Sixteen-year-old Daniel is on the verge of being sentenced to time in juvie when fate intervenes. He is detoured to a new place... a place with no bars, a place he's told he is "lucky to attend", In spite of the fact that he's unsure of where he's headed, he agrees to the compromise.

The majority of this novel is set in the institute that Daniel is sent to. It's an intriguing place. Apart from an initial physical run-in with one of the interns ... it seems as though it's not such a bad place. Daniel meets with Dr. J who seems to run the institute. They don't have what Daniel would consider therapy sessions, at first they only meet to work out a contract encompassing what they both want.

The story unfolds from Daniel's perspective when he is in the institute and from snippets of an inquiry that is happening a decade later. It's clear that something has happened during Daniel's tenure that resulted in an investigation but the reader is along for the ride with Daniel. Throughout the novel, he tries to piece together his memories, the transcripts and some new information to build the story of what happened.

All the young people who are at the institute are meeting privately with Dr. J. All of them have different items in their contracts. They work on subjects that interest them, they learn about themselves, and it seems as though they are setting their own pace as they struggle with their individual challenges. Daniel's past is littered with abusive men who were brought into his life by his mother. He explores her weakness and his frustration as he reluctantly divulges bits and pieces of his personal history the way he remembers it.

All of the characters in this novel are interesting. They are full-bodied, revealing deep secrets and strange little nuances about themselves. The characters all interact with one another differently, and the longer they spend together the more they seem to learn about getting along with one another.

Ultimately, I feel like this book is about weighing the value of different types of treatment for people living with mental illness. I was touched by the twist at the end of the book (I'm not going to reveal it here). The story has left so many questions in my mind: is medication the answer for mental illness? Do we all just need to be listened to? Are some people so affected by the negative aspects of the world that they are unable to exist peacefully? What if mental illness isn't abnormal and is simply a variation of normal?

This tale is firmly planted in the contemporary world. It felt to me as though there was a component of science fiction in it, perhaps just because some of the "therapy" and "lessons" were a bit above my ability to understand. I've been curious about some of the things the author described and have found myself researching them.

"I was not playing God; I was trying to block out the noise so I could hear him." - Dr. J.

If you love interesting characters and an intriguing plot...that isn't handed to you on a platter... yes, you have to think about this one (and I love that) then you will enjoy this book. ( )

The Subjects is definitely a book that offers a unique perspective. Written from the firsthand account of Daniel, a high functioning delinquent , who at 16 years old was sent through an alternative sentencing program in place of jail time after he was caught selling prescription drugs. Given the benefit of hindsight, the story is told after Daniel has grown up and he looks back on his time at the “school”. The “school”is a unique place with loosely defined curriculum, and private therapy sessions. One of a chosen few, Daniel finds himself among a very different group of young people who have very unique ways of thinking and interacting with the world. As he builds friendships and interacts with this isolated environment, Daniel grows and learns how to become a functional adult. However, the school isn’t what it appears to be, and it has a much larger, more nefarious purpose. There is a lot of deep subject matter in this book, and there were moments where the storyline becomes kind of opaque and a little unclear. Generally well written given the specialty of the subject matter and a disturbing look into the exploitation of at risk children around the world. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy. ( )

Sixteen year-old Daniel’s physicians think he’s taking his medications, while he’s actually stockpiling them to sell. Unfortunately, his extremely lucrative business comes to an end and he winds up in court, facing a jail sentence. He gets a reprieve when a man in a gray suit, standing in the back, volunteers to sponsor him at a residential facility for delinquent youths. For the majority of the book, we the readers, along with Daniel and the other inhabitants of the facility are left to decide exactly what this place really is, who’s actually in charge, and what, if anything, they are supposed to be learning. The facility is an eerie place and it’s an eerie book, reminding me quite a bit of Suzanne Young’s Program series. I found the characters to be interesting, but not particularly engaging. I wanted to care about them more than I did. Fortunately, there were a couple of surprises towards the end of the book that made up for the rather uninspired characters.

Thanks to Net Gallery for the opportunity to read and review this book. ( )

THE SUBJECTS, by Sarah Hopkins, takes a page from the social experimentation and subliminal influencing that flourished in the 1960's and 1970's. Daniel is one of several young patients at what he can only decipher as a school with an agenda for mental healing. The entire book is told from Daniel's perspective, so as Daniel begins to piece together what the school really is and the way they are handling him and the other patients, Daniel start to question why he is there and should he stay.
The book begins by jumping into Daniel's life at a crucial junction; he's about to be sentenced in court and potentially put in jail, when a mysterious man convinces the court to let him my remanded to this mysterious man, a doctor. Hopkins crafts the plot so that Daniel and the reader slowly discover what is really going on with the doctor and the school he has convinced the court to let him take Daniel to. The fellow students/patients in the book are well developed, interesting and provide a texture to the story that draws the reader in. As the plot grows to it surprise finale, the reader can't help but pull for Daniel and the group to figure out what is really going on and why.
Well-composed prose and a slowly burning, yet fascinating plot makes THE SUBJECTS an exciting thriller that keeps the reader guessing until the very end.
Thank you to Text Publishing, Sarah Hopkins, and Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! ( )