Station Eleven

Station Eleven
by  Emily St. John Mandel

Genre:  Science fiction; Suspense; Dystopia
Publisher: Random House Audio on 
09 September 2014
Reading with my ears:  Unabridged 
10 hours 49 minutes
Narrator:  Kirsten Potter

An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization's collapse, Station Eleven tells the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking everything for art and humanity.
One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a production of King Lear. Jeevan Chaudhary, a paparazzo-turned-EMT, is in the audience and leaps to his aid. A child actress named Kirsten Raymonde watches in horror as Jeevan performs CPR, pumping Arthur's chest as the curtain drops, but Arthur is dead. That same night, as Jeevan walks home from the theater, a terrible flu begins to spread. Hospitals are flooded and Jeevan and his brother barricade themselves inside an apartment, watching out the window as cars clog the highways, gunshots ring out, and life disintegrates around them.
Fifteen years later, Kirsten is an actress with the Traveling Symphony. Together, this small troupe moves between the settlements of an altered world, performing Shakespeare and music for scattered communities of survivors. Written on their caravan, and tattooed on Kirsten's arm is a line from Star Trek: "Because survival is insufficient." But when they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who digs graves for anyone who dares to leave.
Spanning decades, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, this suspenseful, elegiac novel is rife with beauty. As Arthur falls in and out of love, as Jeevan watches the newscasters say their final good-byes, and as Kirsten finds herself caught in the crosshairs of the prophet, we see the strange twists of fate that connect them all. A novel of art, memory, and ambition, Station Eleven tells a story about the relationships that sustain us, the ephemeral nature of fame, and the beauty of the world as we know it.

My thoughts:
I loved this one.

"Survival is insufficient".

Star Trek: Voyager

The story revolves around characters that were connected to Arthur Leander, an actor who's fame was starting to faze out.  Arthurs dies on stage in the opening scenes of the book but he is the centre of this story.  Almost everyone in the story can be traced back to him in one way or another.

On the night Arthur dies, a terrible flu starts to erase life as we know it.   And civilisation dies.

Through flash backs we get to know Arthur, his friends and his ex-wives.  His first wife, Miranda, created a comic book called Station Eleven.  This comic becomes a favourite escape for Kirsten, twenty years after it was given to her by Arthur when she was a little girl in the King Lear production he dies in.  

We do not get a lot of the epidemic and it's effects (the parts that I always love), this is more about the people and their relationships with each other almost twenty years after.  It is all about how the past and actions taken then can impact today.

Another great narrator that added to my enjoyment of the book.

The Ruins

The Ruins
by  Scott Smith

Genre:  Horror; Science fiction; Suspense
Publisher: Simon & Schuster  on 
18 July 2006
Reading with my ears:  Unabridged 
14 hours 39 minutes
Narrator:  Patrick Wilson

Trapped in the Mexican jungle, a group of friends stumble upon a creeping horror unlike anything they could ever imagine. Two young couples are on a lazy Mexican vacation–sun-drenched days, drunken nights, making friends with fellow tourists. When the brother of one of those friends disappears, they decide to venture into the jungle to look for him. What started out as a fun day-trip slowly spirals into a nightmare when they find an ancient ruins site . . . and the terrifying presence that lurks there.

My thoughts:
I saw the movie a few years ago, not great but very entertaining.  I forgot all about it until I saw someone talk about the book on a Halloween video on BookTube.  I was intrigued, I remembered bits and pieces of the horror and wanted to experience some of that suspense again.  

Just let me start by admitting, the characters are all dumb assesses.  Yeah, I said it!  Don't get me wrong, they are not unlikeable, in fact you will be hoping they find a way out of this mess they got themselves into.  But they had clues all through the beginning chapters, even Mayans trying to warn them away but no . . .  they had to keep going.  Just over the next hill . . . 

I loved this book.  The atmosphere and the desperation were described so well that I was reaching for my bottled water a few times.  I could actually feel the heat and the thirst. There are some gore and the descriptions get very detailed but it is all part of the story and nothing is there just for shock value. 

The narrator builds the creepy atmosphere of people trapped in an awful situation with no way out.  His voice was perfect for this story.  He definitely added to the enjoyment for me.

I can recommend this audiobook highly - it was an enjoyable ride.

