April 24, 2014

Review: Panic by: Lauren Oliver

Panic by: Lauren Oliver (2014)
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
408 pages
Source: The Library
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 Review

I had such high hopes for Panic, BUT


in the end I just felt indifferent toward the whole book. 

I’m not sure if it was my high expectations, my personal mood when I started reading, the fact that I could relate to no one in this book, or simply because Panic was just mediocre. I just wasn’t interested for most of the book.

I can say with certainty that there was one very captivating element of this novel, every time there was an awesome cool dangerous challenge in the competition I was ready for it. 


I was excited. Game on. They were the best parts of the book. I practically skimmed through the rest of the book to get to them. Sadly, they were the only time I felt something and there aren't even that many challenges.

Whenever there wasn’t a challenge going on I looked a little something like this. 


I didn’t care about the characters, I just couldn’t connect with them. Even when I found out how harsh some of these kids’ home lives were, it did nothing to bring me to care about them. I actually did care a little bit for some the characters….in the very last chapter. That is something at least. Otherwise the kids (and adults, cops, everyone) were kind of idiots that I didn't understand.


I realize they are only teenagers, but aren't these kids who will be adults very soon and going away to college? Ugh. I sure hope not. It’s a darker novel, but yet didn’t bring out any strong emotions in me. Sadly, I feel that Oliver just didn’t deliver on this one. It felt like she tried too hard, or maybe just not hard enough. On top of the blah characters, everything seemed pretty predictable to me as well.

However, to the last 100ish pages...


I was finally completely pulled into the story (besides the very beginning for like two pages), but also this book is 400 pages long…so yea I don’t think that is saying much.

The only panic I felt while reading was an overwhelming worry that this book wouldn’t be great, and I was totally right to panic, because it wasn’t. I was very disappointed. I was hoping for something more.


If you are really looking forward to reading Panic don't let me stop you. There are plenty of readers out there who enjoyed Panic, but it just wasn't for me. The whole book was just very bland. I would however recommend Oliver's other novels.

8 comments:

  1. As a fan of Delirium, I've been nervous about this one. I'm not sure the storyline is really my "thing" but I keep hoping that if it's by Lauren Oliver I will like it. Not so sure that is going to happen, but I will have to see for myself at some point. I'm not rushing to get to it though...maybe when it's in paperback or my library has one available without a wait list a mile long!

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    1. I wish you luck! Many other Lauren Oliver fans have enjoyed this one, for some reason I just couldn't really get into it. Hopefully you will enjoy it more than me. :)

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  2. LOL, love the gifs..i read fifty pages and threw the book down. I just didn't care about the characters at all.

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    1. I feel so much better after reading your comment knowing that I'm not the alone one that didn't care about the characters even a little bit.

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  3. I felt the same way - "meh." I haven't read the Delirium series, but I took it off my TBR list after being rather unimpressed with this and 'The Spindlers.'

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    1. The first book in the Delirium series was fantastic, the other two I wasn't a huge fan of. Oliver's novel Before I Fall however was pretty darn good. On the other hand, this one was a big let down. Apparently I have a like/don't like relationship with this author.

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  4. Yeah I don't think I'll read this one. I think I will like the action parts, but since they seem sparse, It probably won't make up for the boredom brought on by the rest of the book. :/

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    Replies
    1. I agree, I would say skip this one. I don't think you would like it much. :/

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