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Panica

(Panic #1)

Lauren Oliver (Goodreads Author),

Dorina Tătăran (Translator)

3.56 · Rating details · 53,282 ratings · 6,327 reviews

Bestseller New York Times

– Ce vei face daca vei castiga?

Heather clatina din cap. Ar fi vrut sa spuna: Sa alerg pana nu mai pot. Sa pun multe, multe, multe mile intre mine si Carp. Sa o las in urma pe vechea Heather, sa o fac sa dispara. In schimb, ridica din umeri.

– O sa merg undeva, cred. Cu saizeci si sapte de mii poti cumpara o gramada de benzina.

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Paperback, 368 pages

Published November 2nd 2016 by Nemira (first published March 4th 2014)

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· 53,282 ratings · 6,327 reviews

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Jul 05, 2013 Bree marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Honestly, I love Lauren Oliver as much as the next person, I think she's very talented and creative.
But come.on.
This blurb?

Am I the only one who realises?
Really?!
To me, it practically screams Hunger. Games.
But to be fair, I'm going to read it in respect to Lauren Oliver and to actually see if it will be a Hunger Games repeat.
I'm praying it won't.... ...more

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Jun 14, 2013 Sydney rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A "stand-alone" book? In the YA genre? By someone who's already had an extremely successful trilogy with FOUR bridges?

It will be a hit and then the publishers will be all

And I am TOTALLY alright with that.

Update 7/17: Cover = simple and sleek. Me likey.

Read all my reviews at www.rattlethestars.com ...more

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Jul 20, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: tstl, high-school, contemporary, ya-contemporary, siblings, beta-male, ya, romance, mental-illness, awesome-guy

Actual Rating: 3.5

“Why did you play?” he asked.
Revenge, Dodge thought, and Because I have nothing else. But out loud he said, “Money. Why else?”

The name of the game is Panic, the name of the book should be Desperation, because this book is a psychological study of despair, anger, revenge. It's about the claustrophobia of growing up poor, the seething fury of revenge, the fear of a future you cannot contemplate. It is about love and loss, friendships and broken hearts; it is a literal rite of passage in a small town.

I have read Lauren Oliver's books before, regardless of the book or whatever problems I have with them, one thing remains consistent: the characters in her books are intensely realistic and believable. The teens featured in this book are no exception.

I don't know why the hell this book was shelved under "sci-fi" or "dystopia." It is neither. What it is is a contemporary romance dealing with a lot of emotional issues. It is about growing up. It is about facing your fears, whether they be physical or emotional.

Summary: Panic is a game invented by the necessity of boredom in the little town of Carp.

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a poor town of twelve thousand people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

It is a dead-end town, the type of town that you want to escape the moment you graduate from high school. Every year, a "tax," $1 a day, is collected from the town's students. At the end of the year, those who choose to participate in Panic gets a chance to win the jackpot.

$67,000

For many, it is a winning ticket out of town, into the possibilities of riches and glory of Hollywood.

For Heather, it is a spur-of-the-moment decision, stemming from the temporary insanity of heartbreak, and the emptiness of the future after graduation.

Matt was gone. School was over. Not that she’d ever liked school, but still. It got her out of the house; it was something to do. Now everything was over and done. It occurred to her that this was her life: vast and empty, like a coin dropping down a bottomless well.

Dodge is driven by anger, revenge. He seeks an eye for an eye, or rather...

Dodge scrolled down and reread the email he had sent a week earlier.
"The bets are in. The game is on.
I’ll make you a trade:
A sister’s legs for a brother’s life."

The game lasts the entire summer. There will only be one winner. Every challenge will eliminate a player. They will risk their life, they will go beyond the edges of fear. They will know how much they are willing to sacrifice in the name of love, family, friendship, all to win the prize.

Friendships will be made. Betrayals will occur. Before the end of the summer, someone will die.

The Setting: A stiflingly small town, with a very definite social class division, from middle class to solidly bottom of the ladder. The characters stretch from the poorest of the poor, living in Meth Row (the manufacture of methampetamine is a thriving underbelly), to the Fresh Pine Mobile Park, to rows of identical houses with white picket fances. The atmosphere of the small town and the claustrophobia it induces is very well depicted.

