Review: Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young

Title: Just Like Fate
Author: Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release date: August 27th 2013
Source: Edelweiss
Format: egalley

Rating: 4/5

Buy on: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...

I cannot say that this story is original, because this year I read Pivot Point a book with the same idea, that at some point in life you get to a crossroads and depending on your choice you can have two different futures, plus years ago I saw the movie Sliding Doors with almost the same idea. But still I really loved this book, it´s very well written and it has lovable characters, especially one of the male characters.

In Just Like Fate, Caroline is at a crossroads, her grandmother is very sick and dying, but being in the hospital is unbearable, because she keeps fighting with her older sister, so Simone her best friend invited her to a party for a bit so she can cleared her mind and relax a bit. So Caroline must decide whether to stay with her grandmother that could die at any time or go to a party with her best friend, just for a few hours. And hence leads to two possible futures in which we see what would happen if Caroline stays and what if she leaves, with alternating chapters between stay and go, we can see how life-changing is her decision.

Caroline she will find herself, grow as a person and grow closer to her dysfunctional family, there is also romance and in the two possible futures there is a guy who is the romantic interest, but what I like most, is that as in either stay and go, we got to see both guys and although she doesn´t interact in the same way with them, I liked the fact that it was part of fate that she´ll meet some guy and several times is mention that certain things are meant to happen, either the way we choose (especially this is what I like most of the story), I really liked the stories are about fate.

I really loved this kind of story, I really enjoy this book, the protagonist is imperfect and has to live with her good or bad decisions. Just Like Fate is light and touching contemporary read, I read it in one day (which is fast for me), I just needed to know what would happen to the protagonist.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange of an honest review.

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The Program by Suzanne Young

Title: The Program (Program #1)
Author: Suzanne Young
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release date: April 30th 2013

Rating: 4/5

Buy on: Amazon | B&N | BookDepository

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is 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.

This book reminded me a little of Delirium, so if you are fan of Delirium you might like this book.

Sloane the main character, lives in a world where suicide has become a global epidemic and one in three adolescents commits suicide, that´s why the city in which she lives decides to create a pilot program called "The Program" where young people from 13 to 17 years-old are monitored at home and at school to detect any signs of depression or suicidal tendencies, and once they´re detected as potential suicide are sent to "The Program" where they are subjected to a treatment where they get erase specific memories erased that are the cause of their depression and once they complete the treatment are sent to a special school where only cured teenagers attend and where they will be monitored constantly until they turn 18 year-old. The "cured" live without remembering their friends, boyfriends/girlfriends and other details that can depress them and with the help of their parents and psychiatrists have a life without depression.

But teens who have not gone through "The Program" are terrified of it, they live in constant fear of being reported,  they do not show their feelings openly, they pretend to be happy, so much is the fear of being sent to "The Program" that some prefer commit suicide than go to "The Program ".

One detail that caught my attention is that Sloane is constantly monitored at school and at home, but she can go camping on weekends or go to the river to swim with her friends and no one says anything.

An important part of the plot The Program is the romance between Sloane and James, they have been dating for two years and through the memories of her, we can see a little of how they fell in love and part of their relationship. But the main thing is what happens in "The Program", I really did not expect the story to be that good and is a page-turner, the plot has many sad moments, there are two scenes in particular that where particular sad and it has a very interesting twist that I did not see coming ... just...wow. I really liked this book, the idea is very interesting and is a great dystopian novel. I´m looking forward to read The Treatment, the next book in this series.

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WOW (78): Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The book I´m waiting this week is

Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young

Release date: August 27th 2013

Caroline is at a crossroads. Her grandmother is sick, maybe dying. Like the rest of her family, Caroline's been at Gram's bedside since her stroke. With the pressure building, all Caroline wants to do is escape--both her family and the reality of Gram's failing health. So when Caroline's best friend offers to take her to a party one fateful Friday night, she must choose: stay by Gram's side, or go to the party and live her life.

The consequence of this one decision will split Caroline's fate into two separate paths--and she's about to live them both.

Friendships are tested and family drama hits an all-new high as Caroline attempts to rebuild old relationships, and even make a few new ones. If she stays, her longtime crush, Joel, might finally notice her, but if she goes, Chris, the charming college boy, might prove to be everything she's ever wanted.

Though there are two distinct ways for her fate to unfold, there is only one happy ending...

Why I'm Waiting?

Even though the synopsis is kind of weird, I can´t wait to read it because this book sounds like the movie Sliding doors even the cover looks like cover of the DVD.

What book are you waiting this week?

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May New Release Giveaway Hop (INTL) - HERE.