Author: Suzanne Young
Series: The Program, book #2
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: April 29, 2014
Source: received from publisher via Edelweiss
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Can Sloane and James survive the lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end? Find out in this sequel to The Program, which Publishers Weekly called “chilling and suspenseful.”
How do you stop an epidemic?
Sloane and James are on the run after barely surviving the suicide epidemic and The Program. But they’re not out of danger. Huge pieces of their memories are still missing, and although Sloane and James have found their way back to each other, The Program isn’t ready to let them go.
Escaping with a group of troubled rebels, Sloane and James will have to figure out who they can trust, and how to take down The Program. But for as far as they’ve come, there’s still a lot Sloane and James can’t remember. The key to unlocking their past lies with the Treatment—a pill that can bring back forgotten memories, but at a high cost. And there’s only one dose.
Ultimately when the stakes are at their highest, can Sloane and James survive the many lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end?
Duologies seem to be the current trend in YA literature, and I have to admit, I'm on board with it. If an author can't fit the entire story into one book, then I'd still much prefer they tell it in two rather than making me wait for a third book to get to the resolution. I felt like I'd already been waiting much too long for the rest of Sloane's story -- even though it had only been since April -- so when I got that approval on Edelweiss, I immediately started the book, which meant I was reading it around Thanksgiving.
I tried to savor it, but you know how it is when you've really been anticipating a book. The mere thought of setting it aside for one mundane task or another makes you twitchy. Yet, even though this story was pretty compelling and was go-go-go nearly from cover to cover, I still felt like some of the driving force of the first book was missing. Maybe it's because this was one of those always on the run books, where the characters are always running, always being chased, and I never got the opportunity to feel settled. I felt like I never had the chance to reconnect with these characters in the way that I did in The Program.
I know some people are worried about that potential love triangle/quadrangle, but honestly it doesn't even really exist
Because of that, I didn't really focus too much on the romance. No, my favorite aspect was all of the questions this story raised. Some really thought-provoking questions. Like, what role does memory play in a person's relative happiness? As a society, are we over-diagnosing mental health illnesses, perpetuating the myth that prevention through early, and sometimes aggressive, treatments is what's most advantageous? I don't think the author set out to answer these questions, only to make the reader ponder them, and more, as the story progressed.
I'm sad to say that I am a little disappointed in this sequel, only because it didn't have that same oomph I felt while reading the first book. Also, the ending was a tad anticlimactic, considering the build-up leading into it. Even so, I'm still really impressed with this series, with the writing, and with the author's handling of such a sensitive, controversial subject. I definitely plan to read more from Suzanne Young, as I've now enjoyed two great series from her.
GIF it to me straight:
Sad that it's over, but it left me with a lot to think about.
About the author:
Originally from New York, Suzanne Young moved to Arizona to pursue her dream of not freezing to death. She currently resides in Tempe, where she teaches high school English. When not writing obsessively, Suzanne can be found searching her own tragic memories for inspiration.
Suzanne is the author of several books for teens, including THE PROGRAM, A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL, and A WANT SO WICKED.
Find Suzanne:
Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Thanks for sharing! I hadn't even heard of the first one, so I definitely want to check these out!
ReplyDeleteIt's a really great duet! High on emotional impact, too.
DeleteI agree. I definitely liked the first book more. The plot of the Treatment was too much of an "on the run" for me. But at the same time, I was really happy to get the end of the story.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for stopping by! Jen @ YA Romantics
I don't know what it was, but the first book just packed more of a punch for me. But I'm not really a fan of the 'on the run' storyline, anyway.
DeleteGreat review. i am so excited to get to this book. I am sad there won't be anymore.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but now she can work on something new! :D
DeleteI never worried about the love triangle aspect either. It didn't feel important to me. And I so love the duology trend too! I really enjoyed this finale though yeah, I can honestly say the first book was my favorite of the two. Great review!
ReplyDeleteRight...because it never seemed relevant. It was always Sloane and James against everyone else, even when they didn't remember who they were. I'm so glad to have a conclusion to their story, but I'm also excited to see what Suzanne comes up with next!
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ReplyDeleteI read The Treatment Book 1, and it left me on such a cliff hanger, I couldn't wait to read book two. There wasn't as much as a psychological backstory in this book, but it did have a lot of action which I really enjoyed.
ReplyDeletePenelope
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