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?
***
The original cover of The Treatment is the orange pill. It's simple but it really gets to the point and fits in the book perfectly. They made a cover change, and though I still like this cover (because it's more sophisticated than the pill cover), it just doesn't fit in the book as perfectly as the pill cover. I have to say I'm a little disappointed with this. But the cover matters little to me (I'm not one of those who judges the book by its cover normally).
I actually like this book more than the first one. Sure, the first book is pretty nice and it sets quite a stage for The Treatment. But the appearance of new characters just adds so much fun. The name's Dallas. She's quite a unique girl. Although sometimes she might be bitchy and emotional and not very strong, she's actually a good girl at heart. She plays an important role in The Treatment. I kinda like that girl, even though sometimes she can be a real bitch.
(Spoilers below! Beware!)
The Treatment is quite an unique experience. Because I've never seen a couple (them being Sloane and James) being forced apart so many times, not knowing if they'll ever see each other again, or even if they do, if they'll ever be the same anymore. While I admire that their heart stay the same, which is one of the parts I like most, I feel a little frustrated that they're forced apart so many times. I mean, I totally get that the Program is after them and they're in grave danger. But do you need to force them apart so many times to prove that point? Because I can totally think of other things to indicate the dangerous factor. I guess this whole situation has two sides.
(End of Spoilers)
But when Sloane and James are together, they're just so cute. Even the little jealous streak James shows when he learns about Sloane and Realm is pretty cute. I don't normally say jealousy is cute, because I kinda despise it most of the times. But for some reason James showing possessive streak is pretty cute. And they just care so much for each other and trust each other so much even when others say their past might not be what they expected to be. It's really sweet.
I still can't give it a five out of five on Goodreads though. Because there's one fatal flaw that destroys some of the fun. The ending. Not that the ending is depressing or extremely heart-wrenching or anything. But I can totally feel that the ending is rushed. And it's very disappointing. I expected so much more from The Treatment even after I know The Program is going to be a duology (which by the way, kind of sucks, because I want more from The Program). But it seems like there's a drastic move, and bam! everything changes. I don't even understand what is going on before I re-read it like 2 times. It's just too fast. And that's not good. At all. I still like the ending, but it's just not what I've been expecting (and not in a good way).
But despite this fatal flaw, I still find myself liking this book more than the first one. Maybe because the world has been developed properly and the chasing-and-being-chased stuff can finally take place. The characters are also more sure of themselves. I just hope that The Program is not a duology, because the whole concept of teenage suicide epidemic is unique and fascinating.
Rating: 8.5/10
P.S. Just an extra information. This is the original cover of The Treatment (aka the orange-pill cover)
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