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Delirium #2
Pandemonium
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Goodreads Author (2012), Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2012)Book by Oliver, Lauren
329 pages, Hardcover
First published February 28, 2012
3960 people are currently reading
110974 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Oliver
61 books118k followersLauren Oliver is an author, screenwriter, and media entrepreneur. She is the author of the upcoming novels THE GIRL IN THE LAKE (May 5, 2026) and its sequel, THE SLEEPWALKER (May 5, 2027). Her previous works include multiple New York Times bestselling novels for teens, including Before I Fall (which spent seventeen weeks on the list and was adapted into a feature film released by Open Road), the Delirium trilogy (a two-million-copy-selling dystopian series translated into thirty-five languages), and Panic, which she later adapted into the streaming TV show on Amazon Prime of the same name, for which she wrote every episode and served as Executive Producer. Along the way, Lauren founded the IP company StoryGiants and helped to package and edit nearly one hundred other novels. She is also the co-founder of Incantor AI, a self-scaling digital media engine built on a new and proprietary foundational model of artificial intelligence that respects copyright by providing both IP attribution and royalty shares to contributing sources. Raised in Westchester, New York, Lauren attended the University of Chicago and got her MFA from NYU. She now divides her time between Maryland and Los Angeles. Subscribe to my Substack! laurenoliverbooks.substack.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 15,948 reviews
September 3, 2012
Pre Review:
If Alex doesn't make it...then my heart will implode. I really hope that Pandemonium has the following or I'm not sure I'd make it through this book:
-Alex is alive, in prison, and not "cured" (because no one better touch a hair on his head!!!)
-Lena WAITS for him, gets stronger, and *drum roll* rescues him
-Lena doesn't fall in love with some other dude with pretty eyes and kissable lips or I'd SOS him.
(Shoot on Sight)
So the book is coming out February 28 and I preordered my copy!!!!
Post Review:
Oh lord...coming soon.
July 5, 2012
Also posted on my blog, YA Anonymous.
My God. That ending. That had to be the most awkward "awkward moment" I've ever read in a book. EVER.
But then a bit later on, it hits me how hilarious the situation Lena's gotten herself in and the laughter starts.
Oh, Lena. You poor, poor girl.
But what a hell of a book. Where is the next one when I need it the most?
***
Before reading Pandemonium, I really doubted that this book could follow up to Delirium and its (tragic) ending. There had just been too many shitty sequels that could make me enthusiastic about reading them. But I really should've known better than to doubt Lauren Oliver.
In Pandemonium, Lena is having to survive in the Wilds with her new friends, is having to prove herself worthy to be in the resistance, and is having to forget the boy who made her rebel in the first place, infected her, Alex.
I know that in Delirium, a number of people didn't find Lena that "kick-ass" heroine that we all love (in her defense, all those rules would scare me too, into rebelling). But in Pandemonium, I feel that she definitely redeemed herself. Now without all those regulations and boundaries, Lena was able to unleash her inner survivalist, which wasn't a very easy thing to do, after all that she's been through. She even is deemed strong enough by her fellow rebels to be part of the resistance. I definitely saw more of Lena in action scenes (and winning) in this book than in the previous. So I definitely think of her as part of the "kick-ass heroine" club now.
I also know that a lot of you didn't really like the fact that Lena is "allegedly" going to fall in love with someone other than Alex, and I'm sorry to tell you guys, but that fact is true. If that is enough for you to run away screaming from this book, by all means, do, but let me just tell you now, you are missing out on a hell of a lot of goodies if you do that. I have to admit though, I did kind of dislike Lena's new love interest. It might be because he, for me, was a little naive or it could be plainly just because he wasn't Alex. Also, at times, I felt that their relationship was a little forced. The love interest, Julian, would say weird things like, "your hair smells like roses" or "your waist is so small" (yes), that not only creeped Lena out, but creeped me out too. I don't know if it was just lack of being around females that made him act this way (and trust me; I go to an all girls school and whenever a person of the opposite walks by, my beloved classmates throw themselves at him) or what, but I was pretty skeptical of him at first. After a while, though, and getting to know his character more, he grew on me, but of course, before it got more than that, the ending got in the way of everything (as expressed in the mini review above).
An aspect of the book I really enjoyed was Lena's life in the Wilds. In Delirium we didn't really get to experience the Wilds too much and that was something I was really looking forward to in this book. As cool as I thought it would be, living in the Wilds, it ended up not being the "paradise" that I was expecting. It was actually pretty brutal out there, and with the addition of Scavengers (Invalids that attack just for kicks) it became even harder to survive out there. I quite liked all the new characters too, Raven, Tack, Hunter. Loved them, and the fact that they gave birth to Lena in the woods, as Lena said about Raven in the book.
Other than creepy Julian and the random add of Scavengers (and the possible future love triangle as hinted in the ending of Pandemonium), I very, very much enjoyed this book, and you have no idea how much I'm craving for the next and final book. But I guess after that killer cliff-hanger, who wouldn't?
My God. That ending. That had to be the most awkward "awkward moment" I've ever read in a book. EVER.
But then a bit later on, it hits me how hilarious the situation Lena's gotten herself in and the laughter starts.
Oh, Lena. You poor, poor girl.
But what a hell of a book. Where is the next one when I need it the most?
***
Before reading Pandemonium, I really doubted that this book could follow up to Delirium and its (tragic) ending. There had just been too many shitty sequels that could make me enthusiastic about reading them. But I really should've known better than to doubt Lauren Oliver.
In Pandemonium, Lena is having to survive in the Wilds with her new friends, is having to prove herself worthy to be in the resistance, and is having to forget the boy who made her rebel in the first place, infected her, Alex.
I know that in Delirium, a number of people didn't find Lena that "kick-ass" heroine that we all love (in her defense, all those rules would scare me too, into rebelling). But in Pandemonium, I feel that she definitely redeemed herself. Now without all those regulations and boundaries, Lena was able to unleash her inner survivalist, which wasn't a very easy thing to do, after all that she's been through. She even is deemed strong enough by her fellow rebels to be part of the resistance. I definitely saw more of Lena in action scenes (and winning) in this book than in the previous. So I definitely think of her as part of the "kick-ass heroine" club now.
I also know that a lot of you didn't really like the fact that Lena is "allegedly" going to fall in love with someone other than Alex, and I'm sorry to tell you guys, but that fact is true. If that is enough for you to run away screaming from this book, by all means, do, but let me just tell you now, you are missing out on a hell of a lot of goodies if you do that. I have to admit though, I did kind of dislike Lena's new love interest. It might be because he, for me, was a little naive or it could be plainly just because he wasn't Alex. Also, at times, I felt that their relationship was a little forced. The love interest, Julian, would say weird things like, "your hair smells like roses" or "your waist is so small" (yes), that not only creeped Lena out, but creeped me out too. I don't know if it was just lack of being around females that made him act this way (and trust me; I go to an all girls school and whenever a person of the opposite walks by, my beloved classmates throw themselves at him) or what, but I was pretty skeptical of him at first. After a while, though, and getting to know his character more, he grew on me, but of course, before it got more than that, the ending got in the way of everything (as expressed in the mini review above).
An aspect of the book I really enjoyed was Lena's life in the Wilds. In Delirium we didn't really get to experience the Wilds too much and that was something I was really looking forward to in this book. As cool as I thought it would be, living in the Wilds, it ended up not being the "paradise" that I was expecting. It was actually pretty brutal out there, and with the addition of Scavengers (Invalids that attack just for kicks) it became even harder to survive out there. I quite liked all the new characters too, Raven, Tack, Hunter. Loved them, and the fact that they gave birth to Lena in the woods, as Lena said about Raven in the book.
Other than creepy Julian and the random add of Scavengers (and the possible future love triangle as hinted in the ending of Pandemonium), I very, very much enjoyed this book, and you have no idea how much I'm craving for the next and final book. But I guess after that killer cliff-hanger, who wouldn't?
May 2, 2015
Read a more coherent review of this book over at my blog.
_________________________
OMG. OH MY GOD.
OH. MY. FUCKING. CLIFFHANGER.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.
*several screaming fits later*
(For those of you who haven't read this book, DO NOT click that. >_> It'll ruin the entire book. I warned you. For those of you who have read it, well, be my guest. xD)
WHY, LAUREN OLIVER. WHY WOULD YOU GIVE ME THE BIGGEST CLIFFHANGER OF THE CENTURY LIKE THAT? WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING THAT I NEVER EVER EVER EXPECTED YOU TO DO?
WHY? WHY, DAMMIT, WHYYYY?
Ugh. I can't even, you guys. I just can't even. I was literally screaming like a maniac at the book. Literally. My mom even knocked on my door to check if I was okay. ._.
4.5 stars, only because I didn't quite like the "then and now" chapters, but my God, that ending. What the fucking fuck?
Fucking fuckity fuck fuck fuckaroonie.
Fuck.
Okay well, now that I've calmed down a little I want to say this.
Agh, I don't know. What do you guys think about all this?
_________________________
OMG. OH MY GOD.
OH. MY. FUCKING. CLIFFHANGER.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.
*several screaming fits later*
(For those of you who haven't read this book, DO NOT click that. >_> It'll ruin the entire book. I warned you. For those of you who have read it, well, be my guest. xD)
WHY, LAUREN OLIVER. WHY WOULD YOU GIVE ME THE BIGGEST CLIFFHANGER OF THE CENTURY LIKE THAT? WHY WOULD YOU DO SOMETHING THAT I NEVER EVER EVER EXPECTED YOU TO DO?
WHY? WHY, DAMMIT, WHYYYY?
Ugh. I can't even, you guys. I just can't even. I was literally screaming like a maniac at the book. Literally. My mom even knocked on my door to check if I was okay. ._.
4.5 stars, only because I didn't quite like the "then and now" chapters, but my God, that ending. What the fucking fuck?
Fucking fuckity fuck fuck fuckaroonie.
Fuck.
Okay well, now that I've calmed down a little I want to say this.
Agh, I don't know. What do you guys think about all this?
April 9, 2020
OMFG.
I loved this book SO MUCH. I couldn't put it down. Why you people don't like Julian? He's PERFECT, I tell you, perfect. I liked Alex, I really did, but I LOVED Julian. I'm totally team Julian, and I'm willing to know what happens in Requiem.
AND THE ENDING. It has the worst cliffhanger EVER. Well, the worst in a good way. I started cursing when I finished it, lucky I already have my copy of Requiem with me and I'll start reading it tonight.
OH, words can't express how much I loved this book and how much I loved Julian. I loved the fact that Lena could find love again and ahhh... I'm so happy and I have a knot in my stomach because OMG, poor Alex. What is going to happen now?
OMFGGGG.
I loved this book SO MUCH. I couldn't put it down. Why you people don't like Julian? He's PERFECT, I tell you, perfect. I liked Alex, I really did, but I LOVED Julian. I'm totally team Julian, and I'm willing to know what happens in Requiem.
AND THE ENDING. It has the worst cliffhanger EVER. Well, the worst in a good way. I started cursing when I finished it, lucky I already have my copy of Requiem with me and I'll start reading it tonight.
OH, words can't express how much I loved this book and how much I loved Julian. I loved the fact that Lena could find love again and ahhh... I'm so happy and I have a knot in my stomach because OMG, poor Alex. What is going to happen now?
OMFGGGG.
August 6, 2013
A very very VERY begrudging two stars. I'd give it a one, but I reserve those for books I truly loathe and I just dislike this one.
So.
