Panic by Lauren Oliver

Title: Panic

Author: Lauren Oliver

Length: 408 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary

Release Date: March 4, 2014

Source: ARC (ARC Tour hosted by On The Same Page)

Read: April 2014

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.
Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought. Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most. 

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*I borrowed an ARC of this book as part of an On The Same Page ARC Tour in exchange for my honest review*

First I want to thank Brittany, Alyssa, and Amy (On The Same Page) for hosting the ARC tour. It is fun to get to borrow a book that I am interested in reading.


Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It was full of action and suspense. I was really interested in knowing what happens next and what the next part of the game would entail.

After finishing, my first thought was "I am not really sure how I feel."

But upon reflection, I decided that I liked the book.

The Story:
I found the story to be interesting and engrossing. I didn't want to stop reading. It took me a few days to read it, but it was mostly due to having other things going on at the same time. If I wouldn't have been so busy, I would have probably read this book in a day.

I love Lauren Oliver's writing. Everything flows nicely and I find that it was quick-paced. There were some twists and surprises that I didn't see coming that made the story hard to put down. There were also a couple things that I did guess and see coming, but it didn't take away from me enjoying the story.

 At first, I personally felt that some of the challenges were a little far-fetched. I do not doubt that a game such as Panic would come about or exist. I have lived and been to small towns and I know there can be limitations on finding fun things to go out and do. But I found a couple of the challenges to be INTENSE. And I kept thinking to myself, "They wouldn't really do something like this, would they?"
And after thinking about it, I think, "Yes. It could happen." There are so many horrible things that happen in our world that I wouldn't ever have thought would happen. So I think that the challenges could be possible. At least that is how I feel.

The Characters:
Oliver does a great job creating characters that have flaws. I feel that these characters were well developed.
I liked that there were things about them that bugged me, it made the characters well rounded and more realistic.
I also liked that the main characters were each going through their own individual challenges.
This story is told from two point of views: Heather and Dodge. (Which I really enjoyed.)

Heather: She has several challenges in her life and struggles to overcome. Of all the characters I liked her the most. I especially loved how much she cares for her sister. And how she will do whatever she can to try and protect her. Heather makes some mistakes, but overall, I think she tries really hard to make a better life for her sister and herself. There were several times throughout the story, that I felt bad for what was happening in her life, and hoped that things would get better. And I like that she tries to overcome what is happening.
Dodge: Dark and a little creepy. I kept going back and forth between liking him and not liking him. He also has a lot to deal with in his life. As well as dealing with all the anger that he feels. I was interested in seeing how far he would go. And hoping that he would make the right decision in the end.
Bishop: His character frustrated me. A lot of times I would think I know what is happening with him, then things would shift. I do like that he cares about Heather.
Natalie: I also had  like/dislike feelings for this character. There were times that I felt really sad for her character though. She also has issues that she is dealing with. And I liked the friendship between her and Heather. I felt that it was realistic, because they care about and support each other, but they also had moments when they disagree and fight.

My Recommendation:

I recommend reading this book. You may like it.
I found that the book really hooked me and made me curious to find out what would happen. Some of the challenges were intense.

My Rating: