Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver


Panic by Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: March 4, 2014
Rating: 1 star
Source: eARC from Edelweiss

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

What I Liked:

Well, this book wasn't what I expected. I thought this book would be something like Epic by Conor Kostick, in which the game is a video game that people play, but that affects real life. Nope nope nope. Panic is an actual game in which people of Carp, New York, play after high school graduation. Only high school seniors play, and it's an actual game, in which you do things like jump off ledges and walk a tightrope and face tigers. It's weird. I guess you could kind of equate it to The Hunger Games, except you're living in your town, you're living your everyday life, but there are tasks that pop up every few days that you have to complete. 

I honestly don't know how to feel about this book. I read it, I finished it, I powered through it. I felt no connections to the characters. I could care less about the romance. I had no interest in the game of Panic. I don't understand the game. Really, I'm in a state of apathy. I don't care enough to hate this book, so I suppose I dislike it a lot. I really just don't know. Moving on.

What I Did Not Like:

Boring. Boring boring boring. This book was really boring. I mentioned above my state of apathy. Well. I was apathetic mostly because I was bored. I feel so proud of myself for finishing this book because WOW, it was boring. 

This book is all about Panic (duh), a game in which Heather, Nat, Dodge, and many other high school seniors participate. The prize is a pot of thousands of dollars. Teens complete crazy tasks, created and judged by two unknown judges, and the last one standing wins the pot. This book is told in the points-of-view of Heather and Dodge, but don't let that fool you - they're not the romantically involved couple.

So, this book follows Heather and Dodge. Both are trying to win. As are many other teens. Gosh, this book was so boring. The synopsis tried to make it sound mysterious and twisted and interesting. Nope - it was boring and superficial and predictable. And the parts that weren't as predictable were weird and not plausible. Like, Anne (Annie?) and her zoo? Um, yeah NO.

So I didn't care about the game. I didn't care about Heather. I didn't care about Dodge. I didn't care about Nat. I didn't care about Bishop, Ray, Lily, Krista, Vivian, Avery, etc. I felt like none of the characters were REAL, none had any depth to them. They were flat and two-dimensional, and I did not relate to any of them. Heather definitely had it the worst, and I wanted to feel for her at times, but then, not really. Even the whole thing with her mom - has she ever heard of Child Protective Services? Yeah okay.

Honestly, I could have cared less about Heather and her conflicted feelings towards Bishop. The same goes for Nat and Dodge. The romance in this book is so dry and distasteful. At first, I was like, go Heather and Bishop! And then after a while, I really did NOT care. In the Delirium series, there was TOO MUCH romance (there was a love triangle, I hear). In this book, the romance is not enough. It's too sparse and uninteresting.

By the way, I read Delirium. I actually liked it, mostly. But then I read and heard things about Pandemonium, and then Requiem, and I was like NOPE, not reading this series. So I don't have definitive facts for you when it comes to that series (though I do not for sure about the love triangle), but I can tell you know, Panic did not redeem Lauren Oliver in my eyes. I gave her a second chance (with this book), and I really did not enjoy this novel.

So the plot's bad (boring). The characters are bad (flat). The romance is bad (uninteresting). And the reader is apathetic (never a good sign). This just doesn't sound like a good one, does it? It wasn't that I absolutely loathed this book or anything. It's just that I cannot summon any emotion towards this book - maybe distaste, at the most. A little bit of pride, for finishing it.

Because let me tell you, people. I was in danger of not finishing this book since like, page one. I have never NOT finished a book before, but like I've said in previous reviews of books to which I gave low ratings, this could have been my first one. I did it though - I finished! So I've give you a fair review of this book - not a DNF review, or a half-created review.

Anyway, that's all I've got. I don't know what else to say. I really did not enjoy this book, mostly because it was boring and I just did not care.

Would I Recommend It:

Errr, no. Not at all. This book was really not that great. I definitely expected more from such a popular author, but that goes to show, popularity does not mean quality. No offense, but this book was NOT quality (in my opinion, of course).

Rating:

1.5 stars -> rounded down to 1 star. This book really just was NOT for me. Suffice it to say, I'm not a fan of Lauren Oliver's books.


Was this review helpful? Please let me know in the comments section!

24 comments:

  1. I've yet to read any of Oliver's work, though I do own two of her books. I have to admit I didn't quite understand the summary of Panic when I read it so I'm not really surprised that it turned out to produce similar feelings in you. I'll probably still read this because I'm nothing if not incredibly curious by nature. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you though!

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    1. The summary is definitely confusing and a probably a bit misleading. This book was nothing like I expected - and I don't even know what I expected. If you do read it, I hope you like it more than I did, Michelle!

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  2. Yeesh, I can't do boring. I have the attention span of a minion so I need something swoony or kickassy or funny to keep my attention. I really liked Delirium because the concept was fascinating, but I also thought it was long and boring in some parts. Sorry this one didn't work for you Alyssa :(

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    1. Ha! I know what you mean. At the time, Delirium was pretty original - but yeah, it was also pretty long and boring. That's alright, Nereyda! Thank you!

