Not great. Main character has no personality of her own, only that she’s obsessed with her boyfriend. The premise is interesting but also suicide just come along one day and takes you out?! Weird story, I read the second one hoping it would end. It didn’t. There’s another book. ( )

Video review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy8nCFcngUQ ( )

The Program/Suzanne Young In this “gripping tale for lovers of dystopian romance” (Kirkus Reviews), 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.
 
This book moved too fast for it to feel realistic for me.
 
I have the attention span of a goldfish and 95% of books are too slow for me. This book, to the contrary, felt as though it needed more building in order to make the characters, their relationship, and their world believable.
 
There was definitely nothing that really stood out as being horrible about this book, but I simply couldn't buy into any of the relationships between characters. Sloane's parents especially seemed really dumb and careless.
 
I also didn't end up liking the premise at all. I was so anticipating reading about depression and suicide, but I really wasn't comfortable with how the topic was treated. Suicide is seen as an illness, a contagious illness. Not enough details were given to show if this was an evolved form of the depression we see in our world today or if it was a new disease entirely, but not even the main characters seemed to examine what the cause of the problem was.
 
It was honestly hard to see where this dystopia had really formed, also. From what I read, it seemed like the depression leading to suicide was occurring in people after someone close to them either committed suicide themselves or went into the program, but not until that exact point. And then it slammed them like a truck. Which isn't how depression really operates.
 
I didn't buy James and Sloane as a couple. I just didn't. Even as I read about Sloane's memories of them getting together, I didn't buy it. Especially when they start the whole 'meant-to-be' trope, I didn't buy it.
 
Kudos to the Pink Floyd references, but I didn't like this book half as much as I thought I would.
  ( )

This book was so freaking amazing!! It was so intense and just wickedly good. ( )

Not a bad---or a badly written---book, but nothing in it grabbed me. I didn't identify with any of the characters or their situations, and the dystopian element read more like a preachy thought experiment than a thorough exploration of a world terrified by its own suiciding youth. (Though I'm still not sure if I'm supposed to think treatment of depression is a good or a bad idea. So...I guess it was preachy without picking a specific pulpit to expound from?) ( )

Very bleak subject matter which took a bit of getting used to. In a future world there is an epidemic that is effecting young people the world over - that is they succumb to suicidal thoughts very, very quickly and kill themselves. To remedy this situation, there has been installed something called The Program where Teenagers are watched constantly to see if they exhibit any suicidal tendencies and if they do, they are whisked away to a facility where they are treated for 6 weeks. When they return, the treated teens often have no memory of their past friendships or schooling and act and dress in different ways to how they did before. Teenagers who were previous friends with the treated are encouraged to stay away or risk having the person go back to the Program.
Basically it is Big Brother watching to see if you are even the slightest bit sad so everyone goes around with fake grins on their faces. Sloane is a marked girl though because when it comes to the daily question sheet "Do you know anyone who has committed suicide recently?" she has to answer YES because her brother (Her boyfriend James' best friend) has just done so and all eyes are on them to see if they will be the next ones infected.
For mature readers because Sloane and James are having sex before they get taken away to the Program and there is also some language.
Might also raise some issues for readers due to the sensitive nature of the suicide topic. First in a series of 6. ( )

I thought this book was good, considering the subject matter. At first the constant talk about suicide was a little disheartening, but after the initial shock I was able to really get into the book, and enjoy it much more thoroughly. ( )

Sloane is your typical male-dependant female character with two boys from different sides of the tracks fighting over her. She's a little needy, a little whiney, but at the same time you can't help but find her likable. The Program will have you crying for the wrongs done to her, for her forgotten life and for the uncertainty of her future. ( )

Sloane is your typical male-dependant female character with two boys from different sides of the tracks fighting over her. She's a little needy, a little whiney, but at the same time you can't help but find her likable. The Program will have you crying for the wrongs done to her, for her forgotten life and for the uncertainty of her future. ( )

To come. It won't be pretty. Here it is:

