Saturday 1 February 2014

(Review) Pandemonium (Delirium, #2) - Lauren Oliver

Title: Pandemonium (Delirium, #2)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Format: Paper Back, International Edition
Pages: 455 pages
ISBN: 978-0-06-222386-9
Publisher: HarperTeen
Date Published: February 28th 2012 
Summary (from Goodreads)
I’m pushing aside
the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana
and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Review:

Pandemonium was everything I expected after Delirium. It was a really enjoyable read and now I just felt like I got drunk in the wonderful story that Lauren Oliver has weaved for this series. There was something exquisite in her writing, something simplistic and full emotion that I feel really suits the theme of the story. The whole book is told in split timelines, alternating between the then and now which I think was a really cool way to juxtapose the old Lena who was afraid and in pain for her loss of Alex and the new Lena who is determined to set things right. I like reading how much she has improved. 

The events in Pandemonium follows shortly after Lena's escape into the wilds, after being found and saved by Raven and joining the resistance of Invalids. I love how the book opens up a bigger chapter in the story, and not just two teenagers fighting for their love against a love-oppressive organization that's hellbent to turning everyone into machines that feel nothing. The addition of characters such as Raven and Julian also provided more room for exploration. 

There was a point where I disliked Raven's character, especially the way she hid their intentions towards Lena when she had every right to know. I didn't see the point in hiding the plan from her, especially when she had to fend off for herself and take care of Julian.

Speaking of Julian, i felt like the romance between him and Lena was a little forced. It was a little sudden but I'm just gonna bandwagon that into Lena trying to shove something inside the emptiness that Alex left her with. I can't blame her. Deliria is a debilitating disease after all. 

I never really doubted that Alex was dead, and his abrupt appearance towards the end came as a non-shocker to me but I enjoyed it nonetheless. What i do not enjoy is the cliffhanger that this book has put me now.

Rating: ♚♚♚♚♚

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