Starred review from May 27, 2013
In Young’s chilling Orwellian tale, planet Earth is hit with a suicide epidemic and the only way to prevent additional fatalities is something called “the Program”: a cure that eliminates depression, but also wipes clean the memories of those who are treated with it. Joy Osmanski’s narration in this audio edition has a cold, sterile feel that perfectly reflects the author’s prose. Her well-paced delivery will captivate listeners, and her portrayal of central character Sloane—a 17-year-old girl who is afraid to let her true feelings show for fear of ending up in the Program—is layered with raw emotion. Ages 14–up. A Simon Pulse hardcover.
March 25, 2013
In Young's chilling and suspenseful story, teen suicide has spiked dramatically and been deemed a "behavioral contagion." Now students are watched closely and not allowed to mourn; if they exhibit the slightest signs of depression they are "flagged" and dragged (often literally) by "handlers" to the Program: six weeks of memory erasure followed by placement in a new school. Seventeen-year-old Sloane can't trust anyone with her true feelings except her boyfriend, James, who was with her when her older brother killed himself. When their best friend takes his own life, too, James is committed, followed by Sloane. Part two details Sloane's time in the Program, in which she's stripped of all control and her dignity, and the third section of the book follows her return to society. While Young's (A Want So Wicked) book is unrelentingly emotional and darkâqualities that sometimes threaten to overwhelm the story lineâit confronts readers with questions about whether the past or the present defines a person, while makes a strong case for the value of all memories, good and bad. Ages 14âup. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.