Red Rising

Red Rising
by  Pierce Brown

Series:  Red Rising Trilogy #1
Genre:  Science Fiction, Young Adult
Publisher: Recorded Books on
28 January 2014
Reading with my ears:  Unabridged
16 hours 12 minutes
Narrator:   Tim Gerard Reynolds

The Earth is dying. Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it. The Reds are humanity's last hope. Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie. That Mars has been habitable - and inhabited - for generations, by a class of people calling themselves the Golds. A class of people who look down on Darrow and his fellows as slave labour, to be exploited and worked to death without a second thought. Until the day that Darrow, with the help of a mysterious group of rebels, disguises himself as a Gold and infiltrates their command school, intent on taking down his oppressors from the inside. But the command school is a battlefield - and Darrow isn't the only student with an agenda.

My thoughts:
I first saw this book on BookTube (a new addiction which my bandwidth hates) where most reviews raved about it.  I could not wait to pick it up and the first few hours were wonderful.  I enjoyed the world building of the Reds living underground on Mars.  The characters were interesting and flawed. Unfortunately this was not what the story was really about and I was soon bored.

When Darrow infiltrates the Gold's world, the story changes.  In some parts I found my mind wandering and I had to consciously remind myself to get my head back into the story.  The story becomes one of the "dime-a-dozen" young adult books where the main character is prettier and smarter than most.  He (or she) is thrown into a "school type setting" where he has to fight his classmates (to the death for the most part) for the top winner position.  As in most dystopian young adult fiction there are lots of fighting, cruelty and death.  Not my favourite characteristics of young adult books although I love dystopian/technology advanced worlds.

And then there is Darrow. . . I disliked Darrow.  I mean I really disliked him which is a problem as he is our main protagonist.  He claimed an undying love for his wife, Eo in the first few chapters of the book but this was very easily forgotten when he was immersed in the Gold's world.  I also felt that he was a bit too comfortable in this new life and conveniently seems to forget what the true purpose of his presence is.

I loved the narration by Tim Gerard Reynolds.  I really enjoyed his calm voice which starts with a vague Irish accent for the Reds and turns British-ish for the Golds.

I am in the minority with my thoughts above as the reviews on Goodreads almost all screams praise of this book. So you might have to read it for yourself to see . . .

{TV series}Review: Helix

A team of scientists are thrust into a potentially life-or-death situation in this thriller, which begins with the group being deployed to the Arctic to secretly investigate what could be a disease outbreak.

This is a roller-coaster ride of a series.  I loved it!  Each episode had you believing another version of what the truth might be!  The whole series is played out in a “secret” arctic science lab where more that just lawful experimentation might be going on.    A group of CDC scientists are up against a decease that not even the director of the lab can (or want to) fully explain.  The first season ended on a cliffhanger of sorts and I am very happy that a second season will follow in 2015.

{Audiobook} Review: 14

14
by Peter Clines
Genre: Mystery, Horror, Science Fiction
Date Read: 07 May 2014
Reading with my ears
Narrator: Ray Porter
Unabridged audio - Length: 12 hours 38 minutes

Padlocked doors. Strange light fixtures. Mutant cockroaches.
There are some odd things about Nate’s new apartment.
Of course, he has other things on his mind. He hates his job. He has no money in the bank. No girlfriend. No plans for the future. So while his new home isn’t perfect, it’s livable. The rent is low, the property managers are friendly, and the odd little mysteries don’t nag at him too much.
At least, not until he meets Mandy, his neighbor across the hall, and notices something unusual about her apartment. And Xela’s apartment. And Tim’s. And Veek’s.
Because every room in this old Los Angeles brownstone has a mystery or two. Mysteries that stretch back over a hundred years. Some of them are in plain sight. Some are behind locked doors. And all together these mysteries could mean the end of Nate and his friends.
Or the end of everything...

My thoughts:
This book was such a nice surprise.  I had started the ebook a while back but had to set it aside for a shiny new title and totally forgot about it until a friend suggested I give it a try.  I expected horror (I love horror!).  But this story was more of a mystery.  The first three quarters of the book, we are trying to figure out where the crazy was coming from (and there are a lot of crazy!).  Huge illuminating cockroaches anyone (I would have not even unpacked!)
Very soon, the tenants of the apartment building getting to know each other, having fake movie-nights so that they can discuss the mystery without the supervisor noticing.  I loved the way that all the friends had their own story and background explained.  There were not many that were not very quickly a beloved part of the story.  

