Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

 Panic by Lauren Oliver

Author: Lauren Oliver Website|Twitter
Published: 6 March 2014 (Hodder & Stoughton)
Format: Proof copy
Pages: 416
Buy the book: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Proof copy provided by publisher and gifted from Mr Ripley's Enchanted Books in exchange for an honest review.

Plot Summary (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.

My Review:
It's exciting to finally be writing this review, because it feels like I've been waiting for this book for ever! I love Lauren Oliver and she was one of my first favourite YA authors after she won me over with Before I Fall. Panic follows Heather and Dodge as they take part in the game of Panic, where a group of teenagers are put through a set of dangerous set of tasks until only the bravest survive.

I remember when the novel was first announced people were quick to compare it to The Hunger Games, what with the plot summary detailing a bunch of teenagers competing against each other. Panic is in no way like The Hunger Games and I want to get that out the way quite quickly. It's contemporary/realistic fiction and all the challenges the kids face are extreme versions of high school dares and pranks that have been escalated to dangerous levels, so it is very much placed in the real world.

The book is told from dual points of view from Heather and Dodge's POV. Heather is living in a trailer park with a reckless mother and a younger sister to look after and could really do with the prize money that winning the game of Panic provides. Dodge lives with his wheelchair bound sister and wants revenge for the indident that damaged her legs. Both characters are driven and determined which really powered the story. I found the tone of the book to be quite dark. I loved the way the story took on fear and really made you feel what the characters were going through during those terrifying moments. There were some great twists and turns caused by secrecy and betrayal of trust as well which really shook things up.

I think Lauren Oliver has conjured up the small town vibes really well. The book is set in Carp, a town that doesn't seem to have much going for it yet is pretty tough to get out of. The characters we meet are in quite bleak situations and you can really feel their desperation to win Panic and how many opportunities to escape their current lives that would give them.

As well as Heather and Dodge, we meet Heather's friends Natalie and Bishop, who are both also caught up in the game of Panic. I liked the developing relationships between the four of them and how there's a few romantic tensions thrown in there to amp up the emotional side to things. I was definitely drawn a lot to Dodge. I also loved the scenes with Heather and her younger sister Lily as they try and fight their way out of some pretty miserable circumstances. I always love a good sister relationship!

The only downside for me was that the story jumps in just as the game of Panic is getting underway. I felt it could maybe have done with a bit more build up at the start of the book to get to know the characters before they're forced into these dangerous situations, so I could feel them out and get to know them a little more.

I love Lauren Oliver's beautiful writing and that was no different in Panic. The use of language just blows me away every time. I loved the little bits of foreshadowing throughout the book and how there were still plenty of surprises and plot twists on top of that. I got so invested in the characters and their fates with those intense moments Heather and Dodge go through. If you loved Oliver's previous books then I have no doubt that you'll enjoy this one. 

Overall I was really impressed by Panic. It was different to what I was expecting, but had me hooked to the pages and by the last couple of chapters the adrenaline was really going! It was different to what I was expecting - bleaker is the word I'd use - but it's one of those books that stays with you long after you close the pages which is one of the best complements I can give.

Rating: 4*
Books like this: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Review: Requiem (Delirium, #3) by Lauren Oliver

Spoiler warning! This is the third and final book in the Delirium trilogy and this review will contain spoilers for the previous two books. You can read my review of Delirium here or my review of Pandemonium here instead. You have been warned!

Requeim by Lauren Oliver

Author: Lauren Oliver Website|Twitter
Published: 1 March 2013 (Hodder & Stoughton)
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Buy the paperback: Amazon|Hive|BookDepository
Buy the e-book: Kindle|Kobo

Source: Borrowed from library

Plot Summary (from Goodreads):
It is the rule of the Wilds:
You must be bigger, and stronger, and tougher.
A coldness radiates through me, a solid wall that is growing, piece by piece, in my chest. He doesn't love me?
He never loved me.
It was all a lie.

