friends-to-lovers, dystopia

4 madly stars

Imagine a world where teenagers are in danger of themselves. A world where teenagers kill themselves and suicides are contagious.

"If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you, too?"
Apparently, the answer is yes.

To prevent this situation, the school district made the Program. Handlers will take anyone with suicidal tendencies. They will lock them in their institution and there they will take away their memories. When they get out they will be sent in a private school desi ...more

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Aug 16, 2016 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it liked it

Recommended to Aj the Ravenous Reader by: Chelsea ❤Peril Please❤

Shelves: physically-owned-books, sci-fi, apocalyptic-post-apocalytic, young-adult

I’ll make this quick and painless like ‘DeathQuik’.^^ It’s a cheesy, gooey, melodramatic love story in the guise of a dystopian novel with a futuristic setting in which people are plagued with an epidemic that makes them want to go and kill themselves. Don’t bother with the whys because you won’t get any. Just go along with the story and the half absurdity of it all and I’m sure you’ll enjoy. Lol. If you don’t like that kind of stuff I’d say you skip it but if you gather much enjoyment and enter ...more

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Jul 14, 2014 Angela rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star-favorites, read-it-and-weep

http://southernbredsouthernread.blogs...

I put off reading The Program for so long. I had really no idea what it was about and I haven't truly known anyone whose read it. It's been in my TBR pile for about four months if not more. So I finally picked it up. I wish someone would have recommended this to me so I would have done it sooner. The Program was a a huge surprise.

With suicide rates at and all time high, and it being considered a disease you have to be careful of what you say or do ...more

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Apr 22, 2014 Christine Wallflower & Dark Romance Junkie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: creepy-or-weird, dystopian, young-adult, words-evoke-emotion, it-hurts-in-my-heart, bloody-love-triangle, thriller-suspense, mental-illness

4.5 Mental Stars

Imagine a world where suicide is an epidemic. Where showing signs of depression could get you sent away, and you'd come back as only a shell of your former self. Where shedding even one tear could wipe away your entire past...

I've always had a fascination with mental illness and how it works. Sloane, lives in a world where anti-depressants have been banned, after her brother committed suicide she couldn't even mourn because that would've have gotten her flagged and sent away to T ...more

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Jan 20, 2013 B rated it really liked it

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC.

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Oct 24, 2013 Emerson Forest-angelos rated it did not like it

Probably the worst book I have ever read. Concept is absolutely awful, makes a joke of eating disorders and depression like everyone can magically get infected for no reason. Suzanne Young's writing is reminiscent of Stephanie Meyer's because it is really just downright awful. Main characters have sex right off the bat in the beginning, and it's pathetic, strange, and sporadic. The opening of the book feels more like an erotica, then the middle turns into this unrealistic stupid crap about the P ...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Jamie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian-utopian, young-adult, upcoming-challenge

Suicide rates are higher than ever in the time period for this book. Seems mostly similar to current time but medical technology is higher and civilization control it tighter. Why? because 1 in 3 teens are offing themselves.

Right from the beginning the program annoys me in how high risks are decided. I see why people are concerned... But they are asked these daily questions such as "Are you overwhelmed or lonely?" Who isn't, once in a while at least, 1 of those things. Ugh...they need a better s Suicide rates are higher than ever in the time period for this book. Seems mostly similar to current time but medical technology is higher and civilization control it tighter. Why? because 1 in 3 teens are offing themselves.

Right from the beginning the program annoys me in how high risks are decided. I see why people are concerned... But they are asked these daily questions such as "Are you overwhelmed or lonely?" Who isn't, once in a while at least, 1 of those things. Ugh...they need a better set of standards to filter people. You can't cry in public that is bad. If you know someone who died that is bad and if you dare contact with someone just out of The Program, WATCH OUT!

The Program is there to take away teens that an adult considers a suicide risk (see the paragraph above for what can quickly get you there). The take you in and six weeks later you are re-introduced to society, happier than ever. Sounds good, right? Except for one major catch. The Program strips you of many of your memories. So students return not knowing their classmates and friends.

