Panic by Lauren Oliver
Published by Harper Teen on March 4, 2014
Genres: Contemporary
Pages: 408
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss, Publisher
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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.

Panic, Lauren Oliver’s latest young adult novel, is very different from anything she’s written in the past.  I completely adored this wonderfully unique new story from her.

One thing that hasn’t changed from Lauren Oliver’s previous books is her style of writing.  Panic has the same gorgeous writing that is typical in all of Lauren Oliver’s books. Even if you completely hate the story and the characters, the writing is enough to make you enjoy this book.  If you’ve read anything by Lauren Oliver, you  know this is true.  And if you haven’t read anything by Lauren Oliver, here’s a good place to start.

So far, every book of Lauren Oliver’s (that I’ve read) has had characters that I truly don’t care for, at least not at first.  It was the same with Panic.  Heather has pretty low self esteem and I hated the way she saw herself.  She quickly changed but for the first few chapters I just wanted to smack some sense into her.  Her friend, Nat, was pretty awful.  I was expecting some great friendship like with Hana and Lena in Delirium but that wasn’t the case.  Nat was bitchy and selfish.  I couldn’t tell if Dodge was a good guy or a bad guy.  He was a bit creepy, to be honest.  I wasn’t all that fond of him.  My favorite character (even though he lied) was definitely Bishop.  He was a good guy and such a sweetheart.

The story is so unique.  Panic is a competition held in the tiny town of Carp, Michigan.  It’s a very dangerous competition where many people have been injured or died.  I know for a fact that I would not be brave enough to participate but I loved living vicariously through Heather, Nat, and Dodge.  Some of the challenges were pretty crazy but others seemed pretty cool.  Also, I totally didn’t expect this book to be contemporary but it definitely is.  It’s also a standalone which I loved.  Everything tied up very nicely at the end.

Overall, Panic is another fabulous book from Lauren Oliver.  It has just cemented my love for her writing and I’m once again eagerly awaiting her next book!

What others are saying about Panic:

River & Sam’s review: “What the blurb doesn’t tell you is how adrenaline ridden and emotionally exhausting this novel is.” 

Uncorked Thoughts’ review: “Lauren Oliver has once again captured me in another of her wonderful worlds that she has created.”

Chicklish’s review: “A compelling, fast-moving yet tender and insightful book, I would recommend this to fans of action – and any books, really!”