Monday, October 22, 2012

Review: Pandemonium

Interestingly enough I read Pandemonium and Insurgent at the same time. Even though I preferred Delirium to Divergent by a long shot, I think Insurgent wins the battle of the sequels. I enjoyed Pandemonium but it didn't bring the magic of Delirium along.  Come back for the Insurgent review tomorrow (please!).


Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Series: Delirium #2
Genre: Dystopia, Yound Adult
Pages: 375 (eBook)
Source: eLibrary
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Description:
I'm pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.
My Rating:


My Review:
Lena has made it into the Wilds but things aren't what she expected.  She expected it to be hard.  She expected it to be different.  But she expected to be with Alex.  She learns more about the Wilds and the tough life.  She wants to do her part to help those that have taken her in, but it seems that there are few she can trust.  She must decide whether she can go at it alone.

I'm going to start with the bad.  Pandemonium switches from "then," the time period when she first entered the Wilds, to "now," the time period where she has returned to the society that requires the cure (though she is in a different city where no one knows her).  this format is the only downside to this book.  Because of the continuous time jump every chapter, I had a difficult time settling in Lenass head.  I could connect with her on the same level as I did in Delirium.

That being said, the writing is still gripping and beautiful.  The plot is more fast-paced than Delirium.  Oh and the twists and turns were exciting.  There's a bit of heart breakage but I'm really starting to expect that in Dystopians.  But probably the most important part of the books is the very last word.  All you fellow cheaters out there who flip to the back to see what will happen...DON'T DO IT.  Just don't.  Luckily I didn't, but that was pure luck.

This book ends with a cliffhanger of all cliffhangers.  I wanted to be mad.  I should have been mad, but it was  oh so exciting.  I just couldn't help myself.  Pandemonium set the stage for Requiem in the most epic way.

P.S.  This goes toward that Dystopia challenge that I forgot that I committed to.  I wasn't kidding when I said there were more to come.



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15 comments:

  1. Okay - now I've heard great things about both of these series. Reading, your comments above, though, I wonder if I've been getting them confused in my mind. Which series would you more strongly recommend then?

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    1. I would most strongly recommend Delirium for sure. While Divergent is captivating and the premise is a bit different, there are quite a few more things that bug me in that one. I can't say that I love any of the characters in that series.

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  2. Lena's decision making stills is going to be tested with the final book. I swear to GOD she better not break my heart! Thanks for your review, the time flipping did throw me off a bit too.

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    1. I feel like there isn't much a decision to make. It's super obvious. In my opinion, but I know one of them may not be quick to let her make a decision, if you know what I mean.

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  3. Why why why haven't I tried this series?
    GREAT review.

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  4. I don't know, I didn't like Delirium enough to read the second book and I think the jumping back and forth in time would drive me a little crazy. It's nice when it's well done but I find that often feels choppy.

    Still I'm glad you liked the sequel over all.

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    1. It didn't drive me crazy exactly because both parts were interesting. It just made it difficult to settle in.

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  5. Sounds exciting though I wonder how I'm going to feel about that time jump while actually reading the book. I was happy and upset altogether at the end of Delirium. I want to go ahead and read this one but I'm being cheap and waiting until the paperback drops so I'll have matching books.

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    Replies
    1. I can understand that. I only picked it up because was at my eLibrary.

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  6. The library has it and I am waiting and waiting for my turn

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  7. LOL! I wasn't mad at the ending either. As much as I hate cliffhangers, I admit to loving the end of Pandemonium. :) I'm looking forward to your Insurgent review (which you may have already posted). I still haven't managed to read it.

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    Replies
    1. It's one of those cliffhangers that makes you smile, but oh my. I sense the tension.

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  8. I've just finished reading Pandemonium this weekend and YES! Thank goodness I resisted and didn't flip to the last page to take a peek... :) Looking forward to your review of Insurgent!

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