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The Complication

(The Program #6)

Suzanne Young (Goodreads Author)

4.37 · Rating details · 1,910 ratings · 232 reviews

How do you go back to a life you can’t remember? Find out in this sixth novel in the New York Times bestselling Program series from Suzanne Young.

Every cure has a cost.

Tatum Masterson learned this after years of being monitored by The Program. She witnessed it when her boyfriend, Wes, came back changed, erased. And now, even the newest “cure” has a heavy cost—one she and ...more

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Kindle Edition, 464 pages

Published April 24th 2018 by Simon Pulse

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· 1,910 ratings · 232 reviews

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Nov 05, 2017 Eunseo Kwak rated it it was amazing

I had HEART PALPITATIONS when I heard the words "EVERYONE FROM THE SERIES WILL MAKE AN APPEARANCE" !!!! Holy cheese balls!!!!!! I am so excited to see how everything is going to work out and how everyone will wrap the story up! Also very excited to see Sloane and James my favorite couple in this series!
I think before reading this final book you should definitely take advantage of the long wait to reread the series and refresh yourself on who everyone is. Honestly, at this point, there have been ...more

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Mar 06, 2017 Alex rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm really sad that this fantastic series is over, but this was the perfect ending! ...more

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May 09, 2018 Colleen Houck added it

Shelves: chbc-author, colleen-houck-book-club-pick, secrets, mental-health, high-school, risk-taking, the-northwest, doctors-medical, science-gone-wrong, sickness-disease

The conclusion to the series is very fulfilling. Everything comes full circle and you get a good sense of how everything is going to move forward from there. All the players are in the game and the stakes are high. My favorite scene was the epilogue.

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Mar 24, 2019 Trisha rated it really liked it

“It's The Program or me. And I decide it's going to be me.”

Wow. I can't believe it's over. This is a series I talk about all the time - because the first book The Program, feels so.....uncomfortably prophetic. It's something I can see the happening - as the parents, as the kids. It's just so unsettling - and so well written. The whole series, all 6 books have been such a ride. And even though this one was a bit....neat...a bit pulled together and maybe pushed/rushed in a few places, I'm complet ...more

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May 25, 2018 Lauren R. rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: genre-dystopia, young-adult, 2018-read, couldnt-put-down, genre-sci-fi, ship-so-hard

Really great end to this series. Suzanne Young has impressed me with every single book. I've never read a series this long that didn't feel like it was pushing it, adding more and more books until I was bored. I never felt tired of reading about this world or these characters. I can even see ways for her to extend this world with more books probably. I can always count on this series to break reading slumps and keep me engaged. Tatum and Wes were awesome and the cameos from everyone else were gr ...more

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Mar 07, 2018 pdbkwm rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Pre-release thoughts:
Let's hope the cover represents the state of Tatum and Wes' relationship in this book. Not together and broken apart.

Review:
It's unfortunate, but I think the final book in the Program series is the weakest one yet. I do appreciate how the story ended and how Young brought everyone back to finally put a stop to the Program, but I also feel like the book was a bit of a mess.

In the Program series, the second half of each duology has had the same problem. It’s much too slow. We ...more

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May 05, 2018 Rissa rated it really liked it

The complication 4⭐️

I loved seeing how everyone delt with the ending of the program. Tatum and Wes have this new found relationship and dealing with their past that was interesting, love struck and painful.
I love the program series and dont want it to end.

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Apr 27, 2018 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: edelweiss, 2018-series-ender-challenge

The Complication is the final book in The Program series. This series is comprised of three duets. But this last book ties together the entire series.

Do you have to read the entire series to read this book? Yes and no. I would say that it is mandatory to read book 5, The Adjustment because The Complication continues that story. I definitely think that most people reading this book will be fans of the entire series. A lot of previous characters return. And basically this book ties together the en ...more

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Nov 25, 2019 Diana rated it it was amazing

My review of "The Program" series will be live on December, 25th, 2019 here: https://youtu.be/MyVFNNOc32g ...more

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Apr 02, 2018 YA Books are Epic rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone

Recommended to YA Books are Epic by: Suzanne Young

Shelves: arcs-and-review-copies, books-i-own, signed, most-anticipated-reads-of-2018

This is an amazing sixth book in The Program series by Suzanne Young! If you have yet to read the first five books, stop reading this and real those then this one!! You will be glad you did!!

