Panic
Posted: 20 Sep 2014, 22:00
Thrilling, unpredictable, and full of secrets, Panic was a fantastic YA read. I really enjoyed reading this fantastic book. Absolutely wonderful!
Panic was a game that came about from a group of bored teenagers. And, from there, it became a dangerous tradition that resulted in injuries and deaths. Every summer, the recent high school graduates complete in a series of challenges. Over the 4 years of high school, every student would contribute money to create the winning prize amount. The seniors would go through dangerous tasks, each eliminating more and more players, until the winner was chosen to win the money. All the while, two anonymous judges set the challenges and chose the winners. The whole situation that Lauren Oliver created was flawless. I could imagine that sort of thing happening in a small town full of bored teenagers. It was flawlessly built into a thrilling game that had me on the edge of my seat.
The story is told through the main characters, Heather and Dodge, in alternating perspectives, so I'll focus on the narrators first.
Heather was a tough chick. She didn't have the best situation at home and she wanted to win the money so that she could take care of her sister and get her away from her neglectful mother. She was strong, determined, and extremely dedicated to caring for her loved ones. I really liked her. She was definitely a worthy heroine.
Dodge was a little sketchy at first. He wanted to win Panic as a means for revenge and he was quite ruthless about it at first. But, then his priorities shifted and it no longer became about winning, but about making sure he and his friends survived the games. I liked him. He was sweet and loyal to those he cared about. And he proved himself as a worthy character with what he did at the enD.
Panic was a game that came about from a group of bored teenagers. And, from there, it became a dangerous tradition that resulted in injuries and deaths. Every summer, the recent high school graduates complete in a series of challenges. Over the 4 years of high school, every student would contribute money to create the winning prize amount. The seniors would go through dangerous tasks, each eliminating more and more players, until the winner was chosen to win the money. All the while, two anonymous judges set the challenges and chose the winners. The whole situation that Lauren Oliver created was flawless. I could imagine that sort of thing happening in a small town full of bored teenagers. It was flawlessly built into a thrilling game that had me on the edge of my seat.
The story is told through the main characters, Heather and Dodge, in alternating perspectives, so I'll focus on the narrators first.
Heather was a tough chick. She didn't have the best situation at home and she wanted to win the money so that she could take care of her sister and get her away from her neglectful mother. She was strong, determined, and extremely dedicated to caring for her loved ones. I really liked her. She was definitely a worthy heroine.
Dodge was a little sketchy at first. He wanted to win Panic as a means for revenge and he was quite ruthless about it at first. But, then his priorities shifted and it no longer became about winning, but about making sure he and his friends survived the games. I liked him. He was sweet and loyal to those he cared about. And he proved himself as a worthy character with what he did at the enD.