Memory loss/amnesia is my least favourite trope ever. Nothing is worse for me (except when it comes randomly with no warning). It's so frustrating and I hate it. But for some reason, this book screamed at me to read it despite knowing the main character would lose her memories at some point. And I'm glad I did. I started it in 2019 and I wasn't sure how much of it I read then so I just started over. At first I thought I only read a few chapters because it was familiar, but then all the way to the halfway mark I had random déjà vus for scenes I've clearly imagined before. Then it stopped until the last few chapters when it began again. So...maybe I read the whole thing before but don't remember it/forgot to log it? That would be very fitting with the theme of The Program. Either way it didn't hinder my enjoyment of it, only enhanced it. The book is easy to read with its fast pace and short chapters. I didn't notice any terrible cliffhangers but it has a way of making you want to read moremoremore until you're done. Depression and suicide are considered diseases that you can catch. As someone who was depressed for most of my life and felt suicidal for a good part of it, I didn't mind? And I feel a little bad for not minding. I really liked the insanity of it, that society could actually stoop to that level. The amnesia trope I mentioned was annoying here too, but it worked. I knew what I was getting myself into so I was prepared. And oddly, I prefer some of the "returners" to what they were like before. Not because they were all sick, I just liked seeing them be freer. I had so many intense feelings while reading and some of that is due to the characters. I pretty much liked everyone except the obvious bad guys and I really appreciate that we weren't thrown into the action immediately and got a feel of who's who and why they matter. The romance was so-so. Or should I say, hot and cold. James I liked more in the second half of the book. Realm I'm on the fence about, especially after that epilogue. Now that I'm 100% sure I read it front to back I can say that there's something special about YA dystopias from the last decade. I liked/loved all of them that I've read so far and this one is no exception. There must've been something in the air during those days, so many good books came out of it. I'm looking forward to reading the sequel and whichever books come after it. My advantage is that they're already out and I don't have to wait.

‘The Program’ is a novel that shook me to my core even as adult. We follow our protagonist in a world where suicide is an epidemic, killing a large portion of teenagers, with the only cure being The Program. The Program is an intensive therapy where your slate is literally wiped clean. I cannot describe the way in which I loved this book. From the start gaining an insight to our protagonist’s life and the world she lives in, to the way we see everything around her beginning to crumble. Everything about this book drew me in and kept me hooked till I finished, it’s an ode to the early 2010s dystopia such as ‘The Hunger Games’ and ‘Uglies’ but stands on its own with a unique plot and excellent character writing.