April 30, 2013 by Simon Pulse
Hardcover, 408 Pages
Young Adult- Dystopian-Science Fiction
Borrowed/Public Library
Warnings: Heavy sexuality, suicide, violence, graphic language
4.5/5 Stars (16&up)

In Sloane and Jack's world, the idea of teen angst could literally get you locked up. Rebelling, talking back, crying or anything that most normal teens experience will get you flagged and hauled into The Program by a teacher, a parent, or even another student. Daily questions, observations and routine keep the teens in line, but for James and Sloane they are anything but staying in line, both hide the stress knowing that once in The Program, memories and emotions are erased and what comes back out is a blank slate of the person who once was.

As a couple they hide the tears and grief they have suffered over the loss of friends, siblings and the pressure to remain emotionless daily. They hide the intensity of their relationship even when it borders on desperation and rely on each other for intimacy and strength. Secretly the only time they cry or even show real feelings is when they are alone and no one is watching. An unexpected suicide of a friend pushes James over the edge and unfortunately for them, someone is watching. As each day seems to get longer and each day seems to be harder to hang on to, James and Sloane try desperately not to get caught, but the once small cracks are deep fissures that lead them straight into The Program.

I loved the intensity and passion of this book, and even though the subject centered around tragic issues of teen depression and suicide, they were not the main focus in the story, after the last page it came down to a story about love and the extent one could go to save another. The whole concept of love being stronger than the grave- the idea that even with our minds erased, our bodies ravished, the heart knows what the heart wants.

Young brought to the surface many thought provoking concepts and while a few (Sloane and Jack's love, Sloane's emotions) stay strong, the idea of the teen suicide virus or what was driving the plaque seemed to fizzle out once the actual program is introduced. Instead of a deeper look into what the virus was or is, we see the main character manipulated to give up her memories, and they take precious memories, not ones that would cause depression, but the ones that made Sloane happy. made her who she was. The reasoning left me irritated and while I love where this series is going and very much enjoyed the writing I did have issues with the why and why-nots of the cure itself. Hopefully the idea behind the program and the whys will be answered later on.

I highly recommend The Program to readers who love dystopian or science fiction drama. Id even go so far to say readers who love the tragic, never gonna tear us apart love story's would enjoy.