I have grown tired of poorly created dystopian worlds that exist not to make us think, but only as a prop for.... what do you think it will be?
Guess.
Guess.
I dare you.
Yeah, we are there yet again. In the ubiquitous love triangle. So manufactured and so terribly unneccessary and really, can these authors think of nothing else to add tension to a story or, I should say, to lengthen a story?
Again, too much of this book is wandering in the Wilds, in the cold, in the snow, and some of the things make no sense. They have no eating utensils. None. So they eat with their hands. They have plates, cooking pots, they even have metal traps for hunting but not a single spoon or fork. And so I am stuck on that. Why? I think they could find some small tree branch, whittle a bowl shape at one end and you've got a spoon. Surely while they are sitting around in the evenings, someone could be creating some spoons. It just seemed stupid.
And again, if you are creating this world, kindly explain it. WHY did the government decide love was a disease? How did this happen? To say, here is this world, but never explain anything about it, well, that feels like lazy writing. It feels like a child stamping their feet and declaring "because I said so" rather than crafting an intelligently thought-out society. Yes, outlawing love in general makes absolutley no sense and because of that, the author needs to sell it to me with everything she has that it does in some way make sense to the leaders of this world.
There are small things that I feel were put there to make you think there is some weird sexual obsession by the government, but that goes nowhere. Example page 50: "I hurry to the metal detector and unload my bag, then stand with arms and legs splayed while a man sweeps impassively with the wand over my breasts and between my legs." As I read this, I was thinking this is so ridiculous. She could have a weapon in her boot or up her sleeve or tucked in the back waistband of her pants, but as long as she doesn't shove it in her crotch or between her breasts, they'll never find it. What is so scary that they have to scan breasts and between the legs? How about simply saying "... while a man sweeps impassively with the wand over every inch of my body." That would at the very least make sense and not put the message that somehow women's private areas have become the things about which safety experts are the most concerned. What is the point of saying it that way?
There is also this which bugged me enough that I went back to reference it.
Description of Julian: "There is a long thin gash that runs from his eyebrow to his jaw..."
Description of Alex: "... a scar runs from his eyebrow all the way down to his jaw."
Hmmm. Just bothered me. Oh, well.
What I liked best about the first book is completely gone from this one. First, I really thought the chapter headings being reading from The Book of SHHH and others added a lot of understanding and entertainment to the first book. None of that is in this one.
Second, I applauded the fact that we didn't have a love triangle. Well, folks, I spoke too soon. As I've said, this entire book is nothing more than a set-up for the third book which is going to be all about the triangle.
I also didn't care for the way the story is told in this one, with chapters titled Now and Then as the story goes back and forth between Lena's arrival in the Wilds and her life later in Brooklyn. There wasn't any reason for this, particularly as the Then portion just ends without actually linking up with the Now. And most of the Then is just about how she learns to live in the Wilds and could have really been perhaps one chapter. Again, though, if you're going to write a trilogy instead of one decent book, you've got to fill those pages somehow.
The new love feels nothing so much as contrived. Yes I know there will be other readers who will say how much they love Julian and isn't he wonderful. But, in my opinion, the whole relationship feels forced. It's as if the author most of all wanted a new relationship (can't have a triangle without a new guy, after all) so she found a way to force Lena to spend time alone with a cute boy and let the longing glances begin. Really? It feels false. Or perhaps her feelings for either of these guys are nothing special as this is the first straight boy she's been alone with since Alex.
And speaking of Alex, Lena just moves on. Oh, yes, she is heartbroken and woebegone, but let's face it, she forgets him in a short minute. She knows that what she's been told, that those who violate the law, aren't always immediately executed. She knows this is untrue by seeing it with her own eyes, not a rumor, not a maybe. She knows because her own mother was assumed dead, but was in fact locked up for ten years.
But Lena just trips along in the forest with the notion that Alex, whom she loved and adored and who risked his life for her, is surely dead. How? She makes not even one single attempt to find out if he has somehow survived. She. Moves. On.
How are you going to sell me on how much she loves him if she can't even be bothered to check and see if he's gone?
And guess what?
So, buckle your seat belts for love triangle #4,856,823.
Seriously disappointed.
So.
I have grown tired of poorly created dystopian worlds that exist not to make us think, but only as a prop for.... what do you think it will be?
Guess.
Guess.
I dare you.
Yeah, we are there yet again. In the ubiquitous love triangle. So manufactured and so terribly unneccessary and really, can these authors think of nothing else to add tension to a story or, I should say, to lengthen a story?
Again, too much of this book is wandering in the Wilds, in the cold, in the snow, and some of the things make no sense. They have no eating utensils. None. So they eat with their hands. They have plates, cooking pots, they even have metal traps for hunting but not a single spoon or fork. And so I am stuck on that. Why? I think they could find some small tree branch, whittle a bowl shape at one end and you've got a spoon. Surely while they are sitting around in the evenings, someone could be creating some spoons. It just seemed stupid.
And again, if you are creating this world, kindly explain it. WHY did the government decide love was a disease? How did this happen? To say, here is this world, but never explain anything about it, well, that feels like lazy writing. It feels like a child stamping their feet and declaring "because I said so" rather than crafting an intelligently thought-out society. Yes, outlawing love in general makes absolutley no sense and because of that, the author needs to sell it to me with everything she has that it does in some way make sense to the leaders of this world.
There are small things that I feel were put there to make you think there is some weird sexual obsession by the government, but that goes nowhere. Example page 50: "I hurry to the metal detector and unload my bag, then stand with arms and legs splayed while a man sweeps impassively with the wand over my breasts and between my legs." As I read this, I was thinking this is so ridiculous. She could have a weapon in her boot or up her sleeve or tucked in the back waistband of her pants, but as long as she doesn't shove it in her crotch or between her breasts, they'll never find it. What is so scary that they have to scan breasts and between the legs? How about simply saying "... while a man sweeps impassively with the wand over every inch of my body." That would at the very least make sense and not put the message that somehow women's private areas have become the things about which safety experts are the most concerned. What is the point of saying it that way?
There is also this which bugged me enough that I went back to reference it.
Description of Julian: "There is a long thin gash that runs from his eyebrow to his jaw..."
Description of Alex: "... a scar runs from his eyebrow all the way down to his jaw."
Hmmm. Just bothered me. Oh, well.
What I liked best about the first book is completely gone from this one. First, I really thought the chapter headings being reading from The Book of SHHH and others added a lot of understanding and entertainment to the first book. None of that is in this one.
Second, I applauded the fact that we didn't have a love triangle. Well, folks, I spoke too soon. As I've said, this entire book is nothing more than a set-up for the third book which is going to be all about the triangle.
I also didn't care for the way the story is told in this one, with chapters titled Now and Then as the story goes back and forth between Lena's arrival in the Wilds and her life later in Brooklyn. There wasn't any reason for this, particularly as the Then portion just ends without actually linking up with the Now. And most of the Then is just about how she learns to live in the Wilds and could have really been perhaps one chapter. Again, though, if you're going to write a trilogy instead of one decent book, you've got to fill those pages somehow.
The new love feels nothing so much as contrived. Yes I know there will be other readers who will say how much they love Julian and isn't he wonderful. But, in my opinion, the whole relationship feels forced. It's as if the author most of all wanted a new relationship (can't have a triangle without a new guy, after all) so she found a way to force Lena to spend time alone with a cute boy and let the longing glances begin. Really? It feels false. Or perhaps her feelings for either of these guys are nothing special as this is the first straight boy she's been alone with since Alex.
And speaking of Alex, Lena just moves on. Oh, yes, she is heartbroken and woebegone, but let's face it, she forgets him in a short minute. She knows that what she's been told, that those who violate the law, aren't always immediately executed. She knows this is untrue by seeing it with her own eyes, not a rumor, not a maybe. She knows because her own mother was assumed dead, but was in fact locked up for ten years.
But Lena just trips along in the forest with the notion that Alex, whom she loved and adored and who risked his life for her, is surely dead. How? She makes not even one single attempt to find out if he has somehow survived. She. Moves. On.
How are you going to sell me on how much she loves him if she can't even be bothered to check and see if he's gone?
And guess what?
So, buckle your seat belts for love triangle #4,856,823.
Seriously disappointed.
December 4, 2012
Sorry folks, there might be some spoiler-age for the outcome of book 1 (the previous book) in this review because I have a wee bit of an incoming rant ready to go and I don't think I can hold it back. *edit* while this review only has spoilers for book 1, you may want to avoid the comments discussion below the review if you don't want book 2 spoiled.
alks;djfashawalskdfjsad;lkfjsal;dkjfasl;kdjfsljkdf
That, my friends, is my frustration over the *string of expletives removed* the Julian situation.
Don't get me wrong, I like Julian. I like him a lot. But...but...he's NOT ALEX. Julian is an interesting character. I liked his part of the story with Lena. But...but...he's NOT ALEX. With Alex, my heart was racing; I was freaking out over them getting caught; I was in overdrive. With Julian, I was thinking, "That's right, girl. You school this clueless mofo." Did I say that I liked Julian but that he just isn't Alex? Did I?
So here's a funny thing. Before reading Delirium, I wasn't completely sure how I was going to feel about another dystopia revolving around love choices. I was ready to start reading some "shit hitting the fan" books in this genre. Even with that, I still found Delirium entertaining. What ended up surprising me with Pandemonium, is that when I was given "more" of what I want in a dystopia (action/adventure/survival/rebellion), I found myself missing some of the magic of the first book. The "past" sections were just okay for me. Where this book really came together was in the "present," during the time Julian and Lena started leaning on one another.
I'm not sure why I didn't mention this before, but is no one else thrown off by the fact that the "book of rules and power" for the government is called The Book of Shhh? Really? I'm thinking librarians now.
If I ruled the world, my manual would be The Book of STFU and do what you're told. And our spokesperson would dress as Darth Vader.
However, giving credit where credit is due, this isn't the sappiest story in the world for it being all about the lengths which people will go to for love. Sure, there were bound to be a few swoon worthy moments (although you can't get me to swoon over eyes that are an 'ocean of swirling color' - greens and golds and purples...because I'm pretty darn sure that NO ONE on earth has eyes like that) but this was no hippie love fest. People were too busy trying to survive for there to be too much checking out the opposite sex.
Oh wait, but there was this one moment that gave me HORRIFIC flashbacks : in the pallid gray light he seems to glow slightly, like a statue carved out of white rock. He is beautiful. You wanna know a slightly embarrassing story about me?
Be glad I didn't actually go looking for that picture.
Anyway, this wasn't a bad book 2. The ending actually got me to let out a little scream-yip thing. Because YES, just YES. Lena better not make me hate her in book 3. Do the right thing, Lena. Do the right thing.
"I'm scared."
He barely whispers it; but I can feel his lips moving against my neck, as though the words are being spelled there.
"I know," I say. "Me too."
alks;djfashawalskdfjsad;lkfjsal;dkjfasl;kdjfsljkdf
That, my friends, is my frustration over the *string of expletives removed* the Julian situation.
Don't get me wrong, I like Julian. I like him a lot. But...but...he's NOT ALEX. Julian is an interesting character. I liked his part of the story with Lena. But...but...he's NOT ALEX. With Alex, my heart was racing; I was freaking out over them getting caught; I was in overdrive. With Julian, I was thinking, "That's right, girl. You school this clueless mofo." Did I say that I liked Julian but that he just isn't Alex? Did I?