'The old Lena is dead', I say, and then push past him. Each step is more difficult than the last; the heaviness fills me and turns my limbs to stone.

You must hurt, or be hurt.

Lena can build the walls, but what if there's no one left to take them down? The powerful, heartbreaking conclusion to one of the most eagerly awaited, talked-about series is here.

My Review:
Requiem is the last book in the Delirium trilogy and follows Lena as she journeys through the Wilds, and Hana as she prepares to marry one of the most influential men in Portland.

From the moment I read Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver has been a favourite author of mine. Her writing is so beautiful and poetic. I'd been putting off Requiem for a few reasons. Partly because Delirium was one of the first YA dystopian books I read and one that influenced a lot of my reading after that and finishing the trilogy seemed scary. I was a little bit nervous after seeing reactions to this book when it first came out, and I was also waiting for the paperback to become available before requesting it from my library.

Having read the book, I can say it was worth the wait. It was probably my least favourite of the three books, but with writing of this level that isn't really a put down. I'm bound to enjoy some books more than others and I still found Requiem to be an enjoyable book with great writing.

Requiem is told in dual POV from Lena and Hana's POV. I definitely found myself enjoying Hana's chapters more. I think part of that was down to her being in Portland and it having that feeling of the first book, where you're wrapped up in the city and the politics that come with it. I also really enjoyed getting inside her head and this determination she has to find out the truth. There are several mysteries surrounding her and her future husband Fred which really drove the plot forwards and I found myself really feeling for her. I loved her in Delirium because she was so different to Lena, and it was interesting seeing how things have changed and what has happened to her.

The real strength of having the book told from both of the girls' perspectives was the way it addressed their friendship. Both girls find themselves thinking about each other, despite the distance between them. I loved seeing how, despite everything they've gone through, they still care for each other and miss each other.

Lena's chapters tended to drag a little bit for me because of the pacing. There was a lot of travelling around with not a lot of action, and I would find myself getting a bit bored and wanting to get back to Hana's chapters. Where Lena's story did come into its own was exploring the character relationships for example the tension between her and Alex. I also think they did a great job at getting across the bleak nature of the situation of those outside the cities.

I'd heard rumours that the ending was controversial, and whilst I can see why people might not like it, I found it to be moving. It definitely leaves you still thinking about the characters long after you close the pages, and I actually liked that openness which leaves you to decide yourself just what happened. I would maybe have liked a more solid conclusion to Hana's story, having enjoyed her parts of this book so much.

Rating: 4*
What to read next: Panic by Lauren Oliver, her next novel coming March 2014
Books like this: Matched by Ally Condie, Slated by Teri Terry

Waiting on Wednesday (#5) Panic by Lauren Oliver

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted over at Breaking the Spine and gives bloggers a chance to highlight upcoming releases they're excited about.

 

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Published: 6th March 2014 (Hodder & Stoughton)
Amazon|Goodreads

 

Plot 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

I am pretty much sold on anything by Lauren Oliver, and this sounds incredible! I love that all her covers sort of match and tie in with each other too. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know in the comments!

News Round Up! 20th July

This is my latest round up of bookish news that's popped up on my radar over the week. As always, I love hearing your thoughts on the news stories I feature!

The UK and US covers for Panic by Lauren Oliver were revealed this week over on Goodreads. See the UK cover below and read Lauren Oliver's Tumblr post about it at this link.

And in more cover news, the brand new US cover for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has been revealed. See it below and read the story on Mugglenet.

Veronica Roth revealed at Comic Con that Allegiant will be written from both Tris and Four's point of view. You can see the announcement she tweeted below. Comic Con takes place in San Diego this week and will feature panels from many YA fandoms. Hypable recaps the YA author events at this link.

http://twitter.com/veronicaroth

USA Today has revealed the first look at Kate Winslet from Divergent. Winslet will be appearing as Jeanine in the upcoming adaptation of Veronica Roth's book. See the image over on Hypable.com. You can see more images from Divergent, including a look at Maggie Q as Tory, on Hypable too.

