Review: The Program by Suzanne Young

Title: The Program
Author: Suzanne Young
Publisher: SimonPulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Category: Dystopian
Release date: April 30th, 2013
Pages: 408 (eGalley)
Rating: 4 out of 5
Source: Pulse It
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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.

Sloane has had to deal with a lot so far in her lifetime, and she's only 17.  First she lost her brother and now all of her friends and classmates are either taking their own lives or being taken into The Program to get cured, which means erasing everything that makes them themselves.  No matter how much she tries, she can't seem to hide her emotions well enough, and when her boyfriend gets taken away, there's nothing to keep her on the right track.  Just a few more months and she'll be 18.  Just a few more months and she could beat the program.  Will she be able to hold on, or will they get to her memories too?

The idea for this story is genius.  I've noticed that when one person commits suicide, there are usually more to follow, so I found The Program to be very believable.  I could see something like this happening in the near future, even though the idea of having to use something like The Program to keep people safe scares me.  Sloane is very lost, and you can tell throughout the book that she's just trying to hold on to what little she has left- hope, memories, her friends and family.  Everything proves to be a struggle, but there is always that tiny light to push through all of the bad things for.  I loved this about her, and although the story wasn't always fast-paced, it was filled with a lot of meaning.

I loved reading about the relationships in this story, because it was easy to see that Sloane had quite a few people who cared for her.  There was James, her boyfriend, who constantly promised that he would keep her safe, her parents, who only wanted the best for their last living child, and even Realm who looks after her while she's in the facility and is left on her own.  Speaking of Realm, despite his apparent feelings for Sloane, he gave me creepy feelings and in the end, I was left feeling uneasy and confused.  Unfortunately, the story dragged on a little for me, but the emotion and general idea behind the book made up for that.

The Program is original and filled with heartbreak, love, and hope.  After Sloane has everything taken away from her, she finds a way to get it all back.  True love wins, which is always a story I love to read about, but we're also left on quite a bit of a cliffhanger.  The ending is slightly frustrating and filled with many questions and confusion, so I know that I will be continuing the series when the sequel is released.

Armchair BEA Day 4: Blogging Ethics

I've been apart of the book blogging community long enough to see both the good and the bad side of it.  Most days are amazing, where everyone gets along and the only comments you receive are encouraging.  Then there are the days where you want to give up altogether, because it's ridiculous how inconsiderate and small-minded some people can be...but that's life, right?

The first thing that I wanted to mention seems to be the largest part of becoming a book blogger.  Plagiarism.  I don't know why it happens as often as it does, but there's no denying that the chance of being plagiarized will be there from the moment you hit "publish".  What fun is blogging when you steal someone else's thoughts?  My favorite thing about being a blogger is getting to share what made me feel so connected (or not) to a book.  In my opinion, if you plagiarize, you're hurting that person you stole from as well as yourself. Nothing good can come from it, and chances are if you get caught, you're going lose a majority of your following.  If you want to share something you read somewhere else, all you have to do is ask the creator and source it!

That being said, blogging can be hard.  If reading is something you're passionate about, you're in the right place, but if it's not, your will to blog won't last very long.  Over the past couple years, I've been learning how to prioritize, and while I still don't have everything figured out, I know that I'm willing to do whatever I can to make this blog better.  Your posts are just a fraction of what it takes to make blogging work, so be prepared to put many hours, days, weeks, even years into it.

Be honest.  I don't care what you have to say, just share your honest opinion.  If you receive a review copy for free, don't feel obligated to give the book a bad rating if you feel it deserved one.  Your honesty may help someone who is looking into buying that book, and as we all know by now, books are expensive.  I love having bloggers that I can trust the opinions of when it comes down to choosing which books to buy next!

Also, do not feel entitled to review copies because you hit a certain number of followers or pageviews.  There are only so many copies to go around.  If you are lucky enough to receive some, make sure to review it on or around the release date of the book or the date that the publicist/author specified.  If you can't read it in that time span, for whatever reason, pass it along to someone who can!

Be considerate and polite.  It's common courtesy.  Would you walk up to a stranger and say something deliberately rude?  I'm always appalled by some of the nasty comments I see on certain blog posts.  Another thing that fits well here is if you have a problem with someone else, try and message them about it privately.  Calling them out in one of your blog posts draws SO much negative attention, and I hate to say it, but most people can be drama llamas.  I've seen too many things blown way out of proportion just because one blogger decided to rant publicly about someone else. 

Thanks for stopping by!  Let me know if you're participating in Armchair BEA this week so I can check out your posts!

Armchair BEA Day 3: Giveaway

Welcome back!  Today I'd like to share a giveaway for a hardcover copy of my favorite book of the year so far!  If you read my review of Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park, you'd see that it was an incredibly well-written story that hits readers hard with emotion.  I wish I could read it again for the first time, but since I can't, I wanted to give you the opportunity to!

Open internationally, as long as The Book Depository ships to you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by!  Let me know if you're participating in Armchair BEA this week so I can check out your posts!

Armchair BEA Day 2: Becoming a Better Blogger

I've been blogging for just over two years, but I still feel as though I have a lot to learn.  I've had so many great moments so far and I know that even more opportunities will come from this!

My greatest accomplishment, by far, has been attending my first author event as a live blogger for HarperCollins, which meant that I was able to interview Elizabeth Norris, Kiera Cass, Aprilynne Pike, and Amy Tintera.  I still feel like my blog is a lot smaller than it is, so I feel incredibly honored that the publisher asked me to do this.

As a blogger, I've come to realize that this hobby can feel like a full time job if you do it enough.  If you don't give yourself breaks every so often, you will burn yourself out.  Reading is something we all love, and that's why we like to share our thoughts through reviews, discussion posts, and weekly memes.  Not only does reading take up quite a bit of time, but having a constant flow of content can prove to be challenging.  One thing that helps many people is to schedule ahead of time (which I still have yet to master).  Another thing I want to stress is to share your own opinion, no matter what it is.  

So maybe you have all of these things down, but your pageviews aren't growing... A great way to get your blog out there is to socialize!  There are SO many great blogs (a few of my favorites, too!) that I've come across just by visiting their pages after they left a comment on one of my posts. Introduce yourself to people, make things a little more personal (imagine talking to a friend...but don't get too personal!), be yourself!  I love getting to know my blogger friends more, and that connection between people from all over the world is one of my absolute favorite things about blogging.

Always, always be open to learning new things!

Thanks for stopping by my post today!  If you're participating in Armchair BEA, let me know so I can check out your posts this week!

Waiting on Wednesday #82

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on! 

Title: In The After

Author: Demitria Lunetta

Release Date: June 25th, 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

They hear the most silent of footsteps. 
They are faster than anything you've ever seen. 
And They won't stop chasing you...until you are dead. 

Amy is watching TV when it happens, when the world is attacked by Them. These vile creatures are rapidly devouring mankind. Most of the population is overtaken, but Amy manages to escape—and even rescue “Baby,” a toddler left behind in the chaos. Marooned in Amy’s house, the girls do everything they can to survive—and avoid Them at all costs. 

After years of hiding, they are miraculously rescued and taken to New Hope, a colony of survivors living in a former government research compound. While at first the colony seems like a dream with plenty of food, safety, and shelter, New Hope slowly reveals that it is far from ideal. And Amy soon realizes that unless things change, she’ll lose Baby—and much more.

I don't know why it took me until yesterday to add this one to my wishlist!  In The After sounds exactly like the type of heart-pounding thriller I've been craving lately and I can't wait to get my hands on it!

What awesome title are you waiting for this Wednesday?