What happens when teenagers start to seem like they're depressed? Well in this frightening depiction of society gone wrong they are sent to The Program where they are given pills that make them forget who they are. There are no anti-depressants, there is only the wiping out of almost everything that makes them who they are.
This book is a page turner like no other. The main characters in this book Sloane and her boyfriend James are struggling to stay out of The Program. The Program is the "cure" for an epidemic of suicides among people aged 13 to 18.
Sloane and James have lost Brady, Sloane's brother and James's best friend, due to suicide. That alone brings them closer to becoming flagged as suicidal. But then their best friend Miller commits suicide with a poison called QuikDeath. After Miller's death James is not himself, he shows signs of someone who is infected.
He gets flagged and then sent into The Program. After this Sloane is also flagged and sent into The Program. The Program's idea of a "cure" is making their patients forget any heartbreak or painful memories. Basically, when they get out of The Program they don't remember who they were before or anyone that was a part of their lives other than their family.
So when Sloane gets out she doesn't remember James, or Miller, or that her brother died of suicide.
This book made me so mad because she went into The Program knowing that they would take away her memories, but she took the pills they gave her willingly. She didn't seem suspicious at all. It's infuriating because as the reader I know what's going on so her reaction to the drugs doesn't make sense to me whatsoever.
The ending also makes me mad because there is another girl in The Program and the same thing that happens to Sloane happens to her. I haven't given away most of what happens to her in The Program, but I'll tell you this: the guy on the cover holding her hand isn't James.
Ahhh, reading that last part, made me want to jump into the pages to figure out the whole truth..
ReplyDeleteBUT I personally have always disliked movies, books, or any media type representation, dealing with so called' mental illnesses' and pills, and the forcing of change where someone does not really have a 'problem.' I would become angry just like you, so for me I do not know if this book is on my to do list.
I have to say, I probably wouldn't like this book. It seems like they are making suicide a reality but also making it kind of fictional. If someone is going to write a book about such an emotional topic they shouldn't candy-coat it. Give the truth and get your voice heard. Just reading the summary that you posted has mad me angry because of the thought of depression being a problem and the only cure is pills - that is soooo not true. I could go on forever ranting about how I dislike this book, but I will just say that depression is everywhere and there is no true cure, so I feel that this book is too unrealistic.
ReplyDeleteJust from that last comment, I really want to read the whole book and figure out who that is thats holding her hand. The only thing I don't like about this is i'm not a fan of suicide, so I probably wouldn't end up reading this book. The one thing that annoys me about this is the "pills." This just seems like a an excuse for teenagers to escape from reality.
ReplyDelete