Melissa Anelli, author of Harry, a History, has revealed she is working on a fiction book. Anelli announced the news via a Reddit AMA and then shared it with Twitter followers. The book is being cowritten with Julia Albain, author of A Glamorously Unglamorous Life. As a huge fan of Harry, a History, and Anelli's work in the Harry Potter fandom, I'm very excited by this news!

http://twitter.com/melissaanelli http://twitter.com/julsmarietells

The Cuckoo's Calling has been given a second print run to meet the demands of book shops who are struggling to cope with the announcement that the pen name Robert Galbraith belonged to J. K. Rowling. Will you be reading it? I love crime so I can't wait to check it out! I'm currently 4th in my library queue which doesn't seem too bad considering. Read more on Publishers Weekly. It was also revealed how the leak of Robert Galbraith's real identity came about. Law firm Russel's owned up to the indiscretion. Read about that story over on the Bookseller.

New character posters for the upcoming Catching Fire adaptation have been released. See them over on Fandomsnews.com.

Details of The Mortal Instruments mall tour were revealed this week. The tour will be visiting four cities across the US. The tour will give fans to meet the actors before the film releases in August. Find out more and read the dates over on PageToPremiere.

News Round Up! 22nd June

Here's my latest round up of this week's YA news stories. Enjoy!

A plethora of new stills from Divergent filming were released this week thanks to an issue of Entertainment Weekly. You can check out the image over on FandomsNews.com at this link.

Divergent fans will also be happy to learn that more short stories focussing on Four are in the works. Read more about the e-book shorts over on Veronica Roth's blog.

There's exciting news for fans of Lauren Oliver as the rights to her as yet unreleased YA novel Panic has already been picked up by Universal. Read more about the story over on The Wrap.

The winner of the Carnegie Medal was announced this week. The excellent Maggot Moon took home the prize. You can find out more about the prize and see clips from the ceremony on the Carnegie Medal website. Don't forget to check out my review of Maggot Moon right here as well!

More posters for the latest Percy Jackson film, Sea of Monsters, have been released. See the group posters over at Fandomsnews.com.

And finally check out this awesome book trailer for Ink by Amanda Sun which is published in July by MiraInk.






Which of these news stories are you most excited about? Let me know in the comments!

News Round Up! 30th March

It's been another amazing week for news so let's get cracking! Firstly, Laini Taylor revealed the UK paperback cover for Days of Blood and Starlight on her blog this week. I have the paperback of Daughter of Smoke and Bone which is gorgeous, and think I love this cover just as much! Check it out on her blog at this link.

Also in cover news, Patrick Ness has announced that there'll be new covers for his Chaos Walking series. These new versions of the books will also contain bonus short stories, which include the previously published The New World and two brand new stories. You can find the new cover art and more about these new editions on Patrick's Facebook page. Do you own these books already? If not, do the new covers make you want to buy them?

I'm a huge fan of the Matched trilogy by Ally Condie and now that's finished I've been waiting to hear news of future projects, and there was good news this week as it's been announced that Condie has landed a deal for two new books. You can read more about the book deal and what these books have in store in this article at Media Bistro. The summary sounds great! The first book is due to be released in 2014. Will you be reading it?

Because you can't have a week without Divergent news, here's some Divergent news! The cast have started heading to Chicago to begin filming. You can read more about that story here on Hypable. And there's been some extra casting news regarding the characters of Will, Edward and Al. Again you can read about that on Hypable.

As I menioned in last week's news post, Lauren Oliver visited the UK recently to mark the release of Requiem. Excitingly DeliriumFandom.com has a video on their site which you can watch at this link!

With all the buzz about Clockwork Princess at the moment it will come as good news to some that a screenplay is in the works for the Infernal Devices trilogy. With the first Mortal Instruments film City of Bones due out later this year, it's really exciting to hear news about possible future projects! Read more about this story over on Examiner.com.

