The old Lena is dead. The old Lena remains with Alex in Portland, Maine, behind a wall of smoke and flame, but the new Lena was born in the Wilds, transformed by hardship, deprivation, and loss.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena fights for a world in which love will no longer be considered a dangerous disease. Her inner life is as turbulent as the world around her….Although consumed with grief for Alex, might she be falling in love with someone else?

In this riveting sequel to her New York Times bestseller, DELIRIUM, Lauren Oliver sets Lena on a course that hurtles through the unregulated Wilds and straight into the heart of a full-scale rebellion. With her signature exceptional prose, Oliver masterfully weaves a bittersweet tale of star-crossed romance with hight-stakes action that fans of The Hunger Games will love.

 

Magdalena Ella Holoway Tiddle no longer exists. Her name has been swiped from the system and to the rest of the world she is dead and buried. She can no longer go back to the place she used to call home. Instead, fleeing for her life and grieving after the loss of Alex, she heads deep into the Wilds where she encounters a group of Invalids who take her in. Now, fighting along side the resistance, Lena strives to prove her strength both to herself and to her new found family.

When I read Delirium, by Lauren Oliver, I thought, “meh.” It was a good book, but I thought it lacked the spunk and creativity that I knew it could deliver. The characters and storyline were appealing. When it came down to it, though, there was basically no action whatsoever. When I received the chance to read Pandemonium, the sequel to Delirium, I was interested to see how Oliver would recover and make up for the missing action in Delirium. I started out skeptical, thinking that it would be the same situation. I could not have been more wrong.

Pandemonium is one of the best books I have read in a long time. When it came down to it, I read most of the book in a day and a half. I would sit and read and read, and God have mercy on the poor soul who tried to tear me away from it. All of the characters were brilliant and had their own unique personalities. With so many new characters introduced, I was worried that Oliver would have trouble creating so many different persona’s. Each character was so uniquely defined, though, that even when a voice was not accounted for, I automatically knew who was speaking.

The storyline of Pandemonium was so well done that, in my mind, I became Lena. I encountered her struggles and breakthroughs. I felt the pain and suffering that would wash through her and the moments of joy that would embrace her. I witnessed the world through her eyes and felt the disgust for the zombie-like people around her. It was almost like an out-of-body experience just to follow along with her. It is very rare that one feels these emotions while reading a book. The last time I had an experience anything like this was when I was read The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. Enough said.

Although I thought this book was brilliant, the last few chapters seemed unrealistic. Stunts were pulled that seemed impossible. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll leave you readers to make your own opinions. The twists, though, were remarkable. Usually I can guess plot twists pretty quickly. However, this time I only guessed one of I don’t know how many. That made this read that much more enjoyable. Who wants to read a book where they can guess every single thing that is going to happen? In this book, I would make a prediction and then be thrown twenty steps back when I got it wrong. I was always on my toes, waiting to see what would happen next.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I would absolutely recommend this book for anyone to read. This is not a book you can read by itself. It is necessary to read Delirium before starting Pandemonium. Let me tell you, though, it is well worth the read. I cannot wait to read more from Lauren Oliver, as I am now a loyal fan.

 

Pages: 375

Publication Date: March, 2012

Publisher: HarperCollins

Format: Review Copy

Rating: : ★★★★½

 

Teaser Quote: “„Grief is like sinking, like being buried. I am in water the tawny color of kicked-up dirt. Every breath is full of choking. There is nothing to hold on to, no sides, no way to claw myself up. There is nothing to do but let go. Let go. Feel the weight all around you, feel the squeezing of your lungs, the slow, low pressure. Let yourself go deeper. There is nothing but bottom. There is nothing but the taste of metal, and the echoes of old things, and the days that look like darkness.”

 

 



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