So I was contacted for an opportunity to read The Program by Suzanne Young with my fab book club that I told you all about. This was one of my anticipated reads for Spring so naturally I said HECK YES once book club all gave the nod that they were down for it. You all know that I read & really loved this one but I’d LOVE to share our Program themed book club meeting and some general thoughts from ALL of us! And then, of course, the giveaway at the end for you!!
Throwing A Themed Book Club Meeting For The Program!
So we went with a themed drink for book club — an adult beverage as we are an adult book club. In The Program, when you try to commit suicide or get flagged for have the “symptoms”, you are taking to the Program and your memory is wiped away. The drink I thought of immediately for that? The Mind Eraser! Let me tell you, book club didn’t need much of this concoction to see how this was aptly named The Mind Eraser. We are a responsible book club (people had to drive home!)so we didn’t allow ourselves to experience the full mind erasing qualities of this beverage but I think my husband saw the effects of it starting to take place when he came home from the gym. His words not mine: “Book club seemed really fun tonight. I would almost maybe join.” I think our neighbors seriously might hate us now because we were LOUD.
There were a few recipes for The Mind Eraser (one was a yummy sounding shot with melon liquor) but this is what we picked:
Themed Snacks
We had jelly beans & Skittles in the color of all the pills in The Program!
We loved the memories Sloane had with her dad getting ice cream (and we love ice cream) so naturally we ate some yummy cookies & cream ice cream!
Realm was always eating pretzel sticks in The Program so we HAD pair those with some YUMMY cookie butter from Trader Joe’s! BUT we couldn’t stop there so we played some Bullshit before book club started and with pretzel sticks always comes fake cigarettes!
Bullshit & Pretzels! The Mind Erasers COULD be kicking in!
More drinks!
Book club or booze club? You decide!
Our discussion:
– We all either LIKED it or LOVED it. Betty had just read the book SLATED and found a lot of similarities to that book and The Program so it was hard for her not to compare them.
– We all thought this book brought THE FEELS…especially as you got further and further on. We loved that it seemed like this Program couldn’t erase your natural tendencies!
– We all agreed that it was a complete page-turner until the very end!
– REALM = BOOOOOO. JAMES = YAYYYY. Although, a certain someone in the group DID disagree. SHOCKING.
– We are all very curious about HOW society got to be to this point and HOW something like The Program actually is allowed? Why is it mostly teens? We are hoping these questions are answered in book 2 now that we are so completely invested in these characters.
– THE ENDING. We had so many theories. I don’t want to get into spoilers here but YAH. We thought the ending was a homerun and left us drooling for book 2!
The Giveaway For You!
What can you win?
A chance to host your own Book Club with some of your friends – enter for your chance to win five (5) copies of The Program and a $50 Visa gift card! If you don’t have a book club, I have some tips on how to start a book club!
Prizing provided by Simon & Schuster
Giveaway open to US addresses only
About 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.
About the author
Suzanne Young currently lives in Tempe, Arizona, where she teaches high school English. When not writing obsessively, Suzanne can be found searching her own tragic memories for inspiration. She is the author of several books for teens, including The Program, A Need So Beautiful, and A Want So Wicked.
Find out more
Learn more about The Program
Visit Suzanne Young’s Official Site
Follow Suzanne Young on Twitter
Christine says
ummm where can I sign up for your book club? It seriously sounds like THE best time! I love a good book. I love a good drink. I love good snacks. I love a good game of BS. Yeah, you’re my kind of people! I’m definitely going to have to try out that drink recipe. Thanks for posting it or I would have bugged you for it 🙂 I’m so glad y’all enjoyed the book. I’ve been dying to read it! Thanks for such an awesome giveaway. My friends would love to get together and do something like this. I don’t have a book club *le sigh* but I do have a good group of friends who love to hang out, eat, and drink. They also read, so hey, there we go!
ashley says
I know you’re sick of me telling you this, but man your book club looks like a BLAST.
Johannah says
I want a fun book club like yours! A friend of mine put ours together and it’s always at a kids friendly place because everyone BUT me has kids and a lot of my book club members only read certain books so it’s difficult to find a happy medium. Maybe one day I can find one that is awesome like yours!
I’m def going to have to check this book out.
Candice @ The Grown-Up YA says
Your book club is seriously the cutest! This sounds like a super fun time! Will definitely have to take these party tricks into my book club!!! 🙂
Riley says
That looks so stinkin’ fun! I haven’t been in a book club since high school and now that I’m graduating from college I have a serious need to be in one again (though since I’m going to grad school it will probably be more like a serious-business reading group).
Molli says
Man, I’d SO totally join your book club, Jamie! Looks like tons of fun. I seriously can’t wait to read The Program. I was approved on Edelweiss but I only had one day to download the book and I didn’t see the email until it was too late so BOO. I love Suzanne’s books and I am eager for this one, especially after your review!
Alexa Y. says
The Philly book club is AWESOME. You guys looked like you had such an amazing time, and I love the way you played on the theme with the food and drinks and color scheme! I wish I could have come down to visit and join in the fun 🙂
Lisa Schensted says
WHAT A FUN BOOK CLUB!
All the drinks and yummy food and lovely ladies!
Sandy Lion says
It looks like a really fun read. Thanks for the giveaway. sdylion(at)gmail(dot)com
erinf1 says
sounds awesome! Thanks for the giveaway!
Daphne says
looks like you guys had lots of fun. i just moved to a different state, so i don’t know very many people, particularly people who read the same things I do, but I wish I could start or join a bookclub. guess i’ll just have to stick with my online friends for the time being. the book looks great, too and I cannot wait to read it.
bookrockbetty says
I guess it would be inappropriate for me to enter this giveaway???? I’m ready for round 2!!!
Racquel says
AHHHHHHHH. I JUST finished The Program and I SO SO SO SO love this post! Especially the pretzel and bullshit part! This really was The Program themed! Y’all did awesome 😀 and yes, this book did give me ALL the feels too!
Kari says
Fun! I had a book club going a few years ago, but out of the 5 of us, only two of us were really readers :-(. But I’m determined to get another one started, and this looks like it would be a great book to do it with!
Alyssa @ Books Take You Places says
I am sooo jealous that I don’t live closer..Booze, I mean book club looks AMAZING!!
Also love books that bring THE FEELS :] and endings that YOU DID NOT SEE COMING. I hadn’t added this one yet but it’s going on the TBR for sure!
You guys are awesome, love your themed fun!
Megan says
You are inspiring me, Jamie! I think this summer is going to mark a new book club for me. Thanks for sharing and for the awesome giveaway! You rock!
Meg
Lindsey says
Omg awesome!!! I guess I never saw the tweet!! What a success last meeting was 🙂 I’m still in need of buying that cookie butter lol! Pics came out great–and on a serious note, sometimes I get a weird feeling when I hear about teen suicide today 🙁 how the numbers grow each day 🙁