Pandemonium (Delirium Trilogy, 2) Hardcover – February 28, 2012

Read this and other reviews at [...]First - if you haven't read Delirium, stop what you're doing and go buy this book IMMEDIATELY. Oh, and stop reading this review. While it doesn't have spoilers per se, you need to read book 1, before you starting reading reviews for book 2. So quit getting ahead of yourself. And go read Delirium. Now. In terms of Pandemonium, there's really only word that comes to mind: BRILLIANT. This story was so different from Delirium, in the best ways possible, but it was no less amazing. I was still left completely floored. Even now a couple days later, I can't stop thinking about this book and it's basically killing me to not be able to read Requiem right now.The second I finished Delirium, I got on Amazon and downloaded Pandemonium. There was no chance I was going to be able to wait to see what happened. I NEEDED ANSWERS. This book is so much different because it's told in the "then" and the "now." The "now" is 6 months later after Lena has been in the Wilds and built a new life for herself entirely...in New York. When I first started reading, I thought I would really hate the "now" because I just wanted the old Lena back, and in fact, I just wanted Delirium back entirely. If you've read it...then you KNOW what I'm talking about. I just wanted to go back in time and fix it all. So at first, I felt like a petulant child stomping my feet, saying, "but I don't care what she's doing NOW, go back to THEN." I was sad, sometimes to the point of crying, at any mention of Alex, and I just didn't know how I could even come to like this story. But I did. So much.{{We all need mantras, I guess-stories we tell ourselves to keep us going.}}Without giving too much away, Lena was found in the Wilds - after her escape from Portland - by a girl named Raven. She goes back to their homestead and spends quite a bit of time recovering...from running over 60 miles before she almost died. She's not sure she even wants to be alive anymore. After the escape. After Alex. She just doesn't know how she'll go on. But Raven demands it of her. And in time, Lena gets stronger and learns to survive in the Wilds - and learns about joining the movement. In the "now" portions of the story, we see Lena integrated into life in New York City, as a "cured" - while really serving as almost a double agent against the DFA (Deliria Free America) - against the President of the organization, Thomas Fineman - and his son, the leader of the youth division Julian.During a DFA Rally, an attack takes place by Scavengers - uncureds who are just out of their freaking minds. This is where the story gets CRAZY. And I can't say anything about it. It must all be experienced firsthand, because it will blow you away. I will say, I REALLY did not want to like Julian. At all. But I couldn't help it. He grew on me. And even though it felt wrong and like I was cheating on my beloved Alex, I couldn't help but fall for Julian. Just a little. He's still not Alex. But he works for me, as Julian.{{It occurs to me, then, that people themselves are full of tunnels: winding, dark spaces and caverns; impossible to know all the places inside of them. Impossible even to imagine.}}There were so many unanswered questions at the end of Delirium - regarding Alex, Lena's mother, Lena's fate. All of it. There are plenty of questions answered during Pandemonium, but at the same time, there are just as many questions raised. Never did I feel like this was the typical filler book in the series, which is usually how second books can feel. There was just enough tension and bomb dropping, that just when I thought I could take a break, I would find myself 5 more chapters in, and completely enthralled. Lauren is such a magnificently skilled writer, in the sense that she knows how to dangle that carrot and make you complacently hop along, having NO idea you're about to have your world rocked. This could not be more true for even the last 7-8 pages of Pandemonium. OMG.Of course, this was a 5 star read for me. Again, the storyline was completely captivating and the characters were just as amazing as ever. I loved the introduction of all the supporting characters Lena met while living in the Wilds. Of course, meeting Julian and figuring out a part of his story. I literally CANNOT wait until March for Requiem to be released. While the title makes me incredibly nervous, I'm still looking forward to seeing how the series wraps up. Although, I will certainly be sad to see it end. I still have to read the couple novellas that are out as well, Hana and Annabel. I know that Raven is also being released on the same day as Requiem. I look forward to getting into these ladies' heads a bit more too. And just getting to experience more of this world. And Lauren's writing. If you haven't read these yet, PLEASE do yourself the greatest favor, and pick them up. Even if you don't like dystopian. Or young adult. I beg of you. You will be forever changed.{{In approved places, every story serves a purpose. But forbidden books are so much more. Some of them are webs; you can feel your way along their threads, but just barely into strange and dark corners. Some of them are balloons bobbing up through the sky: totally self-contained, and unreachable, but beautiful to watch. And some of them-the best ones-are doors.}}