The Plot: I've seen reviews that thinks this book is a modern-day Hunger Games. It is not. The pacing is not the same, the plot is not the same. I've said before that it is a psychological study, and that is the majority of what it is. The pace is slow initially. The game gets going, but it doesn't get the reader and the participants psychologically involved until around 50% into the book. Before that, the plot itself is more introspective, as we learn about the characters and their respective interests and personality.

The Characters: Without a doubt, the best thing about the book. The characters were so well drawn. There are 2 main characters, 2 supporting ones, and they all are very well distinct and portrayed.

Heather: One of the main narrators, a broken-hearted girl who participates in the game out of sheer heartbreak. You know how after a bad breakup, you feel the tendency to do something intensely stupid, out of your character? Heather is the personification of that. Her boyfriend, Matt, broke up with her to be with another girl, and like a typical teenaged girl in love, she cannot contemplate a future without him.

Heather is a weak character to start, and we see her grow up as the book progresses. We see her emotional breakdown, her overdramatization of her situation, as she contemplates who she is without her boyfriend.

For a second, she thought of telling him the truth: that when Matt had dumped her, she had understood for the first time that she was a complete and total nobody.

There is a boy in her life, her lifelong friend, Bishop, who she has mostly seen only as a friend, until now.

Heather realized that he really wasn’t a boy anymore. Somehow, when she wasn’t looking, he had become a guy—tall and strong, with a stubborn chin and a girlfriend and opinions she didn’t share. She felt an ache in her stomach, a sense of loss and a sense of wanting.

Heather's story is one of growing up in a broken home, her mother is hardly a mother, her little sister a beloved 11-year old girl growing up too fast. Heather herself sees her future as hopeless. Throughout the summer, we see her mature, grow stronger, take on more responsibility. Heather makes mistakes, she grows through them.

Dodge: The outcast from the wrong side of the tracks. Also from a broken family, he has a dad he has never known, a mother with a string of boyfriends, and a beloved older sister whose body has been broken by the fault of the school bully. Unlike Heather, Dodge has a very definite mission for Panic: he wants to win, and he wants to get revenge.

“What about you, Dodge?” Heather said. “Why did you agree to play?”
For a second, she thought he smiled. “Revenge.”
Nat started to laugh. “Revenge?” she repeated.
Heather realized she hadn’t misheard.

I found his character to be sympathetic, but not an altogether believable male voice at times. Dodge has a lot of romanticism inside his head for a character who is so hardened by nature, and some of his thoughts---however male and however laughable---is really, really silly, no matter how reflective they may be of the workings of a teenaged boy's mind.

Her hair was fixed low, in a side ponytail, and she was wearing a ruffled yellow jumper-type thing, with the shirt and shorts attached, that would have looked stupid on anyone else. But on her it looked amazing, like she was some kind of life-size, exotic Popsicle. He couldn’t help but think that whenever she had to use the bathroom she’d have to get totally undressed.

I loved Dodge's fury, his drive for vengeance. His almost maddening pursuit for justice endears me to him, and I understand his anger. Dodge has internal demons to slay, and I loved how his story came to pass.

The other characters in the book are Nat and Bishop, Heather's best friends. The portrayal of friendship is wonderful in this book. It depicts the minor jealousies and difficulties between friends who have been there for each other their entire lives. It is a realiztic portrayal of friendship; friendship is never, ever perfect, and this book shows that so well. It shows that you can never know the truth about someone, despite knowing them your entire life.

She thought of the way that Nat always liked things even, straight down the middle. How sometimes she showered more than once a day. The taps and tongue clicks. Stuff she’d mostly ignored, because she was so used to it. Another blind spot between people.

The Romance: A little heavy-handed, but it is to be expected in a contemporary novel, and I didn't mind it at all. Teenaged hormones are in the air in a small town such as this, and the romance is realistic, the growth of friendship into love, instead of insta-love or attraction. Love is not always easy, and it needs to be brutally honest. Sometimes, it takes the person you love to tell you what's in front of your nose before you realize it.

“You want everything to be shitty. You have a sister who loves you. Friends who love you. I love you, Heather.” He said it fast, in a mumble, and she could not even be happy, because he kept going. “You’ve outlasted almost everyone in Panic. But all you see is the crap. So you don’t have to believe in anything. So you’ll have an excuse to fail.”

Overall: a slow-paced, but tension-filled psychological portrayal of a small town and the people within it.

Quotes were taken from an Advance Review Copy subject to change in the final edition. ...more

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Aug 02, 2013 Mitch rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Mitch by: Katy

Shelves: 4-star-favorites

What is Panic? That's the question everyone seems to be asking. The book summary says it's a legendary, high stakes game played by graduating seniors in a dead-end town because there's nothing else to do. Those who've read the blurb seem to think it'll be the next Hunger Games. Frankly, I'm just surprised for a well known author as Lauren Oliver and a summary that couldn't be clearer, nobody seems to have a clue, and the people who do know aren't saying. Well, I'm saying, and here's my take: it' ...more

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Feb 17, 2014 Nataliya rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-reads

I bet this book will be loved by so many readers. After all, it has quite a it of potential, it's not badly written, and - thanks to all the literary gods - it mercifully lacks the unavoidable first-person narration that plagues the YA subset of literature.

For me, however, it fell a bit flat. And that's disappointing.

I did appreciate what Lauren Oliver (a relatively new author for me, by the way - I only read her sweet and adorable children's story 'Liesl and Po') tried to do here. She tried to ...more

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Mar 02, 2014 Inge rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult

Spoilers

Lauren Oliver is known for her pretty writing.

…

“Now it looked like a person whose soul had been sucked out through his asshole.”

“As soon as Heather saw the sign for Fresh Pines Mobile Park, she felt like her stomach might drop out her butt.”

…

Anyway, on to the review.

This story had a lot of potential. Really – only a few things needed to be changed. Like, all the characters in the book, all the challenges of Panic, and the plot. That’s all.

Panic started out as a game created by a bunc ...more

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Jul 05, 2013 Whitney Atkinson rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2015, audiobook, unhauled