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Sep 22, 2018 jessica rated it really liked it · review of another edition

i cant believe this series is finally over. i feel like so much has happened over the last six books that i want to make sure this review is reflective of this book only, and not the series as a whole.

firstly, and most importantly, i will say that i was rather content with the ending to everything. it didnt leave me wanting more or unsatisfied. i thought everything was tied together nicely and resolved well. i thought it was really neat how all the stories finally converged and tied together. it ...more

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Nov 03, 2018 Klancy rated it it was amazing

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

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Aug 04, 2020 Taylor Kelbie rated it it was amazing

so i’ve never written a review on here but since this is the last book in the series it seems appropriate. to start all i can say is, wow this book is *chefs kiss*. i love how all the characters from past books are in this and how the ending just ties everything together. so many twists and turns it’s like a rollercoaster 10/10 would recommend this series.

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Aug 03, 2018 Kacey rated it liked it

If I were to rate this book based just on the stuff I liked, it could have easily earned four stars. The stuff I didn't like would set it at one and-a-half, maybe two if I was being generous. So I'm giving the book overall a rating right in between those.

Let me get the stuff I didn't like out of the way first so I can end on a positive note. Just about everything having to do with Wes and Tatum's relationship irritated me to death. Just when I thought she was finally going to let him go and mov If I were to rate this book based just on the stuff I liked, it could have easily earned four stars. The stuff I didn't like would set it at one and-a-half, maybe two if I was being generous. So I'm giving the book overall a rating right in between those.

Let me get the stuff I didn't like out of the way first so I can end on a positive note. Just about everything having to do with Wes and Tatum's relationship irritated me to death. Just when I thought she was finally going to let him go and move on, something happened to bring them back together. Not only was this annoyingly repetitive, but this showed the relationship as even more toxic and co-dependent than Sloan and James. And even when Tatum realized this, she was all "fuck it I'mma go after him anyway YOLO". What's worse is that her friends, who in the last book were trying to talk sense into her, were being supportive and the other girl Wes dated was completely forgotten. I guess her emotional investment didn't matter. I was never sold on their romance because the author never gave them any time to fall in love. It was always just already assumed, and what was shown was incredibly toxic and they even admitted it was obsessive. But I swear, every time Tatum turned back to Wes, I was internally screaming in anger and frustration. It actually felt like their romance was constantly interrupting the story rather than fueling it.

This book took way too long doing nothing. Tatum finds out all these things about her past and you'd think she'd want to confront Nathan and her grandparents about it, but nope. Gotta chase after Wes instead, yanking him along and constantly going back and forth. By the end there still wasn't that much discussion on it. For all the telling these books do, we're not given a scene between her and her grandparents about all the lying and manipulating they put her through. I don't actually think there was closure on a lot of the physical things happening to returners: the nose bleeds, aneurysm and so forth. Maybe this is covered in some of the earlier books, I have no idea.

Which brings me to another issue: the whole thing was tied together a little too neatly. The book spent too much time on Wes and Tatum when it should have been focusing more on Tatum unraveling all the lies and manipulations and then using her grandfather's connections with the paper to expose that shit and finally shut down the Program for good. But having Tatum be the solution was just too easy. It almost felt like the author was justifying her being such an otherwise unpleasant MC to follow. It didn't even really make sense why Tatum was the solution when there were others who went through the same processes.

But now I want to talk about the good stuff. When it actually focused on Tatum trying to figure out her past, that was good. It was so chilling when it was revealed what happened with her as a child. I'm reading these books all out of order so that part made me excited to see it hopefully explored in more detail in Quinn/Nicole's story. I also liked her interactions with Nathan, Foster and surprisingly Michael. I thought for a moment they were hinting at her and Nathan having a romantic history, and I'm glad it didn't go that way. I really wish there was more of the secondary characters in this. The feeling of not being able to trust anyone, of being surrounded and monitored on all sides, that was cool and really needed more focus. Doctor McKee and Marie were interesting characters and again, hoping there's more of them in the prequels.