There was sad news for Harry Potter fans this week after Richard Griffiths, known to Potter fans as Vernon Dursley, passed away after complications from heart surgery. He was well known to many as a star of both stage and screen and also starred with Daniel Radcliffe in the stage play Equus. Read more about Richard's life and work in here on the Guardian website. 

And finally, it was announced on Thursday that Goodreads has been bought by Amazon. As you'll know if you read this blog I use Goodreads an awful lot so I'm interested to see if there'll be any changes. It seems Goodreads want to bring in some kind of Kindle integration to the service which does sound useful, but I'll be waiting anxiously on other changes. What do you think of the Amazon Goodreads take over? Good news or bad news? You can read more about this story in the official blog post over on Goodreads.

Which of these news stories had grabbed your attention this week? As always I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

New book releases:
The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson
Buy: Amazon|Waterstone's|Book Depository

News Round Up! 23rd March

Welcome to my News Round Up! I've decided to make this a weekly feature with a new news post every Saturday, which recaps that week's news. Here's what's grabbed my attention this week!

There's one story dominating the YA world this week and that is the release of Clockwork Princess, the final book in Cassandra Clare's Infernal Devices trilogy. I'm yet to get my hands on a copy but I'll be borrowing from a friend as soon as she's done! Is this a book you'll be reading? Are you sad to end the trilogy?

Another end to a trilogy came in the form of Requiem  Lauren Oliver which was published in the UK on Thursday. To celebrate the release, Lauren visited Waterstone's Piccadilly this week. You can find pictures of that event over on the UK Delirium Facebook page. And there's more great news for UK YA fans as Marissa Meyer will be visiting Waterstone's Bromley on the 26th March to talk about her latest novel Scarlet, the second book in The Lunar Chronicles. And Maggie Stiefvater (author of The Raven Boys) added a second UK date and will be visiting Waterstone's Finchley Road in London on the 24th, on top of her Manchester event today.

Because it's impossible to go a week without somebody being cast in something - more casting news! And it's a big one. This has been strong rumour for a while but we've finally had the confirmation we've all been waiting for that Shailene Woodley will be playing Hazel Grace in the film adaptation of John Green incredible The Fault in Our Stars! Read more about the story here on EW. What do you make of this casting choice? First Divergent, now The Fault in Our Stars - us YA fans will be seeing a lot of Shailene in the future!

The winners of the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2013 were announced this week. In the
5-12 catergory the winner was Wonder by R. J. Palacio - a book I adored and am very happy to see recognised! In the teen catergorie the winner was Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher. I'm yet to read that one but I really loved her previous book My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece so I'll definitely be checking out this one. You can find out more about those books and the other nominations over on the Waterstone's website at this link.

If (like me) you missed Beautiful Creatures whilst it was in cinemas then there's good news! The DVD is now available for pre-order on Amazon UK with a release date of 17th June.

Now for a blog related news story. There's been lots of talk about Google Reader after Google announced it was shutting down the service in July. You can read my post on that here and find out more about what it means over on TechCrunch here.

Which news stories have got you excited this week? Let me know in the comments!

New book releases:
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Buy: Amazon|Waterstone's|Book Depository

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
Buy: Amazon|Waterstone's|Book Depository

News Round Up! 16th March

I've decided to try and make my news posts a more regular feature on the blog (providing there's enough news to fill a post!) so here's my latest recap of what's been happening in the world of YA this week.

The shortlist of nominations for the Carnegie medal, a prestigious children's book award, have been revealed this week. You can check out the nominations below.

The Weight of Water by Sarah Crossan
A Greyhound of a Girl by Roddy Doyle
Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner
In Darkness by Nick Lake
Wonder by RJ Palacio
Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick
A Boy and a Bear in a Boat by Dave Shelton
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Have you read any of these books? I absolutely loved Wonder so I'm really pleased to see that up there. Code Name Verity and Maggot Moon are on my to-read list as well. I'll have to check out some of the others! You can find out more about these books and the award over on the Carnegie Medal website.

