REVIEW: Panic by Lauren Oliver

(Synopsis)
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 Rating: 3.5/5 stars 

My Review:
Okay, so I don't normally like to give such low ratings but I really think it was only a 3.5. When I first started reading Panic I thought it was a bit slow, granted she was story building but it could have had a lot more. It begins with the actual game of Panic starting and then it goes to right before the game starts so it's kind of confusing. I do like the way she wrote Heather and Dodge's POV because they were both very different but also very much the same. They both lived in crap houses with family issues, but Dodge was used to moving around all the time and Heather had been stuck in Carp all her life.

Initially, Heather was not supposed to play Panic, but everyone has a reason to compete. Dodge played for revenge. Natalie, Heathers annoying friend, played for the money. (I'm not really sure why though because she was richer than Heather and Dodge..??) And Bishop, the side friend that kind of like LOVES Heather, doesn't play at all but he definitely has something to do with the game. That's another thing I really enjoyed, all the plot twists and the revealing of the rounds of Panic. There were definitely some times when I'd start to speed read because I was getting so into it and as I was finishing off the book, my heart was beating so fast because of the intensity of the story!

As an over all review I'd say: read it. Yes it starts out kind of slow but as the story goes on and the game continues, you can't put it down! Lauren Oliver has done it yet again, she has written another story that you can't help but love. If you enjoyed any of her other novels such as Delirium, or Before I fall, then I suggest picking up this over all great read!

About Lauren Oliver:

Lauren Oliver comes from a family of writers and so has always (mistakenly) believed that spending hours in front of the computer every day, mulling over the difference between “chortling” and “chuckling,” is normal. She has always been an avid reader. 

She attended the University of Chicago, where she continued to be as impractical as possible by majoring in philosophy and literature. After college, she attended the MFA program at NYU and worked briefly as the world’s worst editorial assistant, and only marginally better assistant editor, at a major publishing house in New York. Her major career contributions during this time were flouting the corporate dress code at every possible turn and repeatedly breaking the printer. Before I Fall is her first published novel. 

She is deeply grateful for the chance to continue writing, as she has never been particularly good at anything else.

Visit her at: http://www.laurenoliverbooks.com

(Azelyn)