Book Review

Suicide by Suzanne Young

Suicide. An international epidemic plaguing people of all ages but none more than the teenagers of the 21st century. People have to terms with the fact that ‘The Program’ is the only known cure and it seems that seventeen-year-old Solane Barstow has found nearly everyone she knows and loves flagged and taken in by The Program to have their memories and depression erased. After all, depression is contagious. But when Solane and her boyfriend James Murphy make a promise not to fall into the grasp of this new treatment or depression, things take a turn for the worst and Solane's desperate cover-up of her pain begins to crack.

The story of Solane and her friends is touching and suspenseful leaving you constantly wondering about what’s going to happen next. The book is full of characters you will love to hate and hate to love, throughout the entire book you feel like you are alongside the characters; experiencing everything as they do. Jay Asher the author of Thirteen Reasons Why has said ‘The Program feels frighteningly real.’ Seeing as this book does cover some dark topics it is deemed suitable for teenagers (13 and up) and shouldn't be read by any younger children or people can be easily triggered by particular topics such as mental health.