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3.44 AVERAGE
3.44 AVERAGE
I expected more from the book. For me the story seemed flat, one dimensional and it didn't captire me at all. After about 150 pages I moved to only reading the dialogues and skip descriptions on most pages. I can see it appealing to 14-16 year olds but although I love YA literature I felt too old for this one. I also didn't care about the characters fates, their motives etc which is what usually entices me to read on.
Panic by Lauren Oliver, narrated by Sarah Drew was a great bit of nostalgia. I read a few reviews and one that I saw a few times was the communal though that this book was very reminiscent of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins; a bunch of late adolescents playing a game with a risk of death. In that large general description, sure, but when reading Panic, I don’t think it is like THG at all. This book was written and published in the glorious era of 2010-2014 YA Dystopian novels. The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Divergent, to name the most popular. There is a saying that everything is a remix, and that is the purpose of genre, to categorize literature in order to allow readers and consumers to pick a book based on their interests. It is only natural that these books resemble one another, but the themes of Panic and THG differ significantly. I actually kind of loved this book, mainly aforementioned, for the sense of nostalgia. The writing wasn’t amazing and the characters could have used a little more depth but I went into this book expecting all of this. When I got to the end and actual had my suspicions confirmed that the narrator was none other than April Kepner, I had to laugh. Overall I gave this book a 3 stars and where I will not be reading the next book in this series, I most certainly will be watching the Prime TV adaptation.
fast-paced
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Non avrei mai pensato che questo libro mi sarebbe piaciuto così tanto, mi ha tenuta incollata alla pagine fino a tardi.
It’s hard to believe that an entertaining show like Panic (Amazon Prime if you are interested) came from such boring source material.
The seniors of Carp are eligible to play Panic, a series of dangerous stunts set up by unknown Judges and points are awarded for each task. The winner of Panic gets all of the money collected from the senior class- $1 for every day at school. This year the pot is $67,000. Most of the residents of Carp are on the lower end of socioeconomic pyramid and need the money.
Heather - has a drunken, drug abusing mom who has a terrible on and off bf named Bo. Heather needs the money to help her and her little sister Lilly escape their mom.
Dodge- wants revenge on the Hanrahan family because in the previous Panic, Luke Hanrahan injured. Dodge’s sister Dayna who is now paralyzed. Dodge wants to beat Ray Hanrahan at Panic and injure him if possible. Interested in Natalie
Natalie- Heather’s best friend; wants to win Panic and leave Carp to become an actress
Bishop- Heather’s friend/ love interest, turns out to be a Panic judge, helps Heather however he can, loses his position as Judge when he admits to police that it exists, ends up with Heather
Anne- Heather helps her on her farm; she and Lilly end up living with her when they have to leave their mom after she goes on a bender
Roy is a main character in the show but is just a one dimensional character without a POV chapter in the book.
Overall, it was boring. If you want to watch the show, you can skip the book.
The seniors of Carp are eligible to play Panic, a series of dangerous stunts set up by unknown Judges and points are awarded for each task. The winner of Panic gets all of the money collected from the senior class- $1 for every day at school. This year the pot is $67,000. Most of the residents of Carp are on the lower end of socioeconomic pyramid and need the money.
Heather - has a drunken, drug abusing mom who has a terrible on and off bf named Bo. Heather needs the money to help her and her little sister Lilly escape their mom.
Dodge- wants revenge on the Hanrahan family because in the previous Panic, Luke Hanrahan injured. Dodge’s sister Dayna who is now paralyzed. Dodge wants to beat Ray Hanrahan at Panic and injure him if possible. Interested in Natalie
Natalie- Heather’s best friend; wants to win Panic and leave Carp to become an actress
Bishop- Heather’s friend/ love interest, turns out to be a Panic judge, helps Heather however he can, loses his position as Judge when he admits to police that it exists, ends up with Heather
Anne- Heather helps her on her farm; she and Lilly end up living with her when they have to leave their mom after she goes on a bender
Roy is a main character in the show but is just a one dimensional character without a POV chapter in the book.
Overall, it was boring. If you want to watch the show, you can skip the book.
I really liked this book. I liked the plot and I feel I really connected with the characters.
This book is compared to too many of it's YA counterparts as being not enough different at the beginning, but I have to admit I really loved this book. It's strange, and bare, and it's sparse everywhere. But there's a place for that in literature, too. I did not always see everything coming and certain things were far too obvious from the very first time I saw a hint of them.
I thought the romances were a little convenient, but I madly, truly, deeply loved the best friends, trio of friends, and the family bonds for everyone and between everyone. They were so perfectly imperfect that I could see myself, my friends and people I knew shining through the realism of ups, down, opinions, mistakes, loyalty, everything.
I thought the romances were a little convenient, but I madly, truly, deeply loved the best friends, trio of friends, and the family bonds for everyone and between everyone. They were so perfectly imperfect that I could see myself, my friends and people I knew shining through the realism of ups, down, opinions, mistakes, loyalty, everything.
This is a quick, fast-paced read, and for the most part it was a good teen drama with a bit more at stake than usual, but I couldn't help feeling like it could've been better. That from Lauren Oliver it should've been better. There just wasn't a whole lot of real tension or fear for a book called Panic.
At first I thought: "Oh, it will be like the Hunger Games, won't it?"
Then I read it and when I finished it I though "Wow, this was nothing like the Hunger Games!"
The book is written from two POVs: Heather and Dodge. Both are very realistic characters, flawed and struggling in their own way. Then there's Bishop and Natalie, Heather's best friends. Natalie is the kind of girl that I would never get along with in real life, but I found that I sort of liked her in the book.
Panic (the game) was cruel and merciless and very interesting to read about. And wow, do I hate Heather's mother...
Anyway, very rambly review, but read it! This was my first Lauren Oliver book (omg I know) and I definitely want to check out more of her books.
Then I read it and when I finished it I though "Wow, this was nothing like the Hunger Games!"
The book is written from two POVs: Heather and Dodge. Both are very realistic characters, flawed and struggling in their own way. Then there's Bishop and Natalie, Heather's best friends. Natalie is the kind of girl that I would never get along with in real life, but I found that I sort of liked her in the book.
Panic (the game) was cruel and merciless and very interesting to read about. And wow, do I hate Heather's mother...
Anyway, very rambly review, but read it! This was my first Lauren Oliver book (omg I know) and I definitely want to check out more of her books.