So here's a funny thing. Before reading Delirium, I wasn't completely sure how I was going to feel about another dystopia revolving around love choices. I was ready to start reading some "shit hitting the fan" books in this genre. Even with that, I still found Delirium entertaining. What ended up surprising me with Pandemonium, is that when I was given "more" of what I want in a dystopia (action/adventure/survival/rebellion), I found myself missing some of the magic of the first book. The "past" sections were just okay for me. Where this book really came together was in the "present," during the time Julian and Lena started leaning on one another.
I'm not sure why I didn't mention this before, but is no one else thrown off by the fact that the "book of rules and power" for the government is called The Book of Shhh? Really? I'm thinking librarians now.
If I ruled the world, my manual would be The Book of STFU and do what you're told. And our spokesperson would dress as Darth Vader.
However, giving credit where credit is due, this isn't the sappiest story in the world for it being all about the lengths which people will go to for love. Sure, there were bound to be a few swoon worthy moments (although you can't get me to swoon over eyes that are an 'ocean of swirling color' - greens and golds and purples...because I'm pretty darn sure that NO ONE on earth has eyes like that) but this was no hippie love fest. People were too busy trying to survive for there to be too much checking out the opposite sex.
Oh wait, but there was this one moment that gave me HORRIFIC flashbacks : in the pallid gray light he seems to glow slightly, like a statue carved out of white rock. He is beautiful. You wanna know a slightly embarrassing story about me?
Be glad I didn't actually go looking for that picture.
Anyway, this wasn't a bad book 2. The ending actually got me to let out a little scream-yip thing. Because YES, just YES. Lena better not make me hate her in book 3. Do the right thing, Lena. Do the right thing.
June 26, 2012
Oh! Urrrrrrr. *Gurgle* Kapowy! *Splutter* *Cough* *Die*
Okay, Pandemonium was a HUGE improvement over Delirium for me. First of all, the world seemed A LOT more consistent. The world building was an improvement as well.
Perhaps the biggest improvement was Lena herself. No more whiny, annoying, insecure little girl. This Lena has been through the fire, got burnt and is fighting to survive. What I love is that Lena has grown, become capable, assertive, intelligent and shrewd. There were parts of this book in which I was physically cheering her on.
Lena has survived the wild, the bombs and the harsh winter. She’s come out stronger and more weary. Now she’s back behind the fence, but this time as an operative of the resistance and her mark is Julian Fineman – son of a radical movement to further eradicate the sickness known as love. Julian is confused, complex, damaged and vulnerable. When he and Lena are kidnapped and held hostage together, they have to join forces to escape.
What I loved was the development of their relationship, the hero role of Lena as the stronger, more knowledgeable and capable of the two, and how they both start to grow and heal together.
Of course, the book is filled with complicated plot twists and a couple of “NO WAY!” moments – one of which was obvious and easily foreseen but SO WHAT?!
The writing in this book matched more to the caliber I expect of Oliver. It felt a appropriate and smooth.
And I guess this is a lesson learned – one that I was glad to learn. Find a good author and stick with them. I wasn’t a huge fan of Delirium but Pandemonium has me aching for Requiem to see what happens.
You know it’s a good novel when the last line has you going:
“No! NO! No way… oh my goodness… no. NO!"
[image error]
Okay, Pandemonium was a HUGE improvement over Delirium for me. First of all, the world seemed A LOT more consistent. The world building was an improvement as well.
Perhaps the biggest improvement was Lena herself. No more whiny, annoying, insecure little girl. This Lena has been through the fire, got burnt and is fighting to survive. What I love is that Lena has grown, become capable, assertive, intelligent and shrewd. There were parts of this book in which I was physically cheering her on.
Lena has survived the wild, the bombs and the harsh winter. She’s come out stronger and more weary. Now she’s back behind the fence, but this time as an operative of the resistance and her mark is Julian Fineman – son of a radical movement to further eradicate the sickness known as love. Julian is confused, complex, damaged and vulnerable. When he and Lena are kidnapped and held hostage together, they have to join forces to escape.
What I loved was the development of their relationship, the hero role of Lena as the stronger, more knowledgeable and capable of the two, and how they both start to grow and heal together.
Of course, the book is filled with complicated plot twists and a couple of “NO WAY!” moments – one of which was obvious and easily foreseen but SO WHAT?!
The writing in this book matched more to the caliber I expect of Oliver. It felt a appropriate and smooth.
And I guess this is a lesson learned – one that I was glad to learn. Find a good author and stick with them. I wasn’t a huge fan of Delirium but Pandemonium has me aching for Requiem to see what happens.
You know it’s a good novel when the last line has you going:
“No! NO! No way… oh my goodness… no. NO!"
[image error]
March 7, 2012
EDIT: Finally. FINALLY! I was able to finish Pandemonium and oh.my.gosh. The moment all of us have been dreading for.. Ta da! Although the full blast will be on the next book :p
Anyway Pandemonium is a little bit dragging although it's good that Lena's starting to get strong here.
In the romance dept. He didn't grow on me as much as Alex did. I still prefer Alex, since he's man enough to save Lena Alex died for Lena! She can't just forget that...
Pandemonium made me feel what I felt while reading Delirium. Heartbrake.For.Alex.
Earlier review:
PANDEMONIUM? Okay I'm so excited! Can't wait!! Please Alex, don't die?
Pleasy??
wait!!! "..and wonders if she may be falling in love again." oh no no no. I hope it's not with another man. =(
Lovely cover by the way. <3
EDIT: Oh.. They changed the blurb!! lol.
Anyway Pandemonium is a little bit dragging although it's good that Lena's starting to get strong here.
In the romance dept. He didn't grow on me as much as Alex did. I still prefer Alex, since he's man enough to save Lena Alex died for Lena! She can't just forget that...
Pandemonium made me feel what I felt while reading Delirium. Heartbrake.For.Alex.
Earlier review:
PANDEMONIUM? Okay I'm so excited! Can't wait!! Please Alex, don't die?
Pleasy??
wait!!! "..and wonders if she may be falling in love again." oh no no no. I hope it's not with another man. =(
Lovely cover by the way. <3
EDIT: Oh.. They changed the blurb!! lol.
August 15, 2019
"They have clamped their fists around a geyser to keep it from exploding. But the pressure eventually builds, and the explosion will always come."
3.5 ⭐️
Better than book 1, I'll give it that. I was more interested in the plot in this book, I enjoyed the new characters from the Wilds and watching Lena overcome her demons and generally become much stronger.
However I still had other issues.
1. More instalove! Like good grief can this girl go nowhere without falling head over heels within the first five minutes?!
2. Despite her time in the Wilds, foraging for food, hiking from one homestead to another, as soon as Lena and Julian are kidnapped she basically becomes this weak girl. (I understand that she should be weak due to lack of food, violence etc.) but Julian seems to handle it much better and he is from a rich privileged background (so if anything he should be the weaker one as he is unaccustomed). I feel like this was only done so that Lena could lean on him and make him appear as the 'strong male' looking after her. Um, nope.
3. The ending.
4. They refer to the religions of "the old world" or the "before time" AKA religions that we know now. They supposedly have a new one for the post cure world, reliant on the Book of Sshh. I've said this before with other books, if you are going to make your own religion, then make it. Don't just borrow loads of shit from other religions and claim it's a new one. Might as well not bother.
I liked the different movements fighting one another, from the freedom fighters to the DFA who are determined to force the cure onto everyone. I liked seeing how the world politics came into it. It was entertaining to watch Lena and Julian fight for their lives, and I wanted to see the outcome. I will read the final book, and there are a few other Lauren Oliver books I'd like to try, but I don't think this is a series I will feel the need to return to.
3.5 ⭐️
Better than book 1, I'll give it that. I was more interested in the plot in this book, I enjoyed the new characters from the Wilds and watching Lena overcome her demons and generally become much stronger.
However I still had other issues.
1. More instalove! Like good grief can this girl go nowhere without falling head over heels within the first five minutes?!
2. Despite her time in the Wilds, foraging for food, hiking from one homestead to another, as soon as Lena and Julian are kidnapped she basically becomes this weak girl. (I understand that she should be weak due to lack of food, violence etc.) but Julian seems to handle it much better and he is from a rich privileged background (so if anything he should be the weaker one as he is unaccustomed). I feel like this was only done so that Lena could lean on him and make him appear as the 'strong male' looking after her. Um, nope.
3. The ending.
4. They refer to the religions of "the old world" or the "before time" AKA religions that we know now. They supposedly have a new one for the post cure world, reliant on the Book of Sshh. I've said this before with other books, if you are going to make your own religion, then make it. Don't just borrow loads of shit from other religions and claim it's a new one. Might as well not bother.
I liked the different movements fighting one another, from the freedom fighters to the DFA who are determined to force the cure onto everyone. I liked seeing how the world politics came into it. It was entertaining to watch Lena and Julian fight for their lives, and I wanted to see the outcome. I will read the final book, and there are a few other Lauren Oliver books I'd like to try, but I don't think this is a series I will feel the need to return to.
June 24, 2013
You can find more reviews @BloodyBookaholic
You know how sometimes authors get a little, am, lazy on the second book of the series? It never seems to live up to the hype? Ends up kind of sucking? Yeah... (*cough*Crossed*cough*)... I know all about it and somewhere along the way you have learned this too.
I am proud to announce that Pandemonium was AMAZING, it LIVES UP TO THE HYPE, and it won't let you down at all. Such a freaking revelation. Why aren't books more like this?!
The thing that saved this book from being a downer was this: the author didn't just write a straight tale where Lena gets to the wild and then keeps growing, keeps getting strong, blah blah same thing we have read about a hundred times. There is some of this in there for sure, but it's given to us in small doses, in between larger sections that are pack full of adventure and "edge of your seat" kind of moments. This is what made the book shine. Going between the past and the present is what saved the book from being pretty slow, and instead it makes it a book worthy of being Delirium's second book.
Something I can add to this is that Delirium while it focuses on love, your first love to be specific, I thought Pandemonium focused a little bit more on hate, anger and healing. It certainly showed us a new side to Lena that we never saw before. The combination of her new life and losing Alex has made her get in touch with emotions that would have been closed up to her before, and it is very interesting to see how she manages navigates through her new life.
I couldn't leave without a note on the new male interest. He is, something else. He is not going away any time soon, and sure you might hate him at first, but believe he is going to grow on you so much. Plus those sexy scenes between him and Lena certainly helped. I swear my breath literally caught on some passages. I felt like I was there, and it was happening to me.
I think that anything more that I say will be too much, a revelation. I don't wanna spoil this story for you because it's a fantastic story. So just know this. If the book sucked, I would tell you flat out why, but it doesn't. It's pretty freaking amazing, and I can't believe I have to wait till 2013 to read the sequel. This is heart breaking, because the book is left on a HUGE cliff hanger that made you want to pull out your hair. I squealed. I really did, people looked at me weird, I kept doing this sort of crazy giggle. You had to be there.
Old Update:
The cover is here!
Cover Revealed: Pandemonium, a Delirium novel (#2) by Lauren Oliver
Isn't she lovely? Isn't it beautiful? I have to read Delirium... That's it, after Undercurrent I am reading Delirium and getting up to date with this fantastic series. I love the orange color, it also goes with the new cover.
Updated: July 19, 2011.