This was a four star read for me until just a few chapters from the ending.  I do not want to give away spoilers, so I will just say that the book took a strange turn that I did not enjoy.  But all in all it was an enjoyable experience.
Audio:  I really enjoyed the voice of Ray Porter.  I think I could listen to him read the phonebook.  His voice is so smooth – it just flows over you.  I just felt sorry for him when he had to read some of the drama in the last few pages – wonder what he was thinking

Author Guest Spot by Julianne Alcott

 

Today I want to introduce fellow South African and author, Julianne Alcott who is visiting my blog.  Julianne’s new book, The Ripmender, will be released tomorrow and we are all so very excited.  To celebrate, Julianne has shared some of her thoughts below.  Enjoy!

Boys aren’t the most important thing in the world, even though they feel like it sometimes!
By Julianne Alcott

I love writing love stories. I love reading love stories. I love being in a love story myself!  So my novel The Ripmender might be a sci-fi action adventure for young adults, but it’s primarily about a boy.
A very special, unusual boy.
Cathy has had a crush on Nathan Jake for four years. It seemed like an impossible crush, because she is an ordinary girl from a tiny town in South Africa, and he is an internationally famous American rock star. The chances of them even meeting each other are practically zero!
And then he becomes part of her life, in a way that she never expected. And do all her dreams come true? Of course not, because this is life, and this is love, and both of them can be painful and agonising and heartbreaking.
Boys! Those impossible, strange creatures from another planet, who can make us feel like we are soaring on clouds of happiness, or make us wish we could crawl under our duvets and never come out again.
And it doesn’t get easier. Boys are just as puzzling when they are men. Dating is just as confusing when you are forty.
But it also feels just as amazing, when the guy you really really like looks at you and says, “You are so beautiful! I love you so much.” Then you feel like you can conquer armies, climb mountains and do all your maths homework, even though it sucks!
I think the trick here is to not make them too important.
As girls we tend to revolve our whole lives around the latest guy.  The relationship affects everything; what we wear, how we feel, what we think about. If things are going well, we are happy and cheerful, but if we are hurting because of something our special guy did, then our whole life seems to be painted with a grey brush.
We don't try a new shampoo, and then base all our thoughts and needs on whether it is a good shampoo or not. Of course the relationship we have with our guy is important, but if we make it the most important thing in our lives, we are going to be stressed, and end up being all crazy.
Yes, that guy is amazing. We love the way his hair curls at the base of his neck. We love his brown eyes and his smile. We love the way he looks at us. But it’s a whole lot better if he is just one part of our lives, and not everything in our lives.
I am trying to do that at the moment! I’m trying to concentrate on writing this blog, and not let myself pick up my phone and tell him that I miss him. I’m going to stop thinking about him and finish writing this. And then I’m going to work on my assignment and my next book, and then go and spend time with friends this afternoon.
Boys aren’t the most important thing in the world, even though they feel like it sometimes! If we can get that balance right, we can work on our own hopes and goals in life, instead of spending time dreaming about the next kiss. And when the next kiss does come along, we will be strong, happy girls who can love our special guy all the better, because we are the best we can be at being ourselves.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Julianne Alcott is the author of The Ripmender that will be published by Wordsmack Publishers on 6 May as an e-book.

The Ripmender by Julianne Alcott:
"In the real world, your idol usually ends up in rehab or, even worse,
at a wedding altar in some tacky Vegas chapel. What they don't do is
tell you they are from another planet... Just my luck!"
Cathy Slater dreams of meeting the love of her life ... teen rock
sensation, Nathan Jake.
He is adored by millions, while she has trouble even fitting into her
own family! Although he is a tutor at her university, there is no way
she can compete with the packs of worshiping fans constantly
surrounding him.
But then fate intervenes and her life changes forever when she
stumbles onto Nathan's biggest secret... She wasn't meant to see what
he can do ... what he is ... Now there's no going back.
Who are the Ripmenders and what is their purpose here on Earth?
Follow Cathy across the galaxy as she uncovers the truth about the
shady organisation behind Nathan's secret. Can she ever truly
understand the mystery behind the man she loves? ... Or will an enemy
from the past ruin everything?

