Genre: Realistic Fiction
# of Pages: 405
RAC: Yes
Sloane and James live in a world where teenage suicide is suddenly very common and often unexpected. They are still reeling from Sloane’s older brother’s suicide, which they both witnessed. Despite having many mixed up feelings about all the loss and stress around them they feel compelled to act happy all the time for fear they will be sent to The Program. The Program is the government’s answer to all of these teenage suicides and so far the only answer available for stopping them. Teenagers believed to have suicidal warning signs are sent to this building for 6 weeks and when they emerge they are completely happy and oblivious to their old life regarding friends, appearance, and personality traits. Sloane and James are terrified of The Program because of how some of their friends have returned, but parents are truly terrified of losing their children to suicide and will call the authorities if they are at all nervous about their child falling prey to this epidemic. Can Sloane and James keep each other safe and out of The Program? What will The Program entail if they do get sent there and are they strong enough to resist?
There are several epidemic type stories that are popular right now such as Delirium and Blackout and this one will find an audience with fans of those books. The motivations behind the teenagers and parents are accurately portrayed so that the reader can truly identify with everyone and their fears and motivations. The setting itself is told in such a believable way that it is easy to imagine how a community could get to the point of instituting something like The Program. The relationship between Sloane and James proves to be incredibly strong throughout the book and reveals their true feelings for each other. Like many other YA novels this one leaves an opening for a sequel. Recommended for reluctant readers.
Young Adult Book Reviews 