C L Taylor continues to enthrall readers books just keep getting better and better.
Drew and Masons' father disappeared without trace 8 years ago and was assumed to be dead. Mason began to demonstrate rebellious behavior and his mother was persuaded by his stepfather to send him to a residential rehabilitation school.
What follows is a disturbing journey for Mason and his sister but it's exciting at the same time a real page turner you will find difficult to put down.
A well deserved 5 stars.

I have read CL Taylor's books before but this is a first under the ya banner . I love a good dystopian book and enjoyed this one . Felt it could have been a bit more mysterious but it was an easy page turner and one I finished over two days . My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy

First things first: this is a YA novel (the first one from C. L. Taylor) and it’s a fairly long time *cough* since I’ve been anywhere near being classified as a young adult. So, I’m not the target audience. I do enjoy some YA fiction, though, and I thought this sounded intriguing.

This story is about Drew Finch, a sixteen-year-old girl whose brother, Mason, having been a bit wild and badly behaved, has been sent away to a mysterious “Residential Reform Academy” in the wilds of Northumberland, where he will undergo some form of unspecified treatment to show him the error of his ways and turn him into a responsible member of society. Then Drew is handed a note from Mason by a desperate woman, Dr Rebecca Cobey, who is promptly killed in a hit and run. Reading her brother’s terrified plea for help, Drew knows she has to do something to save him...

You really do have to suspend disbelief massively, from Drew conveniently finding on the internet a network of tunnels underneath the school; to the fact that the whole place is so incredibly secret there’s almost nothing about it online, yet a short spell of misbehaviour is apparently enough to get sent there; to a previous character turning up at the school for no reason which is ever explained other than to make Drew’s life even more difficult. And why on earth does Dr Cobey risk her life to get a note to Drew, rather than going straight to, say, the police, or even the press? While some characters are sympathetic, others are pure pantomime villains with no apparent redeeming features at all.

This seems like a lot of criticism but it is a good read - as long as you don’t take it too seriously. The “Treatment” itself is a sinister idea, particularly when you’re not yet sure what it is, and the idea of a suspicious programme to turn wayward youths into solid citizens definitely has a lot of mileage in it. I enjoyed it but felt constantly reminded that I’m not this book’s target audience. Maybe if I was sixteen I’d have enjoyed it more.

The ending is very much left open for a sequel and I would imagine there is likely to be one.

When Drew's little brother gets shipped to the RRA (residential reform academy) she is a tad relieved. He is troublesome, irritating and all the things little brothers can be, more so since their father left/went missing/died? years ago. When a doctor warns Drew her brother is in danger and the academy isn't what it seems Drew embarks on a mission to save her brother but at what cost?

I read this in one sitting, whilst the book is YA (Young Adult) it absolutely can be enjoyed by adults, I sank it in about three hours. Drew starts digging into what the academy is but despite many successfully reformed kids there does not seem to be a lot of information, if any, on the social medias. When Drew sees "evidence" with her own eyes she knows she has to get into the academy. The story starts off giving us insight into Drew's life, her family home set up and her chain of thought on how to tackle the situation. It is a tense build up and split into two parts, the before and infiltration, the after and what life is like inside the academy. In some parts the hair starts to stand up on the back of your neck, things aren't right, the plot is teased out page by page to discover just what is happening.

I didn't want to put the book down as I had to know, where is this going, what is happening, who can I/she trust? Thankfully yesterday was a day off so I could zone out and devour the story. It is a steady paced read in that the reader is took on the journey with the main character, having to go through the plan stage by stage creating distrust and holding your breath at parts. There are themes that cater for the teen reader, childish bullying, friend turned enemy, bitching, who fancies who but it doesn't detract from the bulk of the thriller theme. It is enough for the aimed at audience and relevant whilst not detracting from the main story that will engage the adult reader. To be honest, I think even the themes for the younger readers will spark old memories within the mature reader and it wasn't so long ago that I couldn't empathise with Drew or the issues raised.