To pre-order, go to:
http://www.word-smack.com/#%21the-ripmender-preorder/c152j

Juliannne Alcott lives in Durban, South Africa, where she works as a school librarian by day and writes young adult novels by night. Her latest book, The Ripmender, is a young adult sci-fi romance and will be published 6 May 2014.  She gets a kick out of creating plots that give her interesting things to research. “I have rubbed stinging nettles onto my arm, visited a mall in a borrowed wheelchair and eaten boiled leaves, all to make my stories more real.” She has a blog: http://juliannealcott.wordpress.com and is on Twitter: @JulianneAlcott
You can also stay up to date with her latest book, The Ripmender, here: http://www.word-smack.com/#%21the-ripmender-preorder/c152j

{Audiobook} Review: The Martian

The Martian
by Andy Weir

Genre: Science Fiction, Humor
Date Read: 15 February 2014
Narrator: RC Bray
Reading with my ears
Unabridged audio - Length: 
10 hours 28 minutes 

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first man to die there.
It started with the dust storm that holed his suit and nearly killed him, and that forced his crew to leave him behind, sure he was already dead. Now he's stranded millions of miles from the nearest human being, with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his food would be gone years before a rescue mission could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to get him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. But will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?(Goodreads)

 
**Beware of Adult language**

 My thoughts:
I am not exactly sure how I got interested in reading The Martian.   I admit I am a cover lover. Pretty covers always catch my eye.  
This cover would not have caught my attention and I would have assumed that it is directed at a male audience (well, look at it.  don't you agree?). 

This is exactly the reason why I am so glad that that it was discussed in one of the audiobook discussions on Goodreads.  I would have missed an amazing journey - both mine and Mark's.   

The online book club discussions intrigued me.  It brought forth such a wide range of feelings from the participants.  But everyone agreed, you have to read this . . . now!

So I went in search and  when I heard the first few sentences . . .

I am pretty much f*cked . . . that is my considered opinion.  F*cked.

I was hooked.  (how can you not love that!) 

This is a story of one man left behind after a failed Mars mission.  But Mark is not ready to give up even if all rational thought leads to the conclusion that there is just no way that he will be able to survive until a rescue mission can be launched.   But Mark has not lost his sense of humor and it carries him through some difficult situations.

“Actually, I was the very lowest ranked member of the crew. I would only be “in command” if I were the only remaining person.”  What do you know? I’m in command ”

Luckily Mark is the perfect MacGyver type guy and before long he is making water (yeah, that is right - he MADE water).  With that somewhat important problem solved, he goes ahead and starts growing potatoes.  It looks like there might be some hope but before long slight oversights causes big problems.  Luckily Mark has duct tape.

“Also, I have duct tape. Ordinary duct tape, like you buy at a hardware store. Turns out even NASA can’t improve on duct tape. ”    

You will not be disappointed by his story.  I am not sure if all the science is accurate but that is really not important.  This science fiction story is about a man and his fight for survival.

I devoured Mark's story in two days and I am sure you will not be able to put it down either.  Grab a copy today!

Also look out for the movie!  Andy Weir has become one of those one in a million success stories.  From selling the ebook for 99c to having the movie rights bought by a huge movie company.  Congratulations, Andy and here is to many more.

{Audiobook} Review: American Elsewhere

American Elsewhere
by Robert Jackson Bennett


Genre: Science Fiction
Source: my own copy
Date Read: 06 February 2014
Narrator: Graham Winton
Length: Unabridged - 22 hours; 24 minutes 

Some places are too good to be true. Under a pink moon, there is a perfect little town not found on any map. In that town, there are quiet streets lined with pretty houses, houses that conceal the strangest things. After a couple years of hard traveling, ex-cop Mona Bright inherits her long-dead mother's home in Wink, New Mexico. And the closer Mona gets to her mother's past, the more she understands that the people of Wink are very, very different.

My thoughts:
I had a really hard time writing this review.  When a friend asked what I thought of American Elsewhere, I really had to search for words to describe my feelings.  

I cannot decide if I even liked it. I know I am in the minority, looking at all the glowing reviews on Goodreads, but I am sure I would have dropped it if it was not an audio version.  I find that I read outside my normal "comfort zone" when I listen to audiobooks (which just makes me love audiobooks all the more!).