Okay, I just finished Delirium, and Im sorry but I can't wait till freaking 2012 for this book?! It's insanity! She is falling in love again? IT BETTER NOT BE ANOTHER GUY OR GIRL MISS LENA BECAUSE WE LOVE ALEX! OKAY? ALEX! I, I just... I fell in love with Delirium, and waiting for this sequel is torture T_T
You know how sometimes authors get a little, am, lazy on the second book of the series? It never seems to live up to the hype? Ends up kind of sucking? Yeah... (*cough*Crossed*cough*)... I know all about it and somewhere along the way you have learned this too.
I am proud to announce that Pandemonium was AMAZING, it LIVES UP TO THE HYPE, and it won't let you down at all. Such a freaking revelation. Why aren't books more like this?!
The thing that saved this book from being a downer was this: the author didn't just write a straight tale where Lena gets to the wild and then keeps growing, keeps getting strong, blah blah same thing we have read about a hundred times. There is some of this in there for sure, but it's given to us in small doses, in between larger sections that are pack full of adventure and "edge of your seat" kind of moments. This is what made the book shine. Going between the past and the present is what saved the book from being pretty slow, and instead it makes it a book worthy of being Delirium's second book.
Something I can add to this is that Delirium while it focuses on love, your first love to be specific, I thought Pandemonium focused a little bit more on hate, anger and healing. It certainly showed us a new side to Lena that we never saw before. The combination of her new life and losing Alex has made her get in touch with emotions that would have been closed up to her before, and it is very interesting to see how she manages navigates through her new life.
I couldn't leave without a note on the new male interest. He is, something else. He is not going away any time soon, and sure you might hate him at first, but believe he is going to grow on you so much. Plus those sexy scenes between him and Lena certainly helped. I swear my breath literally caught on some passages. I felt like I was there, and it was happening to me.
I think that anything more that I say will be too much, a revelation. I don't wanna spoil this story for you because it's a fantastic story. So just know this. If the book sucked, I would tell you flat out why, but it doesn't. It's pretty freaking amazing, and I can't believe I have to wait till 2013 to read the sequel. This is heart breaking, because the book is left on a HUGE cliff hanger that made you want to pull out your hair. I squealed. I really did, people looked at me weird, I kept doing this sort of crazy giggle. You had to be there.
Old Update:
The cover is here!
Cover Revealed: Pandemonium, a Delirium novel (#2) by Lauren Oliver
Isn't she lovely? Isn't it beautiful? I have to read Delirium... That's it, after Undercurrent I am reading Delirium and getting up to date with this fantastic series. I love the orange color, it also goes with the new cover.
Updated: July 19, 2011.
Okay, I just finished Delirium, and Im sorry but I can't wait till freaking 2012 for this book?! It's insanity! She is falling in love again? IT BETTER NOT BE ANOTHER GUY OR GIRL MISS LENA BECAUSE WE LOVE ALEX! OKAY? ALEX! I, I just... I fell in love with Delirium, and waiting for this sequel is torture T_T
July 6, 2012
This book takes place "now" and "then". This confused the heck out of me for the first couple chapters probably because I didn't pay attention to the chapter's titles I was just so excited to get reading. "Then" starts in August and is everything that takes place from the minute Lena left Alex and ran into the wilds. We get to see every heartbreaking struggle as she found a new place to stay and met new people. She isn't sure whether she wants to live or die but she wants to be strong for Alex. She tries to imagine him and that she is getting stronger for him. Her thoughts of Alex continued to bring tears to my eyes throughout these scenes as well as all the hard struggles of life in the wilds. It is definitely not easy living free.
"Now" is in March and takes place in New York. Lena has joined the resistance, has a fake identity and is living among the cured. She is attending DFA(Deliria-Free America) meetings and rallys, keeping an eye on all the activity. People are more aware of the invalids and deliria now and want to give the cure at a younger age. They want to risk people dying from receiving the cure in order to lessen the chances of infecting the world. Although some are against this and don't want to risk death so the rallys get a bit crazy. Lena is told to keep watch on the son of the head of the movement, Julian Fineman. But during a big rally they both end up getting kidnapped. Lena has become really brave and strong now. She fights for their escape but there are lots of twists and turns along the way. I loved the action and couldn't put the book down. Finished it in one day! Lauren Oliver is amazing at keeping me emotionally invested and captivated.
But......there were a few things I personally didn't like about this book. I think the whole new love interest/love triangle cat is already out of the bag since it is mentioned in the description but all I'm going to say is pull out your Team Alex flags because I'm sorry to say it is definitely going to get ugly in Requiem. I was also really disappointed with it. The reason I loved Delirium so much was the fact that it was such a beautiful love story about sacrifices being made to be together and in Pandemonium I just feel like Lauren Oliver took a big ole crap on it. I'm just really sad with the story going the love triangle route. I am also really upset with a few details to it. They are in the spoiler button since they are a bit more spoilery so read at your own risk.
My last disappointment was that this book has one of the most horrible cliffhangers ever and I am willing to sell my soul to get my hands on the next book!!! It was an evil evil evil ending!!!!! After Delirium I think the author could have went a little easier on us. Don't worry we will be back for Requiem, you didn't need to do this to us! Once you read it you will understand and hopefully come back and freak out with me. If you have already read it and want to rant and discuss, direct message me, seriously!
THAT ENDING!!!
SON OF A BISCUIT!!!!! WTF!!! OMG!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! #$$@#T@^#@&^#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[image error]
"Now" is in March and takes place in New York. Lena has joined the resistance, has a fake identity and is living among the cured. She is attending DFA(Deliria-Free America) meetings and rallys, keeping an eye on all the activity. People are more aware of the invalids and deliria now and want to give the cure at a younger age. They want to risk people dying from receiving the cure in order to lessen the chances of infecting the world. Although some are against this and don't want to risk death so the rallys get a bit crazy. Lena is told to keep watch on the son of the head of the movement, Julian Fineman. But during a big rally they both end up getting kidnapped. Lena has become really brave and strong now. She fights for their escape but there are lots of twists and turns along the way. I loved the action and couldn't put the book down. Finished it in one day! Lauren Oliver is amazing at keeping me emotionally invested and captivated.
But......there were a few things I personally didn't like about this book. I think the whole new love interest/love triangle cat is already out of the bag since it is mentioned in the description but all I'm going to say is pull out your Team Alex flags because I'm sorry to say it is definitely going to get ugly in Requiem. I was also really disappointed with it. The reason I loved Delirium so much was the fact that it was such a beautiful love story about sacrifices being made to be together and in Pandemonium I just feel like Lauren Oliver took a big ole crap on it. I'm just really sad with the story going the love triangle route. I am also really upset with a few details to it. They are in the spoiler button since they are a bit more spoilery so read at your own risk.
My last disappointment was that this book has one of the most horrible cliffhangers ever and I am willing to sell my soul to get my hands on the next book!!! It was an evil evil evil ending!!!!! After Delirium I think the author could have went a little easier on us. Don't worry we will be back for Requiem, you didn't need to do this to us! Once you read it you will understand and hopefully come back and freak out with me. If you have already read it and want to rant and discuss, direct message me, seriously!
THAT ENDING!!!
SON OF A BISCUIT!!!!! WTF!!! OMG!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! #$$@#T@^#@&^#!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[image error]
July 23, 2023
Español - English
Este libro retoma la historia de Lena Haloway, una joven que vive en un futuro distópico en el que el amor es considerado una enfermedad mortal.
La historia se desarrolla en dos líneas de tiempo paralelas. La primera línea sigue a Lena inmediatamente después de su escape de la comunidad regulada por el gobierno, donde conoció a Alex y descubrió la verdad sobre el amor. En su intento por sobrevivir en el mundo exterior, conocido como el Salvaje (The Wilds), Lena se une a un grupo de resistentes que luchan contra el gobierno opresivo que busca erradicar las emociones humanas.
En la segunda línea de tiempo, que se ubica aproximadamente un año después de los eventos de "Delirium", se revela que Lena ha sido capturada y se encuentra en Nueva York. En esta nueva vida, adopta una identidad falsa y se une a un grupo de invalidados, aquellos que viven fuera del control del gobierno y luchan por su libertad. Lena es asignada para llevar a cabo una misión peligrosa: asesinar al líder de Deliria-Free America, una organización anti-deliria que promueve el cumplimiento de las reglas del gobierno y la erradicación de las emociones.
A medida que la trama avanza, Lena se enfrenta a desafíos emocionales y físicos. A través de flashbacks, el lector descubre cómo ha cambiado desde su llegada al Salvaje hasta su actual posición como luchadora por la resistencia. Además, se explora una nueva relación romántica entre Lena y otro miembro de la resistencia llamado Julian Fineman.
El libro explora temas como la rebelión, la pérdida, la identidad y la lucha por la libertad en una sociedad que busca controlar las emociones humanas. La historia culmina en un giro impactante que deja al lector con ganas de seguir leyendo para descubrir cómo Lena enfrentará los nuevos desafíos que se le presentan en el último libro de la trilogía.
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This book picks up the story of Lena Haloway, a young woman living in a dystopian future where love is considered a deadly disease.
The story unfolds in two parallel timelines. The first line follows Lena immediately after her escape from the government-regulated community where she met Alex and discovered the truth about love. In her attempt to survive in the outside world, known as the Wilds, Lena joins a group of rebels who fight against the oppressive government that seeks to eradicate human emotions.
In the second timeline, which is set approximately a year after the events of "Delirium," it is revealed that Lena has been captured and is in New York. In this new life, she adopts a false identity and joins a group of Invalids, those who live outside of government control and fight for their freedom. Lena is assigned to carry out a dangerous mission: to assassinate the leader of Deliria-Free America, an anti-deliria organization that promotes compliance with government rules and the eradication of emotions.
As the plot unfolds, Lena faces emotional and physical challenges. Through flashbacks, the reader learns how she has changed since her arrival in the Wilds to her current position as a fighter for the resistance. Additionally, a new romantic relationship between Lena and another resistance member named Julian Fineman is explored.
Este libro retoma la historia de Lena Haloway, una joven que vive en un futuro distópico en el que el amor es considerado una enfermedad mortal.
La historia se desarrolla en dos líneas de tiempo paralelas. La primera línea sigue a Lena inmediatamente después de su escape de la comunidad regulada por el gobierno, donde conoció a Alex y descubrió la verdad sobre el amor. En su intento por sobrevivir en el mundo exterior, conocido como el Salvaje (The Wilds), Lena se une a un grupo de resistentes que luchan contra el gobierno opresivo que busca erradicar las emociones humanas.
En la segunda línea de tiempo, que se ubica aproximadamente un año después de los eventos de "Delirium", se revela que Lena ha sido capturada y se encuentra en Nueva York. En esta nueva vida, adopta una identidad falsa y se une a un grupo de invalidados, aquellos que viven fuera del control del gobierno y luchan por su libertad. Lena es asignada para llevar a cabo una misión peligrosa: asesinar al líder de Deliria-Free America, una organización anti-deliria que promueve el cumplimiento de las reglas del gobierno y la erradicación de las emociones.
A medida que la trama avanza, Lena se enfrenta a desafíos emocionales y físicos. A través de flashbacks, el lector descubre cómo ha cambiado desde su llegada al Salvaje hasta su actual posición como luchadora por la resistencia. Además, se explora una nueva relación romántica entre Lena y otro miembro de la resistencia llamado Julian Fineman.
El libro explora temas como la rebelión, la pérdida, la identidad y la lucha por la libertad en una sociedad que busca controlar las emociones humanas. La historia culmina en un giro impactante que deja al lector con ganas de seguir leyendo para descubrir cómo Lena enfrentará los nuevos desafíos que se le presentan en el último libro de la trilogía.
