Panic

by Lauren Oliver

Sarah Drew (Narrator)

Soon to be a major Amazon Prime Video series.

An utterly gripping thriller from bestselling author Lauren Oliver.

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a poor town of twelve thousand 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.

In this gritty, spellbinding novel, bestselling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping narrative of friendship, courage, survival, and hope.

• ISBN10: 0062299840
• ISBN13: 9780062299840
• Publish Date: 4 March 2014
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (MP3)
• Duration: 8 hours and 12 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[Joséphine]

Ebook rating: 2 stars
Audiobook rating: 2.5 stars

Initial thoughts: Panic was a very average book. I'm a little disappointed about that. I've wanted to read it for the past two years but kept shoving to the back of my mind in favour of other books. When I got hold of the audiobook via Overdrive last week, I thought it's finally time to get down to it. All this while I had managed to avoid spoilers. Had I know that this revolved around a game for graduating students to win a pot of money, I wouldn't have bothered.

Reading Gotcha! by Shelley Hrdlitschka a few years ago sufficed. Different game but same aim — win money in the face of inherent danger. These kinds of things have foolishness written all over it, so my patience wore rather thin.

Alternating between the audiobook and the ebook at least allowed me to read according to my mood. When I wanted things to be over as fast as possible, I went for the ebook. But when I was otherwise occupied, I listened to the audiobook, which offered a more enjoyable experience thanks to the narrators.

[Stephanie]

This review was originally posted on Once Upon a Chapter



Panic by Lauren Oliver grabbed my attention with its blurb. Small town wracked by near poverty when the local factory closed? God can I relate to that! The area that I live in lost 3000 jobs alone when one of the major factories closed its doors and moved production to Mexico. The smaller factories didn't take too long to follow. 10 to 15% of the population jobless in one day. Instantly as a reader, I could connect to the setting.

Panic is told from both Heather and Dodge's perspectives. There was a clear distinction in their voices. Heather had decided against entering Panic and would just cheer on her friend Natalie. Then before she knows it she's scaling the rock face and accepting the first challenge in Panic. It isn't all bad though. The pot for Panic could set her up and maybe she can provide the kind of life her sister deserves. The kind of life her mother isn't interested in even attempting to provide.

Dodge wants revenge the only way he knows how to get it. It is vital that he make it to the end of Panic. He even helps out other Panic participants to ensure he gets what he wants. Dodge is an interesting character. I'm not sure what exactly made me like him. I mean the kid's shifty as hell but I still felt like he had a lot to share and he didn't disappoint.

Can we talk a minute about the pot for Panic? When it was explained in the book, each student in the high school puts in $1.00 per student per school year but the pot at the end of Panic is five digits; a hefty sum for a poor kid from a small town. For the pot to be that much, it has to be $1.00 per day per kid. These kids are poor. Their parents are scratching out a living. How are these kids coming up with that money? It's a small thing but sharing the same kind of background, it seems too convenient. Particularly since it's not option to pay.

Other than that one issue I really enjoyed Panic. It was fast paced and easy to keep up with. I'm grateful it's a stand alone. In a genre filled with more and more series, it's refreshing to be able to read a book and be done when you turn the last page.

[Nessa Luna]

Read this review and more on my blog October Tune!

When I first heard about Panic, a book written by one of my favourite authors Lauren Oliver, I might have freaked out. I seriously loved her Delirium series, and I loved Before I Fall as well, so it was kind of a no-brainer for me when I heard about Panic; I had to read it. And I did. Almost a year after it got released.. Why did I wait so long? No idea. Maybe I was afraid it wouldn't be as I had expected.. But now that I've read it, I want to slap myself for waiting so long. It was so AWESOME!

Panic tells the story of a game that has been going on in the little town called Carp, a very dangerous game. All seniors (and only seniors) can participate and play to win money, a lot of money. In this book we follow Heather and Dodge who both participate in the game, both for their own (very different) reasons.

At first when I heard it was going to be a dual POV I was a tiny bit reluctant; though I really enjoyed it in Requiem, I wasn't really sure if I was going to like it again. But luckily, both characters had their own chapters (it didn't just change POV in the middle of a chapter) and their names would be on top. And the fact that it was in third person made it a bit easier as well. There were some minor parts from other people's POV, but that added something exciting to the story rather than make me reluctant to read more (wow that's probably a first?!). And besides the whole story around it was way too thrilling to be annoyed by POV's.

