Author: Lauren Oliver
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Harper Teen
Publish Date: February 28, 2012
Source: Library
Why You're Reading This Book:
- You're a series junkie (You really need to read Delirium first).
- You're a young adult fiction fan.
- You're a dystopian fan.
From Goodreads.com: "I'm pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame."
My Two Cents:
The first thing you should know going into this book is that you must read Delirium first and that it is much better to have recently read Delirium. This book is definitely for the series junkies. Pandemonium picks up where Delirium left off. It took me a little bit to get back into the swing of things and although I didn't feel too lost to finish the book and really enjoy it, I do wish that I had re-read Delirium recently. Oh well, now I know that I need to re-read both Delirium and Pandemonium before I tackle the third book whenever it comes out.
Anyhow, this book covers two times in Lena's life. One in the Wilds (which is the part that I liked more) and one when she is back in civilization. The two times are denoted as then and now. I wish that we would have had a little bit more insight into how far apart the two times were but there isn't a good indication until they converge. It was a little bit confusing.
I really liked the description of the Wilds and how the people there formed their own society. While I don't feel like we learn much about what makes Lena tick in this book, we are introduced to some cool characters. I especially liked Raven. She's tough and knows how to get everyone to do their assigned jobs, which is necessary to make sure that their society continues to run the way that it was supposed to run.
Fans of the first book in this trilogy, Delirium, will really like this book. I think that personally I liked Delirium a little bit better than Pandemonium. Pandemonium is good but it sort of feels like a bridge between Delirium and the last book in the trilogy. What I did like is that there is a good cliffhanger at the end and while usually I don't like cliffhangers, this was a really good one that ignited my excitement for the third book!
I bought this the week it came out and I still haven't gotten around to it! Not sure how I feel about the two time-periods thing.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely took me a little bit to get used to, especially because you don't really get a lot of information about how how long between the two times there is!
DeleteI'm on the waitlist for this at my library - I cannot wait to read it! Yours is the first review I've seen that prefers Delirium to Pandemonium. I have a feeling that I'll be in the same boat as you...but I just have to wait and see!
ReplyDeletePandemonium just sort of felt like the stuffing between two parts of the main story. We'll see what happens in the last book...
DeleteYes, the cliffhanger really got me excited, too!
ReplyDeleteI love a good cliffhanger!
DeleteI didn't read your review - I know, how awful of me. I've been trying to ignore this cos I got so excited/annoyed with the cliff hanger at the end of Delirium and I don't want to have to wait forever for the final installment. Grr...
ReplyDeleteI think I need to start re-thinking when I start reading books that have companion books. I didn't read Hunger Games until all 3 of the books came out and I read all three in about a week and a half. I feel like with books like these, they'd be better to read in one big chunk!
DeleteI did love the cliffhanger. I was so frustrated with Raven though. Did you feel that?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. I liked the character but wish that we could have gotten in her head a little bit more!
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