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melissarochelle 's review for:
Panic
by Lauren Oliver
(Who in the world is categorizing this as Science Fiction/Dystopia? Stop putting things on the shelves based on the description! This is about a group of teens that play a crazy game, this isn't The Hunger Games -- it's just a bad choice in jacket copy.)
While reading this book I had flashbacks to my Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine reading days. No idea why...it's been years (maybe even a couple of decades) since I read either author. Maybe it was the game itself (or the vast group of teenagers making really bad decisions). Panic tests to see how much fear you can handle and even despite fear, how long you can last in certain situations. It's not a game for the faint of heart.
That part of the book was interesting -- seeing the tests these characters are put through. I also generally liked the characters. I could relate to being the tall girl that wears flats and slouches so she doesn't look like a giant next to her friends.
In fact, the thing that bothered me most about this book was kind of silly and is probably me being a little nit-picky. Carp is a town of 12,000 with a graduating class of around 100 -- it has a BUS SYSTEM?! I grew up in Florida so maybe I'm incorrect in thinking that bus systems are only in large, more urban areas, but a town that small with public transit? Is there a county system that covers this in upstate New York?
I had more thoughts as I was drifting off to sleep last night about other things I found a little too absurd, but now I've forgotten.
Bottom line: It doesn't have all the feels of [b:Before I Fall|6482837|Before I Fall|Lauren Oliver|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361044695s/6482837.jpg|6674135], which is kind of what I was expecting. But it's a good read, just not Oliver's best.
While reading this book I had flashbacks to my Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine reading days. No idea why...it's been years (maybe even a couple of decades) since I read either author. Maybe it was the game itself (or the vast group of teenagers making really bad decisions). Panic tests to see how much fear you can handle and even despite fear, how long you can last in certain situations. It's not a game for the faint of heart.
That part of the book was interesting -- seeing the tests these characters are put through. I also generally liked the characters. I could relate to being the tall girl that wears flats and slouches so she doesn't look like a giant next to her friends.
In fact, the thing that bothered me most about this book was kind of silly and is probably me being a little nit-picky. Carp is a town of 12,000 with a graduating class of around 100 -- it has a BUS SYSTEM?! I grew up in Florida so maybe I'm incorrect in thinking that bus systems are only in large, more urban areas, but a town that small with public transit? Is there a county system that covers this in upstate New York?
Spoiler
AND she forgave Bishop?! Seriously? And the kidnapping of Dodge? Too much.I had more thoughts as I was drifting off to sleep last night about other things I found a little too absurd, but now I've forgotten.
Bottom line: It doesn't have all the feels of [b:Before I Fall|6482837|Before I Fall|Lauren Oliver|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1361044695s/6482837.jpg|6674135], which is kind of what I was expecting. But it's a good read, just not Oliver's best.