Because the game, wow it was really nerve-racking. I couldn't stop reading some of the chapters, and I wanted to know what was happening every time so I just read and read and read. The first couple of rounds were kind of innocent - or well not innocent, but not as thrilling as the last rounds. I remember just sitting on the edge of my seat while reading about those last rounds and hoping nothing bad would happen to certain characters. Oh god I could NEVER participate in Panic.

The book wasn't all about the game though, there was enough happening outside of the game so the book was still interesting. There was Heather who had just been dumped by her boyfriend, Natalie and Dodge who had a 'thing' going on, Bishop and Heather, Heather and Lily (her sister) and their horrible mother; I loved reading about their lives as much as I loved reading about Panic. It made the characters so much more complex than just idiotic daredevils who wanted to throw away their lives by participating in a reckless game.

At some points, the story took some unexpected turns that made me freak out, but there were also some minor things that I had guessed already, but still I was kind of surprised that they turned out to be true. But in the end, I just loved Panic a lot, so much even I can't really think of anything I didn't like about this book (apart from the fact that the summary makes it sound a bit like the Hunger Games rather than a completely different sort of game, I don't know - I've seen a lot of people ranting about how the summary was similar to THG's?!). But I just loved Panic. And I will certainly purchase a physical copy asap (yeah I decided to go for an ebook version for some reason, I don't know what had gotten into me).

One tip: Don't read those last chapters when you're supposed to sleep, because they will keep you up past your bedtime because you really want to know what is going to happen next! Seriously. Don't do it.

My opinion on this book in one gif:

(gif credit)

[lindsey]

I really wanted to like this book, but I was sorely disappointed. The premise sounded intriguing, even if it was similar to The Hunger Games, as far as teenagers competing in a high-stakes "game", but that's as far as the similarities go.

Panic is a game that graduating seniors participate in every year. It's supposed to be highly secretive, but everyone in town knows about it, including the cop, who have got to be the worst cops I've ever read about in a novel. I don't understand how these kids plan and set up these elaborate challenges without getting caught every single time. Even when they are caught, it seems like there are no major repercussions, apart from a slap on the hand. One of the characters even turns himself in after one of the challenges turns deadly, and nothing is done about it, besides a little community service.

Another problem I had with this book is the fact that this is a seemingly poor town, yet the seniors are able to collect almost $60,000 for the winner. Really? That's a lot of money for any organization to collect, but for a group of teenagers to raise that much - even if they are being coerced - is a little far-fetched.

And then we come to the characters. Even though most of them got on my nerves, I have to admit that Ms. Oliver perfectly captured the whiny angst and reckless behavior that's prevalent among today's teens. Most of the adults seemed even less mature than the teens, which is really saying something. I thought Anne was really well-written, however, and even though she wasn't featured too often, she was probably my favorite character. Though, to be honest, there wasn't much competition.

I don't like for my reviews to be so full of negativity, but there wasn't much I liked about Panic. That being said, I do like the author's writing style, and I will continue to read any books she publishes in the future.

[Sam@WLABB]

Panic. This is a game played by the graduating seniors of Carp, NY. It's dangerous, banned and scary, but can net a lot of cash. This year's pot is $67,000. That could change a lot of circumstances for one lucky winner. The game is part of this story, but it is not the story. This is a story about growing up, accepting yourself, learning about yourself, pushing beyond your comfort zone, opening yourself up to new people and new experiences, not being afraid of taking chances or making changes. It's about so much more than this game. Granted, the game is the impetus for the changes that occur in the lives of Heather, Dodge, Natalie, and Bishop.

Good: The characters. They were well developed and I cared for them, especially Heather and Bishop.
Story: There was a lot of stuff going on and it all came at you bit, by bit. I liked the way the days were broken out as focusing on Dodge or Heather. We got to see into their broken worlds and gain different insight with each chapter.

In the end, the best part of the book is watching Heather evolve and change. I cannot lie, I was getting misty during that second to last chapter, a tear or two may have slipped out.

[shannonmiz]

Full Review Here

The reviews I had read for this had been all over the place. People loved it, hated it, and fell everywhere in between. I was cautiously optimistic, but probably more cautious than optimistic (because really, I am a glass half-empty kind of girl by nature). But since it is Lauren Oliver, and I kind of think she is amazing, I went for it anyway.

I ended up being very pleasantly surprised. The beginning of the book was a bit slow to me. Heather was really making me mad with her weird girl-drama, and I just could not understand how exactly Panic could happen. Where the hell are these people's parents!? I mean, we understand where the main characters' families are relatively quickly, but what about all the other kids? Sure, there is some resistance to these shenanigans, but not enough to make it believable.

