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xxmelxx's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
imani_iguana's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
4.0
Imagine this.
You live in a world similar to ours, with one exception: Suicide is an epidemic. If you show any signs of depression, you will be taken into the Program.
They will strip you off your memories and personality until you are nothing but an empty shell of a human being.
You will be rid of your passions, the people you love and completely disconnected from your old life. The doctors are passive-agressive and put on forced smiles and calm you down, to put a shot in your arm the next moment.
Once you’re in, you never get out.
Sounds like a far-fetched idea, right? One that's not too serious and only wants to be original, but actually makes no sense?
Think again.
5 reasons why you should read this duology:
#1 Brain-washing. It’s a dystopian, so who wouldn’t expect manipulation to be such a big part of the story?
Young perfectly captures that cold, clinical and impersonal feeling of this world. The world-building is very simple, but this is not a story about the science and technology like many from the genre.
The concept of these books sounds bizarre, but portrays mental illness in a delicate way that isn’t pushy or looking for pity.
There’s no obvious antagonist to point fingers at, which makes this war even more difficult to fight. It is not a story of good and bad, but about the grey areas and blind belief in what you’ve been taught.
#2 Character-driven dystopia. Hell to the yes.
The characters are what makes this duo shine. These people are so well-written, relatable and lovable. The book is full of desperation and grief, and the author weaves a compelling story starring some of the most heartfelt and realistic characters I've seen in this genre.
#3 It’s a very addicting read that I flew through. The writing is straight-forward, with fast pacing and a plot where the stakes get higher and higher. I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough.
#4 Fantastic relationships. Sloane and James have known each other for a long time, so we skip that awkward fumbling and angst. They are so comfortable with each other, with huge chemistry and wit. Their dialogue is clever and funny and light up the otherwise dark tone.
There are some lovely friendships here as well.
#5 No second-book curse.
This series remains steady and well-written all the way through. Every new character we meet is well-rounded and adds something exciting to the story. It follows the typical dystopia concept, with a twist.
I love my strong duos, and everything is neatly wrapped up in this book. It’s bittersweet; we know they’ll never get back the people they’ve lost to this epidemic and things aren’t magically solved. But then again, this isn’t your typical dystopian. It is now my favorite after Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden trilogy.
I had a few quibbles with this sequel like the pacing of the first half and the predictable plot, but this was so entertaining that I could look past those cons.
You live in a world similar to ours, with one exception: Suicide is an epidemic. If you show any signs of depression, you will be taken into the Program.
They will strip you off your memories and personality until you are nothing but an empty shell of a human being.
You will be rid of your passions, the people you love and completely disconnected from your old life. The doctors are passive-agressive and put on forced smiles and calm you down, to put a shot in your arm the next moment.
Once you’re in, you never get out.
Sounds like a far-fetched idea, right? One that's not too serious and only wants to be original, but actually makes no sense?
Think again.
5 reasons why you should read this duology:
#1 Brain-washing. It’s a dystopian, so who wouldn’t expect manipulation to be such a big part of the story?
Young perfectly captures that cold, clinical and impersonal feeling of this world. The world-building is very simple, but this is not a story about the science and technology like many from the genre.
The concept of these books sounds bizarre, but portrays mental illness in a delicate way that isn’t pushy or looking for pity.
There’s no obvious antagonist to point fingers at, which makes this war even more difficult to fight. It is not a story of good and bad, but about the grey areas and blind belief in what you’ve been taught.
#2 Character-driven dystopia. Hell to the yes.
The characters are what makes this duo shine. These people are so well-written, relatable and lovable. The book is full of desperation and grief, and the author weaves a compelling story starring some of the most heartfelt and realistic characters I've seen in this genre.
#3 It’s a very addicting read that I flew through. The writing is straight-forward, with fast pacing and a plot where the stakes get higher and higher. I couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough.
#4 Fantastic relationships. Sloane and James have known each other for a long time, so we skip that awkward fumbling and angst. They are so comfortable with each other, with huge chemistry and wit. Their dialogue is clever and funny and light up the otherwise dark tone.
There are some lovely friendships here as well.
#5 No second-book curse.
This series remains steady and well-written all the way through. Every new character we meet is well-rounded and adds something exciting to the story. It follows the typical dystopia concept, with a twist.
I love my strong duos, and everything is neatly wrapped up in this book. It’s bittersweet; we know they’ll never get back the people they’ve lost to this epidemic and things aren’t magically solved. But then again, this isn’t your typical dystopian. It is now my favorite after Julie Kagawa's Blood of Eden trilogy.
I had a few quibbles with this sequel like the pacing of the first half and the predictable plot, but this was so entertaining that I could look past those cons.
Spoiler
P.S: I would trade a whole chocolate bar for a novella about Sloane and James having a picnic; that's how much I like them together.15rakat's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
nikrodee's review against another edition
4.0
I really don't even know where to begin with this book.
So, teen rebels on the run from The Program is not nearly as exciting as it sounds. It started off pretty slow for me, but don't let that stop you. It was all a leading up to something, a lot of things you needed/wanted to know and things that just made for a more intense read.
