Early Book Review: Pandemonium

Title: Pandemonium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Series: The Delirium Trilogy

Length: 375 pages

Publisher: Harper (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

On-Sale Date: February 28, 2012

Format: ARC paperback

There will be SPOILERS for anyone who has NOT read DELIRIUM.

The ongoing battle between the Cured and the Invalids is at an all time high, and this time, Lena’s an integral part of the fight.
Months ago, Lena escaped Portland and the cure that would take away her ability to love.  Heartbroken, Lena had to leave behind Alex, the boy she loved.  She had to bury the memory of Alex’s love and his auburn hair deep within her.  She cannot turn back.  The past is dead, and so is the boy who gave her the deliria.
Lena runs further and deeper into the Wilds.  It’s here she meets other Invalids – so many others – and rebuilds herself.

Lena knows what damage the cure can cause, and now she’s fighting back.
For Alex.
For her mother.
For herself.

Lena’s deeper into the battle than she realizes.  This war is fueled by fiery rage and it’s only a matter of time until she’s burned.
Lena is looking for revenge and justice.  They took away everyone.  She’s not looking for another boy to love.  ‘He’ just reminds her of Alex.  Her fractured heart can’t handle it … then why is she feeling like this?
Does the resistance stand a chance?
Can Lena open her heart again?

Many beautiful pieces were tied together to create Pandemonium.

Delirium was a great read, but Pandemonium was that much better.  It took this series to another level and that was exactly what you’d ask for from a sequel.

Pandemonium was intriguing, and it had a fantastic storyline.
Like Delirium, Pandemonium was told in Lena’s perspective, but this time there were two timeframes.  The chapters alternated between present day Lena and Lena immediately after she escaped into the Wilds.  This merging of past and present brought more depth and clarity to the story.  Pandemonium would not have been as powerful or had the same effect if it was told in any other way.

The events of Delirium changed Lena forever and she became a stronger character because of it.  She was more likeable in Pandemonium, because the rawness made her more relatable.

Pandemonium made for an emotional read.  I felt more for this book in comparison to the first of the series.  The crucial moments were more serious and the stakes were higher.  Lena was under so much pressure and she deserved a happy ending this time around.

Lena was closed off and hardened from losing Alex.  Her escape into the Wilds was nothing like she thought it would be mostly because she didn’t have her love by her side.  She was entirely focused on getting out, that it never occurred to her what would happen afterwards.  She faced dangers, threats, obstacles, and ultimately pulled through.
Lena wasn’t completely reliant on other people in Pandemonium.  She learned that sometimes she could save herself.
I liked Lena in Delirium, but I loved her in Pandemonium.

This story was a step up from Delirium and Lena had a completely different mindset.  In addition to all the extra baggage she carried, Lena was forced to grow up at an alarmingly quick rate.  Her metamorphosis was told stunningly and intricately. Through her words Lauren Oliver brought beauty to Lena’s character.

I resisted too, and didn’t want Lena to fall in love again, but I couldn’t help but fall for the new boy myself.  In fact, this boy might be loved more than Alex was.  He arrived at the right time in Lena’s life, and whether they fell in love or not didn’t matter, because he was the right person to care for her.  They really seemed to need each other.

Nothing could prepare you for this ending.  Lauren must have something up her sleeve, because Pandemonium’s last pages will shock you to the core. I was delirious with glee, because it was the perfect setup for the final book.

Pandemonium exceeded any expectations I could have had.

Rating

Premise: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Writing: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from the publisher. This did not influence my review in any way.

Book Review: Before I Fall

Title: Before I Fall

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins Canada

On-Sale Date: February 22, 2010

Length: 470 pages

Format: Hardcover

Samantha Kingston dies.
School.  Boyfriend.  Friends.  Parties.  This was Sam’s life.
Only, Sam isn’t really dead.  Or is she?
Every day she wakes up and lives her last day.  She has seven days to live and possibly change the outcome.


