Pandemonium [Hardcover]

 

 

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Lena successfully fled Portland to join the Wilds and avoid the procedure, but it costs her everything. She roams the Wilds alone, waiting for Death to take her and bring her back to Alex, but those plans will have to wait because a black haired girl comes to her rescue, nursing her back to health and teaching her the ropes of living on the outside. Nothing is easy in this harsh lifestyle and many challenges awaits Lena along the way.

I have mixed feelings about Pandemonium, not because it wasn't good, but because I was extremely disappointed. Let me explain, and I'm sorry but I can't without a tiny spoiler. You can skip the first paragraph if you are highly allergic to spoilers =) I don't know if you're like me, but after I finished reading Delirium all I wanted, is to know what happened to Alex, for him to survive and to rock it in Pandemonium. I've anxiously awaited a year for my Alex fix and I didn't get it! He is not really part of the book, he is pretty much memories, conscience and hallucinations and it really let me down. I was flowing from pages to pages hoping the next one would be the one Alex got back in the game and was left on my appetite.

Now onto the book itself, I thought it was good and up to par with the previous novel. The form of the book was somewhat unusual but it worked just fine. Lauren chose to alternate chapters between Now and Then instead of narrating the story linearly. I thought it made things interesting but I kind of missed how she got from Then to Now. See, Then is her time in the Wilds, recovering from her escape, learning her new lifestyle, facing challenges as a invalid and Now is Lena living undercover in Manhattan working for the revolution. I have an idea of the catalyst for this new mission, but the exact why and how are vague and I kind of needed that. The alternating chapters added to the tension because once you finish a chapter, the following one isn't the one that will clench your thirst, and it urges you to read faster to know what happens next and I thought it was a smart move. Oliver's writing style is also a delight that you don't want to miss.

Highly suspenseful, the plot itself was satisfying. I preferred the Now over Then, but Then was necessary to understand Lena's path. Not everyone in Lena's new life are who they seem and sometimes she will misjudge them and their motivations, putting her in arms way. I truly enjoyed the journey Oliver set Lena on as she matured a great deal in this novel, promising a very interesting third novel.

This installment is filled with new characters and they were all great even though I wasn't fond of all of them. Tack, one of the invalids, isn't really approachable from the start, but he really grew on me. I didn't really like Raven, another invalid, but she played a big role in Lena's evolution so I'm glad she was there. Justin, the son of the leader of Deliria-Free America, turned out to be an interesting surprise and even though, for me, he palled in comparison to Alex, he was a good enough character, showing strength and determination when the situation was desperate.

Remember how Delirium's end was a killer? Well Pandemonium is just as bad, or might be even worst. Honestly, after reading the last word I hated Lauren Oliver, and if you've read the book, you know what I'm talking about. I had to vent my frustration to my poor innocent hubby who thought the whole thing was funny- NOT! Lauren how can you be so cruel? how? Waiting another year is torture, plain and simple. I want to get my hands on Requiem NOW!

I strongly recommend this series, it's a very original dystopian tale in which Love is a disease to be eradicated at all cost. For your own sanity though, you might wanna wait until all three books are out, because I'm honestly pulling my hair out here.

I was completely captivated by Pandemonium, Lauren Oliver's second book in the Delirium trilogy. I devoured this in two sittings, the second resulting in me getting only 3 hours of sleep on a work night. (It was worth it!)

Often times with trilogies, I find the second book falls a bit flat. Not to say I don't enjoy them, I do, because usually at that point, I care about the characters and want to know what happens to them. But with Pandemonium, everything - romance, suspense, plot, development - is well handled. I feel this book could almost have been read as a stand alone (with a background knowledge of the world the characters find themselves in).

What I loved about Pandemonium:
It made me think, a lot.
I appreciated the references to events in Delirium. It's been a while since I read Delirium, so I don't remember specifics. There was just the right amount of refreshers in Pandemonium to help jog the memory.
The plot advancement really moves forward.
The manner in which the story is told: The chapters alternate between 'then' (directly following the conclusion of Delirium when Lena is forced to separate from Alex and enter the Wilds) and 'now' about 6 months later when she is living in New York moonlighting as a cured and working for the resistance. I thought this style of story telling was brilliant, and here's why: although I preferred 'now' I became interested in both timelines so it really pulls you in and encourages you to keep reading. There may be a mild cliffhanger at the end of a 'now' chapter, but you have to first power through the following 'then' chapter to find out what happens next in the 'now' chapter. Smart. Also, It helped to really advance the story while also allowing the reader to see what Lena went through directly following the events of Delirium.
Character development, I loved Lena's growth and her strength. She really comes into herself in this book.
Introduction of new characters: There are several new characters and, with the alternating timelines, it was challenging for me remember who's who, but eventually, (ok ok, with some back flipping;)), I got it. There are a couple standout new character editions.
The romance. I like romance in books, it doesn't have to be the focus, and it's not here, but it's there and I love the way the development, struggles, and internal dialogue was handled. I don't want to spoil anything so I'll stop here..
The beautiful prose. Lauren Oliver's writing is almost poetic. She describes things in such an awe-inspiring way. Lots of metaphors and dream-esque like nature inspired descriptions of feelings. That's what the writing made me think of anyway. It was just beautiful, but not distracting. Not overdone.

