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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
slow-paced
I really enjoyed Delirium so I was excited to receive Pandemonium and couldn't wait to make a start on it. Pandemonium picks up right where Delirium left off, with Lena as she makes it to the wilds.
The chapters are split into alternating periods of time in Lena's life, 'then' and 'now'. Then focuses on her time in the wilds and learning how to survive, now focuses on her time in the present day where she is part of the resistance.
The journey Lena makes is fraught with danger and any slip up means they could get found, they rely on others for food and provisions and as a group work hard to stay hidden, but also to know when to move on, which is a decision not taken lightly, as we discover what can happen to them.
Lena learns to slowly trust others, Raven and the rest of the Invalids on the wilds, but also how to let herself get closer to others again. The last pages has me sitting on the edge of my seat and I really need to find out what happens next, although I am in for a very long wait.
I really enjoyed reading Pandemonium and it was great to see how Lena has grown up. I did feel sorry for Lena when she remembers her past, her friend Hana and Alex, but I enjoyed reading how she is learning to go on without them being there. We get to meet new people and learn how they ended up Invalids and with new names, we get a hint of an old character from Delirium and when Lena realises the truth I was both happy and sad. Happy because she found someone who means something to her, but sad because she didn't realise till it was too late. As part of the resistance Lena is set a task, and in following this task ends up falling in love and risking more than her own life. Is the love she feels for this new person worth the sacrifices she makes to save him, especially after previously having her heart broken?
The minute I started Pandemonium I could not put it down and although I really hate the cliff hanger at the end I can't wait to see the reactions in book 3.
The chapters are split into alternating periods of time in Lena's life, 'then' and 'now'. Then focuses on her time in the wilds and learning how to survive, now focuses on her time in the present day where she is part of the resistance.
The journey Lena makes is fraught with danger and any slip up means they could get found, they rely on others for food and provisions and as a group work hard to stay hidden, but also to know when to move on, which is a decision not taken lightly, as we discover what can happen to them.
Lena learns to slowly trust others, Raven and the rest of the Invalids on the wilds, but also how to let herself get closer to others again. The last pages has me sitting on the edge of my seat and I really need to find out what happens next, although I am in for a very long wait.
I really enjoyed reading Pandemonium and it was great to see how Lena has grown up. I did feel sorry for Lena when she remembers her past, her friend Hana and Alex, but I enjoyed reading how she is learning to go on without them being there. We get to meet new people and learn how they ended up Invalids and with new names, we get a hint of an old character from Delirium and when Lena realises the truth I was both happy and sad. Happy because she found someone who means something to her, but sad because she didn't realise till it was too late. As part of the resistance Lena is set a task, and in following this task ends up falling in love and risking more than her own life. Is the love she feels for this new person worth the sacrifices she makes to save him, especially after previously having her heart broken?
The minute I started Pandemonium I could not put it down and although I really hate the cliff hanger at the end I can't wait to see the reactions in book 3.
At first, I had a hard time clicking with the new Lena and setup of the chapters. Both of which changed from the first book. Halfway through though, the plot became more intense for me. From there on out, I didn't want to put the book down.
slow-paced
What can I Say? Between Pandemonium and Delirium, I definitely liked Delirium more. I mean, I just like how Delirium, over all, is happy; barring, of course the ending. For once, I didn't want a triangle to be born from the second book. Don't get me wrong, Julian was an okay character. I just didn't fall in love with him like I fell in love with Alex and that's why I loved book 1 more; the relationship between Alex and Lena was incredibly sweet and just, something, that made my insides mushy. In Pandemonium, we get to see Lena struggle with the loss of Alex. She tries her best to move on and live life like how she thought Alex would want for her. She joins the ranks of the other "Invalids" and meets Raven, Blue, Tack, and Hunter. They're each a great character, but I would have loved to see more of Tack and Hunter. Raven was the typical leader who made the hard decisions and had the world on her shoulders. Her decisions are based on the group as a whole and how the outcome benefits them, she doesn't really care about the journey. To her, the means justify the ends. In any case, it was interesting to read of Lean developing as a character as she faces reality. In the toughest times, she just wishes she could go back to things were easy. Those moments of weakness made me love her even more as a character. But on to the juicy stuff that I can't get my head around, So for that, I will love Delirium more than Pandemonium. That doesn't mean this one was any less, it still kept me hooked and in love. Can't wait for book 3.
