The Epidemic by Suzanne Young

Series: The Program (bk. 0.6) Prequel Duology

Genera(s): Near-future Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance/Thriller/Realistic

Subjects: death, love, mental disorders, suicide, mystery

Setting: Oregon

POV/Tense: 1st person POV, present tense: Sloane

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 378 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary/ product description: “Can one girl help others find closure by slipping into the identities of their loved ones? Find out in this riveting sequel to The Remedy and companion to the New York Times bestselling The Treatment and The Program.

In a world before The Program…

Quinlan McKee has spent her life acting as other people. She was a closer—a person hired to play the role of the recently deceased in order to give their families closure. Through this process, Quinn learned to read people and situations, even losing a bit of herself to do so. But she couldn’t have guessed how her last case would bring down her entire world.

The only person Quinn trusts is Deacon, her best friend and the love of her life. Except Deacon’s been keeping secrets of his one, so Quinn must set out alone to find Arthur Pritchard, the doctor who’s been trying to control her life. The journey brings Quinn to Arthur’s daughter, Virginia, who tells Quinn the truth about Pritchard’s motives. The former closer will start to see that she is the first step in fighting an epidemic.

But Quinlan doesn’t want to be a cure. And with all the lies surrounding her, she realizes she has no one left to rely on but herself—even if she doesn’t know who that is anymore.”

My Review:  The Epidemic if the sequel-finale to The Remedy in a prequel-duology to the The Program duology. It takes place in Oregon, not far from the other book’s setting. Quinlan McKee was a closer, a person that pretend to be the deceased person to help family members move on. Now she’s discovered her life is a lie. That she was the closer for the real Quinlin when she was six.

Quinlan feels betrayed by her boyfriend Deacon, and her father (who’s not her real father). Quinn does her best to ditch Deacon and hide. She ends up taking on the identity of Elizabeth Major and enrolls at the school that Arther Pritchard’s daughter Virginia attends. Pritchard runs the Department of Grief, so she hopes to gain Virginia trust to get information about her real identity. Also, at Virginia’s school, there’s been a bunch of suicides. This is the beginning of an epidemic of copy-cat behavior. A suicide cluster, and the deaths are only rising.

This book was definitely better than the previous one. It was much more thrilling and it definitely kept my attention. The twist at the end of the previous book set up for a great sequel. The romance was also enjoyable and the dialogue was pretty fun. I like Deacon, even if he hid some of his life from Quinn. I also liked the other closer Reed, who seemed a little narcissistic, but he had some experiences that really affected him emotionally.  

This series has been a unique experience. It’s not quite dystopian, but it’s still considered dystopian because it’s about a shift in society to something unethical. It takes the tough subject of suicide and turns it into a dystopian. This Department of Grief is trying to wipe memories and control emotions. If you enjoyed the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver, them you might enjoy this series too.

Cover Art Review: Nothing special looking. Pretty basic.

The Remedy by Suzanne Young

Series: The Program (bk. 0.5) Prequel Duology

Genera(s): Near-future Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance/Thriller/Realistic

Subjects: death, love, mental disorders, suicide, mystery

Setting: Oregon, Portland area

POV/Tense: 1st person POV, present tense: Sloane

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 401 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary/ product description: “Quinlan McKee is a closer. Since the age of seven, Quinn has held the responsibility of providing closure to grieving families with a special skill—she can “become” anyone.

Recommended by grief counselors, Quinn is hired by families to take on the short-term role of a deceased loved one between the ages of fifteen and twenty. She’s not an exact copy, of course, but she wears their clothes and changes her hair, studies them through pictures and videos, and soon, Quinn can act like them, smell like them, and be them for all intents and purposes. But to do her job successfully, she can’t get attached.

Now seventeen, Quinn is deft at recreating herself, sometimes confusing her own past with those of the people she’s portrayed. When she’s given her longest assignment, playing the role of Catalina Barnes, Quinn begins to bond with the deceased girl’s boyfriend. But that’s only the beginning of the complications, especially when Quinn finds out the truth about Catalina’s death. And the epidemic it could start.

My Review: The Remedy is the prequel to The Program. I haven’t read many prequels before. This prequel will have it’s own sequel. This book is very different from what I’m used too. For one, it read like a contemporary/realistic book, though the main character have a very odd job. She had to pretend to be the deceased person. Act like them, dress like them and look like them.

