Panic by Lauren Oliver

Goodreads Summary:

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.

My Thoughts:

Just when I think I have figured out Lauren Oliver's writing style she mixes it up on me, and I couldn't love it more. Panic is another excellently written story that draws you in from the first page and spits you out at the end feeling like you have just been on the most amazing magical carpet ride and it didn't want it to end.

As you can tell I really enjoyed Panic. It was a fast read but it made me think which sometimes those two things don't go very well together. A big theme of this book is motivation, meaning what motivates us to do the crazy things that we do. Revenge and love, which oddly are so closely entwined are huge motivators in this book. At no point did I feel annoyed with any of the characters, even when they did predictable things. Lauren Oliver writes this story in such a way that it comes off as human behavior rather than a cliched book idea.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for an interesting good read. I think fans of Lauren Oliver will be pleased that she has created another snap shot world that will be looked at fondly over and over again.

While writing this review I was listening to the birds outside squabble over bits of bread in the grass.

Requiem By Lauren Oliver

Goodreads Summary:
They have tried to squeeze us out, to stamp us into the past.
But we are still here.
And there are more of us every day.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight.

After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor.

Maybe we are driven crazy by our feelings.
Maybe love is a disease, and we would be better off without it.
But we have chosen a different road.
And in the end, that is the point of escaping the cure: We are free to choose.
We are even free to choose the wrong thing.

Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

My Thoughts:

When I heard this book would be told from two narratives, Hana and Lena, I was annoyed. The biggest complaint I had with Pandemonium was the switching between time frames. I am pleased to say that I was not annoyed when reading Requiem. It felt natural to switch between Hana and Lena"s worlds. It was nice to get the POV from a cured person, indicating that the cure doesn't really work.

****SPOILER ALERT****

Hana has the fuzziness and weirdness from having her brain missing scoops. She is still herself though, underneath it all, and she still cares about Lena. I was not shocked to learn that it had been Hana who betrayed Lena and Alex in Delirium. She causes the dominoes to fall far too quickly for the two lovers. I had always suspected that it was Hana. She was the only one who know the plans between Lena and Alex. I love where her story ends.

Lena is still in the wilds with Raven and Tack. Julian has come along even though Alex has resurfaced. Love triangles tend to bother me but this one didn't bother me. I felt Lena had gone through a natural grief process with thinking Alex was dead. I felt her feelings for Julian were also natural. I would say the best thing about the way this story unfolded was that it all felt natural and not pushed or forced.

I like that Lauren Oliver didn't sum up the story in a nice pretty package. We know that Alex and Lena still love each other but we don't know for sure what will happen to them. We know that the Resistance has staged a massive protest in Portland but we don't know if it will last or work the way they wanted. I really think this was the best way to end my favorite series. I really enjoyed this book. I will say that it was hard at times to get through a chapter without getting a little choked up. 

I would recommend this book and the whole series to any one wanting a good read. Lauren Oliver is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

While writing this review I was listening to an episode of Downton Abby.

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver

Goodreads summary:
I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.


My thoughts: SPOILER ALERT!
I had this book on preorder and it finally showed up the other day in the mail. I wasn't going to read it until Spring Break but then it was looking at me and I had to pick it up. I loooooooved the first book in this series. This book I have not fully decided on how I feel about it. I liked how the story was told from the same person but in two different time frames. Then and Now. I felt like that way of writing kept me really wanting to read the next chapter. I felt bad for Lena for having to go through the grieving process of losing Alex (her boyfriend) all while trying to adjust and just survive the wilds.
One complaint I have about this book and others like it is the fact that they really reinforce the concept that you can't trust anyone. I wish there was less back stabbing or secret keeping between some of the main characters.
I am torn on how the book ended (SPOILER ALERT) with Alex coming back. Through out this book we go through the grieving process with Lena over Alex. As a reader I am happy for her when she finds someone else that she can connect with. I do not like that right as Lena is getting over Alex and with someone new he shows up, literally on the last page.
I can see why the book ended where it did. It creates loads of drama and anticipation for the third book. I do not like though that there is a love triangle in a book that really should be showing the good bits of love since that is what the Invalids are fighting for. I can't say what the third book will bring when it comes to this love triangle but I just hope it isn't sappy or lame as they so often are. I will be really disappointed if the third book sucks.
I do have high hopes for finding out more about Lena's Mom in book three. (SPOILER ALERT) since Lena had all of two minutes with her Mom (without knowing she was with her Mom) in this book. I want to learn more about the Resistant/ Freedom fighters and what their goal is.

