This book is frightening in its realistic approach to a governmental solution to teen suicide. In this reality teen suicide has become more than a sad occurrence, it’s become an outbreak of epic proportions. The government has stepped in and created The Program. The Program whisks teenagers away for weeks for a highly secretive time after which they come back and don’t remember their friends or almost anything.

Sloane is terrified of The Program. She literally watched her brother commit suicide before her eyes but she cannot show any emotion for fear she will be taken away. The only person she has left to truly be with is James. James who was best friends with her brother and is now her boyfriend. But as they watch their friends become depressed and commit suicide it becomes harder for them to keep it together.

This book felt so realistic in how it dealt with the feelings of depression, the loneliness and the despair. Suzanne Young did a wonderful job of capturing how it must feel to be young and feel completely alone. As the book progresses into the the actual program I really enjoyed the creepiness factor that set it as I wondered what was part of the program and what was reality. It was so hard to tell, which was great as that was exactly how Sloane should have felt as well.

I thought this was a haunting and very well done book. I think that teenagers as well as adults will like it but for different reasons. I can see teens liking the young adult aspect of the group dynamics and watching Sloane trying to figure things out within the program and within her friends. I can also see adults liking the partial dystopian aspects of this book.

It is part of a series and there is a bit of a cliffhanger but I don’t feel desperate to read it right this very second. Which is a good thing because I hate that so very much!! I will definitely be reading the next one when it comes out.

5 stars

~Clio

Buy it Now The Program