The Program, Book 1

The story gives almost no attention to the specifics of "behavioral contagion," the phenomenon of mass suicide, nor to any plausible remedy. Pills of various colors, administered by The Program, do all the work of preserving, deleting, or restoring painful memories. Still, we are led to empathize with Sloane, whose grief for her little brother, lost to suicide, tempts her to follow him into death. The story shines light on one of the darkest corners of life. 

Sloane and her closest friends resist totalitarianism and total brainwashing. She acts fiercely to preserve her self-worth and her love for her boyfriend, James. Even after they've been brainwashed, Sloane and James struggle to learn the truth about themselves, about who they were, which imbues their lives with greater value than mere survival. Sloane's parents, though caring, never come to terms with the suicide of their son, the dad taking to the bottle and the mom becoming frantically protective of Sloane.

Sloane's hunky boyfriend, James, frequently takes off his shirt, usually to swim. They have sex twice, both times with protection, and with her sly remark that he must have been expecting it. The sex is barely described. Their relationship is swathed in sentiment and romance.