With that being said the idea of teen rebels in an essentially modern era dystopia kind of throws me off. To be part of The Program you had to be under the age of 17. So, you have all these kids running around with money that comes from who knows where and staying at houses and abandoned buildings. Where in the hell are your parents? Now where the money comes from is questioned but never explained and one of the places they stay is told as well but the rest is a mystery. I have a tendency to question every insignificant detail in books and movies alike, so if you're just along for the ride it shouldn't bother you.
Now let's face it, I'm still in love with Sloane and James' relationship and was rooting for them the entire book. However, love triangles aren't really my thing even if this was more like a greater than sign instead of triangle. Realm has a tendency to mess everything up, Twilight style, but I do appreciate all he did for our main characters.
Once the action started, however, I couldn't put the book down. I was downright horrified at some of the things our characters were put through, in and out of The Program. This book sent me on a roller coaster of emotions and I loved every second of it. I don't plan on reading the companion novels right away because I'm a little sad they have new characters, but I am interested to see how The Program started. This series was a gem of a find and I highly suggest it.
So, teen rebels on the run from The Program is not nearly as exciting as it sounds. It started off pretty slow for me, but don't let that stop you. It was all a leading up to something, a lot of things you needed/wanted to know and things that just made for a more intense read.
With that being said the idea of teen rebels in an essentially modern era dystopia kind of throws me off. To be part of The Program you had to be under the age of 17. So, you have all these kids running around with money that comes from who knows where and staying at houses and abandoned buildings. Where in the hell are your parents? Now where the money comes from is questioned but never explained and one of the places they stay is told as well but the rest is a mystery. I have a tendency to question every insignificant detail in books and movies alike, so if you're just along for the ride it shouldn't bother you.
Now let's face it, I'm still in love with Sloane and James' relationship and was rooting for them the entire book. However, love triangles aren't really my thing even if this was more like a greater than sign instead of triangle. Realm has a tendency to mess everything up, Twilight style, but I do appreciate all he did for our main characters.
Once the action started, however, I couldn't put the book down. I was downright horrified at some of the things our characters were put through, in and out of The Program. This book sent me on a roller coaster of emotions and I loved every second of it. I don't plan on reading the companion novels right away because I'm a little sad they have new characters, but I am interested to see how The Program started. This series was a gem of a find and I highly suggest it.
blobgirl's review against another edition
5.0
The second didn't fail to impress, and it was such a good second book to the Program. It was still a fast-paced book with lots of suspense, romance, and heartbreak throughout. You really never know what will happen next because there's always a twist that jumps out from the book and it keeps you engaged all the way to the end. I usually don't like to read series because they usually end poorly but so far the Program series is so good!
tonharlan's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Really loved the pace of this one and overall plot is soooo good. Worried that the series may get worse after this because it honestly could have just ended here. We shall see... 4.25/5
mehsi's review against another edition
4.0
Not a long review, but just a short one to express my thoughts on the book.
First of all, thanks to Suzanne Young for deciding to keep this series with 2 books and not making it a 3 book series. I was slightly worried about that, and I have seen many writers do it.
This book is once again split up in 3 parts. Each part has a certain theme going through. The first one is mostly about them fleeing, running away and getting used to the whole life on a run and being wanted. The second is about the Cure and we also see a lot of other things happening in here with regards to that, but also to who you can trust. The last part focusses on the cure, but also on saving people, finding hope and fixing what is wrong.
The book also starts strong, you immediately jump in the story where we left it the last time. So that is really a big plus.
I didn't always like Sloane at times, she was just too jealous at times, too desperate, but at other times again, she was the awesome Sloane as we saw in the previous book. She went very far to save her friends, to make sure they are save. She does a whole lot to find hope and find a cure for the things that happen.
I loved the ending, it was really great, though I didn't like the certain event that happened to someone. I felt that was just unnecessary and not needed. Especially not at that point in the story.
All in all, I will be sure to buy this one when it comes out in paperback. :)
Review first posted on http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
First of all, thanks to Suzanne Young for deciding to keep this series with 2 books and not making it a 3 book series. I was slightly worried about that, and I have seen many writers do it.
This book is once again split up in 3 parts. Each part has a certain theme going through. The first one is mostly about them fleeing, running away and getting used to the whole life on a run and being wanted. The second is about the Cure and we also see a lot of other things happening in here with regards to that, but also to who you can trust. The last part focusses on the cure, but also on saving people, finding hope and fixing what is wrong.
The book also starts strong, you immediately jump in the story where we left it the last time. So that is really a big plus.
I didn't always like Sloane at times, she was just too jealous at times, too desperate, but at other times again, she was the awesome Sloane as we saw in the previous book. She went very far to save her friends, to make sure they are save. She does a whole lot to find hope and find a cure for the things that happen.
I loved the ending, it was really great, though I didn't like the certain event that happened to someone. I felt that was just unnecessary and not needed. Especially not at that point in the story.
All in all, I will be sure to buy this one when it comes out in paperback. :)
Review first posted on http://twirlingbookprincess.com/