You may have seen my post earlier in the week about the new cover for In Your Dreams by Amy Martin. You can find out more about this fantastic book and the gorgeous new cover on Amy's website right here.

Rather excitingly for those keeping up with news of the Delirium TV pilot, author Lauren Oliver tweeted a picture of the cast after their first read-through of the script this week. Check out that photo here.

More actors joining the Divergent cast have been revealed this week and we finally have a Four! And so the fandom freaks out and breathes a sigh of relief at the same time. Theo James will take on the role. We've also learnt which role Kate Winslet will play. It's been rumoured she was involved in the film for a while but now we know she'll be playing Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews! Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q and Zoe Kravitz will take on the roles of Caleb, Tori and Christina respectively. It was also revealed that Eric will be played by Jai Courtney. (Links go to IMDB). What do you think of these casting roles? I think they all look great - especially Kate Winslet who I'm a huge fan of! I haven't seen the others in anything so I'm really interested to check out these guys and find out a bit more them. I think the actor playing Four looks pretty spot on, though.! Read more about this story on Hypable.

Carrying on with the adaptation news, Stuart Beattie will adapt the screenplay for Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I'm reading the sequel to this book at the moment so it's great to hear news of the film adaptation moving forward. Find out more on ComingSoon.net.

Veering away from YA slightly but still a news story I found interesting, this week the UK government announced that they've added e-books to the list of items they use to track inflation. Here's a quote from an article in the Guardian:

The ONS said ebooks, read on devices such as Amazon's Kindle or the Kobo eReader, are "a significant and growing market", noting huge recent increases in the number of people reading digitally.

Do you read more e-books these days? Do you think it's right that they are taken into account when talking about the things we buy regularly?

Which of these news stories have you got you most excited this week? Let me know in the comments!

News Round Up! 9th March

It feels like ages since I did a news post so it's time to catch up on what's been happening recently around the world of YA fiction!

The Catching Fire marketing campaign has kicked off with the release of several character posters over on the CapitolCouture.pn website. We've got glimpses at Finnick, Joanna and Beatie as well as Katniss, Gale, Peeta and Effie. Those plus even more characters can be found here on MTV.co.uk.

Meanwhile Lauren Oliver has been busy since Requiem was released in the US this week. She released this lovely video for her British and Australian fans (who are still waiting for the release on the 21st of this month) on Tumblr. Watch it here! There's also plenty of news about the upcoming Delirium pilot including the casting of Jeanine Mason who will play the role of Hana. Read more about that on EW.com right here.

There's been a lot of talk on Twitter about the new covers for Stephanie Perkins' books Anna and the French Kiss, Lola and the Boy Next Door and Isla and the Happy Ever After. I know a lot of people don't like mid-series cover changes (I'm kind of with them on that) and that a lot of people thought the original covers were fine (I'm kind of with them there too) but I don't actually mind the new covers, which you can see over on Stephanie Perkins' blog right here. I think they're lovely and colourful! This whole story has made me realise how much I need to get round to reading Lola and the Boy Next Door. I loved Anna and the French Kiss! What do you think of the new covers? Do cover changes bother you?

One book I've been dying to read lately is The Selection by Kiera Cass because I'm hearing a lot of good things. Like Delirium, there's currently a TV pilot in the works and casting information is coming thick and fast! Anthony Head is the latest name to join the line up. Read more about his casting here on Hypable.

Finally, Hypable.com have recently launched their Book Hype podcast. I'm a huge fan of some of Hypable's other podcasts and of podcasts in general so I can't wait to check this one out! Their book news on the site is awesome so I have no doubt their podcast will be too. Find out more about Book Hype right here.

Which of these news stories has got you most excited? Any other book news I've missed that I need to know about? Let me know in the comments! 

News: Requiem Cover Reveal!

I'm a huge fan of Lauren Oliver and her Delirium trilogy, so I got very excited when the cover for Requiem, the final book in the trilogy, was revealed this week! What do you think? I love the blue!

