Joint Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Author: Lauren Oliver
Publisher: HarperCollins
Date of publication: March 2014

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 by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher.  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.

I liked Panic a lot.  It has a lot of things going for it.  It is an actual stand alone YA (yes, they do exist) and there is not love triangle and very minimal teen love angst.  YAY!  I loved the premise in Panic.  A game played by recently graduated seniors in their summer before college.  The winner gets a big pot of money.  The challenges are usually things that will cause fear and panic in the player.  I have to admit, I don't think I would last long in this game.

I enjoyed all of the characters.  Each person has their own reasons for participating.  The game is definitely an eye opener for everyone involved and I saw a lot of growth in each of them.  Particularly in Heather.  She was the one I was secretly rooting for.  There are a couple of twists which kept the story exciting.  I definitely recommend this one!

I, too, really liked Panic!  I told Kari I wished my school had done something like this.  Everybody puts in a buck a day everyday of high school and then you compete for the pot when school is over.  That's a pretty cool idea.  Of course, the challenges are crazy and out of control.  The book took some fun turns that made it a thrilling read.  I'm counting this one among my favorites of the year so far.  Add this one to your summer reading list!