If all that nonsense about Wes had just ended at the beginning of the book, this would've been so much better. A little too neatly wrapped up and the good ideas weren't explored nearly enough, but I guess that's my impression of this series as a whole so far. ...more

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Apr 05, 2020 Sunshine rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. HiSo, i didn't hate the last two book in the series, but i have to admit that plot and character wise they're the weakest. The cure for the returners was so unimaginative and lame and wrapped up too nicely. Wes was too passive in the story and Tatum was tstl and very manipulative sometimes. My biggest issue is that Tate came off as very manipulative and her relationship with Wes was clearly very toxic. At some point, Wes is clearly moving on with his life and happier in a new relationship and Ta HiSo, i didn't hate the last two book in the series, but i have to admit that plot and character wise they're the weakest. The cure for the returners was so unimaginative and lame and wrapped up too nicely. Wes was too passive in the story and Tatum was tstl and very manipulative sometimes. My biggest issue is that Tate came off as very manipulative and her relationship with Wes was clearly very toxic. At some point, Wes is clearly moving on with his life and happier in a new relationship and Tate destroys it.

I noticed that the author made her female characters very strong, but very dumb when in came to trusting people. Clearly, there were clues to discrepancies in people's character and yet Tatum ignored them all.

I hated how consumed Tate was in the previous book with getting Wes back. Especially, because Wes seemed like he wasn't as invested in their relationship. My problem is that Wes lacked the personality to be a main character to the epic ending. He seemed more like a gratuitous pet that Tate paid attention to whenever she needed a buddy.

I also hated the whole Kyle storyline. What was the point of adding Kyle as Wes's former girlfriend; if she was going to be removed as a character in this book. Everyone kept talking about the epic love Wes and Tate had, however, clearly Wes moved on with Kyle very easily. I mean he had a real connection with this girl, even though he chose to "sacrificed" himself for Tate, he seemed to love Kyle and had easily moved on. There's a part where Tate questions if Kyle had spoken to Wes first, after his return, then maybe they would have gotten together again, and I honestly thought the same.

The author wrote about Wes's guilt that Tate spiraled into depression because of him and how he wanted to make it up to her. However, at this point he was already in a relationship with Kyle and moving on. What bothered me is that nobody told the last Wes about Kyle and how he might have had strong feelings for this girl. Maybe he wanted to get to know her again, more manipulation from Tate. I understand that this was a plot device to add angst to the story and the couple, but i didn't like that when they see Kyle at Lulu's Wes stared at her in a pensive way. Even Tate feared there was a connection there. It seems like Wes was forced to get back together with Tate.

I honestly thought that Wes was gonna step aside and Tate was gonna end up with Nathan. She spends about 75% of her story with him rather than Wes.

P.s i wanted more of Reed Castle in this book. Clearly, he's alive and is working alongside Dr. Ward, which means he might be a bad guy. I wanted a book or novella about him and not just a short story. Why give us crumbs if you're not going to follow through. ...more

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Jul 18, 2018 Sarah Louise rated it really liked it · review of another edition

When I started this series years ago I never expected it to continue into six books. It’s bittersweet for the series to be over, but ... admittedly this wasn’t my favourite.

With cameos from previous characters, the storylines are connected full circle, which was needed, but I also felt the connections were stretched thin, like shocking reveals were forcefully added to tie everything together perfectly. I loved the discovery behind Tatum in this book, although I can’t say I’m satisfied with her ...more

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Jul 01, 2018 Pauline rated it it was ok

This is pretty much all of the other books in this one. There was nothing new. This series should have ended two books ago.

