#BookReview: The Treatment by C.L Taylor

Receiving books free in exchange for reviews will never sway the outcome of my reviews. All my reviews are own my personal thoughts and opinions whether they for review or bought. While I may feel a certain way, others may feel differently. So sit back and relax and check out my thoughts on this book. Don't forget to share your thoughts (no spoilers) on the books or reviews on this blog in comments.

Title: The Treatment

Format: e-Arc

Pages: 384

Published: 19th Oct 2017

Publisher: HQ

Source: Netgalley

Genre: YA Thriller

Shelfability: Acquire

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / BookDepository

Cecelia Ahern’s Flawed meets Never Let Me Go in the pulse-pounding YA thriller from the Top Ten Sunday Times bestselling author of The Escape.

“You have to help me. We’re not being reformed. We’re being brainwashed.”

All sixteen year old Drew Finch wants is to be left alone. She's not interested in spending time with her mum and stepdad and when her disruptive fifteen year old brother Mason is expelled from school for the third time and sent to a residential reform academy she's almost relieved.

Everything changes when she's followed home from school by the mysterious Dr Cobey, who claims to have a message from Mason. There is something sinister about the ‘treatment’ he is undergoing. The school is changing people.

Determined to help her brother, Drew must infiltrate the Academy and unearth its deepest, darkest secrets.

Before it’s too late.

I have never read anything by this author before but I was certainly intrigued. I do like a good thriller and coming across a good YA thriller is something that is hard to come by. While I did enjoy the novel I found that it just seemed to be missing the actual THRILL factor for it to be a good thriller read.

Drew receives a mysterious note from her brother who is in the Academy. Soon she finds herself at Norton House and is determined to save her brother. I really liked Drew. I thought she had a really strong protective nature towards her brother even though she didn't always get on with him. I thought what she done to get into the Academy was so brave. Although I did think some of her choices during the course of the book was a little questionable.

There are a whole set of characters that you grow you love and hate. I hated Jude! God did I hated her. She was a bully and coward. I wanted Drew to just punch her!! Mouse was a quiet girl. And quickly becomes really close to Drew. Israel is someone who I liked from the moment we meet him. He is funny and outspoken. My only thing was we didn't really get to know him much. I wanted more of his story and why he was sent to Norton House.

Norton House is place where "Bad" kids go. These teenagers are from all different backgrounds with so many different stories that I feel could have been explored a lot more. They have been sent by parents or guardians under the pretense that it's a reform school. However, the treatment is a little different and they leave almost robot like young adults because they are being brainwashed. This is the part that really intrigued me. The idea that going through some sort of treatment can actually change how someones brain is wired is really interesting. The people who run the place are just pure evil to me. And once you really get into the story you really see how messed up the situation is and who in involved.

The Treatment to me feels more of a mystery novel rather than a thriller. I kept waiting for that thrill factor to come but it didn't. I was quite disappointment by that because this had so much potential. If it was classed as a mystery it would have been massive two thumbs because it certain has a lot of mystery surrounding Norton House and what goes on inside it.

The author has delivered a good solid YA debut and it definitely kept me enticed which is a hard thing to do right now as I am struggling with books. I found myself needing to know all the "what's" "why''s" and "who's". There is a nice pace to the story until the ending. It just felt a little rushed to me.

I will say though the ending is set up nicely for a second book. Will there be one? I honestly don't know. However, just the way the author has left it seems to me that the story isn't quite over just yet.

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