Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Hodder Paperback (2012), 336 pages
Description
After falling in love, Lena and Alex flee their oppressive society where love is outlawed and everyone must receive "the cure"--an operation that makes them immune to the delirium of love--but Lena alone manages to find her way to a community of resistance fighters, and although she is bereft without the boy she loves, her struggles seem to be leading her toward a new love.
Media reviews
I stayed up late last night to finish Pandemonium, and now I have to wait a possible 10 FULL MONTHS to read the conclusion in Requiem! Oh, Lauren Oliver, how you torture me so!!
User reviews
LibraryThing member schatzi
After reading Delirium, I started Pandemonium the same day. I just had to get more of Lena's story, and I'm very bummed that I'm going to have to wait until 2013 to read the conclusion.
Lena, after escaping into the Wilds, is found by a bunch of Invalids (or freedom fighters). Nursed back from the
Now, this kind of bothered me throughout the entire book. Sure, the "zombies" say that Alex was killed, but these are the same people who lied about her mother's death, and have been pretty much lying to Lena her entire life. Why believe them now? Still, Lena pushes through the grief, and it's interesting to watch her character develop even more as she becomes involved with the resistance.
Oliver's writing is just as beautiful as it was in Delirium.
***THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR PANDEMONIUM BELOW THIS LINE***
***DON'T READ BELOW THIS LINE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK***
***SERIOUSLY***
The whole ending though...whoa. Although I suspected that Alex would show up at some point, to leave the reader on such a cliffhanger is rather cruel. And Alex has completely changed. Interesting.
I must admit, I felt a little blah about Oliver introducing a love triangle, because it seems that EVERY book in this genre is 1) part of a trilogy, 2) fond of leaving the readers hanging at the end of each book, and 3) offering a love triangle with one girl and two boys. Sigh. But, still, Oliver hasn't disappointed me so far, so I'm trusting her not to fall back on the tired cliches that I have read in dystopian YA fiction thus far.
Can't wait for the sequel!
Lena, after escaping into the Wilds, is found by a bunch of Invalids (or freedom fighters). Nursed back from the
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brink of death, Lena tries to make her way in this new world without Alex by her side. Lena, and apparently everyone else in the Wilds, presumes that Alex is dead. Now, this kind of bothered me throughout the entire book. Sure, the "zombies" say that Alex was killed, but these are the same people who lied about her mother's death, and have been pretty much lying to Lena her entire life. Why believe them now? Still, Lena pushes through the grief, and it's interesting to watch her character develop even more as she becomes involved with the resistance.
Oliver's writing is just as beautiful as it was in Delirium.
***THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR PANDEMONIUM BELOW THIS LINE***
***DON'T READ BELOW THIS LINE IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOK***
***SERIOUSLY***
The whole ending though...whoa. Although I suspected that Alex would show up at some point, to leave the reader on such a cliffhanger is rather cruel. And Alex has completely changed. Interesting.
I must admit, I felt a little blah about Oliver introducing a love triangle, because it seems that EVERY book in this genre is 1) part of a trilogy, 2) fond of leaving the readers hanging at the end of each book, and 3) offering a love triangle with one girl and two boys. Sigh. But, still, Oliver hasn't disappointed me so far, so I'm trusting her not to fall back on the tired cliches that I have read in dystopian YA fiction thus far.
Can't wait for the sequel!
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LibraryThing member yearningtoread
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver (Delirium #2)
Pages: 375
Release Date: February 28th, 2012
Date Read: 2012, March 2nd-4th
Received: OWN
Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommended to: 16+
This review contains spoilers for the first book, Delirium.
SUMMARY -
Lena Holoway is old, dead, and buried. Lena Morgan Jones is new,
MY THOUGHTS -
I read. I cried. I threw a fit.
This book makes me want to pull a squirt gun on the publishers, Dick Harper style , and yell, "GIVE ME YOUR ARC'S! GIVE ME YOUR ARC'S!"
I've said it before and I'll say it again. It's something that never gets old, and I don't believe it will ever change.
Lauren Oliver is Brilliant. With a capitol "B".
And because of that Brilliancy, we have Before I Fall, Delirium, and now Pandemonium. (I'm sure Liesl & Po is just as wonderful, but I have yet to read it.) If I had to pick a favorite between Delirium and Pandemonium, I'd pick the first book, but its sequel is so excellent I cannot deny my love for it. It is a Forever Favorite and will stay there for all time.
Once again - Lauren's writing is freaking GORGEOUS. It envelops you in warm, comforting arms and feeds you inspiration by the spoonful. Even after the story is over, it sticks with the reader for a long, long time.
CHARACTER NOTES -
Lena Morgan Jones is my new hero. She's my role model. If I could be half as brave as this young woman, then I'd feel like a superhero. In Delirium, Alex is the one who causes her to bud into a beautiful, brave young woman. Pandemonium shows the continued growth, the building of a new Lena who strives to do right by her memory of Alex, of her mother.
Now, ahem, ALEX. No, he is not exactly in this book as a character, but his memory shines for him, real and encouraging - to the reader as well as to Lena. I loved the way Lena's thoughts of him, her motivation to make her life exactly what he'd died for her to have, practically brought him to life. Oh, how I miss him. I'm serious - I felt like I was Lena, aching for him, wishing for his strong guidance, but also pushing forward, fighting for another day, to live, breathe love. That is why I love Alex.
Julian Fineman. Can I just ask a question? HOW THE HECK DID YOU BECOME WONDERFUL AS WELL?!?!?! After gaining composure... Julian is...wow. I wasn't sure of him at first, but now I'm dead certain. What I'm certain of (besides his awesomeness) I have no idea. I just hope Lauren has something awesome in store for him. (Although, compared with Alex....he doesn't even compare. Ok, so, we're not comparing him with Alex right now. Sorry, I just can't help myself.)
Raven, Tack, Hunter, Sarah, etc. - these are the men and women and children of the wilds. They were all very clear and precise and consistent. I mean, come on, these are Lauren's characters I'm talking about here - what else would they be?!
STORY NOTES -
I'm going to be honest: I missed 37 Brooks, Back Cove...Portland. I really did. But here, in Pandemonium, Lauren Oliver has built something just as real, just totally different - Brooklyn, NY. An entirely new setting, a new structure, a strong difference in her MC - and yet everything felt as though I'd experienced it my whole life. So natural, life-like.
I really liked the then and now idea - how they were different times but they still melted into each other, seamless. Lena's contrasted self was a beautiful thing to see, to be reminded of.
Wanna know what really blows me away? The love triangle. Yep, you heard me. I flipping love this love triangle. It's not giggling teenage girls with hunky men where all they want to do is make out. It's something totally different, out-of-this-world, mindboggling: it's mature. Yes, Lauren Oliver has succeeded in creating the mature and realistic love triangle I've ever read. Now, I have my biases. I'm a "first love" fan 1,000,000%. But honestly, I trust Lauren's expertise. What she says goes. I'm placing my already fragile heart in her hands. I trust she won't crush it. (Ok, just kidding. She's already crushed it and shredded it and mercilessly pounded it into the dirt a million times but...you get what I'm trying to say, right?)
On the topic of love, I must say the love story in this one was a bit less believable, because of who Lena is and what she's been through. I mean, with Delirium's slow-progressing romance, thick and delicious and wondrous, and with the world's best lit-man, nothing really compares now. Because of this, Pandemonium's romance seemed quite a bit fast. It was definitely beautiful, and still believable, but not as much as Lena and Alex's. I sure do hope this makes sense...
And then...WE ALL DIE BECAUSE OF THAT END. WHY?!?!?!! My mind seriously threatens to burst every time I even think about it because I can't even wrap my head around Lauren's brilliance!!!! She is the Queen of Cliffhangers and Heartbreakers. WHY do we have to wait till freaking NEXT YEAR to know what happens?!?!?!
It's just....pure genius. Pure. Genius.
SUMMING IT UP -
You heard me - pure genius. From first page to last. Every word in between. Everything. I'm seriously freaking out right now!!
Requiem: I need you desperately, but you are worth the wait!!!
For the Parents -
A handful of s**t, brief strong language (2 F's, 2 GD's). Reference to "unnaturals" (two guys are apparently a couple). A male character asks to see Lena without a shirt on. She covers her breasts but he does get a peek at the rest. A passionate kiss, some description. They sleep in a bed together but nothing happens. Recommended to 16+
Pages: 375
Release Date: February 28th, 2012
Date Read: 2012, March 2nd-4th
Received: OWN
Rating: 5/5 stars
Recommended to: 16+
This review contains spoilers for the first book, Delirium.
SUMMARY -
Lena Holoway is old, dead, and buried. Lena Morgan Jones is new,
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reborn, and ready to fight at whatever the cost. The memory of Alex, of Grace and her mother, are all she has left of her life before. Her new life is with Raven and Tack, after a grueling time in the Wilds; she lives in Brooklyn, New York, where she is a student, a cured, a Zombie. She has been charged with trailing Julian Fineman, son of prominent leader of the Deliria Free America. When the two are thrown into an adventure they never bargained for, they must put aside their differences - and fight a forbidden love that can never be fostered.MY THOUGHTS -
I read. I cried. I threw a fit.