Ugh, I made myself finish this one. I’m going to give it one star and hope it doesn’t make the Gateway list, I do not want to buy it. The Program made me uncomfortable and not in a thought provoking way, but an eye-rolling way. Everyone feels like a stereotype. Sloane is the whiny protagonist, Lacy is the slutty best friend. James is the”bad boy” boyfriend. Realm is the insider manipulator. Mom and Dad are just caricatures. I kept waiting for the government conspiracy theory, and wasn’t disappointed to find may be coming in the sequel, as they are escaping to the “rebels.” Sigh. ( )

While this book had some certain tropes in it (hello love triangle) - and it definitely would have some trigger warnings, a few times I was shocked at what I read, not necessarily in a bad way - but some people may actually have issues with this book if they're super sensitive.

the whole suicide epidemic was quite an interesting story to read (granted that right there should trigger people - hey don't read this book) - the whole lobotomy after getting into the program was intense too - though wickedly fun to read about.

i'm very very curious to see where this series goes.....luckily I checked them all out from the library! ( )

This book has been added to my DNF. I got to page 188 and then was done. I wasn't feeling this book from the beginning, as it was very dull and slow to start. Once we enter Part II, my hopes were up, but I was disappointed still. The premise was intriguing, but the main character I was indifferent towards, and I just wanted something to happen. Instead of focusing on long expositions of the character's day-to-day, which aren't very interesting or help the plot move forward tell me more about this epidemic of suicide and how The Program is trying to combat it. That's the point of the series, I thought. Unfortunately, this book falls into the trap of many tropes. Who cares about the tired romance of the characters, I thought the epidemic was the focus. ( )

I read this book 5 years ago and upon seeing that there were more books in the series decided to do something I almost never do and re-read the older books so I could also read the new books. I like the story line and the basis of the plot, but could live without reading about teenagers and their absurdly hyperbolic relationships. Every sentence that started with "James..." made me want to throw up and I skimmed a lot of the "love story" part. Makes me retroactively embarrassed about having been a teenager. Otherwise, though, glad I re-read, and am going on to number two. ( )

This book caught my attention at Barnes and Noble and the little bit I got to read immediately captured me. After then borrowing it from my library I consumed it within a couple days! It is such an interesting view of a very serious problem and I connected with the characters almost instantly. I honestly can't wait to continue reading this story in The Treatment. I just have to know what happens! ( )

(This review can be found on my blog The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl).


I'd been wanting to read this book for a long time now. The blurb really caught my attention (especially as I've suffered with major depression in the past), so when I got the chance to buy a book, this one was my choice. Luckily, it was a super fantastic read!

I like the title of this book. I like how it's really plain and simple, yet, it works. The title very much suits the book as it's pretty straight-forward about what the book's going to be about.

I like the cover for The Program. All teenagers who enter the program are made to wear yellow lemon colored scrubs. I like how it shows the uniforms.

The world building is superb! Everything is explained fantastically throughout the book. Young makes it easy to believe that one day there will be a "cure" for depression and teen suicide. There's only one bit in the world building towards the end of the book that kind of made me question its reliability. I don't want to give away spoilers though, and this could just be me over thinking things.

The pacing is spot on. From the very first sentence, this book had me hooked. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. To say I devoured this book would be an understatement.

The plot was super interesting. Teens are being taken to The Program once they become depressed. Apparently, teen suicide is contagious and an epidemic, so the only cure is The Program where memories are erased. When Sloane's boyfriend, James, gets taken into The Program, it's not long before Sloane becomes depressed and is taken in as well. Will James and Sloane remember each other or will their memories be totally erased? I thought the plot was very original, and I enjoyed every bit of it. Some of the scenes in The Program reminded me of The Matrix. I believe this book could be read as a standalone since there wasn't a major cliff hanger, but I think it'd be better read as a series.

I loved the characters! I loved how Sloane came across as just a normal teenage girl who had been through a traumatic experience. I felt that her vulnerability made her even more lovable. I also really liked James. I loved how he wanted to protect Sloane from everything. It was very evident how much James and Sloane loved each other. The only character I didn't really care for was Realm. It's not that he wasn't well written because he was. It was just that I never really felt like I could trust Realm. There's just something about him.