I would highly recommend going into this expecting only entertainment value from it. I felt a bit detached from the characters, like there were 4 different undeveloped character arcs, but the plot was so interesting that I found myself not caring. If you're someone who needs to be able to click with the characters while you read something, though, I wouldn't recommend this. But I thought it was loads of fun and although it is completely unrealistic, I flew through it nevertheless.

~~~~~

OMG THE CO ...more

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Jul 18, 2013 Christine Riccio rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Panic was different than i expected! I just posted my full booktalk/discussion: http://youtu.be/uR0U9yVC17w ! I flew through it and enjoyed the characters, the only thing i wasn't too crazy about was the last chapter before the epilouge! It wasn't bad.. I'm just never satisfied with the way that Lauren Oliver's books wrap up. ...more

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Nov 17, 2014 Katie rated it did not like it · review of another edition

No. 1.5 stars. Rant Time.

Littered with cliches and stereotypical characters. I swear the last 5 YA books read have starred the same female protagonist with a different name. Exact. Same. Personality. Again. And. Again. How many times am I supposed to read about an awkward, introverted, not popular, virginal girl (oh who also hates drinking) before I snap because that's the point I'm at.

How many times am I going to suffer through a scene where a girl finally kisses the boy she likes only for an e ...more

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Mar 17, 2013 Cassandra Mitchell marked it as to-read-soon · review of another edition

Shelves: amazing-covers, stand-alone, ya-ya-ya

***EDIT: 17 JULY***

This cover is gorgeous!!! I can't even handle it!
Can't wait for this book!

freaking out photo: freaking out freaking-out_zps574623f5.gif

------------------
24 June

OKAY. We have a description! Sounds AH-MAZING! Now if we can only get a cover out of Miss. Oliver...

But, let's be real here...March 2014??????? This is how I feel about that:

Seriously, what kind of sick and twisted world is this????

-----------------------------

17 March

TELL ME MORE LAUREN OLIVER!!! ...more

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Jul 12, 2013 Giselle rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, ebook

I'm left feeling torn on this one. On the one hand I though it was an exciting and well written story about desperation, friendship, and wanting to prove yourself. On the other hand, the game Panic's frail, yet apparently enduring, nature was not very realistic considering the risks, keeping me emotionally detached, and I did find the plot ended up being fairly predictable.

Panic is a game where facing often life-risking fears can win you a small fortune - 50,000$ worth. Absolutely interesting a I'm left feeling torn on this one. On the one hand I though it was an exciting and well written story about desperation, friendship, and wanting to prove yourself. On the other hand, the game Panic's frail, yet apparently enduring, nature was not very realistic considering the risks, keeping me emotionally detached, and I did find the plot ended up being fairly predictable.

Panic is a game where facing often life-risking fears can win you a small fortune - 50,000$ worth. Absolutely interesting and full of adrenaline, but you do have to suspend disbelief in some areas. Mostly by how poorly managed it seems. For a game that wins you over 50k and involves you playing Russian roulette among other things, who are these people trusting? Kids do stupid things for less all the time, but these stakes are extreme and we know that Heather, for one, is doing it for the money - for her sister. Don't they wonder what's stopping this secret leader no one knows about from running off with the 67k? Then at one point, two of the players decide to take the game into their own hands and put some of the players through solo challenges, eliminating them, and it was apparently okay. It was all very unfair and disorderly. Plus, especially for a small town that normally has involved communities, I find it hard to believe that parents and cops would be oblivious to the game's existence and not press to get this stopped. I mean, kids are dying, getting paralyzed, burnt, drowned, not to mention the harm they're putting others in by crossing the road blindfolded in front of unsuspecting families and such. It's not as if they were so good at being secretive either - scrawling their meeting times on a water tower is not exactly inconspicuous. There are a lot of gray areas you have to overlook.

The writing was wonderful, as I expected. I was a big fan of Before I Fall for the depth and meaning of the story, and I saw this here as well. The desperation is obvious; the need for Heather to be a part of something big, reckless. To stand out for once. To take control. The pressure, anxiety, and adrenaline rush from each dare is also unmistakable. I found myself holding my breath more than once. She's a strong willed person that I liked to root for. I also sympathized with her family situation that drove her to keep going. Desperation is a strong force and this is well displayed here in both narratives. Dodge is our other main character who's a bit of a loner and in the game for revenge. He harbors a lot of anger, turning him into this intense character. I did find he could be inconsistent at times, making it difficult to fully grasp his personality, but he was quite interesting! Although I have no clue what he saw in Nat or why he was even attracted to her, aside from her appearance. She was not very nice to him, useless and a drag in this game, even double-crossing her best friend. She did get better towards the end, thankfully. Bishop did not get enough face time for me to feel like I really knew him. I did appreciate the romance blooming from his and Heather's long-time friendship, though, but what changed her mind from "it would be like kissing my brother" to being in love with him remains unclear.

My review may list the less than positive aspects from this book, but I did enjoy it overall. Above all, I liked the psychological aspects surrounding this game, as well as the depth and dramatic intensity of both the characters and plot. I liked that it looked into fear as being something you can, and sometimes have to, conquer. I was hoping for a more tragic ending, though, but I was overall satisfied by the reality TV-esque fun rush that I got from this novel.