I have liked all of Taylor's books I have read, I was a bit apprehensive going into this one, when an author branches into new territory as a reader you do worry. Will they be able to capture the new voice and writing, can they engage the reader as they have done in previous genre? Absolutely unfounded worries, Taylor has shown she can turn her hand to YA as well as psychological thrillers, 4/5 for me this time. Now to wait *patiently* for her to get the next book out, be it YA or her normal genre I cannot wait. Thanks so much to Netgalley for providing a review copy, you can buy your own now from all good retailers.

A fast paced and gripping read that's extremely difficult to put down. I loved the premise of a reform school with a special treatment program that transforms wayward and rebellious teens into model citizens. I kind of wish the author had gone a step further into invasion of the bodysnatcher territory but I found this very enjoyable and engaging.

Despite hearing a lot of great things about Taylor's adult thrillers this, her first venture into YA, was actually the first book by her I've read. I had been meaning to pick up her other stories but it was the usual case of too many books too little time. When I spotted this one on NetGalley however I just couldn't resist. A book about a reform school that's brainwashing troublesome teens, count me in. It's just such a fascinating premise and I love all things about brains, memory and behaviour.

The story follows 16 year old Drew Taylor whose younger brother Mason is sent to the residential reform academy by his mum and stepfather after he's expelled from school for the third time. Initially she's a little relieved her brother isn't causing trouble and she can get some peace and quiet but then one day she's followed home from school by someone claiming to work at the school. Dr Cobey has a note for Drew from her brother which says that all is not as it seems, the treatment is changing people and he's scared.

When no one listens to her concerns, Drew is forced to take matters into her own hands and investigate. What she finds leads her to believe her only option is to infiltrate the school to get her brother out, but can she reach him before it's too late.

It's a really fast paced and enjoyable read and I found myself flying through the pages, so much so in fact, that I finished the whole book in a few hours. The author definitely knows how to tell a gripping story and despite it being a little predictable in places it held my attention through a couple of long and noisy train journeys.

I loved the idea of this slightly sinister reform school which takes wild and uncontrollable teens and somehow transforms them into perfectly turned out, mindless drones who want to serve society and look down on their former friends. There is something inherently creepy about someone who loses their personality and is completely single minded and almost fanatical, with no sense of humor or mind of their own. It kind of reminded me a bit of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and in a way I do wish the author had taken it further down this path and made it that little bit more creepy and sinister but I suppose it's supposed to be a thriller rather than out and out sci fi / horror.

In terms of the characters I have to admit that I wasn't entirely convinced by Drew. She begins the story as this shy and quiet goody two shoes who doesn't have any friends in real life and is bullied at school then all of a sudden seems to transform into a completely different person when she finds out her brother could be in trouble. I suppose it is possible but it didn't quite ring true to me which is a shame because I thought the other characters were incredibly well crafted. The staff at the school were particularly well done, superficially nice but with something harder lurking underneath.

There were a few other things that niggled at me a bit as well. I felt like certain aspects were resolved a little too easily, passed over too quickly or just too coincidental to be entirely convincing. I do understand why the author does it but personally I prefer things to be a little less clear cut with a few more twists and turns.

Despite these niggles however I would still recommend you read this book. It's rare to find a really good YA thriller and this is definitely a good YA thriller. If I hadn't been travelling to events I probably would have devoured the whole thing in one go.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC. As always all views are my own.

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.

Review from Mia Madden, aged 13.


This is the stunning YA debut from C.L. Taylor. It is about sixteen-year-old Drew Finch, who's brother, Mason, has been sent to a reforming school. One day, Drew meets Dr. Cobey, a person who has been working at the school. Cobey gives Drew a letter from Mason saying that the school has been brainwashing teenagers. She dismisses it at first, thinking that her younger brother is just pranking her, but then she starts to grow worried. What if her brother is being serious? What if Norton House actually was brainwashing teenagers?

