Pandemonium

By: Lauren Oliver

Narrated by: Sarah Drew

Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times best seller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

©2012 Laura Schechter (P)2012 HarperCollinsPublishers

WOW

Would you consider the audio edition of Pandemonium to be better than the print version?

It was a wonderful book and I would suggest it to any one who likes a bit of fun and drama

action packed and passionate

Want to make aware first that this is more "mature" with some cussing and intense passion moments. I could not stop listening. It is soo enthralling. I already want to listen again. love the intensity.

Good but not Great

First, I have to echo other reviewers and say that I LOVE Sarah Drew's narration. She is by far my favorite female narrator, and she does such a great job of bringing Oliver's wonderful descriptions to life.

That being said, I wasn't completely won over by Pandemonium. Some things just seemed so forced.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The story itself was great, for the most part. The pacing was terrific. I enjoyed the "then" and "now" references and seeing how Lena survived in the Wild. There was a character death that had me weeping while driving. I even liked most of her interaction with Julian - the irony of her arguing with him over things she herself believed in not so long ago, etc.

What I DID NOT like is the set up of a forced love triangle. UGH! Maybe it would have been more believable if Lena's undying love for Julian didn't seem to come out of thin air. I mean...sure she had feelings for him...and that is fine, but the way it ended...with her saying she'd be with him forever, etc. - that seemed so forced...only put there to set up the tension with the reappearance of Alex.

Maybe I would have believed it more if we had more time with Lena and Julian at the end...in the Wild...before Alex's return. If we could see that Lena was trying to make a life with Julian, etc. THEN she would have been faced with the tough decision of her first love who helped open her eyes to the world vs. her new love who helped her learn to live in that new world.

I LOVED Delirium and was so anxious to read this one but am barely looking forward to the next. I will listen to it, though, because I genuinely enjoy Oliver's writing style and Drew's narration.

Wow.

Would you consider the audio edition of Pandemonium to be better than the print version?

Yes. The narrator makes a huge difference. She really makes you feel like you are there.

Which scene was your favorite?

Without giving away too much, My favorite scene was when she was rushed into a van tryin to take "a strangers" mask off.

Any additional comments?

Ahhh! Why must we have to wait so long before Requiem comes out!?

Don't Know Why I Am Fascinated By The But I Am.

Would you consider the audio edition of Pandemonium to be better than the print version?

This book is well written and very well read. The plot is something different so if you can just "go with it," it's fun.

great series!

What made the experience of listening to Pandemonium the most enjoyable?

Sarah Drew brings a great soul to each character

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hunter, he's hilarious.

Which character – as performed by Sarah Drew – was your favorite?

Alex & Hunter!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I did laugh, for sure!

Any additional comments?

Don't be deterred by the young adult rating. I'm almost 29 and love this series.

Second One is Just as Good

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I would recommend this book because the storyline is still very strong just like the first book.

What did you like best about this story?

I liked how the main character and the whole environment changes.

Disjointed story

What did you love best about Pandemonium?

I loved the story but either there were file problems on the audio or there was a serious glitch in the writing. I kept getting switched between time lines as though some files were misnumbered andthe timeline was out of order. One minute she's being held captive by the scavengers and the next she's with Raven, then back with the scavengers. This happened repeatedly and it didn't in the first novel of the series. If it's a flashback, there's nothing to indicate that there is a change in time. As much as I enjoyed the audio version, it was very confusing and disjointed.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

I rather expected it, frankly.

What about Sarah Drew’s performance did you like?

Sarah did a great job with the performance.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No. The closest I came to an extreme reaction was the frustration with the timeline.

Wow!!

If you could sum up Pandemonium in three words, what would they be?

Enthralling, engaging, engrossing

What did you like best about this story?

The story-telling is strong in this book. The author has a beautiful turn of phrase and Sarah Drew performs very well. The overall arc of the story is excellent.

Which character – as performed by Sarah Drew – was your favorite?

Lena

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I loved this book. I *never* have 'driveway moments' (when you can't get out of the car because you're wanting to see what happens next) but the end of this book totally had me trapped in my car.

Any additional comments?

It's so rare for a 2nd book in a trilogy to eclipse the first - but this one totally does. I can't wait to see what book 3 holds!

For anyone who loved the Hunger Games, give this series a try - it's right up there.

thrilling/predictable

I love the flow of the storyline but it was so obvious how it was going to end I knew from chapter one :/