Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Publisher's Summary: The old Lena is Dead.

The old Lena remains with Alex in Portland, Maine, behind a wall of smoke and flame, but the new Lena was born in the Wilds, transformed by hardship, deprivation, and loss.

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena fights for a world in which love will no longer be considered a dangerous disease. Her inner life is as turbulent as the world around her...Although consumed with grief for Alex, might she be falling in love with someone else?

My Take: This book rocked! I actually liked Pandemonium even better than Delirium, and I think I liked it better because I related more to Lena (the main character) in this book. In Delirium, I had a hard time understanding why Lena was the way she was and was so eagerly willing to get the cure. I understood her reasoning as I got further along into the story, but in Pandemonium I loved how much Lena had changed and how much stronger her character had become, and I was definitely rooting for Team Lena!

Throughout Pandemonium, the story moved between the past and present (it’s referred as “Then” and “Now”) in each chapter. The story didn’t immediately pick up right from where that worst, most horrifying cliffhanger at the end of Delirium left off…it actually begins in the present (Now) and then it moves to the past (Then), which is the point where the story continues right after Delirium ends.

In Pandemonium, Lena gets to experience what the world is really like outside the gates that confine the people, the gates that contain the belief that the cure to deliria is essential and is the only way of life. And boy is it different outside the gates! I don’t know if I would have had the strength or power to live like that, but anything would be better than having someone cut into my brain to take away my deliria. And on top of all the heartache from the end of Delirium, Lena is faced with even more heartache and trials throughout Pandemonium. AND, there’s a really surprising, deceptive twist that had me totally pissed off!

There is a new, lovely romance that transpires in Pandemonium, and it’s pretty easy to figure out early on who catches deliria from Lena. This new romance does get a little intense, but I just have to say, “I’m still Team Alex 100% all the way!!!” But I guess I can come to terms and accept this new boy if I really HAVE to. But for me, if I were Lena and had to be with this new boy, I would only be settling.

If you’ve already read Delirium (or read my review of Delirium *smiles*), then you shouldn’t be at all surprised that there is another crazy cliffhanger at the end of Pandemonium. But for me, the cliffhanger was nowhere near as bad as the cliffhanger at the end of Delirium. But the cliffhanger at the end of Pandemonium only has me literally dying for the next book in this series. And now I have to wait a whole freakin’ year for it! This is a series that I will for sure be recommending to anyone looking for an amazing Dystopia story with an awesome, heart melting romance.




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