I could not put this book down. I was obsessed. It's been a few days since I've finished and although that's not very long, I can't stop thinking about it. I suspect that will remain true for quite some time - at least until I find myself another book to obsess over.

If I rated this solely on the can-not-put-down factor, I would have given 5 stars. I opted for 4 stars because there are some things that bothered me a bit (although didn't take away from the reading experience).

What irked me:
The main irking culprit is a time gap found between the different timelines. They do eventually converge, but there is missing 'in between' time. Perhaps this was intentional, but I want to know why and how Lena ended up where she did.
Secondary characters I believe could have been developed a bit more. I think strong secondary characters can add a lot to a story, they can give you, the reader, someone else to care about, someone else to want to learn more about, and can offer alternative perspectives - but if you don't care about these secondary characters yet - or understand them or who they are - their perspectives don't hold as much weight, you can't quite relate.... I hope that made sense. (think Mortal Instruments/Clockwork Angel worlds). I know I said I liked the new characters - and I do - but some could have been better developed. Again, maybe that is coming...
And, I can't communicate the last thing that irked me without making it a spoiler. so... I'll bite my tongue and call it a night.

If you like dystopians, like the romance factor, and intensity in your novels, pick this up, you won't be disappointed!

THERE ARE NO WORDS. I will NEVER be able to properly express my love and adoration for this series. NEVER. Lauren is brilliant, and I am infected with deliria for these perfectly captivating books.

Delirium was my FAVOURITE book of 2011 and it absolutely blew me away. I just sobbed after I finished it, for all its emotional turmoil and the way Lauren Oliver managed to wring my heart like a wet towel. So of course, I have been anxious for Pandemonium and I devoured it as soon as I got an ARC in the mail.

How am I supposed to express my thoughts on this book?? I can't write reviews that will do Lauren's books justice. I just can't, I'm actually incapable of doing that. Because Lauren's book consistently affect me in such a personal, INTIMATE way.

But I'm going to try. Because everyone needs to read these books!

Reasons to Read:

1.Sobbing, tears, forever crying:
Delirium, as a series, is incredibly heartbreaking. A world where love is treated like a disease? SCARY. And Lena struggles so much, both physically and emotionally. She's particularly fragile in Pandemonium after what has occured in The Last Chapter of Delirum (capitalization is clearly required, as those of you who have read it know). Pandemonium is tragic in its own way, as Lena is so desperately trying to cope with the events and changes which took place in Delirium. It isn't easy. But what can you expect?

2.Stunning, lyrical writing:
I'm convinced that Lauren is a sort of author genius. I have yet to be unimpressed by anything she's written!

"I wonder if this is how people always get close: They heal each other's wounds; they repair the broken skin." And everything has such meaning and depth behind it. Nothing is just said casually, and it is all so thoughfully laced with emotion and words to draw you in to the story itself. Pandemonium is another indication of extreme talent on Lauren's part.

3.Two timelines:
I'm not usually a fan of books written with two alternating timelines from chapter to chapter, but I was really impressed by how it was done in Pandemonium. Normally I find it to be confusing, and unnecessary as it doesn't seem to add much to the story. However, Lauren would finish a chapter from the past and then carry over the same atmosphere and feelings into the new chapter based in the present. And THAT impressed me and really made the story flow well. Yet it all felt very natural, so I'm not even sure this was an intended result of the writing style.

4.Those hints and teasers which made fans worried...
We've all heard the nerve-wracking hints and teasers about Pandemonium; and I know I'm not the only Delirium fan who was dreadfully worried about the direction Pandemonium would take. I refuse to give anything away and confirm one way or another, but I can say that I was utterly surprised by what Lauren included in the story but was still very impressed with how it was handled. And that left me feeling extremely satisfied overall.
Now, I will say that Pandemonium did not leave the same impact on me that Delirium did. I found it harder to relate to some of the new characters introduced, and I so dearly miss Alex. I ADORE Alex. It's forever Alex for me <3

But I can say with complete confidence that I'm going to be counting down the days to Requiem, very very soon and I cannot wait to see how this series ends! Totally one of my favourites in YA and dystopian.

ARC received from HarperCollins Canada for review.

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