Find out more on the UK Delirium Facebook page. Requiem is published in March 2013. Pre-order the book now at the following links!

 

Amazon

Waterstone's

Book Depository

Giveaway! Delirium by Lauren Oliver

This blog has been going a while and there's been one thing missing... a giveaway! I'm SO excited to announce the first ever giveaway and it's such a super awesome book to be giving away! I have one copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver to give away to one lucky winner. If you haven't read this amazing book yet then read the plot summary below:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Find out more on Goodreads and you can read my full review of Delirium right here!

This is a UK only giveaway so if you live in the UK and would like to win a copy then all you need to do is fill in the Rafflecopter below. The competition is open until 05.01am BST Wednesday 24th October so get entering and share with your friends!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Terms and Conditions
Open to UK residents only
You must be 13+ to enter and have parental permission if you are under 16
The giveaway is open from Wednesday 17th October until 05.01am on Wednesday 24th October 2012. The winner will be contacted on the 24th October.
The winner has 48 hours to respond and claim their prize once they have been contacted. If they do not respond a new winner will be chosen.
The prize is 1 paperback copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver
The prize will be sent via Royal Mail once the winner has been successfully contacted TotalTeenFiction is not responsible for any loss or damage to the prize in the post
If you have any queries about the giveaway email totalteenfiction@gmail.com

Review: Pandemonium (Delirium book #2) by Lauren Oliver

Spoiler Warning! Pandemonium is the second book in the Delirium trilogy. If you haven't read Delirium then please look away now! (or read my review of Delirium right here) You have been warned!

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Author: Lauren Oliver. Website, Twitter
Published: 1 March 2012 (Hodder & Stoughton)
Pages: 336
Buy: Amazon (hardback|Kindle), Waterstone's (hardback|e-book), Book Depository (hardback)

Source: Borrowed from library.

Plot Summary: (from Amazon)
Love, the deadliest of all deadly things.
It kills you when you have it.
And when you don't.

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.

My Review:
I absolutely loved the first book in this trilogy and I've been waiting and waiting to read this book! My library finally got it in this week and so I dove straight in.

Pandemonium stars off with Lena not entirely where you'd expect from the end of Delirium. The way this book is structured is with chapters titled "then" and "now" and so we're effectively getting two stories running alongside each other. One plotline is Lena's escape into the Wilds, and the second is the present day where she is working undercover. I won't give too much away but I think this way of doing it was absolutely brilliant. It means you have to wait in anticipation to find out just what happened to Lena after the climax of Delirium, whilst being curious about just what she's up to now. You get double the cliffhangers as each part of the story concludes a chapter and you'd have to wait two chapters to wait and find out happened, whilst all the time being gripped to the current chapter. It's the perfect balance of suspense and revelations. I loved it!

One of my favourite parts of the first book was Lena as a character. She underwent such a vast change from a girl who was willing to go along with what she'd been told to someone who rebelled against the system. Her character develops even more in Pandemonium which I was really glad to see. She's constantly having to adapt to the world around her as she tries to survive and carry on with her fight. You get to see such a different side of her as she finds herself in some really sticky situations.

There's plenty of new characters to get to know as well; both good people and bad people! I really liked some of the new additions and their back stories were so well told. The interactions with Lena and the new characters made for some really tense and emotional moments.

I'm such a fan of Lauren Oliver's writing style. I think she conjures up such beautiful images and gets across the harshness of the world the book takes place in just perfectly. In every book of hers I just get so wrapped up in the words. This book was no different. I savoured every line!

There's plenty of action and it more than lives up to the previous book. Pandemonium real heart-wrenching, jaw-dropping moments and I'm eagerly awaiting the next book!

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Requiem by Lauren Oliver, book 3 in the Delirium trilogy (released March 2013).
Books like this: Crossed by Ally Condie, Insurgent by Veronica Roth.