------
This book picks up the story of Lena Haloway, a young woman living in a dystopian future where love is considered a deadly disease.
The story unfolds in two parallel timelines. The first line follows Lena immediately after her escape from the government-regulated community where she met Alex and discovered the truth about love. In her attempt to survive in the outside world, known as the Wilds, Lena joins a group of rebels who fight against the oppressive government that seeks to eradicate human emotions.
In the second timeline, which is set approximately a year after the events of "Delirium," it is revealed that Lena has been captured and is in New York. In this new life, she adopts a false identity and joins a group of Invalids, those who live outside of government control and fight for their freedom. Lena is assigned to carry out a dangerous mission: to assassinate the leader of Deliria-Free America, an anti-deliria organization that promotes compliance with government rules and the eradication of emotions.
As the plot unfolds, Lena faces emotional and physical challenges. Through flashbacks, the reader learns how she has changed since her arrival in the Wilds to her current position as a fighter for the resistance. Additionally, a new romantic relationship between Lena and another resistance member named Julian Fineman is explored.
Read
May 5, 2012I almost had a heart attack when I saw the cover!!!! :) So beautiful! Delirium is one of my favourite books ever!!! The story and Oliver's writing... Gah I can't even explain what it did to me. I finished the whole book in one sitting which should mean something. I just pray for one thing. I'm positive that Alex is alive. I'm not sure if he'll have the cure or not. The only thing I don't want in Pandemonium is a love triangle. I'm sorry but this always kills romance for me. In my opinion someone may like another person while being in love with someone. But true love should be something unique, that can't be replaced or duplicated. I'm not sure if I could continue reading the series if somehow Lena fell in love with someone else in Pandemonium. I'd prefer Alex was dead. I know, hard thing to consider too, but I would know then that romance in Delirium wasn't killed. So, please, let true love conquer all! Let her found a male FRIEND who will not fall in love with her and save her man like every woman in love should do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
EDIT: Everyone, including myself, thinks this story will eventually end with a love-triangle. I really hope that Lauren Oliver will surprise us all. Taking the road of a love-triangle is only a way to fill the holes in your plot created by the lack of your imagination. Delirium is an ode to love. I really hope she won't destroy that for me.
EDIT: Everyone, including myself, thinks this story will eventually end with a love-triangle. I really hope that Lauren Oliver will surprise us all. Taking the road of a love-triangle is only a way to fill the holes in your plot created by the lack of your imagination. Delirium is an ode to love. I really hope she won't destroy that for me.
December 1, 2011
My Thoughts: DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ DELIRIUM. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR????
Uh, I'll start this review off with what I wrote on goodreads as soon as I finished.
If you thought Delirium was great you will be blown away by Pandemonium. I wish I had the next book. OMG. I want to both cry and scream right now.....
Why, why, why did I read this so soon? LOL
I had a feeling it was going to end like that but to actually have it happen is going to drive me nuts now since I don't have the next book.
WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW
So, that was my initial thoughts when I updated my goodreads status.
Do I still feel that way? Yes, Yes, Yes.
We start off in the Now part of the book. For 2 pages, than we are thrown into the Than part. Confused yet?
We are reunited with Lena. She has escaped to the Wild's without Alex. Oh, I'm sure you remember that dreadful ending in Delirium and Alex is still nowhere in sight. Lena suspects he's dead even though she doesn't want to say it out loud. She imagines he's still with her and goes out on her own.
She ends up being on her own for a few days until a group of others come across her and take her in, nursing her back to life. Let me tell you about my favorite characters. There is Raven, who seems to be a few years younger than Lena, but has become one of the leaders of the group and takes care of everything. Than there is Blue, who is just a little girl. I really liked Blue but she reminded Lena too much of Grace. Next up is Hunter. Hunter's a sweet guy who is friendly to Lena from the start. Than there is Tack. Tack is independent, strong willed, and tough. He always has a scowl on his face. Of course, there are many more characters but these are just a few of my favorites.
Lena survives in the wild with the group for a while. She learns to get supplies, learns to wash clothes by hand, to carry water buckets, how to cook, the whole nine yards. She does what she must to survive and stay a part of their group.
Than we are thrust into a whole other world. The future tense. What is happening NOW. Lena is working with Raven to take down the DFA. They are the ones who want everyone to be cured. We meet Julian right away. He is the son of the person who thinks love must be cured. He is due to have his procedure soon.
Lena and Julian end up getting captured during one of the meetings and thrown in a room together. They spend days in that room, getting to know each other slowly and awkwardly. They think they have nothing in common at first except that she has been cured (she lies) and he is to be cured soon. He wants to know what it will feel like, will all temptations be taken away? Will he feel like a different person?
Lena and Julian end up escaping and make their journey to find Raven and Tack. In the process, Julian is taken back by his father, and set to have his procedure. Of course Lena doesn't think its right to make him have this procedure. He should have a choice, a real choice.
Well, I don't want to give away anymore spoilers. That was already a few and I didn't want to give away any!
Do we ever see Alex again? Let me just say this, the information we find out about Alex and Lena's mom is insane. It was crazy intense. This whole book was so great. It was full of action, fast paced, and just a wonderful story. I wish I had the third book now.
The Than and Now back and forth chapters were a little confusing at first, but I got right into it. The bad thing is, I didn't like skipping back and forth because Oliver pulls you into one than you want to know what happens in that situation, than your thrust into the other situation. I'm sure that was her point, but I was on pins and needles the whole book. (Which is a good thing HAHA)
I loved Delirium and I was left crying at the end. I loved Pandemonium even more, and I was left wanting to cry but at the same time, wanting to tell her how genius she is!
For all you Alex fans out there, you won't be completely disappointed however you won't be happy either. I was totally in love with Alex but throw another guy in the mix, and I'm as confused as ever. Love Triangle anyone?
Overall: Oh My Gosh. I absolutely loved it. Can I marry this book? This was one of my favorite books I've read of 2011!!!
Cover: Really like it. Delirium had a cool cover, but so does this one.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
____________
Review Based On Hardcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
Uh, I'll start this review off with what I wrote on goodreads as soon as I finished.
If you thought Delirium was great you will be blown away by Pandemonium. I wish I had the next book. OMG. I want to both cry and scream right now.....
Why, why, why did I read this so soon? LOL
I had a feeling it was going to end like that but to actually have it happen is going to drive me nuts now since I don't have the next book.
WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW
So, that was my initial thoughts when I updated my goodreads status.
Do I still feel that way? Yes, Yes, Yes.
We start off in the Now part of the book. For 2 pages, than we are thrown into the Than part. Confused yet?
We are reunited with Lena. She has escaped to the Wild's without Alex. Oh, I'm sure you remember that dreadful ending in Delirium and Alex is still nowhere in sight. Lena suspects he's dead even though she doesn't want to say it out loud. She imagines he's still with her and goes out on her own.
She ends up being on her own for a few days until a group of others come across her and take her in, nursing her back to life. Let me tell you about my favorite characters. There is Raven, who seems to be a few years younger than Lena, but has become one of the leaders of the group and takes care of everything. Than there is Blue, who is just a little girl. I really liked Blue but she reminded Lena too much of Grace. Next up is Hunter. Hunter's a sweet guy who is friendly to Lena from the start. Than there is Tack. Tack is independent, strong willed, and tough. He always has a scowl on his face. Of course, there are many more characters but these are just a few of my favorites.
Lena survives in the wild with the group for a while. She learns to get supplies, learns to wash clothes by hand, to carry water buckets, how to cook, the whole nine yards. She does what she must to survive and stay a part of their group.
Than we are thrust into a whole other world. The future tense. What is happening NOW. Lena is working with Raven to take down the DFA. They are the ones who want everyone to be cured. We meet Julian right away. He is the son of the person who thinks love must be cured. He is due to have his procedure soon.
Lena and Julian end up getting captured during one of the meetings and thrown in a room together. They spend days in that room, getting to know each other slowly and awkwardly. They think they have nothing in common at first except that she has been cured (she lies) and he is to be cured soon. He wants to know what it will feel like, will all temptations be taken away? Will he feel like a different person?
Lena and Julian end up escaping and make their journey to find Raven and Tack. In the process, Julian is taken back by his father, and set to have his procedure. Of course Lena doesn't think its right to make him have this procedure. He should have a choice, a real choice.
Well, I don't want to give away anymore spoilers. That was already a few and I didn't want to give away any!
Do we ever see Alex again? Let me just say this, the information we find out about Alex and Lena's mom is insane. It was crazy intense. This whole book was so great. It was full of action, fast paced, and just a wonderful story. I wish I had the third book now.
The Than and Now back and forth chapters were a little confusing at first, but I got right into it. The bad thing is, I didn't like skipping back and forth because Oliver pulls you into one than you want to know what happens in that situation, than your thrust into the other situation. I'm sure that was her point, but I was on pins and needles the whole book. (Which is a good thing HAHA)
I loved Delirium and I was left crying at the end. I loved Pandemonium even more, and I was left wanting to cry but at the same time, wanting to tell her how genius she is!
For all you Alex fans out there, you won't be completely disappointed however you won't be happy either. I was totally in love with Alex but throw another guy in the mix, and I'm as confused as ever. Love Triangle anyone?
Overall: Oh My Gosh. I absolutely loved it. Can I marry this book? This was one of my favorite books I've read of 2011!!!
Cover: Really like it. Delirium had a cool cover, but so does this one.
What I'd Give It: 5/5 Cupcakes
____________
Review Based On Hardcover Edition
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
Want to read
August 10, 2011What fall in love again? But I don't want you to fall in love again dammit. ALEX IS THE ONE! *cries*
June 15, 2011
Just finished "Delirium"..my eyes are so swollen from crying I can barely see the screen..I was so sad and cursing Lauren Oliver for making such a beautiful story and screwing up the ending but seeing "Pandemonium"..It's hope..i'm sure Alex isn't dead ..she's gonna go back and find him in the Crypts just like her mom and she'll go back and save him...I don't know how I'll be able to wait 9 months but I hope it's worth it !
November 17, 2020
Una novela pausada y muy intimista, que me gustó mucho más que Delirium, la primera entrega de esta trilogía, que leí hace más de un año y… eso fue un error. Si bien me acordaba perfectamente del argumento, los personajes y las situaciones, lo que se pierde en tanto tiempo son las sensaciones que causa la lectura. Recuerdo que me había gustado mucho como se describían los sentimientos entre Lena y Álex pero, en este libro, cuando se hacía referencia a ellos, me han dejado más bien fría.
Porque, para mí, el fuerte de ambas novelas son las emociones que me han transmitido más que la trama y los acontecimientos. De hecho, en retrospectiva, en esta entrega la historia no avanza mucho respecto del conflicto de esta sociedad futurista.
El libro está narrado en primera persona por Lena en capítulos alternados en dos períodos de tiempo diferentes: uno donde nos dejó el primer libro, cuando logra atravesar las vallas y es rescatada por un grupo de inválidos de la Tierra Salvaje y otro, seis meses después, cuando se une a la Resistencia y participa en su primera misión. En ambas, lo que siempre me invadió fue una sensación de tristeza, por la crudeza con que se describe la supervivencia en la inhóspita Tierra Salvaje, así como cuando se es parte de uno de los bandos de una guerra.