This book makes me want to pull a squirt gun on the publishers, Dick Harper style , and yell, "GIVE ME YOUR ARC'S! GIVE ME YOUR ARC'S!"
I've said it before and I'll say it again. It's something that never gets old, and I don't believe it will ever change.
Lauren Oliver is Brilliant. With a capitol "B".
And because of that Brilliancy, we have Before I Fall, Delirium, and now Pandemonium. (I'm sure Liesl & Po is just as wonderful, but I have yet to read it.) If I had to pick a favorite between Delirium and Pandemonium, I'd pick the first book, but its sequel is so excellent I cannot deny my love for it. It is a Forever Favorite and will stay there for all time.
Once again - Lauren's writing is freaking GORGEOUS. It envelops you in warm, comforting arms and feeds you inspiration by the spoonful. Even after the story is over, it sticks with the reader for a long, long time.
CHARACTER NOTES -
Lena Morgan Jones is my new hero. She's my role model. If I could be half as brave as this young woman, then I'd feel like a superhero. In Delirium, Alex is the one who causes her to bud into a beautiful, brave young woman. Pandemonium shows the continued growth, the building of a new Lena who strives to do right by her memory of Alex, of her mother.
Now, ahem, ALEX. No, he is not exactly in this book as a character, but his memory shines for him, real and encouraging - to the reader as well as to Lena. I loved the way Lena's thoughts of him, her motivation to make her life exactly what he'd died for her to have, practically brought him to life. Oh, how I miss him. I'm serious - I felt like I was Lena, aching for him, wishing for his strong guidance, but also pushing forward, fighting for another day, to live, breathe love. That is why I love Alex.
Julian Fineman. Can I just ask a question? HOW THE HECK DID YOU BECOME WONDERFUL AS WELL?!?!?! After gaining composure... Julian is...wow. I wasn't sure of him at first, but now I'm dead certain. What I'm certain of (besides his awesomeness) I have no idea. I just hope Lauren has something awesome in store for him. (Although, compared with Alex....he doesn't even compare. Ok, so, we're not comparing him with Alex right now. Sorry, I just can't help myself.)
Raven, Tack, Hunter, Sarah, etc. - these are the men and women and children of the wilds. They were all very clear and precise and consistent. I mean, come on, these are Lauren's characters I'm talking about here - what else would they be?!
STORY NOTES -
I'm going to be honest: I missed 37 Brooks, Back Cove...Portland. I really did. But here, in Pandemonium, Lauren Oliver has built something just as real, just totally different - Brooklyn, NY. An entirely new setting, a new structure, a strong difference in her MC - and yet everything felt as though I'd experienced it my whole life. So natural, life-like.
I really liked the then and now idea - how they were different times but they still melted into each other, seamless. Lena's contrasted self was a beautiful thing to see, to be reminded of.
Wanna know what really blows me away? The love triangle. Yep, you heard me. I flipping love this love triangle. It's not giggling teenage girls with hunky men where all they want to do is make out. It's something totally different, out-of-this-world, mindboggling: it's mature. Yes, Lauren Oliver has succeeded in creating the mature and realistic love triangle I've ever read. Now, I have my biases. I'm a "first love" fan 1,000,000%. But honestly, I trust Lauren's expertise. What she says goes. I'm placing my already fragile heart in her hands. I trust she won't crush it. (Ok, just kidding. She's already crushed it and shredded it and mercilessly pounded it into the dirt a million times but...you get what I'm trying to say, right?)
On the topic of love, I must say the love story in this one was a bit less believable, because of who Lena is and what she's been through. I mean, with Delirium's slow-progressing romance, thick and delicious and wondrous, and with the world's best lit-man, nothing really compares now. Because of this, Pandemonium's romance seemed quite a bit fast. It was definitely beautiful, and still believable, but not as much as Lena and Alex's. I sure do hope this makes sense...
And then...WE ALL DIE BECAUSE OF THAT END. WHY?!?!?!! My mind seriously threatens to burst every time I even think about it because I can't even wrap my head around Lauren's brilliance!!!! She is the Queen of Cliffhangers and Heartbreakers. WHY do we have to wait till freaking NEXT YEAR to know what happens?!?!?!
It's just....pure genius. Pure. Genius.
SUMMING IT UP -
You heard me - pure genius. From first page to last. Every word in between. Everything. I'm seriously freaking out right now!!
Requiem: I need you desperately, but you are worth the wait!!!
For the Parents -
A handful of s**t, brief strong language (2 F's, 2 GD's). Reference to "unnaturals" (two guys are apparently a couple). A male character asks to see Lena without a shirt on. She covers her breasts but he does get a peek at the rest. A passionate kiss, some description. They sleep in a bed together but nothing happens. Recommended to 16+
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LibraryThing member MaryinHB
MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
****probably has spoilers, so just go with that*****
Amazing.
That is all this review needs is that one word. I am amazed that I had Delirium sitting on my shelf since it first came out and didn't pick it up until I had Pandemonium in my hands. I admit I didn't read
Lena is barely alive, Alex is gone and most likely dead. She finds herself in the care of a collection of revolutionaries in the Wild. In the collective, it is all for one, one for all and there is a strong leadership in place that is making plans is trying to fight those who rule. Although those plans aren't fully known to Lena, she knows she is better off in the Wilds as an Invalid than in the City where everyone is in the process of being CURED for the deliria. The story is told though alternating chapters of Lena in the Wild and then working for the Resistance. The could have been horrible sequencing but it really did work for this story. While working undercover for the resistance, Lena meets and saves Julian, the leader's son and that opens up a whole new can of worms since towards the end she discovers that Alex is not quite dead.
The world of Delirium is a quite fascinating dystopian one where love is considered a disease and the only cure is to have surgery which could possibly kill or maim. This book is a real page turner (I hate that term, but nothing else will work for this one). It didn't take me long at all to read it straight through since there is so much action and you felt like you were running with Lena as she is fighting for the resistance. There are so many little twists and turns with amazing secondary characters and location descriptions that seemed to read more of a movie plot than anything else. I am now desperately waiting for the conclusion!
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT
****probably has spoilers, so just go with that*****
Amazing.
That is all this review needs is that one word. I am amazed that I had Delirium sitting on my shelf since it first came out and didn't pick it up until I had Pandemonium in my hands. I admit I didn't read
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Delirium until after I read Pandemonium. Did it ruin it for me? Nope, not one bit. I think I might have enjoyed it a bit more but that would have been hard since I clicked instantly with the story and the characters. So keep your slings and arrows to yourself and don't come hunt me down for that sacrilege. I fully repent.Lena is barely alive, Alex is gone and most likely dead. She finds herself in the care of a collection of revolutionaries in the Wild. In the collective, it is all for one, one for all and there is a strong leadership in place that is making plans is trying to fight those who rule. Although those plans aren't fully known to Lena, she knows she is better off in the Wilds as an Invalid than in the City where everyone is in the process of being CURED for the deliria. The story is told though alternating chapters of Lena in the Wild and then working for the Resistance. The could have been horrible sequencing but it really did work for this story. While working undercover for the resistance, Lena meets and saves Julian, the leader's son and that opens up a whole new can of worms since towards the end she discovers that Alex is not quite dead.
The world of Delirium is a quite fascinating dystopian one where love is considered a disease and the only cure is to have surgery which could possibly kill or maim. This book is a real page turner (I hate that term, but nothing else will work for this one). It didn't take me long at all to read it straight through since there is so much action and you felt like you were running with Lena as she is fighting for the resistance. There are so many little twists and turns with amazing secondary characters and location descriptions that seemed to read more of a movie plot than anything else. I am now desperately waiting for the conclusion!
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LibraryThing member Liz_S
Ok. So I have just finished this explosive book! I almost wrote my review nore finishing the last few pages, but im glad I didn't now. I am pretty sure that I hate this author now for leaving the end like she did! Well I suppose it is a love/hate relationship. This is probably the best book I have
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ever read! I could not put it down. I would find myself sneaking in a few pages at work or at a long red light. Im going to whine a little now and say I cant believe I have to wait a whole year for the last book!! I would recommend (if you have no patience like me) that you wait until all three are out to start them. Because let me warn you this series is highly addictive! Show Less
LibraryThing member fredamans
Now I'm done this book and am asking myself if there is going to be more? I really hope so. Now that there is a triangle of sorts, I want to know how that will play out.
Another beautifully written story by Lauren. Taking readers on a deep journey through a world that is not so far fetched, but
I like Lena even more in this book than the first. I just wish she would learn to trust herself more. Maybe in book 3 she will have that self-confidence.
This is definitely a series I am still recommending to readers, but make sure to start with Delirium.
Another beautifully written story by Lauren. Taking readers on a deep journey through a world that is not so far fetched, but
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imaginable enough to steal your interests.I like Lena even more in this book than the first. I just wish she would learn to trust herself more. Maybe in book 3 she will have that self-confidence.