The story started off very slowly and is written in very descriptive, what I image, would be considered prose (my reading style is usually much more relaxed).   Huge sections are just very flowery language describing for example the valley and mountains near the village or just the beautiful night and pink moon.   This is not your usual Sunday afternoon beach read.

Towards the middle, the story starts and it is very, very strange. Not sure why some would consider it horror though. It is at most very loosely based science fiction (mostly alien) or maybe fantasy. 

There is some action towards the end and a lot happens in just the last few chapters.  By this time, I was invested in the story and I just had so see what the author would do to tie up all the loose ends.   I think all fell in place very easily.

I would recommend this to readers of more literary fiction or to people like me who enjoy stretching their reading experience with audiobooks.  

 

{Movie} Review: Ender's Game

Ender's Game (2013)
Starring:  Asa Butterfield, Harrison Ford, Viola Davis
Genre:  Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi 

The Earth was ravaged by the Formics, an alien race seemingly determined to destroy humanity. Seventy years later, the people of Earth remain banded together to prevent their own annihilation from this technologically superior alien species. Ender Wiggin, a quiet but brilliant boy, may become the savior of the human race. He is separated from his beloved sister and his terrifying brother and brought to battle school in orbit around earth. He will be tested and honed into an empathetic killer who begins to despise what he does as he learns to fight in hopes of saving Earth and his family.  (from IMDb)

My thoughts:
I have been ill for some time and even though I do have the audiobook, I decided to watch the movie of Ender's Game instead.  

I was under the impression that this would be full blown action sci-fi movie from start to finish.  And there was action, a lot of action, with beautiful special effects but this movie was more about the relationship between Ender and Colonel Graff  - his teacher and mentor. (not something that my husband was very interested in -so for him, this movie came up short.)

Ender and Colonel Graff have a difficult relationship and it was hard seeing that Ender was purposely put into conflict with his schoolmates to make him become the leader he was meant to be.  Colonel Graff was continuously very hard on him and kept on saying "you are Earth's last hope".  A lot of pressure for a young boy.  I thought that came through very clearly throughout the movie. 

Even though I enjoyed the movie and was caught up in the excitement of the war, I am not sure that I will be listening to the book or any of the sequels.  I have been reading some reviews of devoted fans of the books and I am not sure if this was maybe a compilation of parts from more than the first book.  Either way, I did not enjoy the ending of the movie and am not really interested in where it might lead in the rest of the series.

But for a few hours of fun, this fit the bill perfectly.

 

 Perfect for a lazy afternoon.

  

{Audiobook} Review: Blue Ink

Blue Ink
by Nancy Fulda


Genre: Short Story 
Release date:  23 November 2013
Source: Review copy from the author 
via Audiobook Jukebox
Date Read: 23 January 2014
Narrator: J.R. Mangels
Unabridged audio: Length: approx 19 minutes 

Six-year-old Jason doesn't want to be cloned, even if his parents think it's a good financial investment. Concerned that his second self may not be happy, he secretly plans to violate the rules of his society... with unexpected results.

My thoughts:

Blue ink refers to the tattoos that all clones get in this futuristic world. Their serial numbers are tattooed in blue ink on their foreheads. Except for the menial jobs that clones do, I am not quite sure of their purpose in this world. Jason's father refers to the fact that if all goes well with his clone(s), Jason will never have to work when he becomes an adult. I can only assume that this means that the clones' “owners” are paid for their servitude in society.

This makes for a very sad life for clones. And Jason is very worried that his clone will not be happy. He has been discouraged for any interaction with clones but have secretly spoken with a few and feel sorry for the lives they have to lead. He wants to make sure that his

clone has a good life but his parents refuses to give him the opportunity to meet his first clone.

As soon as clones are “born” they are herded off to special institutions where they are taught all they need to know. Clones are definitely second class citizens in this world.

Short stories are either a hit or miss for me, there is just no in-between in this genre. Luckily the author got it right in Blue Ink. I think sci-fi fantasies lend themselves perfectly to this genre. If only we could have gotten to know more about Jason, his clone and their reality. I usually love these open endings which leaves you thinking . . . “oh no!” but with Blue Ink I found myself wanting more.

I think Blue Ink would make a wonderful novel and I hope that the author is considering it. I would love to learn more about this “sad” world.