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  3. I love Oliver. I got so excited when I got approved for an ARC of this. It had so much potential! And then I read it. Got a few chapters in and I was bored! figured it would pick up, it never did. The only thing that kept me reading was a hope that it would get better because I know Oliver is a great writer. I would not recommend this either. It just did not live up to what I know Oliver can do. I thought for sure it would be on par with Before I Fall, but it was nowhere near the caliber of that book. I am sad. Like you I was in danger of not finishing and I had NO connection to the characters at all.

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    1. I'm sorry to hear that! It got to you as well :\ I'm definitely not a fan of her writing style in this particular book (boooorrrrinnnggggg), and I haven't read Before I Fall so I can't make the comparison. Hopefully, you read something awesome!

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  4. Personally, I haven't liked anything this author has written yet, but I was originally thinking of giving this new series a try. Might have to reconsider that now. Sorry it was such a disappointment. :(

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    1. Oh, I know THAT feeling. I really would recommend against it, but if you do read this book, I hope you like it more than I did. It really was disappointing, even for the person (me) that had zero expectations.

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  5. 1 star. I APPROVE :D I tried reading this a few months ago, but I quit. It was just awful. I hated the story and I did not like the writing. Which made me sad. But it is what it is. Thank you for sharing and for being honest. <3 You are awesome.

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    1. Ooo, I'm sorry to hear that, Carina! But I'm glad that you enjoyed my review. And of course, I will always be honest! Thank you :)

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  6. I've heard so many mixed things about this book. Some people really loved it and others really hated it. Why I have yet to read it is because it doesn't sound realistic. The whole thought that the adults in that town has either, never heard of the game so they can't stop it, or never wanted to stop it. It all just sounded a little ridiculous. And you also mentioned a few things that others did in their reviews, like Heather and the Mom thing, or the Zoo. I have a feeling if I read this I will see it as unrealistic and I hate books set in our world that don't feel realistic.
    Great review :D

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    1. It doesn't sound realistic, and yet, it's supposed to be contemporary fiction. I really couldn't stretch my imagination around this one. If you read it, Kimberly, I hope you like it more than I did!

      Thank you!

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  7. I haven't read anything by this author yet, though I seem to recall my sister begging me to read Delirium once; but it doesn't sound like it'll work for me. Thanks for suffering through it in order to warn off those of similar mindset! :)

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    1. Hmm, well, if you don't think it would be a good fit, then don't bother! There are so many other AMAZING books coming out this year - you won't be missing out!

      You're very welcome, Kel! ^_^

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  8. Oh, that's bad... really bad! I was really looking forward to this read, so this really came as a surprise for me.
    I really loved the Delirium trilogy, so I kinda expected this read to be awesome as well. Ah well, we'll see when I read it myself. I hope it lives up to my expectations, but from what I've read in your review (and the comments) I am getting a bit hesitant to buying the book when it comes out.

    Thanks for being honest!

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    1. Yeah... it was. I mean, you could have a totally different experience than I did! I'm glad that you enjoyed her first YA series. I would recommend you borrow this book before buying it.

      Good luck, Iris! I hope you like Panic more than I did!

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  9. I have yet to read a book by Lauren Oliver. Nothing has ever really called to me, so I haven't even tried. I thought maybe I was making a mistake with all of the raving that goes on about her books, but then I would read another review that would cement that I am making the right decision. Panic actually interested me, which shocked me. BUT the reviews, the reviews. I am just not sure that I would actually enjoy it. I am not a gamer person, but there have been a couple stories like that that I have enjoyed. I just don't know what to do about Panic. No clue. Apathy is not what you go for when reading a book!

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    1. Well I can tell you that this one was not for me. The reviews, in general, are not so positive for this book. As I mentioned in my review, I would skip this one, Jaime. But you won't know how you feel about Panic unless you read it! :)

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  10. With all the hype surrounding this book I was excited to read it! Your review has tempered my enthusiasm. Lol!

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    1. Well... if you still read it, I hope you like it more than I did ^_^

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  11. UGH I so agree. I gave it 1.5 but rounded it up to 2. But only just. ugh. Thinking about it makes me want to round it down :p This totally didn't work for me.

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    1. Aww, I'm sorry you didn't like this one either! But at the same time, I'm glad someone agrees. It was just bad. Blah. Didn't work for me either!

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  12. I still haven't read Requiem, and I really want to, to at least be done with the Delirium series, and know how it ends.
    I was on the fence about reading Panic, but after your review and a few others I've read... nope, I don't think I'm gonna read it at all!
    THanks for the very honest review, Alyssa!

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    1. It's always a great idea to finish a series! And it's unfortunate, but this book was a total dud, in my opinion. If you do end up reading it (which I recommend not doing), I hope you like it more than I did!

      Thank YOU, Pili!

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