This is definitely a series I am still recommending to readers, but make sure to start with Delirium.
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LibraryThing member katlb82
36 hours ago I finished Delirium - and after restraining myself from throwing the book out the window in frustration, I moved immediately onto Pandemonium. I don't often move straight to the next book, I like to let the one I've just finished 'settle' a little, but in this case I just couldn't help
I tore through Pandemonium in less than 24 hours - partly because it was a good book but also because I started with a sneaking suspicion that I knew what was going to happen at the end - and I was right. Anyway, enough of my gloating about my guessing prowess, here are my thoughts on Pandemonium.
Told in alternating 'Then' and 'Now' chapters, Pandemonium focuses on Lena just after escaping to the wilds, and six months later. I'm not the biggest fan of alternating time-frames by chapter, but it's done pretty well through Pandemonium - it's clearly delineated so there's no confusion, although towards the end of the book the chapters do get quite short for while as the story starts to really heat up.
There is a lot more world-building in Pandemonium, expanding upon some parts of society and introducing some that were not even mentioned in Delirium and making the Wilds a more tangible, imaginable place with kick-ass new characters (loved Raven - that girl scared me!).
Lena has certainly toughened up as a character in the 'Now', and the 'Then' explains the situations she has been through in the Wilds that have caused her to grow some serious balls. There is a new male character (of course), but he came across to me as a bit of a whingy little boy - I didn't find him nearly as solid or likeable as Alex.
The second book in a trilogy is always a toughie - the first book has a lot to tell and the final book wraps everything up, but the second book is sometimes considered 'filler' - and Pandemonium, for the most part, manages to avoid the 'filler' tag. Lauren Oliver, as always, writes well and builds excellent tension, with some heartbreaking, heart-stopping moments thrown in for good measure.
As I said earlier, I'd already guessed the 'cliffhanger' well before I got there, so I didn't have book murdering thoughts when I got there, but if you aren't expecting it I can certainly see why you would want to drop-kick that bad boy into next week! I will be anticipating the third book (in 2013!), but it's not going to kill me waiting for it.
Overall, I really enjoyed Pandemonium, even more so than Delirium. The world-building is stronger, the action is more, well, action-ey and I loved the transformation of Lena. If you were a little disappointed by Delirium because it moved slowly or Lena wasn't the most likeable character, you should still give Pandemonium a try - it might surprise you!
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myself - I HAD to know what happened next.I tore through Pandemonium in less than 24 hours - partly because it was a good book but also because I started with a sneaking suspicion that I knew what was going to happen at the end - and I was right. Anyway, enough of my gloating about my guessing prowess, here are my thoughts on Pandemonium.
Told in alternating 'Then' and 'Now' chapters, Pandemonium focuses on Lena just after escaping to the wilds, and six months later. I'm not the biggest fan of alternating time-frames by chapter, but it's done pretty well through Pandemonium - it's clearly delineated so there's no confusion, although towards the end of the book the chapters do get quite short for while as the story starts to really heat up.
There is a lot more world-building in Pandemonium, expanding upon some parts of society and introducing some that were not even mentioned in Delirium and making the Wilds a more tangible, imaginable place with kick-ass new characters (loved Raven - that girl scared me!).
Lena has certainly toughened up as a character in the 'Now', and the 'Then' explains the situations she has been through in the Wilds that have caused her to grow some serious balls. There is a new male character (of course), but he came across to me as a bit of a whingy little boy - I didn't find him nearly as solid or likeable as Alex.
The second book in a trilogy is always a toughie - the first book has a lot to tell and the final book wraps everything up, but the second book is sometimes considered 'filler' - and Pandemonium, for the most part, manages to avoid the 'filler' tag. Lauren Oliver, as always, writes well and builds excellent tension, with some heartbreaking, heart-stopping moments thrown in for good measure.
As I said earlier, I'd already guessed the 'cliffhanger' well before I got there, so I didn't have book murdering thoughts when I got there, but if you aren't expecting it I can certainly see why you would want to drop-kick that bad boy into next week! I will be anticipating the third book (in 2013!), but it's not going to kill me waiting for it.
Overall, I really enjoyed Pandemonium, even more so than Delirium. The world-building is stronger, the action is more, well, action-ey and I loved the transformation of Lena. If you were a little disappointed by Delirium because it moved slowly or Lena wasn't the most likeable character, you should still give Pandemonium a try - it might surprise you!
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LibraryThing member dgoo
This is better than Delerium and we really see Lena develop here, as well as her relationship with a new guy, with whom she undergoes more than a few traumatic experiences. I really liked the scene of them taking a shower, separately, in the abandoned subway tunnels under a spout of rain run-off.
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This is probably the best future dystopia I've read with a female protagonist, excepting perhaps Ashes, since The Hunger Games. I eagerly await the third installment from this fine author. Oliver's After the Fall, though not of same genre, is definitely worth checking out if you like her other books. Show Less
LibraryThing member jjameli
I was really excited to read Pandemonium especially with the way Delirium ended. Gahh! I hate cliff hangers.
Pandemonium begins right where Delirium ended with Lena hauling ass into the wilds and crawling her way further and further away from Alex and her old life. Pandemonium is written
There is also new characters introduced that I love. They bring a different element and the opportunity for more story building. Not only do we get more characters but also get to know 'the Wilds' more. We only catch glimpses of how things work in 'the Wilds' in Delirium but in Pandemonium we fully understand the hardships of the people living there. I enjoyed reading how they survived.
With that all being said, I didn't enjoy Pandemonium as much as Delirium. I just didn't like where Ms. Oliver took the story. Somethings aren't necessary for a solid good story and she went in the direction that I don't enjoy so much in YA. I really don't want to say because it might be considered a spoiler and I don't want to piss someone off, but I was really disappointed with it.
There are many aspects in a book that make it great, the combination of both awesome characters and great storytelling. For me the characters were there, I just was let down by the storytelling. To clarify it's really with the last half of the story. AND we get another cliffhanger. Whatever!
Despite being let down with Pandemonium, it did have it's awesome moments so I will be continuing with the series. That damn cliffhanger got me again.
Pandemonium begins right where Delirium ended with Lena hauling ass into the wilds and crawling her way further and further away from Alex and her old life. Pandemonium is written
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differently then Delirium in that each chapter is alternates between Then and Now. I didn't think it hindered the flow of the story at all. I think that it made for a faster read, and without it it the pace would have been a lot slower. The pace is one of the best things about Pandemonium. There is action, o'yeah. Plenty of action, it's one of the things that Delirium needed. There is also new characters introduced that I love. They bring a different element and the opportunity for more story building. Not only do we get more characters but also get to know 'the Wilds' more. We only catch glimpses of how things work in 'the Wilds' in Delirium but in Pandemonium we fully understand the hardships of the people living there. I enjoyed reading how they survived.
With that all being said, I didn't enjoy Pandemonium as much as Delirium. I just didn't like where Ms. Oliver took the story. Somethings aren't necessary for a solid good story and she went in the direction that I don't enjoy so much in YA. I really don't want to say because it might be considered a spoiler and I don't want to piss someone off, but I was really disappointed with it.
There are many aspects in a book that make it great, the combination of both awesome characters and great storytelling. For me the characters were there, I just was let down by the storytelling. To clarify it's really with the last half of the story. AND we get another cliffhanger. Whatever!
Despite being let down with Pandemonium, it did have it's awesome moments so I will be continuing with the series. That damn cliffhanger got me again.
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LibraryThing member nbmars
Note: There are necessarily spoilers for Delirium in this review, but no significant disclosures for Pandemonium
Since Pandemonium (book two) is a sequel to Delirium (book one), I reread the latter before starting on Pandemonium, and I have to say, I liked it much better the second time. Or perhaps
Delirium is the story told by Lena Haloway, age 17, of what happened when she met a boy, Alex.
In Delirium, all citizens upon turning age 18 submit to a “cure” by the government lest they fall victim to the “disease” of passion. Their affects are essentially neutralized. Thus, there are no more revolts, revolutions, violence, wars, or even dissent, but there is also no more love, and no more pain. As Alex presciently says to Lena, “That’s when you really lose people, you know. When the pain passes.”
In book one, just weeks from her cure, Lena decides to run off with Alex, with whom she has fallen in love, into “The Wilds” to become an uncured “Invalid.” She manages to escape, but Alex is apprehended in his effort to draw attention away from Lena. His last word to her is “Run!”
Though the book ends there, we know that Lena will carry with her snapshots in her head “as fragile and beautiful and hopeless as a single butterfly, flapping on against a gathering wind”:
"Alex smearing chocolate ice cream on my nose after I’ve complained I’m too hot; the heavy drone of bees circling above us in the garden, a neat line of ants marching quietly over the remains of our picnic; Alex’s fingers in my hair; the curve of his elbow under my head; Alex whispering, ‘I wish you could stay with me,’ while another day bleeds out on the horizon, red and pink and gold; staring up at the sky, inventing shapes for the clouds: a turtle wearing a hat, a mole carrying a zucchini, a goldfish chasing a rabbit that is running for its life.”
