Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Published: March 4, 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Format: via Edelweiss

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

My Thoughts

This was my first adventure in reading a Lauren Oliver novel and I now I have to read everything she’s written. I loved how she captured the feel of this small town and all of its down on their luck characters.

The premise of Panic is that it’s a game. Money is collected and at the end of the year only seniors are able to do a series of dares and basically the last one standing wins it all. While it might sound easy it’s not, they find out your weaknesses and use them against you.

While Panic the game is the supposed to be the main subject of this read, it’s the people I loved the most. The people are what fueled my love of for this story. Everyone has their own crosses to bear, whether it’s revenge, secrets or just simply trying to survive. My favorite character is Heather; her main reason for playing Panic in the beginning was for her and her boyfriend who later dumps her, but later wants to win to make a better life for her and her little sister. Her mom is a drunk and Heather is the main caretaker for sister. She is the one who I most felt for and totally connected with.

I felt this was a fresh way to tell a new story about teens and competition games. I mean as for as myself I’ve only read about this types of things in dystopian reads. I loved this realistic depiction; I could really see this happening in any town today. This is a great contemporary read with enough action to keep you glued but also a great basic storyline of growing up and finding out where you belong and where you want to go. It also shows us how strong we are when we are pushed against a wall. Sometimes we are stronger than we realize. 

BOTTOM LINE... IT'S...