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

...more

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Feb 28, 2014 Ariel rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Overall I felt that this was an exciting non-deep book. The characters were pretty flat, and their backstories were badly fleshed out, but I didn't care.. for me, this book was all about the crazy intense challenges, and boy did it deliver! Some of the challenges were so crazy I actually found myself feeling nervous for the safety of the characters!

If you're looking for a book about "facing your fears" or "overcoming adversity" or "anything else deep" I don't think that this does a good job.. b ...more

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Feb 28, 2014 Jesse (JesseTheReader) rated it liked it · review of another edition

This was such a fun read! The only problem I had was that I didn't really feel for any of the characters. I also wasn't a huge fan of the ending.

Here's a link to my video review for Panic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIPbI... ...more

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Jul 12, 2013 Katy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Disappointing. This book lacked something that "Before I Fall" and the "Delirium" series did such a great job of creating - that sense of desperation. Without it, Panic was just a stupid game. And I would have been fine accepting it as such, but I felt Oliver threw in too many sob stories that failed to pull at my emotional strings, leaving me calloused and disconnected from the characters.

(Warning: Hidden parts contain major spoilers, so don't click them!)

THE GAME

I was very confused for the ...more

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Sep 28, 2013 Stacia (the 2010 club) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-general-or-lit-fiction, male-pov, multiple-pov, dark-or-taboo

Compare Panic to one sorority/fraternity hazing gone horribly wrong, and you'll know what you're getting into before you pick up the book.

Funny thing is, I started out noting a lot of positives (all of which were turned on their head). I was in love with the refreshing normalcy of the characters' behavior.

1. Having beers out by the water
2. Bumming around at the mall
3. One of the girls got tired of waiting for the guy to kiss her so she asked him straight up if he was going to.

A few pages later. ...more

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Feb 27, 2017 Bonnie Shores rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Apparently, Lauren Oliver can write anything WELL. This book is so different from her Delirium series and from Before I Fall, yet still awesome. The story wasn't something I would normally be interested in, but I read it because Oliver's writing style is so amazing. I was not disappointed. ...more

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Feb 25, 2016 Elle (ellexamines) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Recommends it for: fans of Lauren Oliver

Shelves: wasted-potential, mystery-suspense, z-2016read, 2-star

I'm beginning to think Lauren Oliver basically makes the same errors in every single book. She starts off with an intriguing concept, flowery writing, gorgeous atmosphere, and great character voices. And then she just... fails to deliver on any of it. The issue is that she often turns the focus onto romance and leaves character arcs and plot arcs to languish.

// BUILDING TO GREATNESS

As per usual, we start off with a cool concept and atmosphere. Everyone at Heather’s small-town high school pitch ...more

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Jul 17, 2013 Rose rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-a-z-reading-challenge-2015, contemporary, drama, suspense, multi-povs, tough-subjects, audiobooks, great-premise-lacking-execution, psychological

Initial reaction: I really wanted to like "Panic" more than I actually did - some of it had measures where the character background and emotions were potent (particularly with Heather and Lily's circumstances), but I was surprisingly unaffected by much of the novel despite the daredevil stunts and overarching game the teens played. You would think for something with such high stakes it would be more enthralling, but alas, for me? Not so much.

Full review:

It's been a while since I've read "Panic" Initial reaction: I really wanted to like "Panic" more than I actually did - some of it had measures where the character background and emotions were potent (particularly with Heather and Lily's circumstances), but I was surprisingly unaffected by much of the novel despite the daredevil stunts and overarching game the teens played. You would think for something with such high stakes it would be more enthralling, but alas, for me? Not so much.

Full review:

It's been a while since I've read "Panic" and I've had some time to reflect about my thoughts about it. Verdict? This wasn't as memorable of a story for me, though I did connect to certain parts of it. The title "Panic" has a central focus in the story, but it doesn't evoke the very emotion that's implied in definition very well. "Panic" refers to a game that high school seniors in the town of Carp play after pooling money together and, by the direction of mysterious judges, partake in some rather risky games.

Games being things like jumping off cliffs, stealing guns and other stuff from a person's house, getting trapped inside a burning building, and walking across a highway while blindfolded. The game's said to be a tradition in this little town, while being kept secret. In the end, there can be only one winner.

There were some plot details that didn't seem plausible for this scenario (seriously, how did they get away with this stuff?), but I decided to suspend my disbelief and run with it. Oliver's writing isn't quite as well drawn in this book as it is in books like "Before I Fall" or even the "Delirium" series. Oddly, for a book with such decidedly high stakes, it kind of plodded along. The audiobook narration by Sarah Drew was just okay - I think I could've gone with the physical read alternatively if I'd had the choice to read it again. Sometimes her tone was a little shrill for the character emotional inflections.

