The Program

The Program is a 2014 young adult dystopian novel by Suzanne Young. Young is a novelist specializing in science fiction, thriller, and romance novels in the young adult genre. The novel takes place in a dystopian society where the government declares mental illness an epidemic. The Program follows seventeen-year-old Sloane Barstow, who struggles to reunite with her boyfriend James after a treatment clinic called The Program erases their memories in an attempt to “cure” their depression. The novel explores themes of love and human connection and the power of resistance against oppressive societal systems.

This study guide refers to the 2014 S&S Books for Young Readers print edition.

Content Warning: This guide describes and discusses the source text’s treatment of death by suicide, depression, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, and psychological abuse and manipulation. The source material also depicts problematic views surrounding mental illness.

Plot Summary

Sloane Barstow lives in a dystopian society where the government has declared teenage suicide an epidemic. A treatment facility called The Program targets teenagers struggling with depression and treats them against their will. In The Program, doctors erase the teenagers’ memories because they assume that bad memories give teenagers suicidal thoughts.