Britney's Review of Panic

Panic by Lauren Oliver

Publication Date: March 4, 2014

Summary: 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 graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She'd never though 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. 

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

My Review:

When I first heard what this story was about I knew I had to read it, as it sounded so interesting. After many people read it, it seemed like they didn't enjoy it as much as I expected people to. After reading it myself, I think I finally understanding why it wasn't quite what people were expecting. Personally for me I didn't care much about any of the characters all that much. They were just kind of there, and not people that I really felt for or loved. I also thought this book would focus mostly of the game of Panic, maybe with a few other in-between moments, but it was the other way around. The Panic game moments weren't that often and went by pretty quickly, and then the rest of the book was filled with other things going on in the characters life. There was one plot twist that I highly enjoyed. I felt as though the ending was very rushed, and things didn't get explained as much as I would have liked. Overall I did enjoy the book and am glad I read it, but I didn't love it as much as I hoped.