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Jul 20, 2018 Dove rated it liked it

I literally cannot read books with any action in them. It is definitely not the book's fault, it is completely my fault. I keep trying to read books that are not usually the type of books I read, in an attempts to widen my reading horizons, but it never works out. I literally like what I like, and I hate everything else. I used to love dystopia-type books full of action when I was in middle school, but I can no longer read them anymore. I feel nothing, I get bored, I start skimming pages, I have I literally cannot read books with any action in them. It is definitely not the book's fault, it is completely my fault. I keep trying to read books that are not usually the type of books I read, in an attempts to widen my reading horizons, but it never works out. I literally like what I like, and I hate everything else. I used to love dystopia-type books full of action when I was in middle school, but I can no longer read them anymore. I feel nothing, I get bored, I start skimming pages, I have to reread many sections, and I'm never content. I can literally only read young adult romance or contemporary. I found this book super boring. Like it took so long to pick up, there's too much scene building. I felt like it easily could have been condensed. Like how difficult is it to start a freaking uprising and stop the damn treatment? Divergent did it in 3 books, hunger games did it in 3 books, why does this series need 6 whole books when it's not even as serious a problem? Like okay, people have suicidal thoughts so you're just going to erase their memories so they aren't like that anymore, but that's so dumb because every memory, good and bad, is essential into making us who we are. We learn from our memories, we use them as guidelines, who ever thought that would work? Once they realized it's bad, why is it so hard to stop it? Y'all need advice from Katniss Everdeen or Tris Prior, if they can do it, why can't you? Also, I think I've read and watched too many things this year that are related to "memory wiping" I get the point, even bad memories are essential into shaping us, we learn from the bad ones. But the book was honestly such a bore, I felt like the author kept trying to stretch it on and on and on. Another issue was I didn't even read any of the other books in the series, so it took me a long time to even get focused into the story because I was just trying to understand the characters, relationships, and the world- once again my fault, I should have probably read the entire series properly and maybe I would have liked it more. But if I got sick of the story in one book, I could not imagine forcing myself through 5 others. A very disappointing read. ...more

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Aug 14, 2018 Ricky rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, thrillers, science-fiction, why-isn-t-this-a-bloody-movie-yet

Promised by Suzanne Young to be the final book of the Program series, and yes, this is most definitely the case. It's not just the end of Tatum's duology, but the wrapping up of the original Program story and the Remedy duology as well. All three main concepts that started all three duologies figure strongly into this final entry. And while it's a bit of a long haul to the end of this one, with a bit of a slow and confusing first half, it's the second half where Young really outdoes herself. End ...more

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Feb 05, 2019 Rebecca (Unbound Pages) rated it really liked it

Shelves: dystopian, science-fiction, 4-5-stars, audio

I loved how it all ended! I absolutely loved seeing all the characters from the entire series come together and to have all their storylines tied up. Especially loved the epilogue. <3 This is one of those underrated series more people should read.

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Jan 18, 2021 Maggie Handel rated it really liked it

Good ending to a great series!

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Sep 16, 2019 Dee/ bookworm rated it it was amazing

Really good end to the series. Lots of emotions.

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Jul 05, 2018 Sharon rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dystopian, science-fiction

The Complication brings The Program series full circle, giving readers what certainly seems like a final conclusion. Honestly, the book was too long and the author covers too much ground. In an attempt to give readers what they want, Suzanne Young ends up losing the thread of the story. I found myself skipping around, which is definitely a hallmark to me that the book has lost its way. I look forward to reading something new by this author, as she definitely has skill as a storyteller. The Compl ...more

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Jun 03, 2018 Michelle added it · review of another edition

I have enjoyed every novel of this series that I have read, so when I saw that the finale was available for review I jumped at the chance to read it. I thought I had read everything she had published to date. It turns out that I missed reading book five, which worried me. Would I understand what is happening? Would I be able to pick up the story again after so long away? And just how was this book going to connect the prequels (books three and four) with the first two books in the series? So man ...more

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Apr 12, 2020 Staci rated it liked it

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

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Mar 12, 2020 Elaine rated it liked it

This whole series has followed a consistent pattern and writing style. I appreciate and applauded that consistency, even if it did feel a bit boring and repetitive at certain points. The Complication was a good way to tie up all loose ends, although it all came together a bit too rapidly and out of nowhere in the end, that seems to be the way things go in this universe.
As I've said about all the previous books in this series, they are nothing world-changing, and I do believe there were a lot o ...more