Book two, Pandemonium, is about Lena’s acclamation to survival in The Wilds. It is told in alternating chapters: “now” and “then” – “then” referring to when she first got to The Wilds, and “now” reporting on Lena’s current life. Lena begins her life in The Wilds with a group that is led by the teens Raven (a female) and Tack (a male). They expect Lena to pull her weight, and to learn how to live in conditions of severe hardship. Their training is invaluable.
In the “now” sections, we learn that Lena has joined the resistance undercover, pretending to be a true believer in DFA – or Deliria Free America. When Julian, the son of Thomas Fineman, the movement’s founder, is kidnapped, Lena is inexplicably captured along with him. Although on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum and at least nominally enemies, they must combine forces to escape, or else die.
The time period between the “now” and “then” sections collapse as the book progresses and the tension ratchets up, until all is “now” at the end, and the story concludes [sic] with a giant cliffhanger.
Discussion: While the book’s broad themes are not markedly different from many others (and sequences in The Wilds correspond more closely to post-apocalyptic than dystopic stories), Oliver excels in above-average prose and in her in characterizations. Lena evolves in book two, but her personality remains recognizable. At her best, she is superlatively admirable, and at her worst (such as the times when even she knows she is “acting like a baby”), she is only human. Julian, a naïf who rapidly becomes more sophisticated under adversity, is fully believable as a young man who goes from delusion to enlightenment, and from someone who never has had much social contact at all, to a boy in awestruck but shy appreciation of the wonders of the opposite sex. In fact, all of the “uncured” characters are artfully nuanced, evincing determination, fear, love, uncertainty, pain, and joy with convincing verisimilitude. Only the “cureds” are one-dimensional, but in fact, that is exactly what the cure was designed to make them.
And about that cliffhanger: it seemed obvious to me from the beginning how Pandemonium would end, but that didn’t really detract from the story. The only thing it really did was make the interim until we get to book three seem all the longer!
Evaluation: Lauren Oliver has shown, in the four books of hers that I have read, that she knows how to create fantastical realms without losing her focus or sacrificing her writing skill. Her characters are people you want to know, and take care of, and sometimes cry for. Best of all, they are so realistic; they are not just people you would only encounter on a movie screen. Pandemonium is no different. I would not consider this to be a standalone book, but followers of the series will not be disappointed.
Since Pandemonium (book two) is a sequel to Delirium (book one), I reread the latter before starting on Pandemonium, and I have to say, I liked it much better the second time. Or perhaps
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I should say, after reading a gazillion other dystopias in the interim, I appreciated it much better. I would even go so far as to say I didn’t understand Delirium correctly the first time I read it. I was hung up on the idea that it was absurd to outlaw “love” without seeing the larger picture of love as just one aspect of passion, which would impact on society’s ability to control its citizens.Delirium is the story told by Lena Haloway, age 17, of what happened when she met a boy, Alex.
In Delirium, all citizens upon turning age 18 submit to a “cure” by the government lest they fall victim to the “disease” of passion. Their affects are essentially neutralized. Thus, there are no more revolts, revolutions, violence, wars, or even dissent, but there is also no more love, and no more pain. As Alex presciently says to Lena, “That’s when you really lose people, you know. When the pain passes.”
In book one, just weeks from her cure, Lena decides to run off with Alex, with whom she has fallen in love, into “The Wilds” to become an uncured “Invalid.” She manages to escape, but Alex is apprehended in his effort to draw attention away from Lena. His last word to her is “Run!”
Though the book ends there, we know that Lena will carry with her snapshots in her head “as fragile and beautiful and hopeless as a single butterfly, flapping on against a gathering wind”:
"Alex smearing chocolate ice cream on my nose after I’ve complained I’m too hot; the heavy drone of bees circling above us in the garden, a neat line of ants marching quietly over the remains of our picnic; Alex’s fingers in my hair; the curve of his elbow under my head; Alex whispering, ‘I wish you could stay with me,’ while another day bleeds out on the horizon, red and pink and gold; staring up at the sky, inventing shapes for the clouds: a turtle wearing a hat, a mole carrying a zucchini, a goldfish chasing a rabbit that is running for its life.”
Book two, Pandemonium, is about Lena’s acclamation to survival in The Wilds. It is told in alternating chapters: “now” and “then” – “then” referring to when she first got to The Wilds, and “now” reporting on Lena’s current life. Lena begins her life in The Wilds with a group that is led by the teens Raven (a female) and Tack (a male). They expect Lena to pull her weight, and to learn how to live in conditions of severe hardship. Their training is invaluable.
In the “now” sections, we learn that Lena has joined the resistance undercover, pretending to be a true believer in DFA – or Deliria Free America. When Julian, the son of Thomas Fineman, the movement’s founder, is kidnapped, Lena is inexplicably captured along with him. Although on opposite sides of the ideological spectrum and at least nominally enemies, they must combine forces to escape, or else die.
The time period between the “now” and “then” sections collapse as the book progresses and the tension ratchets up, until all is “now” at the end, and the story concludes [sic] with a giant cliffhanger.
Discussion: While the book’s broad themes are not markedly different from many others (and sequences in The Wilds correspond more closely to post-apocalyptic than dystopic stories), Oliver excels in above-average prose and in her in characterizations. Lena evolves in book two, but her personality remains recognizable. At her best, she is superlatively admirable, and at her worst (such as the times when even she knows she is “acting like a baby”), she is only human. Julian, a naïf who rapidly becomes more sophisticated under adversity, is fully believable as a young man who goes from delusion to enlightenment, and from someone who never has had much social contact at all, to a boy in awestruck but shy appreciation of the wonders of the opposite sex. In fact, all of the “uncured” characters are artfully nuanced, evincing determination, fear, love, uncertainty, pain, and joy with convincing verisimilitude. Only the “cureds” are one-dimensional, but in fact, that is exactly what the cure was designed to make them.
And about that cliffhanger: it seemed obvious to me from the beginning how Pandemonium would end, but that didn’t really detract from the story. The only thing it really did was make the interim until we get to book three seem all the longer!
Evaluation: Lauren Oliver has shown, in the four books of hers that I have read, that she knows how to create fantastical realms without losing her focus or sacrificing her writing skill. Her characters are people you want to know, and take care of, and sometimes cry for. Best of all, they are so realistic; they are not just people you would only encounter on a movie screen. Pandemonium is no different. I would not consider this to be a standalone book, but followers of the series will not be disappointed.
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LibraryThing member 4sarad
The more I think about it, the less I like this book. Oliver's writing was good and I liked the two storylines in this novel. I did find it annoying that there were no chapter titles. If you lose your page it's not very helpful to flip to the table of contents and wonder "Was I in "Now" or "Now" or
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"Then" or "Now?" Mostly I was just bored. Nothing at all was surprising in this novel. There were several "surprises" built into the story, but who didn't see them all coming a mile away? I also find it annoying that Lena has seemingly only met two boys in her life and has managed to fall hopelessly lin love with both of them. It happens so fast, too! It just didn't feel real at all. Plus the novel did this strange back and forth thing where Lena is hurt and then she's a complete badass. She's really hurt and a man is taking care of her and then she does something more along the lines of what Katniss or Katsa would do. Then again she's hurt and whiny and then again she runs off like a badass to save her little boyfriend. Very strange. I also don't think it really got into what happens between the "then" and the "now." They seem very disconnected even at the end. This book was a disappointment, and from the way it ends it seems I'll dislike the third book as well if I ever read it. Show Less
LibraryThing member callmecayce
Spoilers for Pandemonium.
Up until the end of the book, I really liked it. I thought it was better than Delirium, which I'd reread before reading this one, because I love Oliver's writing. I liked the alternating chapters, giving us the past and the present storylines. I liked the new characters,
I could've given this book five stars, but it's only 3.5 because of the god damned love triangle. There are plenty of other ways to create conflict, Pandemonium is full of them. Relying on a love triangle is just so disappointing. Ugh, and I was so excited for this book, too. All I can do is hope that third book is good, but it's not a lot of hope I have going on.
Up until the end of the book, I really liked it. I thought it was better than Delirium, which I'd reread before reading this one, because I love Oliver's writing. I liked the alternating chapters, giving us the past and the present storylines. I liked the new characters,
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the way Lena had changed and grown, as well as her inner struggles. I was excited for the third book, and then I finished Pandemonium. I don't know why authors think that people want love triangles, I don't know why people in general want them! Most of the time I don't. And then this book, which was so good, ended in such a cliched and predictable manner that I nearly threw it on the floor in disgust. Of course he isn't dead, I suppose we're meant to believe that through the whole novel, but I was honestly hoping she'd avoid going that route, that Oliver wouldn't drag us through the crap that is a love triangle. Sometimes it's done well, but it rarely is. I am reluctant to continue reading this series because I don't want to have to deal with the stupid love triangle. I probably will, because Oliver's writing is too good to pass up, but I'm just so utterly disappointed that she had to take the love triangle's way out of this book. I could've given this book five stars, but it's only 3.5 because of the god damned love triangle. There are plenty of other ways to create conflict, Pandemonium is full of them. Relying on a love triangle is just so disappointing. Ugh, and I was so excited for this book, too. All I can do is hope that third book is good, but it's not a lot of hope I have going on.
