Panic by Lauren Oliver
Amazon
Goodreads
Hardcover, 408 pages
Published March 4th 2014 by HarperCollins
Source: Purchased
My Rating: 4 Stars
From Goodreads:
Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do. Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.
The reviews I had read for this had been all over the place. People loved it, hated it, and fell everywhere in between. I was cautiously optimistic, but probably more cautious than optimistic (because really, I am a glass half-empty kind of girl by nature). But since it is Lauren Oliver, and I kind of think she is amazing, I went for it anyway.
I ended up being very pleasantly surprised. The beginning of the book was a bit slow to me. Heather was really making me mad with her weird girl-drama, and I just could not understand how exactly Panic could happen. Where the hell are these people’s parents!? I mean, we understand where the main characters’ families are relatively quickly, but what about all the other kids? Sure, there is some resistance to these shenanigans, but not enough to make it believable.
But beyond that, once I got into the heart of the story, I began to care. I began to care about the characters, and the game, and their relationships. And a lot of the stuff I hadn’t liked in the beginning started to make complete sense now as I read more about the lives these characters were leading. The transformation Heather makes is stunning, and yet believable. Sometimes, we don’t necessarily seek out change, but are forced to, and this is what happens with Heather. I preferred Heather’s storyline over Dodge’s, but I was still interested in what was going on with him as well.
And, even though I still could not fathom how this game was happening, or even why, I still was super interested in the whole mystery surrounding it, who would win, and what would become of everyone. And of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the ending. No, I am not going to tell you what happens, of course, but since Requiem sent me into a blind rage, I think it is only fair to say that this ending was a much more acceptable one. The book actually, you know, ended. As opposed to Requiem, which just kind of stopped, and then listened to me scream at it for a good fifteen minutes.
So yeah, I liked this one. I love love love Lauren Oliver’s writing, so it was easy for me to overlook the few issues I had with it. And I found the characters to be extremely engrossing as well. I wasn’t completely on the edge of my seat, but I don’t think that this is supposed to be that kind of book. I found it to be quite a pleasant surprise, and I am definitely glad I decided to read it!
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Glad you liked this one! I think the logistical issues really bugged me too much for me to thoroughly enjoy it, but I did like the characters. (Except Dodge was a bit whiny, hehe.) I was SO surprised at the plot twist with um…dang I’m having a mental blank! But Heather’s sort-of boyfriend? HIM. (Gosh, this is bugging me now…I’m GOING to remember, I will! XD) But I did enjoy the writing. It was really to-the-point which I love.
Bishop! I really, really liked Bishop. The plot twist dawned on me like, right before it happened, and I was definitely surprised! I did NOT see it coming, which is pretty awesome. I just love the way Lauren Oliver writes! I agree that the logistical stuff was tough to swallow!
I remember not loving this when I read it but I don’t remember what I didn’t like, I think it had to do with not liking the characters very much. Still I love Lauren Oliver and her writing and I loved the premise if this book.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I really think this is a hit-or-miss kind of book. And, my expectations were lowered a bit too, based on the reviews, which in this case helped since the logical side of my brain was mad about the game itself 😉