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May 01, 2018 Ilana rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I"ve been on the journey with this series for quite a long time and seeing how our author Ms Young is able to weave the stories of the different couples at the varying stages in the program, while also making sure to continue the thread throughout that keeps them all continuous, constant, and concurrent is impressive. We've seen so much pain and heart ache, so much trickery and lying, and some of our favorite characters will forever be on the run so that they can have their happy endings. So i I"ve been on the journey with this series for quite a long time and seeing how our author Ms Young is able to weave the stories of the different couples at the varying stages in the program, while also making sure to continue the thread throughout that keeps them all continuous, constant, and concurrent is impressive. We've seen so much pain and heart ache, so much trickery and lying, and some of our favorite characters will forever be on the run so that they can have their happy endings. So it's time to see not only how things end up for Tatum and Wes now that a huge bomb has been dropped on Tatum's reality, but we also get to see how things continue and potentially end for The Program, for Realm and for a few others.

I think that it's hard sometimes to get a good YA series that isn't only on the surface a lot of the time. That goes a bit deeper for several relationships and story lines, as well as gives us the romance, the aspiration that you know is needed in the genre. We get that here.

Tatum's world was blown up when she learned at the end of The Adjustment that her life isn't at all what she thought. that she went through The Program. She now has absolutely no idea what's real, what's been taken and what's been implanted and who's been lying to her, her entire life. It's a crazy roller coaster story that we get here coming to terms with everything. When we fear that handlers are all around them, i have to admit that i guessed who a few were. When we worry that some of the authority figures and family members are on the right or wrong side, more often than not, i'm wrong.

The constant though which we saw in the other installments is that while the program was able to erase memories, it's often unsuccessful in erasing what the heart feels and believes, and we see over and over again that the romances, the loves between these couples really continues to come through.

Throughout this installment, we're taken back to Dr Warren who is Tatum's therapist and who we learn has her own motives. We are back at the Adjustment office and what we see and learn there turns the world upside down. We're introduced to new 'legitimate' folks who really do play a key role as the story comes to a finale. We see lives ruined and lives brought back together. The biggest question of all, is the Program dead once and for all? i know that we believed that it was before, but i don't know that we'll ever learn the truth there.

I'm kind of sad to think that perhaps this is the last installment because of the events that happened at the end, i've been really engaged with all characters here. Realm while cocky really intrigued me. Sloane/James, Tatum/Wes, Realm/Dallas, Nicole/deacon....there are so many story lines that we got to follow and enjoy that now without them it'll be sad. ...more

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Sep 10, 2018 Taya Faith rated it it was amazing

The Program series has been something that I have loved for years now, anticipating new additions to the series every year, and now that it has come to a close, I can certainly say that Suzanne Young has built an exceptional world with these characters. I absolutely devoured this book, for me, Tatum has been one of the most compelling protagonists in the entire series, her struggles and desire to overcome is so strong yet so realistic to the human psyche and offers hope when reading a novel that ...more

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Feb 11, 2020 thegirlonfire rated it really liked it

last book in the program series is over :C i really enjoy this series its very interesting and i love the romance in each book, they are easy and fast pace to read, this is the book where we find out a lot of stuff, and characters from the previous books show up and theres an epilogue of the characters from first book. i think im satisfied with the ending, it wasnt anything too detailed and special but still enjoable and happy.

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Nov 02, 2020 Charlie rated it it was amazing

This was the most action-filled book of the series. As the last book in the series should, it answers all of the cliff hangers from the other books. There are even some new things that you figure out in this book that will surprise you. Nothing is normal in this society, even though they try to make it perfect. Even though The Program is over, they are still operating, just not publicly. Unless Dr. McKee and Marie can come up with a cure, The Program will never go away.

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YA Buddy Readers'...: The Program Series by Suzanne Young - Reading from 'The Treatment (The Program #2)' from October 22nd 2018	376	394	Dec 09, 2018 09:15PM

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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