She does a little bit of research and finds nothing, except for a single person claiming to know the truth about Norton House. Drew meets up with this person, who calls themself Zed Green. Zed brings her boyfriend, who was a victim of Norton House's 'treatment'. The boy, that was once a rebellious skater-kid, was now a mindless, polite, contributor to society. Drew decides to take action. She has to find a way to be sent off to Norton House to rescue Mason, without raising too much suspicion. Will she get to the school to save Mason? And will she be able to avoid the treatment, herself?


I would never be able to do this book justice. I absolutely adored it. It's probably the best book I've read this year and I would be surprised if it doesn't win some form of award. C.L. Taylor is now my favourite (non-Irish) YA author. I just couldn't see the end coming! I love Drew's character, probably because she reminded me of myself. At one stage, she claims she was Emo. I'm sort of an Emo now. I mean if she listens to Evanescence, Fall Out Boy, Paramore and other bands that I like, she's basically an older, British, fictional version of me! Anyway, I would definitely recommend this book for ages 11+.

This is a young adult read which adults will love as much as their kids. The author has taken YA and taken it to a whole new level with this book.

The premise is simple - a young girl misbehaves in order to be sent to a school which is meant to rehabilitate children whose behaviour has led to them being excluded from main stream schools. The girl in question, Drew, has done this deliberately though. Her brother Mason had previously been said to the special school and she has discovered that all is not as it seems. In order to help Mason, Drew needs to be ‘on site’ so to speak.

What she discovers within the walls of the school isn’t normal, and she very quickly finds herself in extreme danger. With the help of friends she has made within the school, Drew has to fight to survive.

This was a well written story which, as I already said, will appeal to adults as well as young adults. Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.

Although this book is marketed to appeal to a teen market I thought I would give it a go as I have enjoyed previous by books by this author. It is definitely a teen read in my opinion but I did enjoy it and it had quite an unique story line bordering on science fiction.

WOW! Read this book on 2 sittings, utterly un-putdownable!! A fantastically written gripping story that had me totally hooked from the start and I raced my way through to the conclusion. It's billed as a young adult book but I'm 41! I have previously enjoyed this authors work hence giving it a go and boy I'm glad I did!

The Treatment by C.L.Taylor
Title: The Treatment
Author: C.L.Taylor
First Published: October 2017
Publishers: HQ Young Adult
Pages: 384
Price on Amazon: Paperback: £7.99 Kindle: £4.49
ISBN: 0008240566

The Treatment will cure you of everything.

Sixteen year old Drew Finch receives a note from her brother who has been sent away to a special school to be reformed for his out of control behaviour. The note asks Drew for help, telling her the school is not safe and that the treatment is actually brainwashing the teenagers and that it is his turn soon and he is scared. Drew tries to tell her mother and stepfather but they do not believe her. This leaves Drew with only one option, she has to get herself sent to the same place and break her brother out. Sounds simple but Drew doesn't know just how much trouble she is getting herself into.

Once Drew is placed in the school, there is much more security then she first believed there to be and she is in a different wing of the building to her bother Mason. Drew becomes friends with a girl called Megan whose nickname is Mouse. Soon Drew and Mouse are planning their escape with Mason together. Can the three of them pull it off? Or will they end up in more trouble? Can they get out before having to have the treatment themselves?

I got an advanced copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review so here it goes. I found this book to be a little slow to start with but once it picked up i started to quiet enjoy it. I immediately picked up on the fact there was something not right about Drew's stepfather although i couldn't quiet put my finger on how deep his involvement went.  I found Drew to be a strong leading female character, i was a little disappointed in how easily she was broken, I would of thought that it would of taken a bit longer than it did to break her. I would also of liked to of seen how Mason and Mouse got on through the treatment. Having studied psychology myself for many years it was nice to see proper research had been done into conditioning and reconditioning and unconditioning behaviour. This helped the book flow and made the story much more believable.

There are some good plot twists in this book which i wont mention for spoilers sake. All in all i did enjoy this book and i would recommend it to my friends and I shall be recommending it to my bookclub once its published of course. So rating i shall give this book 4 out of 5 stars. I look forward to reading more from this author as this is the first book from this author i have read.

My Review can be found on:
Amazon (Once the book has been published)
Goodreads,
Net Galley,
My Blog.