Spoiler
Julian and Lena make a cute couple, but it's not my favorite. I still adore Alex and Lena.Spoiler
I really hated how Alex was brought in last minute. Why? Because I fucking want to read more of how bad ass he became and how he ripped the walls apart trying to get back to one true love Lena. Sappy of me? Fuck yes. Do I care? Fuck no! I just want them to get together again! I love how Alex just steps in on Lena and Julian's moment and he's just like, "Uh no, she can't be with you, because, hello?, I'm here.
4.5 - didn’t like it as much as Delirium but enjoyed the character development and loved the new characters.
It's been ages since I read the first one but j got back into it pretty easily. Probably helped because this book is in a different setting with a new set of side characters. I did enjoy and am very interested to see what the next book brings.
Pandemonium is the second book in Lauren Oliver's Delirium trilogy and therefore this review will contain spoilers for the first book.
Last time we saw Lena, she was running off into The Wilds, leaving Alex on the other side of the fence. Pandemonium alternates between “then” and “now” on a chapter by chapter basis. It starts with Lena in a classroom in a new life which leaves you a little confused as to what's going on, especially if it's been a while since the first book. Has she been captured? What happened to Alex? Why is she back in school when she should be living off roast squirrel and berries? But soon it switches back to the “then” which is all about how Lena survives in The Wilds.
I found the “now” storyline much more compelling. In The Wilds, there seem a few too many characters with very little development. For people who have lost everything in the name of love, they come across as rather devoid of emotion. I'm not sure how much it contributed to the plot and I suspect the few key moments were things being set up for the final instalment. Whilst the two plots do eventually meet up, I was repeatedly frustrated about being taken away from the “now”, in which Lena is an undercover agent for the invalids, dipping her toes into the politics of the world. She meets the poster boy for the cure and ends up in the clutches of who knows who.
If you read my review of Delirium, you will know that I wasn't quite convinced by Lauren Oliver's world. What Pandemonium does is explain that the whole thing is much more about controlling the people through fear and peer pressure than around a disease. If it weren't for all the time wasted in The Wilds, I would have found this the better story. The “now” plot is fast paced and there is enough doubt in the love interest to be compelling. However I did role my eyes after reading the final page, it was going so well up until then but I'm sure the ending will leave fans clamouring for more.
Last time we saw Lena, she was running off into The Wilds, leaving Alex on the other side of the fence. Pandemonium alternates between “then” and “now” on a chapter by chapter basis. It starts with Lena in a classroom in a new life which leaves you a little confused as to what's going on, especially if it's been a while since the first book. Has she been captured? What happened to Alex? Why is she back in school when she should be living off roast squirrel and berries? But soon it switches back to the “then” which is all about how Lena survives in The Wilds.
I found the “now” storyline much more compelling. In The Wilds, there seem a few too many characters with very little development. For people who have lost everything in the name of love, they come across as rather devoid of emotion. I'm not sure how much it contributed to the plot and I suspect the few key moments were things being set up for the final instalment. Whilst the two plots do eventually meet up, I was repeatedly frustrated about being taken away from the “now”, in which Lena is an undercover agent for the invalids, dipping her toes into the politics of the world. She meets the poster boy for the cure and ends up in the clutches of who knows who.
If you read my review of Delirium, you will know that I wasn't quite convinced by Lauren Oliver's world. What Pandemonium does is explain that the whole thing is much more about controlling the people through fear and peer pressure than around a disease. If it weren't for all the time wasted in The Wilds, I would have found this the better story. The “now” plot is fast paced and there is enough doubt in the love interest to be compelling. However I did role my eyes after reading the final page, it was going so well up until then but I'm sure the ending will leave fans clamouring for more.
Though still unsurprisingly predictable as the first (Delirium), Pandemonium has the advantage in more believable and likable characters. Again, it was a book that despite its long winded descriptions seemed to captivate my attention so thoroughly that I flew through the pages wanting to know if my predictions would turn out. Most often, they did, but it didn't stop me from reading to see *how* they played out.
It is a fast, easy read that delves deeper into the world between Invalids and Zombieland. After the first you are emotionally invested in Lena and her journey and this book makes her a more interesting person, hardening her and you see a stark role reversal from the first. I liked a stronger, smarter lead character even if at times the book was unbelievable (things just seem to fall into the characters laps so I rarely ever believe they are in true danger) the characters and their actions seem believable to the situations they are in.
It is a fast, easy read that delves deeper into the world between Invalids and Zombieland. After the first you are emotionally invested in Lena and her journey and this book makes her a more interesting person, hardening her and you see a stark role reversal from the first. I liked a stronger, smarter lead character even if at times the book was unbelievable (things just seem to fall into the characters laps so I rarely ever believe they are in true danger) the characters and their actions seem believable to the situations they are in.