The narrative has a third-person narration, with two main characters: Heather and Dodge. Each of them have their own motivations for playing "Panic" - which - in a narrative parallel - involve their families. I think Heather's circumstances were a little more palpable for me personally, since I saw the relationship with her sister, the abrasiveness of their mother, and how they connected with the eclectic lifestyle and animal preferences of Ann, who takes them in during a difficult measure. With Dodge, his quest is more bent on revenge resulting from horrific circumstances in his family (which does take a positive turn later on, but Dodge still isn't satisfied). It was hard to feel for his reasons because it was drawn so...shallow. Not to mention that his character really doesn't change all that much (compared to Heather, who does have some growth, although more minute than it could've been). I'll admit that despite some moments of purported intensity and conflict, the character study in this book was a little disappointing. It didn't feel as rich or raw for me to believe in it, even during the moments of peril (and even resulting death!) that the characters encounter during the upped stakes.

It does aptly feel like a teen narrative as these characters take the "plunge" and engage in all of these different stunts. I really wish that I could've connected to the characters more, because I felt like the ending of the novel would make more sense with the narrative victory and the alluding to being able to take chances and reap the rewards of those chances with moving to the next step in one's life. It had a good set-up, I just don't think the narrative itself made the most of the space or pull. Oliver's written more compelling narratives than this, and for me, this fell a bit flat. Not one of her best works, but I think moments of the novel had merit enough to stand on their own for what it aimed to show.

Overall: 2.5/5 stars. ...more

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Aug 14, 2014 Cora Tea Party Princess rated it it was ok · review of another edition

5 words: Silly children playing dangerous games.

I was pretty love/hate with this book the whole time I was reading it. From loving the turmoil with the relationships to hating the actions of these stupid, irresponsible children, I was swinging backwards and forwards from a rope swing tied to a branch.

There was something that just angered me so much about how these stupid little children endangered the lives of everyone. Their stupid game, in the name of "boredom" just made my blood boil.

What's w ...more

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Apr 14, 2014 Aj the Ravenous Reader rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: physically-owned-books

Panic is an unexpected young adult story set in a realistic time and place but with a dystopian feel to it. The first part of the story, I have to admit, got me asking "where is this going?" but when I reached the interesting parts of story especially the individual challenges, I felt almost like panicking myself. :) I had to read it in a such a hurry because I HAD to know what comes next which in my experience is always a good sign that the book is going to be great. I also like the love storie ...more

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Jul 07, 2013 Sabreena marked it as to-read · review of another edition

I just...

Why?! I mean I really don't like to be...

description

This is seriously how I look right now.

description

Life is just so bland...

description

...more

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Nov 14, 2020 Lin} Dusty Chinchilla and Bunny Boi rated it did not like it · review of another edition

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

I hated this book. For a few reasons

1. The characters. They were boring and awful. All they did was tear others down. For example:
Our main character, Heather. She hated that her friends were happy. Why? Because she wasn't happy. She basically called every girl a slut or whore. Now, i can't blame her for being jealous, but way to far. She called her best friend a purse, cute and confident, just because a random guy liked her.
Natalie. She's a good friend, but in the p ...more

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Apr 27, 2014 Theresa rated it it was ok · review of another edition

This book was alright, but it definitely wasn't as good as I wanted it to be. I had a hard time getting into it because it was kind of a weird plot to wrap my head around, that these kids could play this horrible game for so long and it never once in all those years got shut down. I couldn't help but think that the whole idea of Panic was just stupid, made up by some teenagers somewhere for some sick kind of fun, which I guess is what happened. I just didn't necessarily enjoy reading, because I ...more

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Mar 17, 2014 Zenki the Pixie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Every part made my heart race. Oh, Lauren Oliver, I just love you.

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Mar 22, 2013 Melanie rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: could-have-been-so-much-better, action, young-adult, romance, bleh, books-i-own, contemporary, e-arc, mystery

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Lauren Oliver has been an on and off author for me. I loved both Before I Fall and Delirium, but Pandemonium and Requiem fell flat for me. So before entering this book, I was uncertain of what I'd think and what do expect from her this time around. I think Panic caused a lot of confusion for me. I went in thinking it was a dystopian novel because it's been shelved 'dystopian' around 70 times. But let me confirm to you: This is a contemporary novel.

The main a See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Lauren Oliver has been an on and off author for me. I loved both Before I Fall and Delirium, but Pandemonium and Requiem fell flat for me. So before entering this book, I was uncertain of what I'd think and what do expect from her this time around. I think Panic caused a lot of confusion for me. I went in thinking it was a dystopian novel because it's been shelved 'dystopian' around 70 times. But let me confirm to you: This is a contemporary novel.