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LibraryThing member SmplexlyRee
As soon as I read the last of Lauren Oliver’s Delirium, I knew I’d be buying the next in the series. The cliffhanger-esque ending of that book left many a reader gasping and clutching at the pages, asking Why why why it had to be that way. So, yes, I had high hopes for this book. Often, when
I admit that initially I was a little put off by the format. The chapters alternate from “now” to “then”, and I really expected it to be choppy and vile. Ms. Oliver, though, pulled it off without a hitch and I feel like the story flowed well enough forward that the pauses to shift back to the past did not leave it feeling disjointed at all.
I did miss some of the characters from Delirium, and I didn’t really bond so much with some of the new ones introduced in Pandemonium, but I’m fairly certain that was by design and not because they’re badly written characters. Quite the opposite in fact – everyone introduced to the reader seemed well thought out and placed intentionally.
There -are- a few little things in Pandemonium that I feel were thrown in there just because they could be thrown in. Also, the story itself felt a bit less substantial than Delirium. There was just as much world building and we do get to see why things are happening the way they’re happening, but it just wasn’t portrayed in as succinct (and yet perfectly detailed) a way as the first book. In that respect, this book definitely has a middle-of-the-series funk to it. It’s not overwhelming, though, and certainly shouldn’t cause anyone to not read through. And really, despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the time between the end of Delirium and the “now” of Pandemonium. Lena’s life went from innocent and mostly carefree to epic and hard, and she GREW from it. She developed, learned, fought, feared, loved, and became a deep character with many layers.
Now – the ending. Hmm. I have so many mixed emotions about how this book ended. In one way, you’re surprised – but it’s also kind of expected. It really kind of boggled my mind that it ended the way it did.
Pandemonium is a beautiful story that explores the growth of self through trial and heartache and introduces the reader to the flux of emotions that can happen with all of the relationships in a person’s life.
I’ll definitely be reading Requiem, the third in the series.
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hopes are so high, they get dashed. Thankfully that was not the case in this instance and Pandemonium delivered a punch that, while it isn’t quite as breath-stealing as the first in the series, definitely got my attention.I admit that initially I was a little put off by the format. The chapters alternate from “now” to “then”, and I really expected it to be choppy and vile. Ms. Oliver, though, pulled it off without a hitch and I feel like the story flowed well enough forward that the pauses to shift back to the past did not leave it feeling disjointed at all.
I did miss some of the characters from Delirium, and I didn’t really bond so much with some of the new ones introduced in Pandemonium, but I’m fairly certain that was by design and not because they’re badly written characters. Quite the opposite in fact – everyone introduced to the reader seemed well thought out and placed intentionally.
There -are- a few little things in Pandemonium that I feel were thrown in there just because they could be thrown in. Also, the story itself felt a bit less substantial than Delirium. There was just as much world building and we do get to see why things are happening the way they’re happening, but it just wasn’t portrayed in as succinct (and yet perfectly detailed) a way as the first book. In that respect, this book definitely has a middle-of-the-series funk to it. It’s not overwhelming, though, and certainly shouldn’t cause anyone to not read through. And really, despite that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the time between the end of Delirium and the “now” of Pandemonium. Lena’s life went from innocent and mostly carefree to epic and hard, and she GREW from it. She developed, learned, fought, feared, loved, and became a deep character with many layers.
Now – the ending. Hmm. I have so many mixed emotions about how this book ended. In one way, you’re surprised – but it’s also kind of expected. It really kind of boggled my mind that it ended the way it did.
Pandemonium is a beautiful story that explores the growth of self through trial and heartache and introduces the reader to the flux of emotions that can happen with all of the relationships in a person’s life.
I’ll definitely be reading Requiem, the third in the series.
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LibraryThing member myheartheartsbooks
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
Review:
Lena's life after arriving in the wilds are composed of two parts: "now" and "then". "Now", readers meet a new Lena. A stronger person than she was before, because of what happened while trying to escape, and what happens "then".
This story is so fast paced and action-packed, there is never a dull moment.
I have this thing that I do when reading: I always try to figure out the ending as early as possible. If you pay attention early on, it is definitely easy to figure out how the story will end. However, Lauren Oliver does an amazing job making the in-between moments just an important and enjoyable as the beginning and the ending. Just as many unanswered questions from Delirium were finally being answered, more questions are raised, and it just makes next year when the final installment to the delirium trilogy seem that much further away.
Loved: The last scene. I tried to turn the page of my nook book, because there had to be more, when I reached the Acknowledgments page. The cliff-hanger is pleasurably painful. You accept that the book is over, because you know the next one will hopefully answer all your burning questions.
Disliked: The lack of Hana in the novel. She is mentioned one or twice, but isn't present, which suck because we just gotten to know her a little bit better from reading Hana (Oliver's novella).
So many questions. But you'll definitely love this one. I think I actually love this one better than Delirium because Lena is more like Katniss from the Hunger Games, whereas in Delirium I think she was like Bella from Twilight.
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
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flame.Review:
Lena's life after arriving in the wilds are composed of two parts: "now" and "then". "Now", readers meet a new Lena. A stronger person than she was before, because of what happened while trying to escape, and what happens "then".
This story is so fast paced and action-packed, there is never a dull moment.
I have this thing that I do when reading: I always try to figure out the ending as early as possible. If you pay attention early on, it is definitely easy to figure out how the story will end. However, Lauren Oliver does an amazing job making the in-between moments just an important and enjoyable as the beginning and the ending. Just as many unanswered questions from Delirium were finally being answered, more questions are raised, and it just makes next year when the final installment to the delirium trilogy seem that much further away.
Loved: The last scene. I tried to turn the page of my nook book, because there had to be more, when I reached the Acknowledgments page. The cliff-hanger is pleasurably painful. You accept that the book is over, because you know the next one will hopefully answer all your burning questions.
Disliked: The lack of Hana in the novel. She is mentioned one or twice, but isn't present, which suck because we just gotten to know her a little bit better from reading Hana (Oliver's novella).
So many questions. But you'll definitely love this one. I think I actually love this one better than Delirium because Lena is more like Katniss from the Hunger Games, whereas in Delirium I think she was like Bella from Twilight.
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LibraryThing member CuteMcGinn
Pandemonium is a beautifully crafted novel from Lauren Oliver. Oliver has this way of writing that is poetic but there is no unnecessary dialog. Everything she writes has purpose and focus and it is pure joy to read any of Lauren Oliver’s novels, regardless of content.
Pandemonium is the sequel
The novel opens just as the last one ends and Oliver does this wonderful thing where she switches between two timelines and does so seamlessly! Better than seamlessly actually. There are some wonderful moments where Oliver’s stories overlap and dovetail wonderfully to each other. Her ability to float so flawlessly between two timelines had me in awe of her writing skills. That is probably one of the best features of this novel.
Lauren Oliver’s story is beautiful and entertaining. And I can’t explain it... I wish I could but Delirium just didn’t “do” it for me and I so, So, SO wanted it too. Yes, it was enjoyable and yes it was easy to read and yes it was fun and fast but it won’t be one of those books that will go on my top ten list of books, (as Before I Fall has) or even on my top Twenty Five or Fifty! It’s not one of those books I will read and re-read. And Pandemonium was the same for me. I just don’t understand it. I wanted to connect with the story soooo badly but for me I was missing that connection to the novel. And that is the only thing that keeps this novel from being a five star rating as far as I am concerned.
I understand that my lack of connection with this book is unfounded. I struggle to understand it myself. Still, I love-LOVE reading Lauren Oliver. She could write about a wet paper bag and I would read it because she is the most talented writer in the Young Adult genre as far as I am concerned.
So I encourage everyone to read this novel! I think everyone can take something away from this novel. I can’t wait to read the next novel in this series from Oliver, as this one ended in a cliff hanger. Lauren Oliver is never a disappointment.
Pandemonium is the sequel
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to Delirium and in this dystopian society, Oliver gives us a world in which love has been declared a disease and everyone must take the cure for (which is a high tech-lobotomy like procedure) but at the end of Delirium we watch Lena crawl over the fence and loose the one boy who ever met anything to her. The boy who gave her the disease, the boy who gave her Delirium. The novel opens just as the last one ends and Oliver does this wonderful thing where she switches between two timelines and does so seamlessly! Better than seamlessly actually. There are some wonderful moments where Oliver’s stories overlap and dovetail wonderfully to each other. Her ability to float so flawlessly between two timelines had me in awe of her writing skills. That is probably one of the best features of this novel.