Sloane has had one of her good friends taken away. Not she only has 2 left. One of them is her steady boyfriend James. But when she losses them what happens to her? You got it...into The Program. For this I hate her mother. I understand not wanting to lose your daughter but just because others are gone does not okay what she does. I can't say too much without spoiling things so I will leave it off there.

Now I get that suicide is bad. I get wanting to get it under control but there is one thing that is in this book adults seem to have no control over. QuikDeath. A drink you take that will kill you in minutes.Why don't adults work harder to get rid of something students can buy (even at school) that can easily kill them? The lock windows and ask you questionnaires and have you living in constant anxiety but can't work to remove a drink or get better control of it?!

In the program Sloane is harassed be a scumy handler, moniterd by nursed, questioned by therapists and makes a few new friends. But the ultimate questions are what is going on and who is being honest with her and does she have any hope of remembering when all is said and done...

This book was emotionally hard for me at times. Having to deal with a loved one with amnesia once. It is beyond a horrible feeling to look at one you care for and see a totally blank stare and know they have no idea who you are to them. I think this alone could break a person. No wonder suicide is one the rise! if you don't lose someone to death, you lose them in your life and you always need to wear an emotional mask in case adults begin to wonder if it is your turn.

Sloane is actually a very strong character. I feel so bad for all she has to endure. There were many times I was cheering her on, others biting my fingernails out of worry and others smacking the book for her reactions or lack thereof or those moments she is too naive for her own good.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It hits on levels of adult and government control, fear, love, loss and so much more. Lots of depth. Suzanne Young did an amazing job in getting me to empathize with Sloane. I will be sure to read the next book! ...more

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Jan 31, 2017 Cindy rated it did not like it

What could have been potential for great commentary about society's treatment of mental health and suicide is squandered by badly written, melodramatic teenage drivel. ...more

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Aug 01, 2019 Rachel Reads Ravenously rated it liked it

Shelves: library-checkout, young-adult, 3-stars-aint-the-devil, audiobook, dystopia, science-fiction

3.5 stars

“...some things are better left in the past. And true things are destined to repeat themselves.”

Since Goodreads published a list of the Top 100 YA books, I have been making a conscious effort to read (almost) all of them. The Program makes 74/100. You can find the list here: https://bit.ly/2MtitVH

The Program is a YA dystopia novel where teen suicide is a sweeping epidemic. In response to this, the US government has created a program which saves the life of a suicidal teen. The onl ...more

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Aug 23, 2012 Arlene rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, arc, ya-dystopic, read-2013

Okay, I’ve put this off long enough, so I’m just going to power through this… See, I’ve struggled for over a couple of weeks putting into words what The Program is truly about. My hesitation lies with the possibility that when I say, …This book is about suicide, but it’s really not about suicide... someone will take that one statement and not only get irritated with my lacking analogy but also not give The Program a chance.

So allow me a few moments while I try to convince you not to make the s Okay, I’ve put this off long enough, so I’m just going to power through this… See, I’ve struggled for over a couple of weeks putting into words what The Program is truly about. My hesitation lies with the possibility that when I say, …This book is about suicide, but it’s really not about suicide... someone will take that one statement and not only get irritated with my lacking analogy but also not give The Program a chance.

So allow me a few moments while I try to convince you not to make the same mistake I did. I put this book off for so long because of the subject matter. I mean, who gets excited about reading something so dismal when you can pick up a love story? That was my first error in judgment. This book is really good and it’s truly not just about depression and suicide, but more about hope.

The Program is quite unique in its own right. In the book, we learn about a society that faces a teen pandemic, where suicide rates are out of control and society has responded with an aggressive treatment strategy with The Program. There are handlers that keep their eye out for at-risk teenagers between the ages of 13 – 17, and at the first signs of depression, they enroll them in The Program that erases their memories and emotions. After the six weeks of treatment, they are carefully immersed back into society with a fresh start and a clean slate.

Brilliant right?!?! Not so much... Teenagers fear losing their memories and the emotions tied to friendships that are meaningful to them.