Un final que probablemente todos los lectores esperábamos, pero que llega en el peor momento. Ya he comenzado la entrega final, porque no quiero que me pase lo mismo de olvidar cómo me hizo sentir esta novela, y para ver cómo la autora soluciona lo que ha desencadenado y saber si por fin se alejará un poco de sus personajes y abordará el sistema detrás de esta distopía.
Reto #33 PopSugar 2017: Un libro situado en dos períodos de tiempo diferentes
Porque, para mí, el fuerte de ambas novelas son las emociones que me han transmitido más que la trama y los acontecimientos. De hecho, en retrospectiva, en esta entrega la historia no avanza mucho respecto del conflicto de esta sociedad futurista.
El libro está narrado en primera persona por Lena en capítulos alternados en dos períodos de tiempo diferentes: uno donde nos dejó el primer libro, cuando logra atravesar las vallas y es rescatada por un grupo de inválidos de la Tierra Salvaje y otro, seis meses después, cuando se une a la Resistencia y participa en su primera misión. En ambas, lo que siempre me invadió fue una sensación de tristeza, por la crudeza con que se describe la supervivencia en la inhóspita Tierra Salvaje, así como cuando se es parte de uno de los bandos de una guerra.
Un final que probablemente todos los lectores esperábamos, pero que llega en el peor momento. Ya he comenzado la entrega final, porque no quiero que me pase lo mismo de olvidar cómo me hizo sentir esta novela, y para ver cómo la autora soluciona lo que ha desencadenado y saber si por fin se alejará un poco de sus personajes y abordará el sistema detrás de esta distopía.
Reto #33 PopSugar 2017: Un libro situado en dos períodos de tiempo diferentes
September 11, 2021
I really enjoyed the crazy plot development throughout this one! Lauren Oliver has lovely prose and a nice crisp writing style and continues to take us on a whirlwind of turns as Lena is thrust into the world of the wilds. She's going a little mad now that Alex is gone, but is rescued by new allies Raven and Tack, characters who I liked immensely. The story is narrated in two time periods, right after she was found dying in the woods, and six months later, when she Raven, and Tack are inserted into NYC to be part of the resistance. I liked the storytelling choice.
April 7, 2020
Wow, this was such an improvement, I'm almost tricked into believing it wasn't half bad.
The book surprised me with time jumps, which seemed like a good ideas, keeping the suspense and not allowing the wordiness push through. Though it didn't last as around half way through the time jumps I figured they are not actually necessary and add little to the story. I might be wrong and it might become increasingly relevant in the last instalment, but for the moment it seems like simply added chapters to stretch the book longer - half relevant, half not so much.
In Delirium I had an issue with many descriptions that were pointless, this book still went strong on those, but they were masked a bit more successfully under tension and action, so although there was some eye-rolling on my part, it wasn't as consistent as before.
The biggest issue with this book though is that it is a cliche. Teenage love, yuck. Hand holding, love from first sight, love that grows from hate, like come on. Also the author gives too many clues about what to expect, so the reader can predict completely everything, literally nothing surprised me, that's how predictable was this book. I'm unsure how all those reviewers who claim to be surprised by the events in this book, can honestly say that, because all of it was so obvious.
This was a lot less of a torture if compared to the first one, so I'm giving it 2.5, which is still generous, but I have to be honest, it did rattle past me a lot quicker and wasn't as painful to read. Let's hope the last one is the genius work that will make me reread both previous books and realise how silly I've been in my dislike for the masterpiece.
The book surprised me with time jumps, which seemed like a good ideas, keeping the suspense and not allowing the wordiness push through. Though it didn't last as around half way through the time jumps I figured they are not actually necessary and add little to the story. I might be wrong and it might become increasingly relevant in the last instalment, but for the moment it seems like simply added chapters to stretch the book longer - half relevant, half not so much.
In Delirium I had an issue with many descriptions that were pointless, this book still went strong on those, but they were masked a bit more successfully under tension and action, so although there was some eye-rolling on my part, it wasn't as consistent as before.
The biggest issue with this book though is that it is a cliche. Teenage love, yuck. Hand holding, love from first sight, love that grows from hate, like come on. Also the author gives too many clues about what to expect, so the reader can predict completely everything, literally nothing surprised me, that's how predictable was this book. I'm unsure how all those reviewers who claim to be surprised by the events in this book, can honestly say that, because all of it was so obvious.
This was a lot less of a torture if compared to the first one, so I'm giving it 2.5, which is still generous, but I have to be honest, it did rattle past me a lot quicker and wasn't as painful to read. Let's hope the last one is the genius work that will make me reread both previous books and realise how silly I've been in my dislike for the masterpiece.
Read
December 13, 2011I fell in love with Delirium as hard as Lena fell for Alex, and when the ending hit, my heart tore into two directions. One, I wanted to jump inside the book and throw Alex over the fence; second, I practically cried and pushed Lena into the woods. It was tragic like Romeo and Juliet, and I can't wait for Pandemonium.
But watch this happen...
Lena is living on her own in the Wilds, having a good time and feeling free. And she meets some guy and he becomes her first real friend while she's there and he helps her learn the ropes (What ALEX would've done if he were there)and she'd start falling in love with him and getting over Alex, who she still cares about.
Meanwhile, without Lena or anyone knowing, Alex is being held in the Crypts or something. Waiting there...thinking of Lena everyday...praying she's alright...while she's off with someone else. And somehow Alex breaks free (Maybe -just maybe- Lena's mom comes back to save him. VERY FAR FETCHED POSSIBILITY HERE!!!) And him (and her mom?) make some huge grand entrance into the Wilds, to find Lena in a very...awkward position with the other guy. Alex is outraged and he storms off and Lena's shocked that he's alive and she is torn between the two guys and, ta da, the classical love triangle.
If that happens, I won't be surprised, but I personally love Alex, and if it were me, I wouldn't stop thinking about him at all. He sacrificed freedom for Lena (Possibly his life, depending on whether he's really dead or not)and I don't think I could ever forget him.
EDIT:
Plus...Did the new Lena get contacts?
But watch this happen...
Lena is living on her own in the Wilds, having a good time and feeling free. And she meets some guy and he becomes her first real friend while she's there and he helps her learn the ropes (What ALEX would've done if he were there)and she'd start falling in love with him and getting over Alex, who she still cares about.
Meanwhile, without Lena or anyone knowing, Alex is being held in the Crypts or something. Waiting there...thinking of Lena everyday...praying she's alright...while she's off with someone else. And somehow Alex breaks free (Maybe -just maybe- Lena's mom comes back to save him. VERY FAR FETCHED POSSIBILITY HERE!!!) And him (and her mom?) make some huge grand entrance into the Wilds, to find Lena in a very...awkward position with the other guy. Alex is outraged and he storms off and Lena's shocked that he's alive and she is torn between the two guys and, ta da, the classical love triangle.
If that happens, I won't be surprised, but I personally love Alex, and if it were me, I wouldn't stop thinking about him at all. He sacrificed freedom for Lena (Possibly his life, depending on whether he's really dead or not)and I don't think I could ever forget him.
EDIT:
Plus...Did the new Lena get contacts?
August 14, 2018
Δε νομίζω πως θα μπορούσε να υπάρξει πιο ταιριαστός τίτλος γι' αυτό το βιβλίο!
ΤΙ ΤΕΛΟΣ ΗΤΑΝ ΑΥΤΟ???
Πάω κατευθείαν στο επόμενο!
ΤΙ ΤΕΛΟΣ ΗΤΑΝ ΑΥΤΟ???
Πάω κατευθείαν στο επόμενο!
December 17, 2016
"If you take, we will take back. Steal from us, and we will rob you blind. When you squeeze, we will hit.
This is the way the world is made now."
A read for The Quarterly Book Club’s 2016 Series Reread Challenge
*WARNING: This review may contain spoilers for Delirium
Expect the unexpected.
If you thought that Delirium blew you away, Lauren Oliver’s Pandemonium will push you down a rocky hill and you won’t be able to stop until you hit the very bottom. In the end, you will learn that the title is not only referring to an impending war, but to an emotional chaos that Lena would have to bear.
The book was told in two alternating sets of stories: the Then and the Now chapters. In the Then chapters, Lena recalled her experience when she first arrived in the Wilds, alone and grieving. She was taken in by a group of resisters led by Raven, a girl just a few years older than her. From Raven, Lena learned all she had to know: the way of living and surviving, but most especially forgetting the past.
The Now chapters, taking place in New York, told the story of the new Lena. Magdalena Ella Haloway is dead, and in her place is Lena Morgan Jones. Enrolled in a new school and living a new life and identity, Lena was given the task to enter the world of the DFA, the Deliria-Free America, an organization promoting the cure with its leaders standing as role models to its people. As the Resistance’s eyes and ears, Lena was told to watch Julian Fineman, the DFA’s youth chapter president and son of Thomas Fineman, president of the organization.
You would see two very different Lenas in the book. In the Then chapters, Lena was like a new-born in the Wilds, learning everything from scratch. To her, she was reborn in pain and agony, having nothing but herself. Alex was not able to cross the fence with her, and now all that’s left of their love were her dreams of him. He was but a phantom haunting her every turn. There were times that Lena wished she never met Alex and that they never attempted to escape, but she knew very well that this was what Alex wanted for her: the freedom to live and to love, to have a choice. Lena and her new group, her new family, have gone through so much. It took great energy and perseverance for them to relocate when needed, and receiving supplies from the other side was risky. Lena’s new life was never easy.
This set of chapters made me cry. When I first read this installment last year, it wasn’t this painful. I was feeling twice the ache that I felt before. It was as if I’m reading this series with a new, but fragile, heart. The walls inside me were crushing down for Lena in every scene that she mentioned Alex. You could really feel her loss; like in crossing to the other side she left her heart in Alex’s hands, leaving a deep, dark hole in her chest. Lena was an empty well. All that she carried with her were the echoes of the past.
The Now chapters, which occurred a few months later, shows a braver Lena. She had become very different from who she was, as if she had shed skins like a serpent and been reborn like a Phoenix. She was now at the stage wherein she was almost unbreakable, ready to conquer new challenges and threats she would face, because she had nothing to lose anymore.
Lena is a character that’s constantly changing. Every page I turn showed me more of her and who she could be. I could say that this installment made me look up to her. She was a broken glass. She may not be whole anymore, but she has become something dangerous.
I want to discuss the new characters in this book and there are a lot of them, so I just chose the two very important ones.
First is Raven. Raven was born within the borders, but she escaped to the Wilds when she was fifteen. Her personality is strong and very mature for her age. She always knew what to do. I think I never saw her panic. Even in her grief, she was thinking of everyone’s best chance. She was very selfless and I love how patient she was with everyone. Sometimes she could seem rude, hurting Lena through her words, but she was just doing what she thought was good for her. Raven was always there for everyone even at times that Lena thought she would abandon her.
I really like Raven. I honestly think that she’s like a mother bird taking care of her nest, warming her eggs cradled in it. Her name suits her very much. Like the birds in the forests, she was always ready to move whenever danger was approaching, or fight when they are caught in the middle of one.
Now, I’d like to talk about Julian Fineman. Julian was a bit similar to the old Lena in Portland. He was naïve and believed in the cure but, unlike Lena, he was very curious to the illegal, although something happened to him that made him want to forget about the urge of learning these things. Julian was eighteen years old, but still uncured. He had brain surgeries when he was younger due to a cancer he had, and being cured could kill him. Still, he believed that he had to undergo it even if it could cost him his life. Finally, he was given a schedule to go through the procedure and all the people are anticipating it. Julian was a symbol for the people to look up to, and if this operation would end him, he will be treated as a martyr, a hero.
