This review is spoiler free (There are a few minor spoilers from the first 20-30 pages but nothing major/plot spoiling)
"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."
I found the concept of this book really interesting. It reminded me of the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver and slightly of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld. So basically in the world where Sloane lives. suicide and depression are a national epidemic which is slowly spreading across the globe. Many countries are opting to run versions of 'The Program'. The Program is where you get sent if you are flagged. Being flagged is being marked as high risk of having depression. You are sent to a facility where you are treated with medication and therapy. You then return to society and all the memories that 'caused' the depression are gone.
The main character Sloane is kind of naïve. Like not loads, but slightly,but other than that this book is filled with great characters. There is James, Sloane's boyfriend. He is just awesome and wants to do right by everyone he loves. There's Miller who is the cutes cinnamon roll and Sloane's bestie. There's Lacy, Miller's ex who has returned from treatment of The Program. There are many other characters who are awesome but I must mention Brady before I stop talking about characters. Brady is Sloane's brother who killed himself. Many of Sloane's (and her family's) fears and issues are deep-rooted within Brady's death. There are many other awesome (and not so awesome) characters that I could mention but that would spoil it and this is spoiler free.
There were many great plot developments in this book. Some where predictable and others were not. The only thing I had to complain about is that there was not enough of Miller in this book. I wanted more. Other than that I thought it was great and gave it 5 stars on goodreads. I recommend this to anyone who likes YA (I would say a trigger warning on mentions of suicide, self harm and depression throughout the story). I wish I could go into more detail but I don't want to spoil this book so you'll just have to read it for yourself. I cannot wait to get started on the sequel and I hope you read this book soon.
-Beth