Lauren Oliver’s story is beautiful and entertaining. And I can’t explain it... I wish I could but Delirium just didn’t “do” it for me and I so, So, SO wanted it too. Yes, it was enjoyable and yes it was easy to read and yes it was fun and fast but it won’t be one of those books that will go on my top ten list of books, (as Before I Fall has) or even on my top Twenty Five or Fifty! It’s not one of those books I will read and re-read. And Pandemonium was the same for me. I just don’t understand it. I wanted to connect with the story soooo badly but for me I was missing that connection to the novel. And that is the only thing that keeps this novel from being a five star rating as far as I am concerned.
I understand that my lack of connection with this book is unfounded. I struggle to understand it myself. Still, I love-LOVE reading Lauren Oliver. She could write about a wet paper bag and I would read it because she is the most talented writer in the Young Adult genre as far as I am concerned.
So I encourage everyone to read this novel! I think everyone can take something away from this novel. I can’t wait to read the next novel in this series from Oliver, as this one ended in a cliff hanger. Lauren Oliver is never a disappointment.
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LibraryThing member renkellym
One of my only qualms with Delirium was its pace; I found it to be a bit slow, albeit well developed. Pandemonium kicks things up a notch. Lauren Oliver’s prose is beautiful and poetic as ever, but it feels more charged and energetic than it was in Delirium. For those like me, who were looking
Lena really breaks out of her shell in Pandemonium. Although in Delirium she underwent great growth, Lena becomes tougher and more self-aware in Pandemonium. She’s still a work in progress, though, which is wonderful; whereas in some series, protagonists grow the most in the first installment, Lauren Oliver is continually developing Lena. We see a new side of her in Pandemonium, and I personally thought it was fantastic. I liked Lena twice as much in this installment than I did in its predecessor.
We do meet new characters in Pandemonium, and while we don’t get as close to them as we did to, say, Hanna in Delirium, they are likable and rounded. My favorite is Julian, an initially pathetic papa’s boy whose personal awakening mirrors Lena’s in Delirium.
If you enjoyed Delirium, I can guarantee that you’ll love Pandemonium–possibly even more. It’s a rare treat when sequels outshine the first book in a trilogy, so kudos to Lauren Oliver! (Although, really, if anyone could do it, she could.) Highly recommended!
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for all of that beauty with a little more excitement, Pandemonium is perfect! The chapters are split between two timelines: then and now. Both storylines are suspenseful, action-packed, and complete emotional rollercoasters. It’s clear that Lauren Oliver was thoughtful in choosing how to align the two timelines, because things that occur in the then timeline almost always become relevant in the now chapters. This gives the novel a greater sense of wholeness: it feels rounded and complete.Lena really breaks out of her shell in Pandemonium. Although in Delirium she underwent great growth, Lena becomes tougher and more self-aware in Pandemonium. She’s still a work in progress, though, which is wonderful; whereas in some series, protagonists grow the most in the first installment, Lauren Oliver is continually developing Lena. We see a new side of her in Pandemonium, and I personally thought it was fantastic. I liked Lena twice as much in this installment than I did in its predecessor.
We do meet new characters in Pandemonium, and while we don’t get as close to them as we did to, say, Hanna in Delirium, they are likable and rounded. My favorite is Julian, an initially pathetic papa’s boy whose personal awakening mirrors Lena’s in Delirium.
If you enjoyed Delirium, I can guarantee that you’ll love Pandemonium–possibly even more. It’s a rare treat when sequels outshine the first book in a trilogy, so kudos to Lauren Oliver! (Although, really, if anyone could do it, she could.) Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member Annesanse
I've been looking forward to this sequel of Delirium, and I have to say that it didn't disappoint. While I found the book to be fairly (very) predictable, I think overall I enjoyed it just as much as the first one. The story was interesting, and the romance was really sweet. I do like Lena, and I'm
The only real gripe I have with this book is Lena's usage of curse words. I've read plenty of books where the cursing feels authentic, this however was not one of them; to me it just sounded forced coming from her and kept making me cringe. (I didn't really explain that well, it just felt very off.)
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already feeling sorry for the things she's going to have to deal with in the next book. This book definitely left me wanting to read more. The only real gripe I have with this book is Lena's usage of curse words. I've read plenty of books where the cursing feels authentic, this however was not one of them; to me it just sounded forced coming from her and kept making me cringe. (I didn't really explain that well, it just felt very off.)
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LibraryThing member irinka87
Such a great twist at the ending. Perfect follow up to the first novel. Cannot wait till book 3 comes out.
LibraryThing member jacindahinten
I am in LOVE! Seriously! I feel like I am in love! I went to bed thinking about Pandemonium and I woke up thinking about it as well! I can’t seem to get it off my mind! I know I love a book once I’m done with it when I replay scenes over and over again in my mind!
We all know, well at least
Pandemonium is told in alternating then and now chapters…it’s done VERY well. It didn’t bother me one bit. I found myself at the beginning of the book, reading the NOW chapters fast because I really wanted to read the THEN chapters. As the story went on, I found myself reading the THEN chapters fast because all of the really good stuff was in the NOW chapters. I’m surprised I enjoyed the chapters like this.
I only read one review of this book before I read it. I kind of wanted to go into this book without having read too many reviews. This one reviewer stated that she couldn’t believe she was able to fall in love with another boy after Alex. I can’t believe I was able to as well. Just WOW.
The last 80 pages for me were difficult to read. Not because I thought the story was bad, but because I didn’t want the book to end and I was totally afraid of what was going to happen. I will admit. I guessed the ending of this book…well one part at least. Did I find the ending predictable? Yes, obviously. I still couldn’t believe it happened after it happened though. Even though I just KNEW it was coming I still was shocked and thrown off guard. I NEED to get my hands on Requiem as soon as I am able to! I’m already jonsen for more of this beautiful world and the characters Lauren Oliver has created!
We all know, well at least
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those of us who read Delirium, how it ended. That ending broke thousands of hearts. I was kind of shattered. In Pandemonium, we see Lena’s struggles in the Wilds and see how she moves past the tragedy that is Alex. I had my heart shattered all over again within the first few pages. The hurt and grief for Lena is still very, very knew at that point, so I was tearing up and aching for her at the same moments. Pandemonium is told in alternating then and now chapters…it’s done VERY well. It didn’t bother me one bit. I found myself at the beginning of the book, reading the NOW chapters fast because I really wanted to read the THEN chapters. As the story went on, I found myself reading the THEN chapters fast because all of the really good stuff was in the NOW chapters. I’m surprised I enjoyed the chapters like this.
I only read one review of this book before I read it. I kind of wanted to go into this book without having read too many reviews. This one reviewer stated that she couldn’t believe she was able to fall in love with another boy after Alex. I can’t believe I was able to as well. Just WOW.
The last 80 pages for me were difficult to read. Not because I thought the story was bad, but because I didn’t want the book to end and I was totally afraid of what was going to happen. I will admit. I guessed the ending of this book…well one part at least. Did I find the ending predictable? Yes, obviously. I still couldn’t believe it happened after it happened though. Even though I just KNEW it was coming I still was shocked and thrown off guard. I NEED to get my hands on Requiem as soon as I am able to! I’m already jonsen for more of this beautiful world and the characters Lauren Oliver has created!
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LibraryThing member mountie9
The Good Stuff
* Brilliant character development
* The story builds slowly but it is still exciting with lots of twists and turns
* The brilliantly written kissing scene reminded me of my very first passionate kiss -- with Ken Stewart - it was awesome (Both the kiss from Ken and the scene in the
* Loved how strong Lena became without Alex - good positive message for young women
* Very strong second novel in a trilogy
* Great moral questions to discuss
* Totally absorbing read - sucks you in and doesn't let go
* Introduction of some new complex and interesting characters really add to the story
* Sorry this is a little brief but hard to give some more good points without spoiling anything
The Not So Good Stuff
* The jumping from past to present really through me at first (Just more of an FYI, you get into the style by fourth chapter)
* The world they live in is hard to read about especially the lack of all consuming love for their children - this is an alien concept to me
* The ending leaves me feeling a little nervous about book three in terms of plot (Sorry would spoil if I said more, but was irritated by the ending)
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"But you can build a future out of anything. A scrap, a flicker. The desire to go forward, slowly one foot at a time. You can build an airy city out of ruins."
"A world where children crack their heads on stone fireplaces and nearly gnaw off their tongues and the parents are concerned. Not heartbroken, frantic, desperate. Concerned, as they are when you fail mathematics, as they are when they are late to pay their taxes."
"The animals are on the other side of the fence: monsters wearing uniforms. They speak softly, and tell lies, and smile as they're slitting your throats."
