'Panic' by Lauren Oliver

Panic
By Lauren Oliver
Published: March 4, 2014
Read: March 2014
Format: Hardcover 

Rating: B-

“It was so strange, the way that life moved forward: the twists and the dead ends, the sudden opportunities. She supposed if you could predict or foresee everything that was going to happen, you’d lose the motivation to go through it all. The promise was always in the possibility.”

Panic takes place in Carp, a small town in upstate New York. It is narrated by Heather and Dodge, two 18-year-olds who just graduated high school. The book starts on the first day of Panic, a game where any graduating senior can compete for a large pot of money. The stakes are high and the challenges are dangerous. Heather and Dodge participate for two very different reasons: Heather has just been dumped and chooses to jump (a move that signifies your intention to participate in the game) on a whim; Dodge, on the other hand, has a very clear goal: revenge.

Panic follows Heather, Dodge, and Heather's two best friends, Bishop and Natalie, throughout the summer of the competition. It is interchangeably narrated by Heather and Dodge, though I would have preferred it if Heather was the sole narrator. Dodge's intentions were only clear when reading from his perspective, but I found his character rather flat and I was always hoping the next chapter would be Heather. Thankfully, her sections seemed to outnumber Dodge's.

Heather and Dodge are both very poor and have sad family lives. Though the title of the book suggests it is mainly about the game, it focuses a good deal on them and their difficult situations. Dodge's sister was paralyzed two years ago when she was the runner-up for Panic, and he helps take care of her in the rundown apartment they share with their mother on Meth Row. Heather lives in a shady trailer park with her 11-year-old sister and their mom, who is more interested in sex, drugs and partying than taking care of her daughters. Their family lives fuel Heather and Dodge's desires to win the game, and make them more likable.

I've read and enjoyed Lauren Oliver's Delirium series and her standalone book Before I Fall, so I was interested in reading Panic when I first heard about it. The description doesn't do a great job of explaining what the book was about, but the fact that Oliver wrote it was enough for me. Overall, I liked the book. I thought it was interesting and thrilling in parts. The challenges were definitely unpredictable and dangerous, and it was fun reading about how Heather, Dodge and Natalie tackled them. However, there were several big "surprises" that I saw coming from miles away. I found the ending and many of the reveals to be predictable, and this spoiled it for me a bit. But it was a still entertaining and a quick read. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a semi-thrilling, fun book to read.