This book begged you to ask questions.
What would you do on your last day, if you knew it was your last?  What would you change if you could?  Would you take advantage of a stolen opportunity?  Would you ever make the right decision, or lie down and wait for the inevitable?  Would you ever openly choose death?  Would you welcome it in the end?

I wasn’t particularly fond of the main character in the beginning, so I took great pleasure in knowing she was going to die in the end.  She was too mean for someone so young.  She was too cruel.
You didn’t like her character, (or I didn’t).  Now, either that made her memorable or made you not want to continue.  I shook my head at her and had to pause for brief moments, but always wanted to press on.
I learned that a good character didn’t need to be likable.
Despite the character that Sam began as, I never wanted to stop turning the pages.  I wanted to keep reading so I could see what she became.  There were times that I wished it wasn’t her last day, because she wasn’t only what you saw on Day One.  Lauren gave depth to a character that seemed flat.
Sam was a good friend.  She was not beloved, but she did have people that loved her.
She had fabulous and messy friendships.
Her mother would have been a wonderful character to get to know.  Their relationship was something, and it could have been more.  It could have been anything.
Sam was a bad girl.  She was the text book definition, and she played her part exceptionally well.  Sam’s attitude and actions continuously reminded the reader that she was not an innocent little girl.  She wasn’t so terrible, but she was certainly no angel.  She had a lot to be blamed for.  She had a lot to atone for.
You saw more sides of Sam as her final day was continually relived.  I believed that she was living through a different stage of grief everyday.  Sam grew.  She still wasn’t kind, but no teenager would be a complete treat.

If you knew you were going to die, how would you handle it?  What would you change in one day?  How long would you remain in denial?

During the first few days Sam acted like her regular self, and she even became a nightmare, but she was never evil.  She felt the mix of emotions that anyone would have expected to feel, especially in her unbelievable situation.

Would you hope beyond hope?

Sam’s surroundings were one of the most interesting things.  You got to see the ramifications of one little action or misstep, because Sam did change, and didn’t follow the same path throughout each day.  It was an intriguing concept.
This was incredibly sad, because die by the end I didn’t want Sam to die.  I wanted her to have more stories, and for it to continue.  But you knew, (and so did I), that Sam was already gone.
It took death for Sam to live.
Sam would have remained unchanged and unpleasant if that day, (or days depending on how you looked at it), never happened.
I was left wishing I could have spoken to Sam before the final pages.  I wanted to speak with the author, although I had no idea how to put words into sentences.
I felt that ending.

Sam died in the best and worst way possible.
Maybe I never fully understood what Lauren Oliver was saying through Sam, but I was ultimately changed after reading that last sentence.

Rating

Premise: 5/5

Plot: 5/5

Writing: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

Divergent Giveaway WINNERS

Hi!

Now, I get to reveal the WINNERS of an autographed copy of Divergent by Veronica Roth.
(Wait, did she just say winners?)
YES, I just said WINNERS.
I love you and Divergent and Veronica Roth so much that I couldn’t just give away one signed copy of Divergent …

I’m giving away 3.

Thank you to Veronica Roth, HarperCollins Canada, and Indigo Books & Music Inc. for everything.

WINNER 1:  Diana

WINNER 2:  Carina Olsen

WINNER 3:  Cary Cheyenne.

All winners must email me at readandriot2@gmail.com to claim their copy!

Now, here’s the deal:  I leave for New York and Book Expo America, (I’m very excited), on Sunday.  Since I was only planning on giving away one copy I’m not going to mail the surprise extras until I’m home from the trip.

Super special side note!
I met Veronica Roth on The Dystopian Tour, but she wasn’t the only author there.
Veronica Roth and Lauren Oliver toured together.  Or, are currently touring together actually.
They are both great, and I am right in the middle of Lauren’s first novel.  (I’m very concerned for the main character at the moment).

I have a copy of Before I Fall AND Delirium to give away.  No official contest / giveaway has been started.  I want to finish Before I Fall and read Delirium before I give either away.

I’ll tell you more about The Dystopian Tour later!

Love,
Terri