The dialogue was fantastic and fit in well with a young adult novel. I loved reading the dialogue between Sloane and James the best. There are innocent mentions of sex although not many. There's also some swearing and some violence, but nothing over the top.

Overall, The Program by Suzanne Young is an original story that has fantastic world building, great characters, and hits close to home. I've already bought the next book in the series.

I'd recommend this book to those aged 16 who are after a book with an original story line and want a thrilling read.


(I purchased this book in paperback format through Amazon with my own money. I was not required to review this book). ( )

It's become a worldwide epidemic: teen depression and suicide is linked to environmental changes, medical treatments, etc - teens who exhibit symptoms are referred to The Program, a drastic gov't sponsored approach to erase teens' sad or harmful memories and "re-set" their emotional equilibrium - with the use of special brain/memory-altering drugs, counseling, and "centers" where teens are kept until cured.
Cavalcade of Authors 2020 book/series. ( )

More questions than answers by the end. Quick read. ( )

Really pretty good book. Some emotional parts, some suspense... I look forward to future books in the series. ( )

I never return books. I returned this one. ( )

What can I say about this book other than how simply perfect it was in every conceivable way? The dynamics of the characters, the world in which they lived in, and the way the story flowed. I was hooked by all of it throughout the whole book. Everything that was thrown at Sloane was heart-wrenching. In a world where suicide in teens is an epidemic The Program is there to protect lives. However, the Program is this misguided evil organization that doesn't understand it's doing more bad than good. By erasing "infected" memories they are taking the good ones too. What they deem to be a bad influence may be the only reason someone feels life is worth living like with the case of Sloane and James.

I loved how everything was sequenced. I got to know Sloane, her brother, and James' friendship with flashbacks. I got to hear her tell the story of how she fell madly in love with James. I got to see how he became her strength when her brother killed himself and when The Program put pressure on everyone to be normal, showing no grief even when she was losing everyone around her. Then, everything that followed was just amazing. This book has no flaws in my eyes. I'm so happy to have read it.

I feel like whenever there is an evil organization or adults who think they are doing what is best for kids have no idea how life works. Not being able to express pain over your brother's passing without being threatened to have your memories erased is kind of key to recovery. Teenagers can move forward if they have some sense of security and caring counselors who don't want to drug you. This story was all sorts of tragically wonderful even with all the injustice present.

All of the characters had distinct personalities. Their cohesiveness with the way the story was being carried out was brilliant. The characters whether primary or secondary were fantastic at being who they are. Even the misguided or terrifying ones were just so good! Sloane wasn't a damsel in distress thank goodness. She was rebellious, angry, and hurt about the life she was dealt with. The only thing that kept her happy was James. I loved everything about their relationship. I liked how hard she fought to keep him in her memory. Then she meets Realm, a boy who's going through the Program too and that becomes amazingly complicated.

I feel like I can't even write this review correctly but I gave it a shot. I'm just full of emotions and I'm trying to contain myself without putting a ridiculous amount of exclamations everywhere. Before I ramble on even more or ruin something I want to finally write how highly I recommend this book. It is worth checking out. You will get completely sucked in this impossibly cruel world with fantastic, amazing (all the adjectives!) characters. ( )

One of the best books I have ever read ( )

Okay, listen. I get where the author's coming from. I know that there's a lot of shit being flung around about antidepressants being overprescribed, or tossing a depression diagnosis at anyone who seems to be the least bit sad. And I know this was a commentary on big pharma taken up to eleven. And that's a good idea, even though I don't necessarily agree with it! In fact, I'm really glad that this dystopia had a point, some political commentary, rather than a lot of YA dystopias which are just like "oh no the world is shit and I have to save it and also fall in love." It just, uh, wasn't very good as a discussion of the entire scope of mental illness or even depression and how complex it can be, and if you're going to write a book focusing on depression and suicide, you're going to need to know those complexities.