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

 Author: Lauren Oliver. Website, Twitter.
Publsihed: 4 August 2011 (Hodder)
Pages: 416
Buy: Amazon, Kindle, Waterstone's

Plot Summary: (from Goodreads)
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love

My Review:
After reading Lauren Oliver's previous book "Before I Fall" I was really excited to read more from her. This book follows Lena, who lives in a society where love is seen a disease. At age 18 everyone must undergo a procedure to "cure" them from the effects of love. The story picks up in the months leading up to Lena's procedure and despite her nerves about her upcoming evaluation to find a suitable "pair" (future husband for after she is cured) she knows that this is what everyone has to do; it's the norm.

The fact she is so accepting of this world she lives in makes for a haunting, and at times, disturbing read. This turns into a gripping tense story as she slowly learns more about the world and the lies she and her whole society has been fed on. Some of the discoveries she makes are so beautifully written and I found myself really feeling for Lena.

The book keeps up a high level of suspense throughout and like Before I Fall I struggled to put it down. It's dystopian with a really great twist so if you've read and enjoyed things like Matched and Divergent then you should absolutely eat this up.

Oliver's writing is beautiful and captivating, wrapping you up in the descriptions and really bringing the characters to life. A definite recommended read!

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver, the second book in the Delirium Trilogy.
Books like this: Matched by Ally Condie, Divergent by Veronica Roth

Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Author: Lauren Oliver. Website, Twitter

Published: 4 April 2010 (Hodder)

Pages: 352

Buy: Amazon, Kindle, Watersone's

Source: Received as a present

Plot Summary: (from Goodreads)

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

My Review:
Before I Fall was the first book I read by Lauren Oliver and made me absolutely fall in love with her writing style. It quickly became one of my favourite books and so I wanted to feature it as one of my reviews here on the blog.
 

This review is probably going to be my most ambiguous but there's a very good reason for that. When I first read this book I knew nothing about it; even the book itself didn't have a blurb to explain the story, which left me intrigued. I'd come across the title on Goodreads but I hadn't looked at any of the details about the story so I went into it completely blind, which is exactly how I'd like everyone to go into this book. But I appreciate that doesn't make for the most interesting review!

For those who want to remain as unspoiled as possible, here's what I will say. When you read the first chapter of this book you'll probably have reservations. The characters don't seem that nice, which can often be one of the most offputting things in a book. However, when you reach the second chapter you will be knocked off your seat, I promise you. As you start to become aware of where the story is going, it becomes one of the most gripping, addictive books you'll ever read. The characters will go on a bigger journey that you could possibly imagine, and the events will take your breath away. Have the tissues handy as you read this emotional, poignant story of life and death.

If you're still curious as to what actually happens and don't mind knowing a little bit more then I'll go into a bit more detail! The book tells the story of Samantha Kingston, a popular high school girl. We follow what seems to be a pretty average day for her at school until something tragic happens. And when she wakes up the next day, it's not the next day. She finds herself reliving the whole day over and over again.

As soon as I hit the second chapter of this book, my jaw dropped. I just couldn't believe what I was reading and from then on I absolutely devoured the book. It's so brilliantly done and such a fantastic idea for a novel, as well as being incredibly powerful.

Like I mentioned earlier in the review, Samantha is a pretty horrible character at the start of the book and that did make me sceptical about whether I was going to enjoy the book or not. She's pretty mean to people around her and her group of friends seem just as bad, but the fact is she's like that for a reason and she needs to be horrible for the story to work so well. Her character definitely develops and changes throughout the story.

Lauren Oliver's writing style is truly one of the most beautiful I've read. In this book she manages to sum up so many ideas about life and death whilst keeping it a fast paced, exciting story. When I first picked up this book, I didn't know it was YA, and I think it's one of those books that will appeal to a wide audience, even if the main characters are teenagers. It's a book I'll go on to recommend for a very long time because I think you have to read it yourself to see just how good it is. And I don't want to spoil it anymore! One of my favourite books and one I will go on to re-read.

Rating: 5*
What to read next: Delirium by Lauren Oliver, the first book in her Delirium series.
Books like this: My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green.