I would recommend this book to those who read the first one and liked it. I would recommend the first book to anyone who enjoys odd stories that are well developed.

While writing this review I was listening to the Oingo Boingo Only a Lad which has been stuck in my head for days and my dog panting because she is getting hot from baking in the sun.

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

They call it Amor Deliria Nervosa and you will be infected without the cure. It kills you when you have it and it kills you even if you don't have it. The cure is the only way you can be happy. Everyone when they turn 18 receives the cure. You can tell the cured from the uncured by a three pronged scar on the neck from a needle which immobilizes you during the procedure. It isn't safe for the uncured to be alone with other uncured of the opposite sex, to prevent infection of course. The disease is sitting like a ticking time bomb in all of us, waiting to spread. You will be safe from infection if you follow the rules. Curfew at 9pm for the uncured. Do well on your school board exams. Do well in your evaluations. You will be rewarded with a mate who is best suited for you. You will be happy once you have been cured.

Lena has been counting the days until her own cure since her Mother died of the disease. Lena is terrified of being infected. Lena's worst fear comes true when she meets Alex. She is infected with Love. There are the sympathizers and resistors of course, as there are with every insane government movement. There are even the invalids, those who have lived outside of the grid. Alex was born in The Wilds, the area outside of city limits. He is an invalid, uncured, infected, diseased. Lena discovers all the lies about the disease, her Mother, and herself through learning to love Alex.

This book gave me goosebumps several times. Not because, we as a society, are expecting people to line up for lobotomies but because we probably aren't far off. This book is what happens when you drink too much of the cool aid someone else is feeding you. There is the ever present totalitarian government, acting for the safety of its people. Lies and fear are always effective in brainwashing people into thinking they need something fixed, cured, or changed which wasn't broken.( See cable news organizations)

I liked this book. I even liked that the ending isn't picture perfect. Most, if not all, endings aren't what we want them to be in reality. It is easy to want those pretty moments in books, but it is refreshing to have a book end on both a happy and depressing note. It makes the book feel more real. This book leaves several things unanswered. I have heard there will be a sequel coming out sometime next spring.

I recommend this book to those who like awesome writing, dig apocalyptic stories, and or political stories.

While writing this review I was listening to Poe - Terrible Thought off of Haunted.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Samantha Kingston is exactly like a lot of the mean girls I went to school with. Samantha's friend Lyndsay is a lot like I was in high school. The leader of the mean team. I think in a lot of ways this books feels like it was written by Tina Fey during her mean girls phase had she been obsessively watching Groundhog Day. I know that this comparison to this book has been made multiple times but it is the best way to some up this book. Sam lives the same day over and over seven times.

Sam is faced with her own harsh reality and the harsh reality of those around her. She is also made acutely aware of consequences for actions big and small. The writing style of Lauren Oliver took a little getting used to for me. I blame this on my recent re-reads of Harry Potter, it can be a mind fuck to go from dramatic wizards to dramatic popular girls. Once I adjusted I found the way the characters interacted to be authentic, meaning, that while these girls are mean girls they are also incredibly loyal to one another. They may be bitches, even to each other, but they each have redeeming qualities if you take the time to look for them.

Kent is the love interest in this book. I like that he is kind of over the top with his checkered shoes and bowler hats. I used to spend a lot of time with guys like Kent in high school. It made me miss all those guys for a little bit.

Over all I dig this book. I plan on picking up Lauren Oliver's second book after I finish all the other books I have started right now. I would recommend this book to formally overly bitchy girls such as myself, and or, currently bitchy girls. I liked the message this books sends. I will say though if you have recently dealt with suicide or bullying this book might not be the best thing for you to read.