I really enjoyed the narration too. JR Mangels made the transition from actor to narrator easily and had a very easy-to-listen-to voice. I think we will be hearing lots more from him in future.

All in all, I think Blue Ink is worth searching out. Although it is short, it packs a punch.

**edited**

Audiobook Review: The Long Walk

 

The Long Walk 
by Stephen King

 
Publication date: 01 April 1999 (first published 1979) 
Genre: Science Fiction; Dystopia; Horror 
Source: my own copy 
Date Read: 09 August 2013 
Narrator: Kirby Heyborne 
Length: 10 hours 40 minutes 

Every year, on the first day of May, one hundred teenage boys meet for an event known throughout the country as "The Long Walk." Among this year's chosen crop is sixteen-year-old Ray Garraty. He knows the rules: that warnings are issued if you fall under speed, stumble, sit down. That after three warnings... you get your ticket. And what happens then serves as a chilling reminder that there can be only one winner in the Walk - the one that survives...

My thoughts: 
When I was younger, I was a huge Stephen King fan and read anything with his name on it. As I have become older, I have read less and less of his novels as I have gradually lost interest in his writing style. I have found a few gems here and there but overall I have been disappointed.

Then I came across this audio copy of The Long Walk. I read it quite a few years ago and it was a happy surprise as I remembered the creepiness of it. I was not disappointed in this “re-read”, it held the same creep factor that I remembered loving from his earlier titles.

The Long Walk is about winning a race that will mean all your dreams coming true – for the rest of your life. So it is quite an honor for the 100 boys that is chosen from the lottery draw. Unfortunately only one boy can win and that means that 99 other boys will die. I cannot

imagine someone being eager and excited about this possibility but these teenage boys all seem to think they will live forever.

In this dystopia television extravaganza, warnings are given for any “infringement” of the rules . . . if your pace becomes too slow, you get a warning. If you sit down to rest your bleeding feet, you get a warning. If you try to leave the race in any way, you get a warning. Every warning can only be erased by walking an hour without any incident. And if you receive three warnings in an hour, you get your ticket – delivered by a gunshot. Your race is terminated – forever, while the spectators cheer.

This book is very entertaining even if it all takes place on a highway during a few days' stretch. We meet a few of the characters and not all of them are very likeable . . . The ending is somewhat strange. I have read a few reviews that speculate about the real meaning of the ending but I thought it was perfect just as it was. I recommend this for all dystopia lovers.

Audiobook Review: The Program

The Program
 
by Suzanne Young 

Source: my own copy 
Publication date: 30 April 2013 
Genre: Dystopia Sci-Fi Young Adult 
Date Read: 26 December 2013 
Narrator: Joy Osmanski 
Length: 10 hours 56 minutes 

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.

My thoughts:
I loved the beginning of The Program. I could not stop listening to the fabulous Joy Osmanski introducing me to Sloan and James and all their friends.

It was strange to think of suicide being a sickness of epidemic proportions. In this future world, suicide is contagious and more and more young people are dying every day. The powers-that-be try to cure this rising tide by erasing the flagged teenagers' memories. So everyone is on edge, trying to not be noticed by hiding all emotions and completing the daily questionnaire by stating that they feel happy and contented. It is smiles all around.

Even with this hard-to-believe concept, I soon gave in to the story's buildup and enjoyed

Sloane's experience in the program. It was definitely fast paced and scary, with a few icky characters making an quick appearance.

Unfortunately when she was released back into the normal world, things started to grate on my nerves. The control that was enforced into all aspects of life was especially hard to take even when I tried to remind myself that that was the point of the story. Sloan's parents was especially irritating and I think the author did an excellent job of us just having to hate them. On the other hand, I can't imagine that Sloan would not want to distance herself from them.

The love story between Sloan and James was very intense for a YA title but I found their re-discovering of their love sweet and heartwarming. Their relationship is just as perfect as we want our fictional romances to be.

I enjoyed some parts of this book and but unfortunately there were stages where I wish I could just fast forward toward the end and the obvious conclusion. I would even go as far to say that if I have not been invested in Sloan and James “finding” each other again, I would have given up. Thinking back, I do not see the point of the introduction of some of the characters and can only imagine that they will feature in the future books.

I liked the story but unfortunately I am not invested in Sloan and James enough to look out for the sequel.