Panic

Lauren Oliver is one of my favorite authors!! Delirium is one of my favorite books, and I love the relationship between Alex and Lena.  When I discovered she had a stand-alone book about some dangerous "game," I knew I had to read it.

Title: Panic  
Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins  
Publication Date: 2014 
Pages: 408  
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Source: Library
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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.

Let me start the review by applauding Oliver for a job well done with Panic.  Overall, the book is brilliant; it's fast-paced, moves along quickly and doesn't waste time with pointless details or information.  Since this is a stand-alone book, everything happens fast and right away.  Since page one, readers are thrown into the world of the game and its effects.

I thought Oliver did a great job with developing characters, specially Heather's character- I loved how she made Heather a strong, independent, tall and somewhat clumsy character, despite being one of the weakest character throughout most of the book.  I also thought the idea of the game itself was really interesting, and at times, kind of scary and freaking.  It was mind-boggling how much power the game had within the town, and how much the game controlled the lives of the all the students.

The setting is also totally realistic, coming from a small hometown of no more than 5,000 people myself.  The only problem I had was I thought the town's population was too high to be considered "boring," and to only have one high school.

There is also a hint of romance, mingled with a lust for revenge, which helps to keep the story interesting.  That being said, I loved Bishop's character, and his relationship with Heather more than anyone else's.  I wasn't however, as big as fan of Dodge's character, and found myself frustrated with him and his actions.

The ending was also satisfying and did a great job at wrapping things up.  Overall, I really enjoyed this book and read it all in one sitting.  While it's definitely not another Delirium, I highly recommend others to read it. 

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"The Bravery was in moving forward, no matter what.  Someday, she might be called on to jump again.  And she would do it.  She knew, now, that there was always light--beyond the dark, and the dear, out of the depths; there was sun to reach for, and aid and space and freedom.  There was always a way up, and out, and no need to be afraid."

"When you love someone, when you care for someone, you have to do it through the good and the bad.  Not just when you're happy and it's easy."

"She supposed if you could predict or foresee everything that was going to happen, you'd lose the motivation to go through it all.  The promise was always in the possibility."