Pandemonium - Book Review

Pandemonium (Delirium #2)
by Lauren Oliver

What is it about:
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.

What did I think of it:
*slightly spoilery*

I loved Delirium, the first book in this series. I was even a bit afraid to pick up this book, because Delirium's ending was so strong it could easily hold its own as a stand alone in my opinion. But I was curious enough to pick up Pandemonium.

And it's an enjoyable read.

I like that the story switches from the 'now' to things that happened in the past. The 'now' has Lena working for the resistance, while the jump-backs to the past show how she got to where she is now. It was done very well.

What didn't work for me is Lena and her new love interest Julian. Their relationship felt uneven for me. In Delirium Alex is a mentor for Lena, who helps her grow so they can be equals. In Pandemonium Lena has the mentor role, but she doesn't help Julian grow, instead she keeps him below her. I didn't like that at all.

Apart from that I enjoyed the story. It was suspenseful, emotional at times, and with an ending that made me glad I already had the last book in this trilogy in my to-be-read pile. It didn't move me as much as Delirium did, but that might be because I never warmed up to Julian.

All in all I'm glad I decided to give this book a try. It might not be as beautiful as Delirium, but it certainly is a good story. I immediately picked up the last book to see how this trilogy would end.

Why should you read it:
It's an enjoyable Dystopian Young Adult read.