I spent most of the book waiting for something interesting to happen. I was often bored. I loved the The Program and The Treatment for their psychological thriller feel. This book felt more like a contemporary drama. It wasn’t till about page 300 till it got more interesting. The last 30 pages or so are where it really gets you. I’m sure I’ll enjoy the sequel more.

The characters were okay. Quinn’s narration was typical. Not very special. I like the characters Deacon and Aaron more. Both of these guys had some fun dialogue with Quinn. Deacon was a sexy charmer and Quinn’s ex boyfriend, but still friend. Aaron was her partner. Both Aaron and Quinn are closers, and Deacon used to be. Quinn’s been a closer for 11 years. A young kid with a hard job like that is unimaginable. Almost unethical. There’s a lot of ethical issue broth up and grief plays an important role.

This book was hard to categorize. It has some mystery. It doesn’t fit into “dystopian” like the other books. I can’t really compare it to any thing but The Program. Quinn is different from Sloane, but the narration is similar. The event are very different. Suicides are less prevalent since this book occurs before the epidemic. I’m not sure if this is set years before the Program. It could be only like two year, or it could be 10. I have no idea. If you enjoyed the Program, then try this prequel.

Cover Art Review: Not too crazy about the photo cover.

The Treatment by Suzanne Young

Series: The Program Duology (bk. 2)

Genera(s): Near-future Dystopian Sci-fi/Romance/Thriller

Subjects: brainwashing, death, love, memory, mental disorders, suicide, memory

Setting: The Western US: Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, California

POV/Tense: 1^st person POV, present tense: Sloane

Age/Grade Level: Teen

Length: 344 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

List Price: $17.99

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Summary/ product description: “Can Sloane and James survive the lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end? Find out in this sequel to The Program, which Publishers Weekly called “chilling and suspenseful.”

How do you stop an epidemic?

Sloane and James are on the run after barely surviving the suicide epidemic and The Program. But they’re not out of danger. Huge pieces of their memories are still missing, and although Sloane and James have found their way back to each other, The Program isn’t ready to let them go.

Escaping with a group of troubled rebels, Sloane and James will have to figure out who they can trust, and how to take down The Program. But for as far as they’ve come, there’s still a lot Sloane and James can’t remember. The key to unlocking their past lies with the Treatment—a pill that can bring back forgotten memories, but at a high cost. And there’s only one dose.

Ultimately when the stakes are at their highest, can Sloane and James survive the many lies and secrets surrounding them, or will The Program claim them in the end?”

My Review:  When I first started reading The Treatment, I didn’t realize that is was the final book in a duology (2 book series) rather than a trilogy. I really enjoyed The Program. I found is thrilling and realistically scary. The story is set in the near-future in which suicide has become and epidemic. Sloane and James went through The Program that took away the memories of their pasts, and are on the run from it now.

I really love Sloane and James’s relationship. James is really sweet and funny. There are so many moments where I can perfectly picture a guy with a cute smirk saying these things. My favorite was when he said their was a billboard with his face on it that caused a traffic jam because his good looks, and that he wandered lost for days and found out his spirit animal was a rooster. I cracked up at that. He acts cocky, but it’s all playful teasing and keeps things light. Sloane and him banter and act romantic together. Then there’s Michael Realm, the other love interest that completes this love triangle. His was pretty good in The Programs, helping Sloane out, but he starts to seems like a broody jerk at times in The Treatment

The world building was based off the modern world, but with the added hype to a suicide epidemic. The Program is the reason why suicides are happening all the time. People rather kill themselves that lose their memories or be tortured. I enjoyed the part on the story that took place in The Program hospital/facility. The story becomes very fast paced and scary. Sloane may seem like she in a hopeless situation, but she able to fight. Handlers, nurses and pills. They say that she’s sick, but she’s not. If mental illness is ever treated this way, it would be horrifying.

The story was able to wrap up the story tightly. So, no third book. I am hoping for a short story or novella. I do not want to spoil what happens in the book, but it there’s a lot of travel, being on the run. James being jealous of Realms time with Sloane in The Program. There’s The Treatment, which is an orange pill that can give you back your memories. Sloane ends up back in the program. A lot of exciting stuff happens, and I happy that I wasn’t bored with it. Usually you get a sequel slump, but since this is only a duology, that wasn’t the case. I recommend this to fans of Delirium by Lauren Oliver.

Cover Art Review: The outside cover isn’t that interesting, but under the jacket there’s a photos of an orange pill in a silver tray and reflection of Sloane and James. I find that more interesting.