Sloane’s brother and best friend have both committed suicide and her friend Lucy is taken into The Program after attempting the QuickDeath. When her boyfriend James, who promised to never let them fall victim to The Program, is taken by the handlers, Sloane is left to fight, scheme and sacrifice to hold on to what’s hers.

Overall, The Program is about fighting society in an attempt to hold on to what’s yours… your memories, your emotions, and your feelings that make you - you. The writing is flawless, and the message is clear. If I had to sum up in one short statement what Suzanne Young is trying to convey, I’d have to say she was clear about sharing how important it is to not lose sight of who you are and what you cherish.

The concept is pretty severe; and like I said, it took me a while to get into the right frame of mind to jump into the book. But, once I read a few short chapters, I quickly experienced that “tell me more!” feeling. My only regret is that I feel this book would have made a magnificent stand-alone, but I understand that it’s part of a series. As much as I was awed by Young’s writing and impressed with her plot, I can’t see myself buying into the propaganda of “the story continues…” I appreciated my time with Young’s characters and I applaud her writing skills, but I can pretty much figure out the rest from here.

Overall, though, The Program is truly a story not to be missed. It may seem daunting, but not without a good serving of hope. Color me impressed!
...more

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Dec 03, 2013 Renata rated it it was ok

Shelves: dependent-female-characters

This book was an entertaining read, I will give it that. Unfortunately, I had some major problems with it. For one thing, you didn't get any good descriptions of anything really besides James. It is true it leaves the reader to his or her imagination, but a better writer would give you some of both.

Secondly, Sloane was very dependent on boys. She depended on James to get her through Brady's death, she depended on Realm to get her through the program, and she even depended on Roger to help her r ...more

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Apr 03, 2015 Sarah Elizabeth rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, romance, r2r-complete, read-2015, read-with-abbie, as, death, sci-fi, young-adult

“Don’t say that,” he snaps. “Don’t even think of it.” He lets go of my hand. “I’ll kill myself before they ever take me into The Program.”

This was an okay story, and I liked parts of it (mostly the romance), but the pace was very slow, and it dragged a bit.

I felt quite sorry for both Sloane and James in this story. Both of them had lost Sloane’s brother who was a best friend to both of them, and to lose other friends too, it really wasn’t a nice situation for them to be in, and their depress ...more

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Feb 19, 2017 Danielle (The Blonde Likes Books) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

The Program was one of my Beat the Backlist challenge books, since it’s been on my TBR list since 2014, and it really hit home for me, so it actually took me a while to finish the book even though I loved it.
The Program is set in the not-so-distant future in a world where suicide has become an epidemic. Those under the age of 18 are closely monitored for signs of “infection” (aka: depression) and if they are displaying the signs, they are taken to The Program, where their memories are erased and The Program was one of my Beat the Backlist challenge books, since it’s been on my TBR list since 2014, and it really hit home for me, so it actually took me a while to finish the book even though I loved it.
The Program is set in the not-so-distant future in a world where suicide has become an epidemic. Those under the age of 18 are closely monitored for signs of “infection” (aka: depression) and if they are displaying the signs, they are taken to The Program, where their memories are erased and they are “cured”.

Seventeen year old Sloan lost her older brother to suicide, which makes her high risk herself. All Sloan wants is to make it to 18 so she doesn’t have to worry about The Program anymore – to her, losing her memories of her brother, friends, and boyfriend is a fate worse than death.

When Sloan ends up being sent in for treatment, she vows to fight every step of the way.

I really loved The Program, and the concept when you think about it is incredibly sad for so many reasons. The thought that anyone under the age of 18 basically has no control or say over their own minds, memories, and thoughts is horrifying. They are expected not to grieve for losses because otherwise they might get flagged for being sick. They have to live their lives walking on eggshells and hiding their emotions. In addition, the thought that anyone could intentionally change/remove someone’s memories against their will is terrible. That seems like such a violation, I can’t imagine living in that constant fear that something like that would happen to me!