But beyond that, once I got into the heart of the story, I began to care. I began to care about the characters, and the game, and their relationships. And a lot of the stuff I hadn't liked in the beginning started to make complete sense now as I read more about the lives these characters were leading. The transformation Heather makes is stunning, and yet believable. Sometimes, we don't necessarily seek out change, but are forced to, and this is what happens with Heather. I preferred Heather's storyline over Dodge's, but I was still interested in what was going on with him as well.

And, even though I still could not fathom how this game was happening, or even why, I still was super interested in the whole mystery surrounding it, who would win, and what would become of everyone. And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the ending. No, I am not going to tell you what happens, of course, but since Requiem sent me into a blind rage, I think it is only fair to say that this ending was a much more acceptable one. The book actually, you know, ended. As opposed to Requiem, which just kind of stopped, and then listened to me scream at it for a good fifteen minutes.

So yeah, I liked this one. I love love love Lauren Oliver's writing, so it was easy for me to overlook the few issues I had with it. And I found the characters to be extremely engrossing as well. I wasn't completely on the edge of my seat, but I don't think that this is supposed to be that kind of book. I found it to be quite a pleasant surprise, and I am definitely glad I decided to read it!

[Kelly]

DNF. Panic is the new Planking, done Hunger Games style.
I pray that this book doesn't spur teens to create their own game of Panic. Just couldn't connect to the characters, the storyline, or anything really.

[KitsuneBae]

Actual Rating: 1.5 stars

You can read the full review here: Thoughts and Pens.

The idea of the game, Panic, is downright stupid.

The main characters are a bunch of unrelatable bananas.

The plot, while peppered with some thrilling scenes, was boring for the most part.

And the romance didn't even help to make the ordeal any easier.

Thanks to Harper Collins for the free e-ARC!

[Amber]

I love Lauren Oliver. Seriously, I have a full on, somewhat creepy girl crush on her and her stories. I read Before I Fall back when I first started blogging in 2010, and it completely won me over with its plot, its characters, and its ending. I sobbed. Since then, I’ve made it my mission to read every book that Oliver brings out. Well, her YA stuff, since I have yet to read any of her Middle Grade. But that’s not the point I’m trying to make here! My point is that I was so freakin’ excited to read Panic that I almost fainted when I was approved for it on NetGalley.

Full review on Books of Amber

[bookishzelda]

This book actually reminded me quite a bit of Ready Player One. Not the story as much as the concept of the game.Kids from not so great lives trying to find a way out and make things better for themselves. There is something about Lauren Oliver writing as far as contemporary fiction goes that I absolutely love and sucks me in. It’s got a poetic sense about it.

Panic really deals with the theme of fear and how far are you willing to go. Kids playing this crazy ass game that can be competitive and close to deadly at times. It’s kind of one big crazy adrenaline rush and last man standing gets all the marbles. Which is pretty much a ticket out of the craptacular town they live in.

We have some main characters that we follow along. Even though the book is told in the perspective of Heather and Dodge, it’s just as much Natalie and Bishop’s story as well. I thought the way the characters came together and broke apart was really intriguing and reflective of relationships in real life. Although these kids just graduated from high school and some of them are technically adults they are still kids. I like how they seem to question themselves and their loyalty to each other. How much does someone mean to you, what would you do to protect them. Does self preservation conquer all.

I really liked Heather because you see her blossoming in the book. She seems like more of the hide out in my best friend’s shadow type when we start things. I think the game really brings out a different side of her. A stronger side of her, and I found myself rooting for her early one. I also like her relationships with Natalie and Bishop. She’s caring and yet not pushy. She’s reserved but also takes a couple chances. She doesn’t get what anyone says to her stop her from playing the game. She’s got a really good reason for wanting to win but she still manages to keep her good soul through it all.

Dodge was a little sketchy to me. There were times when I was like oh come get over yourself Dodge. Although I kind of liked him too. I thought his reason for entering the game was a bit on the insane side but I also found him to be pretty clever. As his home life changes we see him almost clinging to old. Like this is what I know, this is what was giving me purpose what are you doing changing tha tnow. He’s another complex character.

Oh Natalie and Bishop. I really wanted to hug Natalie at times and say what are you thinking. She makes no apologiies for herself and can be dramatic. Bishop is the steady and loyal friend.

My favorite thing about this book is how the characters change and develop. I think Lauren Oliver really has a knack for that and it makes her stories even more enjoyable. The book is well plotted and interesting all the way through. I say go forth and read!