The main aspect that threw me off from the get go was the point of view. Panic is narrated by two protagonists and both are in third present. I think it's pretty unusual to come by in contemporaries. Personally, I don't handle third person narrations well because I like to have a strong sense of connection with the main character(s). Luckily, it did grow onto me in the duration of the 400 pages, but it made the first quarter difficult to venture by.

Panic is told by Heather and Dodge--though really there felt like four main characters (Heather, Dodge, Natalie and Bishop). Heather and I did not get on the right foot. She's a mentally weak character and is still reeling from a break-up. Her characterization was well done however she's not the type of protagonist I like following. Overly emotional, whiny and annoying. I do get it, your boyfriend broke up with you and you don't know what you're meant to do with your life now but geez girl, it's not that horrible. As for Dodge, he was definitely an improvement. I liked his back story and reason for joining the game, Panic. His sister had been part of the game a few years earlier but when it came to the final round, she got terribly injured and now may not even be able to walk. Dodge is here for revenge. His personality was determined and strong, which I liked.

I do believe I should briefly explain how Panic works. Basically when you reach freshman year, everyone needs to start pitching in money and by the end of high school all this money is added up. The total is usually around $50000, and the winner of Panic receives this as prize money. To win, the judges (who are anonymous) set a series of challenges and life-risking events, in each round, one person gets out. Despite a pretty intriguing idea, the plot just did not work. Surely parents, guardians, teachers or even the public would notice what these teens are up to and stop it completely. Furthermore, why the heck would people want to enter this game in the first place. You can die, get fatally injured, get caught by the cops etc. The dangers are endless. $67000 is not worth any of that. I like the idea of revenge to let everyone see what you're made of but Panic is not a smart way to go by it.

The romance was very disappointing. At first, I was surprised to discover that Heather and Dodge were probably not going to end up with each other. I liked that. I liked how Lauren Oliver was going to not go with the story cliche. However the characters she brought in as the love interests were disagreeable. There was zero chemistry and the characters that were involved weren't too likable either.

Lauren Oliver's latest was overall a let down due the flaws in characters, romance and logic. But the author did a great job of showing how a game can get so serious when friendships are tested and betrayals are made. A seriously intense read.

~Thank you HarperTeen for sending me this copy!~

...more

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Jul 19, 2013 Thomas rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, realistic-fiction

2.5 stars

Panic: a game played by graduating seniors in the dead-end town of Carp, where all contestants must face their worst fears - and each other. Heather never thought she would participate in Panic, but when her broken heart finds a new cause to fight for, she readies herself for the ride of her life. Dodge, on the other hand, does not feel scared of Panic; he wants revenge, and that thirst will drive him throughout the game. Amidst the near-death experiences thrust upon them by the judges 2.5 stars

Panic: a game played by graduating seniors in the dead-end town of Carp, where all contestants must face their worst fears - and each other. Heather never thought she would participate in Panic, but when her broken heart finds a new cause to fight for, she readies herself for the ride of her life. Dodge, on the other hand, does not feel scared of Panic; he wants revenge, and that thirst will drive him throughout the game. Amidst the near-death experiences thrust upon them by the judges of Panic, both Heather and Dodge will discover new things about themselves, each other, and those around them. Even though Panic entails a cash prize, every contestant, including Heather and Dodge, wants something more.

Panic possesses a compelling concept and an enticing book jacket, but I found the content lacking. The game itself required a severe suspension of disbelief - even then, I wanted to know more. Lauren Oliver describes the atmosphere of Carp well, but I desired more knowledge about Panic: why do the judges act the way they do? How is it that the police never seriously stepped up in years past when people have gotten injured? The questions I came up with may have added to the mysterious and threatening appeal of Panic, but at the same time it left the plot feeling a little loose and undefined. With no strong grounding, Oliver's story structure almost felt like darts thrown at a wall - it still hit and had an effect, but it could have been more cohesive.

The lack of competent character development detracted from my liking of Panic the most. Only at about 200 pages in did I start to root for Heather, and both Heather and Dodge could have used more fleshing out. Their motivations for participating in Panic, their relationships with their families and friends, their opinions of each other - all of these aspects, while present, would have benefited from more explanation. The ending also left me feeling disappointed because it failed to give either character the growth or depth they needed.

Overall, not the worst book - Panic kept my attention even if it did not have me flipping the pages. Oliver can write well, and I will still read what she publishes next. I just hope she will improve upon this novel and return to the glory days of Before I Fall.

*review cross-posted on my blog, the quiet voice. ...more

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Nov 01, 2019 Tijana marked it as on-hold · review of another edition

Tomorrow I'm auditioning for a TV adaptation of this book!
Please send your prayers out for me 😄😄🙏 ...more

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Feb 28, 2014 Liz rated it liked it · review of another edition

I always set the bar low, and OF COURSE this book passed all of my expectations and then some. It was relatively fast paced and had some good challenges. I liked that I didn't feel the need to like every character all the time. I felt like Oliver writes very human people who do screw up, and this novel shows them at their worst of times (at this point of their lives). Even though the two main characters come from similar "side of the tracks" their stories were different and it shows how complex ...more