Now, I’m about to get a little personal. The topic of suicide hits really close to home for me, and in the beginning of the book, one suicide is retold through memories and another happens in real time. I cried through both. I was diagnosed with depression in 2003 and started medication for it, and in 2007 when I was 17, I attempted suicide. I can relate to the feeling of complete and utter hopelessness that makes you feel like ending your life is the best option. In addition to my own suicide attempt, I’ve lost two friends to suicide – one in 2006 and one in 2015, so I can also understand how helpless and guilty you feel when you learn that a friend took their own life, so through the first part of the book I really related to the characters in every sense of the word, and I kept getting super emotional about it and taking breaks from reading. I still struggle with depression and anxiety, but overall am doing well and am in a good place, so no worries there in case you were wondering.

Okay, so enough about me and back to the book. Aside from the book being written really well and triggering a lot of emotions in me, I loved the characters. I adore Sloan and her boyfriend James. They had such a cute relationship and I loved how it felt like they were only completely comfortable and open around each other, and no one else. My heart broke with they both went thorough The Program and had their memories altered. The book leaves off on a little bit of a cliffhanger, so I’m dying to read book two so I can see what happens with them! I have a lot of unanswered questions, and I’m hoping everything gets wrapped up in the next book.
Overall, I adored the book and recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the YA genre. There’s some action, lots of emotion, great friendships, a strong heroine, and great romance! It was a 5 star book for me! ...more

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Apr 13, 2013 C.G. Drews rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-2014, sci-fi, dystopian, young-adult, 5-star

Ohhh my gosh, where do I even start? How do I even sum up the awesomeness that is this book? I expected to like it, but I absolutely ADORED it. It hit all these teary chords in my heart and I sniffled quite a bit. It's talent to writ a book about a depressing subject and have the reader come out mildly happy at the end. This book has aaaall the talent.

Do I shelve it as dystopian, though? It's set Somewhere In the Very Near Future, where teens are treated for depression by locking them up an Ohhh my gosh, where do I even start? How do I even sum up the awesomeness that is this book? I expected to like it, but I absolutely ADORED it. It hit all these teary chords in my heart and I sniffled quite a bit. It's talent to writ a book about a depressing subject and have the reader come out mildly happy at the end. This book has aaaall the talent.

Do I shelve it as dystopian, though? It's set Somewhere In the Very Near Future, where teens are treated for depression by locking them up and shoving drugs down their throat. Side effects = memory loss. Of, like, everything . (For some random reason, I actually thought this book was about curing teenagers of "love", so I'm obviously mixing it up with something else. Perhaps Delirium by Lauren Oliver? NO CLUE. But it was completely different to what I thought I was getting! My bad.) I was pretty outraged by the book, actually. Basically, if you're depressed and under 18, you have no control over yourself. It was so sad. I was angry at Sloane's parents for dobbing her into The Program. I was angry at the inventors of The Program to think it was humane.

But the entire book did bring up huge and very interesting issues. Like: grief. There is no easy way to deal with grief...so why not fantasise about getting rid of it? I totally think "The Program" is something that COULD happen. It felt realistic to me and well thought out. Sucky and terrifying, to be sure, but... um, it's supposed to be.

Characters? It's narrated by Sloane (the new most common girls name in YA but whatever). She spent most of the book lying...trying to be happy but being so, so miserable. Still, I didn't find her whiny or annoying. I was sympathising with her the whole time, and ohhh my gosh, hug this poor lamb. James was amazingly written too. I'm so pleased with these two. I ship them so hard, I practically Titanitced them. Which...kind of happened too. BUT HEY: NO SPOILERS. I loved how we learnt more about James through flashbacks. Their relationship just grew and grew through the book and it was so beautiful. One of my all-time favourite YA couples now.
description

Losing memories is a topic that scares me...but it was so well written. One chapter Sloane is thinking this way...the next she's all medicated up and thinking differently. It was always perfect. Well, you know, apart from her brain being messed up. But it was written smoothly. I can't stress how much I loved this! Although...I have a terrible memory and so it kind of scared me how Sloane was forgetting. DON'T FORGET ABOUT JAMES DAMMIT. There sinks my favouritest ship.