Maybe you’re thinking “But Alex is so much better than Julian.” Hold your tongue my friend. Let me explain to you why Julian is loveable as well. First, his character wasn’t flat like Alex’s in Delirium. Alex was a whole being, and Julian was just starting to find pieces of himself. I saw how he was changing throughout the book. I delight in how he was towards Lena, how he was distant at first, but at the same time obviously curious. He had a lot to learn and I liked that, through him, Lena was able to share with him her knowledge. It was now Lena’s turn to save someone from her old world. I saw a bigger and better Lena at times that Julian had to rely on her. My feminist side is very glad with the idea that Julian is the one in need of rescuing. With him, Lena was almost invincible, not because of Julian, but because she just was.
Julian and Lena’s relationship was a healing process, especially to Lena. Two lost people found a home in each other when they had no one else. Lena and Julian were patching up each other, filling up the space that they were holding inside themselves. But looking from Lena’s side of things, I could say that it was pretty impulsive. Julian was the first boy she felt attracted to since Alex was gone, and it is possible that she was just overwhelmed by her grief, clinging to the possibility of a new love. Her budding relationship with Julian lacked the genuine feelings that she shared with Alex. It maybe swoon-worthy, but deep down I know that it’s pretty unhealthy.
In this sequel, readers will also meet new groups of people. First, the Resistance, the group that Lena now belonged to, which was organized, cunning, and established with a purpose: to take down the government and fight those that promote the cure. They live through strategies, a family scattered in different corners. The resistance is ivy, slowly taking root and spreading.
Next are the Scavengers. They are almost similar to the resistant Invalids: uncured. But the thing about them is that they take no sides. They live to destroy and to steal, but you could easily buy their loyalty.
Underground, there is also this group of deformed people. They live in hiding to protect themselves from the Zombies, the cured. Most of them were considered as Deliria babies. It was believed that children produced out of love are infected, some of them having abnormal features. Aboveground, they could be executed immediately after birth to prevent the spread of the disease.
Pandemonium lets readers explore the bigger picture of Lena’s world. Every corner has its own story to tell, a whisper in the wind that you would have to carefully listen to.
The ending was so perfect and gut-wrenching. It was a hullabaloo you would not want to miss. If you’ve read Delirium and decided not to continue with the series anymore, rectify that mistake and pick this up. I promise you that you would not regret it. I bet you my book-boyfriends! I felt like screaming out my lungs when I finished it. I felt shocked and exhausted that I had to process my feelings for a while. Lena wanted the freedom to choose; now she got it, and it’s mind-boggling. If I were her I would have had a panic attack. It was a blessing and a curse to be caught up in that situation.
If there’s one thing that I learned from Pandemonium, it was that pain is not the end but the beginning, and in the darkest of nights, you’ll find the stars brightest.
Overall, obviously, I highly recommend this. Please do pick this up. You have to.
March 3, 2012
Read the full review at iLive, iLaugh, iLove Books.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would just like you to know that I am screaming. That's what this book made me feel like. I finished it, and these were my thoughts:
...
...
...
OHMIGOODNESSWHATTHEHECKJUSTHAPPENED? *head explodes*
Alright, so maybe my head is still is fine condition. But that was a pretty good representation of what I felt. This book was amazing. If you loved Delirium, you are going to want to eat this one. (Apparently "eat" is above "love" on my emotional scale. I don't see anything wrong with that.)
The book is told alternatively between the present and the past. Not the past-past. Noooo. That old Lena is dead. Whatever happened in Portland is gone. We have parts where Lena is in the Wilds, just newly escaped from the bordered community. And then we have the present, which involves the resistance and all those big guns. Some of it was boring, and the beginning was pretty slow. While I enjoyed reading about the homestead (that's basically a camp for the Invalids), I wanted to skip some of the snail-pace parts.
Despite its slow start, this book starts fast forwarding very quickly and the words just hit you like BAM! BAM! BAM! (I'm sorry, but I'm finding a hard time describing this book.) Every single word was a twist in my heart. You have no idea (until you've read this book) how Lauren Oliver has the ability to hold your very heart in your hand and stretch it to her will. Kind of a scary image, yes, but kind of the best I can give you. Her writing is beautiful and descriptive, and kind of just flows over you like water. There were parts that left me breathless and all adrenaline-filled, like I just ran a marathon. I was pretty much on the edge of my seat the entire time. (That was a metaphor; the majority of it was read while lying in bed like the lazy person I am.)
And the ending. I don't know how much of it you have heard about, but I will not ruin it for you, because I am a nice person. But WOOOOOOW. After I read that last word, I just kinda of stared at the book with my mouth open. And then my dad made me go to bed, but I kind of just lay in bed for a few hours, thinking. And staring at the dark ceiling. Honestly, 2013 cannot get here any faster.
My thoughts? Read. This. Book. While it has a dystopian-ish feel, this book is definitely all about the romance, which Oliver does beautifully. You should definitely read it. I'm having trouble forming words right now, because my brain is still mush, so that's all I can think of.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would just like you to know that I am screaming. That's what this book made me feel like. I finished it, and these were my thoughts:
...
...
...
OHMIGOODNESSWHATTHEHECKJUSTHAPPENED? *head explodes*
Alright, so maybe my head is still is fine condition. But that was a pretty good representation of what I felt. This book was amazing. If you loved Delirium, you are going to want to eat this one. (Apparently "eat" is above "love" on my emotional scale. I don't see anything wrong with that.)
The book is told alternatively between the present and the past. Not the past-past. Noooo. That old Lena is dead. Whatever happened in Portland is gone. We have parts where Lena is in the Wilds, just newly escaped from the bordered community. And then we have the present, which involves the resistance and all those big guns. Some of it was boring, and the beginning was pretty slow. While I enjoyed reading about the homestead (that's basically a camp for the Invalids), I wanted to skip some of the snail-pace parts.
Despite its slow start, this book starts fast forwarding very quickly and the words just hit you like BAM! BAM! BAM! (I'm sorry, but I'm finding a hard time describing this book.) Every single word was a twist in my heart. You have no idea (until you've read this book) how Lauren Oliver has the ability to hold your very heart in your hand and stretch it to her will. Kind of a scary image, yes, but kind of the best I can give you. Her writing is beautiful and descriptive, and kind of just flows over you like water. There were parts that left me breathless and all adrenaline-filled, like I just ran a marathon. I was pretty much on the edge of my seat the entire time. (That was a metaphor; the majority of it was read while lying in bed like the lazy person I am.)
And the ending. I don't know how much of it you have heard about, but I will not ruin it for you, because I am a nice person. But WOOOOOOW. After I read that last word, I just kinda of stared at the book with my mouth open. And then my dad made me go to bed, but I kind of just lay in bed for a few hours, thinking. And staring at the dark ceiling. Honestly, 2013 cannot get here any faster.
My thoughts? Read. This. Book. While it has a dystopian-ish feel, this book is definitely all about the romance, which Oliver does beautifully. You should definitely read it. I'm having trouble forming words right now, because my brain is still mush, so that's all I can think of.
June 21, 2022
3,5 Sterne
Den Start in das Buch empfand ich ein wenig holprig, da sich der Stil im Vergleich zu Band 1 verändert hat. Das hat mich wohl aber auch nur so irritiert, weil ich einen Folgeband mal tatsächlich im selben Monat wie den ersten gelesen habe :D
Nach den kurzen Startschwierigkeiten fand ich die Geschichte aber auch wieder super spannend und gut erzählt. Es ging in eine ganz andere Richtung als erwartet und das hat mich vor allem auch in Anbetracht des Alters des Buches doch echt ein wenig überrascht.
Wie Band 1 bereits ist auch Pandemonium ein echter Pageturner auch wenn mir mancher Handlungsstrang zu einfach erzählt/gelöst war . Es gab irgendwie zu viele glückliche Zufälle/Fügungen, das hätte man alles noch etwas raffinierter erzählen können.
Dennoch lässt mich das Ende auch wieder atemlos und super gespannt auf das Finale zurück. Gemeiner Cliffhanger...
Den Start in das Buch empfand ich ein wenig holprig, da sich der Stil im Vergleich zu Band 1 verändert hat. Das hat mich wohl aber auch nur so irritiert, weil ich einen Folgeband mal tatsächlich im selben Monat wie den ersten gelesen habe :D
Nach den kurzen Startschwierigkeiten fand ich die Geschichte aber auch wieder super spannend und gut erzählt. Es ging in eine ganz andere Richtung als erwartet und das hat mich vor allem auch in Anbetracht des Alters des Buches doch echt ein wenig überrascht.
Wie Band 1 bereits ist auch Pandemonium ein echter Pageturner auch wenn mir mancher Handlungsstrang zu einfach erzählt/gelöst war . Es gab irgendwie zu viele glückliche Zufälle/Fügungen, das hätte man alles noch etwas raffinierter erzählen können.
Dennoch lässt mich das Ende auch wieder atemlos und super gespannt auf das Finale zurück. Gemeiner Cliffhanger...
April 12, 2016
I was still hurting for Delirium- hurting because I still couldn't and wouldn't accept that Alex is gone. It was also very painful reading the aftermath of Alex's loss to Lena as she tries to accept her new life and become part of the resistance. I admire her courage and strength for accepting very challenging tasks assigned to her by Raven especially when she saves Julian from his execution. Despite herself and her love for Alex, I understand why she has to let go and give her heart to Julian. But what devastated me the most was how when Lena was already ready to give her love to Julian, Alex suddenly reappears warning Julian not to believe Lena. Man!!! That is so unfair!!! This is one super twisted cliffhanger that will make the reader restless till the finale arrives.
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November 18, 2015
I need MORE stars, many more stars. Wow, what a book. My heart started beating double time from the first page until the last. And, again, a HUGE cliff hanger. First, I'll address what I didn't like about this book. Each chapter is entitled either Then or Now. It goes back and forth between the past and present. Normally I might not mind this so much but the entire book is so darn intense. Each chapter has so much going on and since you are dealing with two different times and each one has huge events happening that you are freaking out trying to deal with both scenarios at the same time. I though my mind was going to implode.
Lena has gotten over the fence and she runs. She runs, walks, and crawls through the forest of the Wilds until finally someone finds her and nurses her back to health. Not only is she weak and sick from her escape, she is grieving for Alex. She is told that he didn't make it, that he was killed during the escape. So the book swings back and forth from her time in the Wilds, introducing you to Raven, the leader of the little group in the Wilds, and to the present time when she and Raven and another member of their group, Tack, are in New York, with fake identities, as members of the resistance.
As I said before, from page one, you are on the edge of your seat. Lauren Oliver has such a way of making me feel everything. Lena's grief for Alex was so real to me. I was overwhelmed with sadness for her. And, Lena is so brave. She acts first, thinks later. I am so proud of her. I literally could not rest until I finished the final page. But now, with the cliff hanger, I have to get right on starting the final book. Fantastic, Fantastic Book!!!
Lena has gotten over the fence and she runs. She runs, walks, and crawls through the forest of the Wilds until finally someone finds her and nurses her back to health. Not only is she weak and sick from her escape, she is grieving for Alex. She is told that he didn't make it, that he was killed during the escape. So the book swings back and forth from her time in the Wilds, introducing you to Raven, the leader of the little group in the Wilds, and to the present time when she and Raven and another member of their group, Tack, are in New York, with fake identities, as members of the resistance.