Title: PandemoniumAuthor: Lauren OliverRating: 4 StarsMy Review:First let me apologize for the voraciousness of my reads compared to the snails pace at which I review them. Yes, I read this the day after Delirium...but it's only just now that I am getting to review it. If you read my review for Delirium, you will find that most of my impressions still hold true for this sequel in the trilogy. To sum up...Oliver's prose is beautiful, poetic, and haunting. The story is good and the romance enjoyable. But at times I still long (personally) for more of the science in this nefarious world. As well as the political backstory.With that being said, let's get to my specific thoughts on this book.Title - ??? Not that it really matters but I really couldn't get Pandemonium out of it. Maybe? I don't know. Yes, the dystopian world is unraveling (as all good book 2 dystopian worlds must), but I'm not sure if it really fit. I can say that this is really a nit pick because it didn't affect my perception of the story.Julian - For someone who was never allowed to be around boys for the better part of her life, Lena is sure quick to develop strong attachments to them. :) So I won't give any spoilers except to say that Lena is thrown together with a boy whose father is basically the bad-guy-in-chief of this world. It is Julian's father that is pushing for everyone to be cured, even Julian, with full knowledge that the cure could kill his son. In other words, daddy is definitely a world-class ****. Lena's kind heart is moved by Julian's predicament and over time he goes through the same awakening that she went through with Alex. At first of course you are like, 'what are you doing?? Alex just died!' And you are crazy? But then you think about the fact that Alex was not from their world and never felt the same loss as part of the awakening process. In this way Julian and Lena have a lot more in common and you can understand why they would draw together. And to be fair to the human experience, Lena believes Alex to be dead and she's grieving. It's not unheard of to fall into another's arms as part of the response to that grief. In the end, I forgave her.Ending - Again, without any spoilers, I saw the very end coming a mile away. The whole story away actually. Did that kill the surprise? Yes. But is it a good ending regardless? Also yes. Oliver set you up for some SERIOUS Pandemonium in book three.Mom - In the end, I do feel that Lena's connection to her mother is the real pivotal piece of the story. Many reviewers focus on her romances with Alex and Julian, but for me her real heart is in finding out why her mother didn't come back for her. If she just didn't love her enough. Lena has experienced a lot of heartbreak and survived terrible ordeals, but she knows a mother's love when she sees it...in Raven, with her love for Blue. Raven isn't even Blue's real mother and she loves her fiercely and desperately. In fact Raven gave up everything in her own society (though her life did totally suck) in order to save Blue's life. I think that the theme of mothers and daughters is what I find most compelling and I look forward to that resolution in book three.Structure - As an author, I found the structure of this novel to be incredibly interesting and impressive. It is told all from Lena's perspective, but using two different 'Then' and 'Now' timelines. I doubted it at times and lost myself a WEE bit, but ultimately I think she pulled it off and I enjoyed the point when the two timelines finally streamed together like tributaries. It was an interesting and risky choice and showed me how much Oliver has honed her craft.I recommend this to anyone who enjoys dystopians that are very literary in feel. It's not going to have a lot of science or apocalyptic detail like some dystopians, but the character story is the true heart of this trilogy and that is excellent.

Ainda não li o livro, porque estou com outra leitura em andamento.Veio bem embalado e tudo certinho. Queria muito comprar o livro em inglês e consegui super em conta.

Llega en malas condiciones, y la portada no es como la muestran. Pero para ser de 2da mano, está completo

Loved this sequel so much. Must read

La entrega estupenda, los vendedores muy amables, ya les he comprado unos cuantos libros en inglés y son muy cumplidores, el libro llegó en perfecto estado.Lo están leyendo, así que no puedo opinar pero siendo como el primero puede estar muy bien.Gracias.

YAのディストピア系のお話って２巻目はなんかちょっと中だるみで面白くないな・・と感じる事が多いんですが、deliriumのラブストーリーっぽい感じから雰囲気がガラッと変わった展開になるし、物語が進むテンポが良く、スピード感もあってとても面白かったです。