Links to my review can be found on:
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When I was recently browsing through the new books on Net Galley I spotted this one by C.L. Taylor, an author I had previously enjoyed and quickly clicked on the request button. What I didn't notice until after receiving it was that it is high-lighted as a YA a genre I normally don't read. Never-the-less having enjoyed the authors work previously decided to give it a go and how glad I am that I made that decision.

The story features sixteen year old Drew Finch who is not interested in spending time with her mum and stepdad and prefers her own company. Her disruptive fifteen year old brother Mason is expelled from school for the third time and is sent to a residential reform academy and everything changes. She is followed home from school by a Doctor Cobey, who claims to have a message from Mason telling her that there is something sinister about the ‘treatment’ he is undergoing. The school is changing people. She decides to try and help her brother but must first get into the academy and discover the truth before it’s too late.

I found this book a very entertaining read.
I would like to thank Net Galley and HQ for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't put this book down. Simple yet gripping. Drew's story was exciting and scary. The bullies were described with accuracy, that made me hate them too. Only a few bits, that I found a little too farfetched stopped me giving it 5 stars.

Shut up!
Shut right up!
Is she messing with this book?
Like, seriously though!

Cally Taylor just kicked YA arse! (Ass if you're American.)

Debuting into YA, but staying in the Psychological Thriller genre we all know and love her for, C.L. Taylor has produced something so very slick and atrocious and enticing, it has you glued to every single word. She has crashed into the YA/PT genre so fucking hard that she has indeed left a crater that can now only be known as the Finch Bomb to the world of reading.

Now, you know I won't lie to you, and I'll admit I did at the start think I was going to struggle with this read, but I'll hold my hands up here and say I was wrong. A slow start it may have been, but I was seriously devastated to not have more to read. And, I'd usually dock a 0.5-1 star off a read for that, but I won't because it more than sure makes up for it.

The plot thorough and clever, meticulously planned and thought out made sure every single aspect was covered in multiple ways. It's original, Interesting, deep and utterly horrifying. It is what you want in a book of this style to be fair.

Character wise it is kept to a minimum focusing on protagonist, Drew Finch, as she puts herself through absolute torture to try save her brother, Mason, from a reform school that is actually secretly brainwashing teenagers with some very old school methods. It could seriously be real life. I'm not even sure if it isn't If it comes out in a few years that this school does in fact exist we know where to look for the organiser. We see you, Cally. We see you and your twisted mind oh so well, and we luuurrrrvvvveee it. 😘

I'm not even writing anymore, ok?

#TheTreatment is one spine-tingling, ferocious and utterly magnificent read! YA/PT just got a new queen 👸🏻

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5

I recieve an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The treatment follows a sixteen year old girl called Drew Finch as she tries to save her brother from a reform school after receiving a note from him about the treatment he was due to receive at the school.
The book was a quick and easy read, I managed to make it through it in the space of a couple of hours, but I enjoyed it. You could tell that the author has a degree in psychology from the information she provided, never writing in such a way that was hard to follow for anyone that maybe doesn't have much experience with the subject. A few things about the book confused me, the reintroduction of a character from the first chapter later in the book seemed pretty unnecessary to me, possibly just as a plot device for another character? The book was a fresh take on a possible future, never straying too far from the very real possibilities of what can happen within education, healthcare and the government, especially at this time in history when many people within the UK are worried about the roads that the government are going down.
I loved this book,
4/5 stars

Really enjoyed this book, the first one I have read by this author. I will do a fuller review when I can post online as well. It was a gripping read, the characters had much potential that I felt the writer did not explore, very much a surface read, with no deeper plot line. There were so many elements that could have been expanded to create more empathy with the characters and their storyline. Grammatical errors do not help the book flow well but I am guessing the script will be proof read before it is published. The ending suggests that the author is planning to create a series and I would defiantly read any further books. The concept was interesting, again it just felt as if there was no depth to the storyline. One earlier character met in the park and asked for help, was not picked up later in the book, you wonder what become of her.