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
* Fans of dystopian fiction
* Would highly recommend that you read Delirium first or you will be quite lost
* Fans of Lauren Oliver's previous books obviously
4.5 Dewey's
I borrowed this from Jenn
* Brilliant character development
* The story builds slowly but it is still exciting with lots of twists and turns
* The brilliantly written kissing scene reminded me of my very first passionate kiss -- with Ken Stewart - it was awesome (Both the kiss from Ken and the scene in the
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book )* Loved how strong Lena became without Alex - good positive message for young women
* Very strong second novel in a trilogy
* Great moral questions to discuss
* Totally absorbing read - sucks you in and doesn't let go
* Introduction of some new complex and interesting characters really add to the story
* Sorry this is a little brief but hard to give some more good points without spoiling anything
The Not So Good Stuff
* The jumping from past to present really through me at first (Just more of an FYI, you get into the style by fourth chapter)
* The world they live in is hard to read about especially the lack of all consuming love for their children - this is an alien concept to me
* The ending leaves me feeling a little nervous about book three in terms of plot (Sorry would spoil if I said more, but was irritated by the ending)
Favorite Quotes/Passages
"But you can build a future out of anything. A scrap, a flicker. The desire to go forward, slowly one foot at a time. You can build an airy city out of ruins."
"A world where children crack their heads on stone fireplaces and nearly gnaw off their tongues and the parents are concerned. Not heartbroken, frantic, desperate. Concerned, as they are when you fail mathematics, as they are when they are late to pay their taxes."
"The animals are on the other side of the fence: monsters wearing uniforms. They speak softly, and tell lies, and smile as they're slitting your throats."
Who Should/Shouldn't Read
* Fans of dystopian fiction
* Would highly recommend that you read Delirium first or you will be quite lost
* Fans of Lauren Oliver's previous books obviously
4.5 Dewey's
I borrowed this from Jenn
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LibraryThing member bookluvrmindy
This book rocked! I actually liked Pandemonium even better than Delirium, and I think I liked it better because I related more to Lena (the main character) in this book. In Delirium, I had a hard time understanding why Lena was the way she was and was so eagerly willing to get the cure. I
Throughout Pandemonium, the story moved between the past and present (it’s referred as “Then” and “Now”) in each chapter. The story didn’t immediately pick up right from where that worst, most horrifying cliffhanger at the end of Delirium left off…it actually begins in the present (Now) and then it moves to the past (Then), which is the point where the story continues right after Delirium ends.
In Pandemonium, Lena gets to experience what the world is really like outside the gates that confine the people, the gates that contain the belief that the cure to deliria is essential and is the only way of life. And boy is it different outside the gates! I don’t know if I would have had the strength or power to live like that, but anything would be better than having someone cut into my brain to take away my deliria. And on top of all the heartache from the end of Delirium, Lena is faced with even more heartache and trials throughout Pandemonium. AND, there’s a really surprising, deceptive twist that had me totally pissed off!
There is a new, lovely romance that transpires in Pandemonium, and it’s pretty easy to figure out early on who catches deliria from Lena. This new romance does get a little intense, but I just have to say, “I’m still Team Alex 100% all the way!!!” But I guess I can come to terms and accept this new boy if I really HAVE to. But for me, if I were Lena and had to be with this new boy, I would only be settling.
If you’ve already read Delirium (or read my review of Delirium *smiles*), then you shouldn’t be at all surprised that there is another crazy cliffhanger at the end of Pandemonium. But for me, the cliffhanger was nowhere near as bad as the cliffhanger at the end of Delirium. But the cliffhanger at the end of Pandemonium only has me literally dying for the next book in this series. And now I have to wait a whole freakin’ year for it! This is a series that I will for sure be recommending to anyone looking for an amazing Dystopia story with an awesome, heart melting romance.
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understood her reasoning as I got further along into the story, but in Pandemonium I loved how much Lena had changed and how much stronger her character had become, and I was definitely rooting for Team Lena!Throughout Pandemonium, the story moved between the past and present (it’s referred as “Then” and “Now”) in each chapter. The story didn’t immediately pick up right from where that worst, most horrifying cliffhanger at the end of Delirium left off…it actually begins in the present (Now) and then it moves to the past (Then), which is the point where the story continues right after Delirium ends.
In Pandemonium, Lena gets to experience what the world is really like outside the gates that confine the people, the gates that contain the belief that the cure to deliria is essential and is the only way of life. And boy is it different outside the gates! I don’t know if I would have had the strength or power to live like that, but anything would be better than having someone cut into my brain to take away my deliria. And on top of all the heartache from the end of Delirium, Lena is faced with even more heartache and trials throughout Pandemonium. AND, there’s a really surprising, deceptive twist that had me totally pissed off!
There is a new, lovely romance that transpires in Pandemonium, and it’s pretty easy to figure out early on who catches deliria from Lena. This new romance does get a little intense, but I just have to say, “I’m still Team Alex 100% all the way!!!” But I guess I can come to terms and accept this new boy if I really HAVE to. But for me, if I were Lena and had to be with this new boy, I would only be settling.
If you’ve already read Delirium (or read my review of Delirium *smiles*), then you shouldn’t be at all surprised that there is another crazy cliffhanger at the end of Pandemonium. But for me, the cliffhanger was nowhere near as bad as the cliffhanger at the end of Delirium. But the cliffhanger at the end of Pandemonium only has me literally dying for the next book in this series. And now I have to wait a whole freakin’ year for it! This is a series that I will for sure be recommending to anyone looking for an amazing Dystopia story with an awesome, heart melting romance.
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LibraryThing member pollywannabook
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
DELIRIUM, Lauren Oliver’s beautifully crafted dystopian novel set in a world where love had been declared a curable disease, was my most recommend book last year. Every book loving friend I knew got a copy shoved into their hands, and the ones who
The world in PANDEMONIUM is grander in scope than the one portrayed in DELIRIUM. The story isn’t confined to Lena’s sheltered world. She dredges through the Wilds, the Capital in New York and the hidden world beneath it. And it isn’t just about the Cured and the Invalids either. There are Scavengers, Intruders, and the hardcore DFA members who are zealously fighting to force the cure on children. We find out that it’s not just the invalids who are perceived as a threat, but anyone deemed weak or infirmed. It’s an ugly, ugly reality and one that instantly unites the reader with the Resistance and the now fully aware Lena.
PANDEMONIUM is told in alternated chronologies. One picks up in the Wilds just moments after the end of DELIRIUM, and the other several months in the future in the Capital where Lena is posing as a Cured to gain intel for the Resistance. The beginning is a tad on the slow side, and only one of the chronologies proved really interesting. I sort of grew impatient with the slow chapters in the Wilds, but the Capital chapters were gripping. Lena was under the constant threat of exposure as she had to fight to keep from reacting too passionately to the things going on around her. The stakes became even higher when her path crossed with the DFA President’s son. By the time the two chronologies converged…I once again succumbed to the deliria of loving this series. And the ending, the very last page, was like a punch in the gut, leaving me reeling in the same way the ending of DELIRIUM did.
Just like with DELIRIUM, PANDEMONIUM delivers the same beautifully expressive writing, the same frightening world, the same heartbreaking romance, and an ending that will leave you just as breathless for the next book. REQUIEM, the final book in the Delirium trilogy, will be published in February 2013
Sexual Content:
Kissing
DELIRIUM, Lauren Oliver’s beautifully crafted dystopian novel set in a world where love had been declared a curable disease, was my most recommend book last year. Every book loving friend I knew got a copy shoved into their hands, and the ones who
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weren’t big readers got a copy and a heartfelt plea to try it. Every single person I recommended it to loved it. That hasn’t happened to me since THE HUNGER GAMES.The world in PANDEMONIUM is grander in scope than the one portrayed in DELIRIUM. The story isn’t confined to Lena’s sheltered world. She dredges through the Wilds, the Capital in New York and the hidden world beneath it. And it isn’t just about the Cured and the Invalids either. There are Scavengers, Intruders, and the hardcore DFA members who are zealously fighting to force the cure on children. We find out that it’s not just the invalids who are perceived as a threat, but anyone deemed weak or infirmed. It’s an ugly, ugly reality and one that instantly unites the reader with the Resistance and the now fully aware Lena.
PANDEMONIUM is told in alternated chronologies. One picks up in the Wilds just moments after the end of DELIRIUM, and the other several months in the future in the Capital where Lena is posing as a Cured to gain intel for the Resistance. The beginning is a tad on the slow side, and only one of the chronologies proved really interesting. I sort of grew impatient with the slow chapters in the Wilds, but the Capital chapters were gripping. Lena was under the constant threat of exposure as she had to fight to keep from reacting too passionately to the things going on around her. The stakes became even higher when her path crossed with the DFA President’s son. By the time the two chronologies converged…I once again succumbed to the deliria of loving this series. And the ending, the very last page, was like a punch in the gut, leaving me reeling in the same way the ending of DELIRIUM did.
Just like with DELIRIUM, PANDEMONIUM delivers the same beautifully expressive writing, the same frightening world, the same heartbreaking romance, and an ending that will leave you just as breathless for the next book. REQUIEM, the final book in the Delirium trilogy, will be published in February 2013
Sexual Content:
Kissing
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LibraryThing member Vivacie
I'm incredibly shocked at how much I loved Pandemonium. This is coming from a person who very much disliked Delirium. Book number two completely blows the first one out of the water. This is how a sequel is done!
