Series Recap: The Program Series by Suzanne Young

Reading Order (sort by reading date):

The Program (Book 1, Published on April 30, 2013)
The Treatment (Book 2, Published on April 29, 2014)

Click the titles to check out my reviews.

***

Synopsis Recap:

Set in the middle of a teenage suicide epidemic, Sloane and James are careful with their display of emotions in The Program. They have to be, or they'll be sent to the Program, which will wipe out what they truly are. Except when they can't take it anymore, they're both sent to what they fear most. By some miracle they meet again. And they find out how cruel and ruthless the Program truly is. Friends are lost. People you think you know might just turn their backs on you in a nanosecond. They have to set out to get their memories back if they want to escape the Program once and for all.

The Treatment is set right after the events in The Program. Sloane and James are on the run, trying to figure out a way to stay out of the radar of the Program and stay together for good. After making an unlikely alliance, they have to set out to find the Treatment -- the cure for the Program, which can bring back lost memories -- and find out what really happens when they're first in the Program and take down The Program. Betrayals are faced, and irreversible choices are made. The Treatment is the conclusion of The Program series.

***

Thoughts Recap:

Despite obvious flaws, The Program is quite a nice start for a couple in the middle of an epidemic which can force them apart for good. The emotions are pretty intense. Almost overwhelming. And I love the parts of the "echos in the past", because it's bittersweet and quite heartbreaking. The concept of teenage suicide epidemic is cool, because it's not just a biological problem anymore. It's a mental problem, and it's not every day you'll see a suicide epidemic. Though there are flaws like the plot being a little bit slow-paced at first and the lack of development of the background of the epidemic, I really like The Program.

The Treatment is a very different book. Now that Sloane and James are together, they're desperate to find a way to stay together. The Treatment is more energetic and sweet. Action-packed and fast-paced, the book is much better than the previous one on these two aspects. Sloane and James's relationship is admirable and strong. It's not something to be forgotten so easily. Though the ending is a little disappointing, The Treatment is quite a good book and a satisfying ending.

The flaws might be obvious, but the goodness kind of covers it up.

Overall rating: 8/10

Do I recommend this series?: Yeah :)

The Treatment (ARC): Review

Synopsis:

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)

Teaser Tuesday: The Treatment by Suzanne Young

This weekly bookish meme is host by MizB @ Should Be Reading

To participate you:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn¡¦t give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
5. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

***

This week I choose The Treatment (The Program #2) by Suzanne Young

James's hand touches the small of my back as he motions to an empty bartop table. I sit down, and he stands next to me, surveying the room. "This isn't really my idea of fun," he says.

Add The Treatment on Goodreads:

Teaser Tuesday: The Program by Suzanne Young

To participate you:

* Grab your current read

* Open to a random page

* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Today's teaser is from a new release of April. The Program by Suzanne Young

And with that choice, my heart breaks. I'm saying good-bye to who I used to be. Who I can never really be again. The people I once knew are different. Some are changed like me, others are dead. Knowing that can only bring me more pain. More agony. 

--- The Program

See my review here: http://smoking-hot-books.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-program-review.html

The Program: Review

Synopsis:

In Sloane’s world, 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.

***

Oh god. I guess I needed to be forewarned before I read this book because I didn't expect it is so emotional! I'm so surprised that I enjoy this book so much despite it being not-so-dystopian novel. This book is truly a prison of feels. I can't control my breathing, especially when reading the first part out of three. Damn, you really got me here.

I'm wary about this book because... well, it sounds like a dystopian novel, but that kinda remind me of my almost-too-painful experience of my second read of Taken. And this book turns out to be way better than I thought. I think I can actually throw this book into my Top Ten YA Novels to-be-considered-and-judged list.

If you are expecting a lot of action scenes, fights and blood in this book, than you will not enjoy this book. But even without the combating that I usually love, the emotions hitting me is enough to unsettle me. Heart-break. Echos of the past. Deja vu. More heart-break. More echos of the past. More deja vu. I was constantly trapped into this glass case of emotion when I was reading this book. It's a very conflicting experience, one that even Clockwork Princess will not be able to make. Not that I'm saying CP2 is not heart-breaking enough. It's just that Clockwork Princess breaks you bit by bit and leave a wide, hard-to-heal wound and echos of the bittersweetness behind, while this book is intense enough to choke you immediately, but the wound... not as big as CP2 and I'm definitely not having withdrawls from The Program, unlike CP2.

The storyline is short and sweet. I hate dragging-on plots since House of Night. And I'm glad to say that there's few "meh" scenes in The Program. But again, like many dystopian new releases this year, the plot is predictable. So I have to say the emotional part is what I like most... and what I fear most.

I have never read a book that can break me so wide open in just a few seconds before. Not even Clockwork Princess. I'm so screwed.

Rating: 8/10

(If you are asking me why I don't say anything about the characters, that's because I'm so overwhelmed and... I think the emotional part pretty much included the whole character part. But I guess I have to say they are really lively... before The Program.)