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Jul 05, 2013 Vanessa J. rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: boring, disappointing, love-the-cover, young-adult, 2014

So, I went to this book thinking it was a dystopia, but that's not what I got. This book was a contemporary novel with a touch of thriller. Bad thing is, the thriller part didn't work for me.

First, the plot bored the hell out of me. I don't think there was a single moment in which I felt anything besides sheer boredom. There was never anything going on. It was too slow to the point I almost dnf-ed it. But I managed to get through it.

The last half picked up a little, but it was already too late f ...more

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Jan 10, 2014 Nova Zaiden rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, literal-trainwreck, reviewed, i-expected-better-from-you, read-in-2014

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. View more content on my blog: Out of Time

I really wanted to like this one. With Lauren Oliver, I usually have an intense love for her writing style, but not her plotting. With Delirium (trilogy), I questioned some of the events that happened. I have a bit of an "issue" with her books, but usually the love and the hate balances out.

Dude... I really wanted to love this one. When I first read the synopsis, I had full confidence it wasn't going to be a Hunger Games knockoff. It wouldn't be fair to c View more content on my blog: Out of Time

I really wanted to like this one. With Lauren Oliver, I usually have an intense love for her writing style, but not her plotting. With Delirium (trilogy), I questioned some of the events that happened. I have a bit of an "issue" with her books, but usually the love and the hate balances out.

Dude... I really wanted to love this one. When I first read the synopsis, I had full confidence it wasn't going to be a Hunger Games knockoff. It wouldn't be fair to compare everything that involves a game with heavy stakes to THG. Fortunately for me, it really wasn't that similar, but that and her writing are about the only good things that I can draw from this novel.

My main problem is how stupid this game of Panic is. The game of Panic is not explained in the synopsis and even after reading it, I don't know if I get it completely. It's a game in which everyone gets challenges to complete. You complete it, you stay in the game. And then there are challenges that everyone has to do and the last to finish is eliminated. Unfortunately, these challenges are not creative and plain stupid. Examples would be staying in a burning house and playing Russian Roulette. It's supposed to put you in situations of "panic" but for me, I was bored and tired of the players' stupidity rather than focusing on their "thrilling" panic. And what you win... money. I don't see why this was such a big deal or why the stakes were so high. 67,000 dollars to your life? Are the people that stupid?

Plus, there was absolutely no justification for Panic. "Panic was started because the people were bored." That is literally the reason for this life-endangering (idiotic) game. Because the people of this dingy town were...bored. *facepalm*

Another thing I didn't get was the worldbuilding or lack of it. This is a town that I'm getting has no law, people do drugs and no one actually cares about Panic. No way this is real. I had absolutely no belief this was a real world; even if it was Dystopian (was it Dystopian? I have no idea...)

Panic was apparently "banned" for being dangerous but there was absolutely no followup to anyone who we obviously knew was playing; does no one notice the burning building? And you've always got one person who can't keep their mouth shut. Unbelievable.

It doesn't help that the entire book was a blur. The plot was so dull. It was a girl who was reluctant to enter Panic (like The Selection... lol) and then ending up winning it. Panic wasn't even the major event in the plot; it was random teenage drama with an eyebrow-raising situations every now and then. I didn't connect with any of the characters and it took me half the book to even realize what was going on. It's horrible that while I'm trying to write a review, I'm drawing complete blanks to the plot and any points that I know I should include in this review.

I hated all the characters. That or I didn't know them. The entire beginning is us introduced to a whirlwind of characters in a matter of pages and I was like who's that? And even after so many characters were named, they weren't given personalities and mentioned only to progress the story, not to add to it or shape it. *facepalm* (again.)

So let's end this review with a good point, shall we? Lauren's writing. I still believe she has a prose that looks effortless. Unfortunately, she pretty much needs to work on everything else. The descriptions were beautiful and thoughts were carried out in a lyrical way, but I had trouble believing everything and trying to understand the characters that I still believe were poorly crafted. ...more

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About Lauren Oliver

Lauren Oliver

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Lauren Oliver is the cofounder of media and content development company Glasstown Entertainment, where she serves as the president of production. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of the YA novels Replica, Vanishing Girls, Panic, and the Delirium trilogy: Delirium, Pandemonium, and Requiem, which have been translated into more than thirty languages. The film rights to both Replica ...more

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Quotes from Panica

“It was so strange, the way that life moved forward: the twists and the dead ends, the sudden opportunities. She supposed if you could predict or foresee everything that was going to happen, you’d lose the motivation to go through it all. The promise was always in the possibility.” — 141 likes

“She knew, now, that there was always light—beyond the dark, and the fear, out of the depths; there was sun to reach for, and air and space and freedom.
There was always a way up, and out, and no need to be afraid.” — 111 likes

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