preview

The Treatment By Suzanne Young Essay

Decent Essays
Open Document

The book The Treatment by Suzanne Young is the completing sequel to the bestselling book The Program. Originally from Utica, New York, Suzanne Young is a novelist and an english teacher, who currently lives in Arizona. In this sequel Young continues to captures her audience with the gripping story of a group of teens and their fight against the dishonesty of The Program. The Treatment explores the delicate themes surrounding mental illness and Identity. The book takes place in a dystopian society where depression and suicide run rampant. Teen Suicide had become an epidemic which was thought to be a behavioural contagion by Psychologists. In an effort to stop the outbreak, some school districts implemented a possible cure, The Program. All teenagers were constantly watched for symptoms of depression, if they were identified as a risk handlers would be sent to bring them to The Program, which utilized methods that would erase infected memories (memories that are thought to be the cause of the patient's depression). After The Program the returners were given new identities and were completely stripped of their originality. They were left …show more content…

After treatment, Sloane was left with no memories of her old self and a pliable truth. The story also follows James Murphy, Sloane’s boyfriend before they were both sent to The Program. Another important character is Michael Realm who is Sloane’s only friend from her time spent in The Program. In the first book it was revealed that he had connections with The Program and was obligated to work with them. This was later erased from Sloane's memory, in order to keep the system safe. At the end of the first book Sloane and James were being tracked down and are given the only medicine that can bring their memories back. In a drastic effort to avoid being sent back to The Program they ran away from their town to join

Get Access