The "depression as contagious illness" thing was part of the commentary, I'm sure, but I'm still disappointed in how it played out. There was nothing to contradict that notion or talk about depression as how it's usually thought of now, as chemical imbalances in the brain. Nope. The Program wipes their memory and everyone's MAGICALLY CURED - they don't relapse. Not one person. A 100% success rate. While trauma does increase risk of depression by changing brain structure, it doesn't cause it. You can't just wipe away memories and be all happy. Another problem I had was that everyone displayed sadness the exact same way: lots of crying, not eating, not sleeping. Also: pills are bad antidepressants are bad mental hospitals are bad. That's the message it sends, which is ... not the message you wanna be giving to teens who might already be hesitant to seek help if they're feeling depressed. Or "depression is contagious," in fact. It plays off stereotypes of depression, and misinforms people by spreading these stereotypes.

The worldbuilding had huge holes. It seemed very present day, but The Program itself is a major ethics violation. One in three teenagers are committing suicide. Why? How did we get here? Why did the government implement such violent and invasive measures and spread misinformation instead of like, going off what we know about depression today? One person over 18 completes a suicide and there's fear about the "epidemic spreading," so what happens if a suicidal person turns 18? Is it, as Sloane states, "my God-given right to off myself if I so please?" Or are they just turned over to, you know, the normal mental health system and hospitalized as people are now, with actual therapy and medication instead of The Program? There's a lot I wish was explained that wasn't.

As for the plot and characters: it was overly dramatic to the point where it seemed unreal. All the suicide attempts we see are done with at least one witness to it, which is just ... ugh. I feel like it was exploitative of suicide, honestly. I wish the characters were more fleshed out and different from each other, especially in how they show emotions since this was such an emotion-reliant book. In 400 pages there was just ... so much crying. Also: the romance dear god so much of this book was romance I am so tired of romance and love triangles and possessive love interests fighting over one another. Also falling in love in a psychiatric hospital. Can we get rid of that trope already? ( )

For me, "The Program" was an intense, page-turner. One of those enjoyable books that gives you just enough information in each chapter to keep you wanting more.

In the world of "The Program," teenage suicide has become a global epidemic. No one can explain it. It seems to spread like a virus from teen to teen. To fight the epidemic, schools constantly watch their students for signs and symptoms. If signs or symptoms are displayed, teens are forced into The Program. The Program is an intensive, mental ward-esque therapy plan, where no one returns with any memory of their life before The Program.

Sloane, is a strong main character, and when she is forced into The Program, she doesn't go down without a fight. She doesn't want to forget her life, and especially her boyfriend, James, who she has an intense and mature relationship. She strives to find a way to beat The Program and remember.

Suicide is a very heavy and serious subject. My initial concern was The Program would be dark and depressing. However, while it does take its subject matter very seriously, its more of a thriller and mystery.

Overall, it was very thought provoking. It begs the question if depression suffers would be better off without memories. For me, it also skated around the days when forced lobotomies were common, and questioned freedoms and individual rights. ( )

I've had this one on my shelf for a while, and I'm glad I finally read it. Good start to the series.

The pros: I didn't hate any of the characters. I'm weird about things like this, and I liked Sloan, I liked James, and I liked Realm. I liked how the plot unfolded and we got little pieces along with Sloan. Mystery, dystopian, with a dash of romance and teen angst. All good things.

The cons: Well, if you go in knowing it's a young adult dystopian series, there aren't a lot of cons. Maybe the insta-love, but again, you know that will be a thing in young adult.

I'm excited to read book 2. 3 1/2 stars. Can't bring myself to give it 4 stars, but it's close. ( )

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, the transition of Sloane's mental process was well done, and the idea that "true things will happen" even after memory adjustment was good.

All that being said, reading this probably wasn't the best idea for my depression. I think the idea of how depression is treated is far from positive, which I guess is the point. My concern is that teens reading this will be less likely to seek help because of the scenarios in this book. It paints therapists and doctors as the bad guys, which, even though that fits the story line, is detrimental to the psyche of someone with depression that hasn't been treated yet.

I am also not a fan of the cliche of heading to a different coast of the US where things are different in the dystopia. I will most likely just read the synopses of the remaining books in the series rather than the actual books.

Overall, my last favorite part of this was the use of mental illness as a poorly enacted plot point for too many reasons. ( )