Lena is incredibly strong this time around. She's a little wishy-washy at times, true,
We do have a whole new cast of characters and I'm happy to say I pretty much enjoyed them all. Especially Julian. Julian is the son of the founder of the DFA or Deliria-Free America. (You can imagine the trouble Lena gets into with him, seeing as she's in the resistance.) His character surprised me. Seeing as how I didn't like Alex, I was sure I wasn't going to like Julian. But no, I really, really, like him. He's like a cute puppy that has been kicked. You can't help but want to cuddle him and make sure nothing bad ever happens to him again. I wish I could say more about him, but almost everything involving his character would be spoiling you on what's to come.
I did find the chapters to be a tad confusing. They switch between "Now" and "Then" telling about the Lena now and the Lena that was surviving in the Wilds. It does make the flow information weird. As long as you read the chapter headings you shouldn't get too confused. All in all, I wasn't too fond of the chapters being set up like that. I would almost say that the "Then" chapters weren't needed. Sure, a few things needed to be explained, but the "Now" chapters were so much more interesting!
I found the curse words to be a little misplaced. They popped up randomly and I pretty much cringed every time I saw one. Not that there are lots of them, in fact there are very few, but they are so out of place that it throws you off what you were reading about. Many times I stopped and thought, "Was this really needed?" Being that the book is mostly tame (very tame, I should say) having these curse words appear just didn't mesh.
The story was awesome and kept me at the edge of my seat. There's a lot of survival battles and death compared to the previous book- which is a good thing.
We do get a major cliffhanger. By major, I mean wet your pants major, CPR major, and allover, oh no she didn't major. Do not, I repeat, do not flip to the last page unless you wish to be spoiled. I made that mistake and felt like beating my head against the wall.
Now, if only Requiem wasn't a year away...
Lena is incredibly strong this time around. She's a little wishy-washy at times, true,
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but if you compare her character before and after, this Lena is much more relatable. I actually like her. This may also be because I didn't like Alex (Yes, I said it!) and I got to read her character without all the lovesickness. We do have a whole new cast of characters and I'm happy to say I pretty much enjoyed them all. Especially Julian. Julian is the son of the founder of the DFA or Deliria-Free America. (You can imagine the trouble Lena gets into with him, seeing as she's in the resistance.) His character surprised me. Seeing as how I didn't like Alex, I was sure I wasn't going to like Julian. But no, I really, really, like him. He's like a cute puppy that has been kicked. You can't help but want to cuddle him and make sure nothing bad ever happens to him again. I wish I could say more about him, but almost everything involving his character would be spoiling you on what's to come.
I did find the chapters to be a tad confusing. They switch between "Now" and "Then" telling about the Lena now and the Lena that was surviving in the Wilds. It does make the flow information weird. As long as you read the chapter headings you shouldn't get too confused. All in all, I wasn't too fond of the chapters being set up like that. I would almost say that the "Then" chapters weren't needed. Sure, a few things needed to be explained, but the "Now" chapters were so much more interesting!
I found the curse words to be a little misplaced. They popped up randomly and I pretty much cringed every time I saw one. Not that there are lots of them, in fact there are very few, but they are so out of place that it throws you off what you were reading about. Many times I stopped and thought, "Was this really needed?" Being that the book is mostly tame (very tame, I should say) having these curse words appear just didn't mesh.
The story was awesome and kept me at the edge of my seat. There's a lot of survival battles and death compared to the previous book- which is a good thing.
We do get a major cliffhanger. By major, I mean wet your pants major, CPR major, and allover, oh no she didn't major. Do not, I repeat, do not flip to the last page unless you wish to be spoiled. I made that mistake and felt like beating my head against the wall.
Now, if only Requiem wasn't a year away...
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LibraryThing member booktwirps
When Lena lost Alex and was forced to set off into the Wilds to save herself, she didn’t know how, or even if, she would survive. Weeks later she is rescued by a small tribe – a part of the Resistance – and they nurse her back to health, teaching her how to survive off the land. No matter how
Lena soon begins to adjust to life in the Wilds, and the tribe becomes her new family. As talks of an uprising begin, Lena commits to join in – to fight against those who fear love. They took Alex away from her, and she owes it to him to fight back.What Lena doesn’t realize is that the fight ahead of her will be much tougher than she thought. Corruption runs deep, and it’s hard to trust anyone. Crooked alliances between the cured and the members of the Resistance blur the lines between right and wrong, and Lena soon finds herself caught up in a complicated power play that will test not only her trust in her new family, but her love for Alex as well.
Lauren Oliver definitely ups the stakes in Pandemonium. While I enjoyed Delirium, I found myself enjoying this installment much more. It’s a whole new world than in the first book. There’s a lot more danger, and definitely a lot more action. A lot of times I find the second book in a trilogy to be nothing more than a buffer between the intro of the first and the real meat of the second. If that is the case with this book then we are in for a hell of a ride with the third. As always, Ms. Oliver’s prose is fluid and elegant. It gets under your skin and stays there, refusing to let you pull away from the story. The action is perfectly paced and alternates between “then” - Lena’s time in the Wilds – and “now” – the fight against those who feel love is a disease. I really enjoyed this book, and while I wasn’t surprised at the ending, I think a lot of fans are going to be screaming when they finish the last page. I have a feeling those screams will hang in the air until the final installment is released. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to wait patiently for it.
(Review based on an Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of the author)
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many days pass, Lena can’t stop thinking of the boy she loved – the boy who infected her with the deliria. It was because of him that she decided to leave her old life behind, and it’s because of her that he is dead. He should be here with her. He should be alive. That’s how it was supposed to be.Lena soon begins to adjust to life in the Wilds, and the tribe becomes her new family. As talks of an uprising begin, Lena commits to join in – to fight against those who fear love. They took Alex away from her, and she owes it to him to fight back.What Lena doesn’t realize is that the fight ahead of her will be much tougher than she thought. Corruption runs deep, and it’s hard to trust anyone. Crooked alliances between the cured and the members of the Resistance blur the lines between right and wrong, and Lena soon finds herself caught up in a complicated power play that will test not only her trust in her new family, but her love for Alex as well.
Lauren Oliver definitely ups the stakes in Pandemonium. While I enjoyed Delirium, I found myself enjoying this installment much more. It’s a whole new world than in the first book. There’s a lot more danger, and definitely a lot more action. A lot of times I find the second book in a trilogy to be nothing more than a buffer between the intro of the first and the real meat of the second. If that is the case with this book then we are in for a hell of a ride with the third. As always, Ms. Oliver’s prose is fluid and elegant. It gets under your skin and stays there, refusing to let you pull away from the story. The action is perfectly paced and alternates between “then” - Lena’s time in the Wilds – and “now” – the fight against those who feel love is a disease. I really enjoyed this book, and while I wasn’t surprised at the ending, I think a lot of fans are going to be screaming when they finish the last page. I have a feeling those screams will hang in the air until the final installment is released. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to wait patiently for it.
(Review based on an Advanced Reader’s Copy courtesy of the author)
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LibraryThing member STACYatUFI
PANDEMONIUM continues immediately after the ending of DELIRIUM. Lena is running away from the border after seeing her love Alex killed. She is half dead herself before she is found by a group of Invalids in the wild.
The first quarter of the book was a bit depressing as Lena mourns and lets herself
I sorta saw the ending coming but still enjoyed it all the same, it will definitely shake things up. Everything was just going too good for something major not to happen. It is a bit of a cliffhanger though so be prepared to be left with your mouth open and mind racing. REQUIEM will be out in 2013.
The first quarter of the book was a bit depressing as Lena mourns and lets herself
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sorta waste away. She finally kicks herself into gear and gets back to her strong self. She of course is strongly against the cure and is now fighting on the side of the Invalids. The story flowed well. It jumps back and forth between Lena's time in the wild in the past and the present day events she is currently going through. I liked all the explanations of the wild and how everything worked around "camp". I enjoyed most of the new characters. The newest love interest kinda annoyed me. I know that Lena needs to move on with her life but I had a hard time seeing the romantic connection between her and Julian. They went through some tough things together but they didn't click with me. If she had to have a new love interest at all I would have liked to see her with someone from the wild. That is the only thing I didn't like about the story.I sorta saw the ending coming but still enjoyed it all the same, it will definitely shake things up. Everything was just going too good for something major not to happen. It is a bit of a cliffhanger though so be prepared to be left with your mouth open and mind racing. REQUIEM will be out in 2013.
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LibraryThing member cablesclasses
Couldn't put the book down! Read in one sitting and still wanting more. And the end doesn't make yearning for the last in the trilogy to be published any less desirable. Wish I had access to a pre-pub!
Answers are given in the sequel yet more intrigue and more love than one can handle all lead to a
Answers are given in the sequel yet more intrigue and more love than one can handle all lead to a
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fast-paced read. You don't understand the true extent of the rollercoaster you hopped aboard until the last pages. And WOW! I am still amazed at what was seen and stunned by what happens. Read it. Show Less
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2012-02-28
Physical description
336 p.; 5.55 inches
ISBN
9781444722963