April's review of "Pandemonium" by Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver
Publish Date: February 28th 2012
Publisher: Harper Teen
Number of Pages: 375
Format: Hardback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble
Description: 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.

Lauren Oliver takes an interesting approach for the second book of her intriguing Delirium series. With each chapter it switches between two timelines Then, which picks up where Delirium left off, and Now which is set a year and a half from the end of Delirium. In the Then chapters we learn how Lena was near death and Raven, an Invalid, finds her and saves her life. We watch as Lena learns how to survive in the Wilds. In the Now chapters we learn that Lena has joined the Resistance and is living in Manhattan under a fake identity. Her job is to keep an eye on the DFA, Delirium Free American an organization that wants the cure to be given at earlier ages, and Julian Fineman, the son of the leader of DFA. When both Lena and Julian are kidnapped during a DFA rally blowing her cover is the least of her worries. 

I've been waiting for this book since I read the first one last year.  I wasn't disappointed. The book kept me on my toes. We watch as Lena grieves for Alex and tries to piece her new life together. Although we don't see any of the characters from the first book you quickly fall in love with the new ones. I'm sad to report that Lena begins to fall in love again.

I thought the plot was pretty predictable with plenty of twists and surprises along the way. I just couldn't put the book down. I can't wait for the last book to see how everything plays out. Let the countdown begin!

Rating:

5/5