Pandemonium
by: Lauren Oliver
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.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.
Intelligent and Interesting Heroine? CHECK
Lena is a completely different person in this book, but can you blame her, after all she has been through. She just lost the boy that changed her world and gave her hope, she is now in a totally different environment with people she's not sure if she even likes, and she is used to rigid rules and she is now in a place where there are none. And yet, she is a survivor. She has to become what she wasn't, she has to become hardened and strong. And yes, at points in the book i wanted to remind her who she is when i felt she was changing to much, but i was so happy in the end when she decided to be the person she wanted to be, brave, selfless, and powerful. She evolved in this book to something much more than she was when she was confined by all the rules in Portland, but she is still smart and interesting.
Lena is a completely different person in this book, but can you blame her, after all she has been through. She just lost the boy that changed her world and gave her hope, she is now in a totally different environment with people she's not sure if she even likes, and she is used to rigid rules and she is now in a place where there are none. And yet, she is a survivor. She has to become what she wasn't, she has to become hardened and strong. And yes, at points in the book i wanted to remind her who she is when i felt she was changing to much, but i was so happy in the end when she decided to be the person she wanted to be, brave, selfless, and powerful. She evolved in this book to something much more than she was when she was confined by all the rules in Portland, but she is still smart and interesting.
Sweet and Believable Hero? CHECK
Julian, oh Julian. I loved him! he was everything I really, really wanted Alex to end up being (but wasn't). He was smart and layered, interesting and unique. So yes, I do sincerely hope she ends up with Julian. I was expecting just romantic drivel of longing for Alex, but the mourning process was very well-done and I liked watching Lena learning to let herself trust again.
Original Setting and Unique Plot? CHECK
In this book we learn so much more about the invalids, and the other various groups that are resisting the cure. I like that she didn't just have one group of uncureds all working together. I thought the idea of the scavengers just working for gain and chaos was intriguing and what would actually happen in such a world. Also, Lauren Oliver did a fantastic job expanding the world she had already built. She showed us that is isn't nearly as black and white as Lena once thought. It isn't just Valids and Invalids, their are the deformed, the scavengers, the Invalids in the resistance, and the DFA.
Extraordinary Supporting Characters? CHECK
1. Raven:In and of herself, Raven was an emotional roller coaster. I didn't like her, then i liked her, then i didn't again, and then I did. i didn't trust her, then i did trust her, I didn't trust her again, and then I did again. As much she confused me, I also found myself understanding her. I just loved reading about her.
2. Hunter, Blue, and Tack:
I ended up loving all the Invalids she met. They all had different back stories, and even if we didn't know them you knew they were there. They were all great characters.
Plot Twists and Distressing Circumstances? CHECK
Oh, the agony. So many plot twists! some that i definitely saw coming and some that just happened and had me reeling (and one that i accidentally stumbled upon while perusing the back page before I was even half-way finished...silly me). This book had me on the edge of my seat and dying to find out what was going to happen next.
I loved this book! It exceeded my expectations after reading delirium.
Oh, the agony. So many plot twists! some that i definitely saw coming and some that just happened and had me reeling (and one that i accidentally stumbled upon while perusing the back page before I was even half-way finished...silly me). This book had me on the edge of my seat and dying to find out what was going to happen next.
I loved this book! It exceeded my expectations after reading delirium.
Quotes:
"That's the flip side of freedom; When you're completely free, you're also completely on your own."
"You can build a future out of anything. A scrap, a flicker. The desire to go forward, slowly, one foot at a time."
“That's the thing: We didn't really care. A world without love is also a world without stakes."
"We all need mantras, I guess - stories we tell ourselves to keep us going."
"Don't you get it? You can't tell me what to feel.”
"There is nothing else for people to do. They do not think. They feel no passion, no hatred, no sadness; they feel nothing but fear, and a desire to control. So they watch, and poke, and pry."
"In a world without love, this is what people are to each other: values, benefits, and liabilities, numbers, and data. We weigh, and the soul is ground to dust."
"Here's something else you might as well learn now: If you want something, if you take it for your own, you'll always be taking it from someone else. That's a rule too. And something must die so that others can live."
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