Scan barcode
A review by emilyusuallyreading
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
4.0
What I liked
Lauren Oliver's language was beautiful in this book. She describes things vividly, but in such a poetic way that I can't help but sigh with joy at the beauty of the English language... even during the most dark and tragic scenes.
Pandemonium was much more the kind of book I tend to like than Delirium was. Lots of action, secret codes, resistance, and fighting.
The chapters switched back and forth from "Now" and "Then," or in other words, Lena's experience in the Wilds (Then) and her reintegration as a member of the resistance in New York (Now). I enjoyed this swap between two places in Lena's life as I began to see how she had changed and why. The transitions are not jarring or abrupt, but they instead compelled me to read further and further until I was all the way through the book.
I thought for sure that after Delirum's ending, Pandemonium would be an angsty, "OMG I'm so alone," teenage book. But it wasn't at all. Lena grieved, but she grieved so realistically. The book's focus wasn't on the absence of Alex, but it instead pushed forward into Lena's determination to survive, while a lingering (but not ostentatious) hole remained where Alex was missing.
The bond between Raven and Lena was beautiful. Raven was both a mother and an older sister to Lena, even though she was only 3 years older, and this relationship was something Lena only experienced in fragments during her childhood. Watching their bond strengthen while seeing the weaknesses in Raven's hard shell showed some of the best parts of Oliver's writing ability.
What I didn't like
Lena fell in love so quickly. I don't mean so quickly after Alex, but I mean in such a short amount of time after the two actually met. I don't want to give out any spoilers, but it felt like it took only a matter of a few days before Lena was willing to risk everything in her life out of love for someone she had only just met.
I barely had time to connect with the new love interest before the end... and what a crazy ending it was. As I begin Requiem, I don't know if I have any attachment to the love interest , and I don't know what I'm going to think of this third book.
And spoiler freakout
Lauren Oliver's language was beautiful in this book. She describes things vividly, but in such a poetic way that I can't help but sigh with joy at the beauty of the English language... even during the most dark and tragic scenes.
Pandemonium was much more the kind of book I tend to like than Delirium was. Lots of action, secret codes, resistance, and fighting.
The chapters switched back and forth from "Now" and "Then," or in other words, Lena's experience in the Wilds (Then) and her reintegration as a member of the resistance in New York (Now). I enjoyed this swap between two places in Lena's life as I began to see how she had changed and why. The transitions are not jarring or abrupt, but they instead compelled me to read further and further until I was all the way through the book.
I thought for sure that after Delirum's ending, Pandemonium would be an angsty, "OMG I'm so alone," teenage book. But it wasn't at all. Lena grieved, but she grieved so realistically. The book's focus wasn't on the absence of Alex, but it instead pushed forward into Lena's determination to survive, while a lingering (but not ostentatious) hole remained where Alex was missing.
The bond between Raven and Lena was beautiful. Raven was both a mother and an older sister to Lena, even though she was only 3 years older, and this relationship was something Lena only experienced in fragments during her childhood. Watching their bond strengthen while seeing the weaknesses in Raven's hard shell showed some of the best parts of Oliver's writing ability.
Spoiler
The green, yellow, and red paint and the birds as a way to signal to the Invalids... brilliant.What I didn't like
Lena fell in love so quickly. I don't mean so quickly after Alex, but I mean in such a short amount of time after the two actually met. I don't want to give out any spoilers
Spoiler
JulianI barely had time to connect with the new love interest before the end... and what a crazy ending it was. As I begin Requiem
Spoiler
here we go, love triangles that I usually despiseSpoiler
Julian, Julian, JulianAnd spoiler freakout