As I said before, from page one, you are on the edge of your seat. Lauren Oliver has such a way of making me feel everything. Lena's grief for Alex was so real to me. I was overwhelmed with sadness for her. And, Lena is so brave. She acts first, thinks later. I am so proud of her. I literally could not rest until I finished the final page. But now, with the cliff hanger, I have to get right on starting the final book. Fantastic, Fantastic Book!!!
July 9, 2018
WHAT JUST HAPPENED. UM NO.
I NEED THE THIRD BOOK. RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS ONE.
I NEED THE THIRD BOOK. RIGHT NOW.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS ONE.
April 19, 2012
Absolutely amazing!
Finished Pandemonium 10 minutes ago!
I was extremely lucky to get an advanced copy of Pandemonium. And forgive me for a MINOR spoiler but as I was looking at the "reviews" that people have posted about their anticipation for the thrilling sequel and couldn't help but chuckle about your fears of what may happen with Lena, some were dead on!
That being said when you rush to your local Barnes and Noble to pick up your copy(that you should have pre-ordered)please begin with an open mind. If you picked up the beautiful special edition of Delirium you got the first chapter of Pandemonium. The first few chapters for me were akin with a horrible break-up. It is heart-wrenching to watch Lena in this state. Like Delirium there is few significant characters introduced and its wonderful! I love when I pick up a book and don't have to remember the name of every single person in region *cough* Twilight Saga *cough* The complete anonymity of everyone but Lena a handful of secondary characters forces you to focus solely on Lena's voice.
I am having a total fan girl moment and am dying to tell you all about Raven,Julian and what happens so I'm going to stop. Be prepared my fellow Invalids for we are all about to be re-infected by the deliria and I know for damn sure that I do not want to be cured!
Thank you Lauren Oliver for creating a world so beautiful and enchanting that reality dulls in comparison in the absolute best way!
Finished Pandemonium 10 minutes ago!
I was extremely lucky to get an advanced copy of Pandemonium. And forgive me for a MINOR spoiler but as I was looking at the "reviews" that people have posted about their anticipation for the thrilling sequel and couldn't help but chuckle about your fears of what may happen with Lena, some were dead on!
That being said when you rush to your local Barnes and Noble to pick up your copy(that you should have pre-ordered)please begin with an open mind. If you picked up the beautiful special edition of Delirium you got the first chapter of Pandemonium. The first few chapters for me were akin with a horrible break-up. It is heart-wrenching to watch Lena in this state. Like Delirium there is few significant characters introduced and its wonderful! I love when I pick up a book and don't have to remember the name of every single person in region *cough* Twilight Saga *cough* The complete anonymity of everyone but Lena a handful of secondary characters forces you to focus solely on Lena's voice.
I am having a total fan girl moment and am dying to tell you all about Raven,Julian and what happens so I'm going to stop. Be prepared my fellow Invalids for we are all about to be re-infected by the deliria and I know for damn sure that I do not want to be cured!
Thank you Lauren Oliver for creating a world so beautiful and enchanting that reality dulls in comparison in the absolute best way!
February 19, 2013
Actual rating: 3.5 Stars
Oh wow, I read this exactly a month ago, so I guess it's about time I got around to reviewing it. On top of that, I read the whole thing in like two sittings so now my memory of it is a bit foggy. It kind of went by in a blur. So when I try to remember it my brain is kind of like:
Uhhh, so what happened in this book?
Oh yeah. So, Lena has escaped into the Wilds to hang out with other rebel people. Alex has supposedly died. Although Lena has now gotten away from the cure, there's still a matter of freeing everyone else from it. So, she and her new friends set out to do that. On top of that, Lena starts to fall in love with someone new ...
Over all, I enjoyed this book, although I did have some mixed feelings about certain aspects of it. I really liked Delirium and I was honestly a bit nervous about there being a sequel. I loved the ending of the first book and I thought it could have been very powerful as a standalone. But ... you know, everything has to be a series. So, oh well.
Thus, I went into this book not really knowing what to expect. And so, I guess you could say that this book exceeded my expectations. But I didn't really have any concrete expectations to begin with.
I did think that the plot of this one was better. While I enjoyed the first book and thought the writing and characters were good, it was a little lacking in the plot department. There wasn't a whole lot of action except in a few key places. I thought that Pandemonium was more exciting and action-packed, and kept me glued to the page.
The new characters were also likable. I was kind of ticked off that Alex was kind of replaced by Julian in a way ... I mean, just that it was kind of like, "Oh, your old love interest is gone? Here's a convenient new one!" I just knew this was going to happen. But, I did still like Julian and I thought the romance between him and Lena was developed nicely. I also liked that there was a gay couple in this book ... although I would've liked to have seen more of them so they didn't feel so much like "token" characters. At least the topic was addressed, because I spent a while being like, "Wait ... what do they do about gay people?" Since there's the whole thing where they keep boys and girls separate to prevent them from falling in love. And I was like:
So, at least that was kind of acknowledged.
I guess the only major thing that bothered me was the time shifts. There was this constant switching between "then" and "now." With all the flashbacks/flash-forwards, it got kind of confusing. It took me a while to figure out the gist of what was going on; it was a bit hard to get used to. Ultimately, it wasn't too bad, but I wasn't sure why it was necessary and I found it annoying sometimes.
UGGHHH and the ending.
So yeah, if you didn't read the spoiler and you plan on reading this book ... Let's just say that it has a cliffhanger/shock ending (that isn't really all that shocking). And I don't think I like where this is headed.
However, I plan to read the third book because ... well, I do want to know what happens. ;)
Oh wow, I read this exactly a month ago, so I guess it's about time I got around to reviewing it. On top of that, I read the whole thing in like two sittings so now my memory of it is a bit foggy. It kind of went by in a blur. So when I try to remember it my brain is kind of like:
Uhhh, so what happened in this book?
Oh yeah. So, Lena has escaped into the Wilds to hang out with other rebel people. Alex has supposedly died. Although Lena has now gotten away from the cure, there's still a matter of freeing everyone else from it. So, she and her new friends set out to do that. On top of that, Lena starts to fall in love with someone new ...
Over all, I enjoyed this book, although I did have some mixed feelings about certain aspects of it. I really liked Delirium and I was honestly a bit nervous about there being a sequel. I loved the ending of the first book and I thought it could have been very powerful as a standalone. But ... you know, everything has to be a series. So, oh well.
Thus, I went into this book not really knowing what to expect. And so, I guess you could say that this book exceeded my expectations. But I didn't really have any concrete expectations to begin with.
I did think that the plot of this one was better. While I enjoyed the first book and thought the writing and characters were good, it was a little lacking in the plot department. There wasn't a whole lot of action except in a few key places. I thought that Pandemonium was more exciting and action-packed, and kept me glued to the page.
The new characters were also likable. I was kind of ticked off that Alex was kind of replaced by Julian in a way ... I mean, just that it was kind of like, "Oh, your old love interest is gone? Here's a convenient new one!" I just knew this was going to happen. But, I did still like Julian and I thought the romance between him and Lena was developed nicely. I also liked that there was a gay couple in this book ... although I would've liked to have seen more of them so they didn't feel so much like "token" characters. At least the topic was addressed, because I spent a while being like, "Wait ... what do they do about gay people?" Since there's the whole thing where they keep boys and girls separate to prevent them from falling in love. And I was like:
So, at least that was kind of acknowledged.
I guess the only major thing that bothered me was the time shifts. There was this constant switching between "then" and "now." With all the flashbacks/flash-forwards, it got kind of confusing. It took me a while to figure out the gist of what was going on; it was a bit hard to get used to. Ultimately, it wasn't too bad, but I wasn't sure why it was necessary and I found it annoying sometimes.
UGGHHH and the ending.
So yeah, if you didn't read the spoiler and you plan on reading this book ... Let's just say that it has a cliffhanger/shock ending (that isn't really all that shocking). And I don't think I like where this is headed.
However, I plan to read the third book because ... well, I do want to know what happens. ;)
October 29, 2011
*****WARNING******
This review WILL contain spoilers. I will try to be as vague as possible with details, but if you do not want spoilers- please don't read this!
I have a theory. You see, I just finished Pandemonium ten minutes ago and couldn't stop thinking about it. I NEEDED to get my thoughts down on paper. This doesn't happen very often with book reviews. My theory is this: the Delirium trilogy is similar to a puzzle. In the first book, Lena is docile, weak, and meek. In this book, Lena is the exact opposite- hard, cold, and most of all ... angry. You can see this in the covers to the books- in the first, the colors are blue. The model is wide eyed and innocent looking. On the cover for Pandemonium- the model is fierce, picking the reader apart with her angry glare. The colors are orange, red, and the plants give the model a wild look to her.
Some may find this off-putting. Lena's personality seems to have made a complete 180 degree turn. But if you look at the big picture (and if my theory is correct), you can't look at one book without the other. This trilogy seems to be Lena's path to becoming a complete person. A person who has a balance of strong with weak, passion with common sense, and calmness with ferocity. A complete person. Delirium and Pandemonium are those complete opposites- and I really believe book three will be the book that ties them together.
As for the book itself, Lauren Oliver did a fantastic job! At first, I was bothered with how different Lena seemed since the last book (understandably so, but still?). About halfway through the book, I realized- Lena still doesn't have it figured out yet. She will, but she is still struggling to find a balance between the "wild" and the "order" in herself.
Yes, there is a second love interest, and yes he is important, but I don't really think that that is what Pandemonium is really about. Pandemonium is more about Lena's journey and how far into "wild" she is willing to go.
I hope you will all read this book when it comes out- and when you do get a chance to read it, hop back here and let me know if you agree with me. I, personally, can't wait for the third book. I applaud the author for her complex story lines and most of all- for making me think about what makes up a "good" person.
This review WILL contain spoilers. I will try to be as vague as possible with details, but if you do not want spoilers- please don't read this!
I have a theory. You see, I just finished Pandemonium ten minutes ago and couldn't stop thinking about it. I NEEDED to get my thoughts down on paper. This doesn't happen very often with book reviews. My theory is this: the Delirium trilogy is similar to a puzzle. In the first book, Lena is docile, weak, and meek. In this book, Lena is the exact opposite- hard, cold, and most of all ... angry. You can see this in the covers to the books- in the first, the colors are blue. The model is wide eyed and innocent looking. On the cover for Pandemonium- the model is fierce, picking the reader apart with her angry glare. The colors are orange, red, and the plants give the model a wild look to her.
Some may find this off-putting. Lena's personality seems to have made a complete 180 degree turn. But if you look at the big picture (and if my theory is correct), you can't look at one book without the other. This trilogy seems to be Lena's path to becoming a complete person. A person who has a balance of strong with weak, passion with common sense, and calmness with ferocity. A complete person. Delirium and Pandemonium are those complete opposites- and I really believe book three will be the book that ties them together.
As for the book itself, Lauren Oliver did a fantastic job! At first, I was bothered with how different Lena seemed since the last book (understandably so, but still?). About halfway through the book, I realized- Lena still doesn't have it figured out yet. She will, but she is still struggling to find a balance between the "wild" and the "order" in herself.
Yes, there is a second love interest, and yes he is important, but I don't really think that that is what Pandemonium is really about. Pandemonium is more about Lena's journey and how far into "wild" she is willing to go.
I hope you will all read this book when it comes out- and when you do get a chance to read it, hop back here and let me know if you agree with me. I, personally, can't wait for the third book. I applaud the author for her complex story lines and most of all- for making me think about what makes up a "good" person.
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