The ending screams for a sequel. Like: ASAP. That bothers me because I don't have the sequel on hand. I NEED IT. And despite being 400-pages, I breezed through the whole thing in 2 sittings. It's addictive writing and the story line begs to be solved. This is one book I'm pretty extra sure I'll love forever. ...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Nina rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, 2013-release-date, read-in-2013, series-i-have-quit

That ending... This book was simply amazing.

The only thing that I didn't like about this book was the romance, and the repetition that occurred in the first 120 pages. After finishing the book, I understood why Suzanne Young wrote those scenes, and I loved that she did.

The idea for The Program was actually quite brilliant, but also a bit frightening. This book is not a dystopia, it's more or less the exact same government that we have today. It's scary that something as horrible as suicide could ...more

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Mar 14, 2015 Rachel E. Carter rated it really liked it

I would recommend this book to fans of All Our Yesterdays. I thought at first I wouldn't enjoy because the protagonist was already together with the guy... but then I saw where this book was going and it was brilliant. The romance was spot on. I fell in love with James just like Sloane. I just didn't love some of the plot elements in the Program itself (honestly I had a hard time with how convenient certain elements were (view spoiler) ...more

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May 11, 2014 Ben Alderson rated it it was amazing

amazing amazing AMAZING!

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Feb 22, 2013 Brooklyn rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reviewed, 5-stars, made-me-cry, series, so-much-emotion, tab-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. "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 ...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Trish at Between My Lines rated it really liked it

Shelves: reviews-done

The Program is a book with oodles of plot holes but I was still sucked in. It kept me on the edge of my seat, reading nervously, always waiting for the axe to fall. I couldn't put it down so even though it’s far from flawless, I have to give it 4 stars.

Sloane’s brother has committed suicide and Sloane’s parents will do anything to stop her falling victim to the teen suicide epidemic that is sweeping the world. Even if that means sending her to The Program where teens are sent for a treatment cou The Program is a book with oodles of plot holes but I was still sucked in. It kept me on the edge of my seat, reading nervously, always waiting for the axe to fall. I couldn't put it down so even though it’s far from flawless, I have to give it 4 stars.

Sloane’s brother has committed suicide and Sloane’s parents will do anything to stop her falling victim to the teen suicide epidemic that is sweeping the world. Even if that means sending her to The Program where teens are sent for a treatment course that wipes all their memories.

My review is going to seem contradictory as I’m pointing out lots of negatives but at the same time I couldn’t put this book down. I had to keep reading to see what happened next.

My first criticism is that in this world, you can’t show emotions. You have to bite your lip and bury those feelings down inside you as deep as you can push them. Probably while building up an ulcer for the future at the same time! And what would make a teenager be more emotional than being told they can’t show emotions? Plus if you push down emotions, they eventually have to explode like a volcano, messy and destructive.

Also in The Program, your memories are wiped clean and this seems to equate with now being depression free. However, depression is caused by a chemical imbalance rather than the events in your life so wiping the memories would not mean an instant fix. And if you did, then what is to stop new experiences causing fresh bouts. And surely, a lack of memories would be very traumatic and likely to cause further depression and anxiety as has been shown in amnesia victims.

Even with these flaws as I have already mentioned (twice!), I couldn’t put this book down. I think you are probably getting the picture that despite everything, this was still a good reading experience. I was like a fish at the end of the fishing line being slowly reeled in. My choice was gone. Even though I kept noting plot holes, it didn’t detract from how readable The Program is.

The plotline feels unique and the pace of the book worked well. It is split into 3 sections; pre the program, during the program and post the program. I enjoyed the format, it built up momentum for the story arc. Sloane was a little bit of a weak character (but still likeable) as we didn’t learn a lot about her apart from feelings about The Program and her feelings for James and her family. As for James, I loved him. He is not the typical YA character, he feels real. He is not the perfect boyfriend or the typical bad boy. He is just normal. There were a number of other characters that I enjoyed too and some I want to know more about.

So as you can gather, I had lots of problems BUT I still feel it deserves 4 stars. I know my review reads more like a 3 star review but trust me I still loved it. My first thought when I was finished reading was, I hope I don’t have to wait too long for book 2. And I have no problem recommending this book to those who like dystopia novels just be aware that the world building isn’t perfect.
...more

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May 20, 2011 Hannah marked it as to-read

Suzanne Young, Simon Pulse, and brainwashing. These are a few of my favorite things.

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May 26, 2013 Larry H rated it it was amazing

Holy crap, I loved this book. It's been a while since a story has so gripped me that I felt the need to finish it in one day, and then was disappointed once I was finished that it was over. But Suzanne Young's The Program is one of those novels.

Teen suicide has reached epidemic proportions, deemed a "behavioral contagion." To combat this enormous problem, the only proven course of treatment is The Program. Those who appear to be suffering from depression, or associated with those who are depress Holy crap, I loved this book. It's been a while since a story has so gripped me that I felt the need to finish it in one day, and then was disappointed once I was finished that it was over. But Suzanne Young's The Program is one of those novels.

Teen suicide has reached epidemic proportions, deemed a "behavioral contagion." To combat this enormous problem, the only proven course of treatment is The Program. Those who appear to be suffering from depression, or associated with those who are depressed or have committed suicide, are "flagged" at the first sign of a problem, and taken against their will to experience six weeks of drug-induced memory erasure, followed by enrollment in a new school, with a new wardrobe as well as sterile and crisis-free surroundings, where emotions of any kind are frowned upon.

Sloane is trying as hard as she can to hold her life together. Her older brother, Brady, committed suicide before people realized how big of a problem suicide was becoming, and she and her family have never quite recovered from this blow they didn't see coming. But Sloane and her boyfriend, James, who was Brady's best friend, try desperately to keep each other from falling prey to any type of behavior that might lead to their being turned into The Program, even by their own parents. (The propaganda being generated by The Program has brainwashed most parents into "turning in" their children in an effort to save them from themselves.)

When another of their best friends commits suicide, the pressure to keep themselves together becomes too much to bear, and James, and then Sloane, find themselves taken into The Program against their will, although they vow to always remember each other and their love. As Sloane finds her memories being eradicated, she realizes that her depression is disappearing as well, and she starts to wonder whether she is better off sacrificing the good memories she had to help her avoid the crushing ones. But things in The Program aren't quite what they seem, and with the help of friends "on the inside," she tries to figure out what has happened to her, and tries to get as much of her life back as she can, without alerting those monitoring her.

I've tried not to give too much of the plot away because while what happens may not be surprising, part of the power and beauty of this book was watching the plot unfold. Suzanne Young did such an amazing job conveying the crushing depths of despair gripping teens suffering from depression, that you could see why they felt suicide was their only option. She made you care about Sloane, James, and the other characters in the book, that you were torn between wanting them to keep their lives the way they were and wanting them to get help.

I found this book tremendously moving and so compelling; I couldn't believe how quickly I flew through more than 400 pages. This is one of those books that sticks with you after you read it, one in which you wonder what happened to the characters after the story ended. Fantastic. ...more

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Apr 30, 2014 Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned, science-fiction

This was an enjoyable read
It was infuriating but also really interesting
Id recommend

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
Challenge Corner: The Program by Suzanne Young -> Starting November 16th, 2020	5	9	Nov 16, 2020 05:58PM
YA Buddy Readers'...: The Program (The Program #1) by Suzanne Young - Restarting September 1st 2020	36	106	Sep 20, 2020 06:17PM
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. An organization that is forcefully erasing people's memories. [s]	7	32	Jun 24, 2020 07:00AM
Is anybody else totally disgusted with Roger?	5	50	Apr 15, 2020 07:06AM
Question about the connection of the whole Program series	3	9	Feb 29, 2020 09:38PM
programming	1	3	Jan 09, 2020 12:22PM
Question about the connection of the whole series	1	2	Dec 27, 2019 10:21AM

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About Suzanne Young

Suzanne Young

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Suzanne Young is the New York Times bestselling author of The Program, The Treatment, and several other novels. She currently lives in Tempe, Arizona where she teaches high school English and obsesses about books. Learn more about Suzanne at www.suzanne-young.blogspot.com ...more