• Pandemonium

  • By: Lauren Oliver
  • Narrated by: Sarah Drew
  • Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (2,964 ratings)

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Pandemonium  By  cover art

Pandemonium

By: Lauren Oliver
Narrated by: Sarah Drew
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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

What listeners say about Pandemonium

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  • Em
  • 04-17-12

Remarkably Mature for YA

As an editor at Audible there are a couple awesome perks of my job. One of the best ones is that occasionally I can get my hands on the pre-pub galley of a book before it hits the shelves of any bookstore . And sometimes there is a book I’m simply DYING to get my hands on as soon as possible, like Pandemonium. I read this book way before the audio recording was even ready – devouring it over a weekend, ignoring all but the most critical commitments. This is one of those series that crosses formats for me. I love it so much that I read it (twice) and am now listening to it too. If there was a movie I’d probably line up with girls half my age and squeal until being let into the theater. A lot of YA titles work like this – they are so readily consumable and the stories are so fast-paced that you just get swept along and want to experience the story over and over and in different ways.

Not everyone is going to love this book (and series) the way I do. I know it’s not for everyone, but it totally worked for me. Lauren Oliver has come up with a decidedly compelling dystopian concept: Love is illegal and surgically removed from everyone at the age of 18. Her heroine is perhaps less unique: Lena originally believes in the strict society and all of its rules, but as she falls in love she turns against them. But don’t dismiss this as a teenage first-love sob-fest – though Delirium could be accurately described this way. Pandemonium breaks the grand tradition of sophomore trilogy slumps. It is more mature and action packed than its predecessor and it appeals to my grown-up brain as well. Oliver explores other types of love in book two, notably parental love, in a way she hadn’t before. The characters in this book aren’t just rebelling against this society so they can make out in public – it’s so they have the freedom to love their children as well. There’s something really interesting and chilling about this.

Oh, and before I forget,Sarah Drew is one of my all-time favorite narrators. She captures the teenage psyche in a way that in the same instant reminds you why you never want to go back, while making you not want to put the book down.

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28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A Great Sequel !!

Okay. I'll admit it. When I first started listening to this audiobook, I was doing so just because I read the first book and I wanted to know what happened to Alex and Lana, and to see if they made it into the Wilds safely. Once that was figured out (sorry, I'm not giving any spoilers), I did find the story, and the "Now" and "Then" perspectives just a bit confusing to me...but I quickly got with the program.

In this follow-up to Delirium, we see Lana's character grow immensely and really come into herself. We also see the introduction of an almost entirely new cast of characters.

There are so many things that I would love to go into about Alex, Julian, and her Lana's mom, but that would be giving away just too many potential spoilers...and it would totally ruin the experience for anyone about to listen to the book. Just know that Sarah Drew does a wonderful job at expressing the emotion in Lana's voice; and that is definitely needed in this book because poor Lana is put to so many tests, emotionally and physically.

Let me just say that by the end of the book I was (literally) sitting on the edge of my bed, wide-eyed, and by the last words uttered by the narrator, I was cursing out loud because the book was over and I cannot believe that Lauren Oliver expects us to sit and wait until February, 2013 for Requiem to come out so we can find out what happens next!!!!!

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25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

My all-time FAVORITE YA book!

This series is simply the BEST! Of all the YA books I've read (and I've read a bunch) this is hands down my FAVORITE!! I am absolutely speechless after reading this book. It simply took my breath away and I'm not so sure I will recover before book 3 is released.
As with the first one in the series it is so well-written and brilliantly performed by Sarah Drew. I could go on and on gushing about this book, but I will spare you the details and just say GO GET THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW!!!

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16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

So, nobody is going point out the narrator's ?

This is bugging me! Why is the narrator pronouncing 'Hanna' different in this novel, as compared to the first? Seriously, nobody has noticed it going from the more American pronunciation of 'Hanna' to more of a 'Haaaw-na' that has a lot of guteral 'H' to it? I went straight from listening to the first book, Delirium, to this one, and noticed it right away. At first, I had no idea the Narrator was referring to the same character. Then it hit me she is just saying Hanna, but just so, so weirdly. What the? Whyyyyy? It's such a distraction now. Good thing Hanna isn't mentioned as much in this one.

Plus, seriously YA authors, stop with love triangles. Despite those 2 things, I did enjoy this book. I will most likely listen to the last one too, just to round it out :)

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Can't Wait for the Next Book!

Pandemonium had a completely different feel than Delirium, the first book in the series. The story, all told from Lena’s perspective, alternates between different times. This was a little jarring to me in the beginning but I eventually got the hang of it. That aside, I loved it. Couldn’t put it down. Ate it up with a spoon. It Leaves you on a total cliffhanger too. The kind that makes you scream, “WHY DO I HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR FOR THE NEXT ONE?! AHH!” So. Good.

Contrary to Delirium, Lena is a little more rough around the edges in Pandemonium. After escaping from the police in Delirium, she is now on the run and fighting for her survival in the ‘wilds,’ as it’s called in the series. On top of that, she is recovering from the abrupt separation from Alex, the boy she loved so much that she ran away from everything she knew. She meets up with a resistance group living in the wilds. The story switches between Lena finding her way to the group and living with them to a future time when she is a member of the resistance.

Pandemonium is definitely grittier than Delirium. There is way more action and conflict. Alternating from Lena’s past and present kept the pace moving and made the book completely unpredictable. I really had no idea what was going to happen and this made the book difficult to put down. Out of the two books, I still think I liked Delirium more, but Pandemonium is still fantastic. It’s just different than the first.

I will leave this review short and simple because I know readers of Delirium will pick up Pandemonium at break neck speed. I know I did. If you haven’t read Delirium, you should.

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11 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The Perfect Sequal

Would you listen to Pandemonium again? Why?

I like to wait a few years between listens, but I am sure I will be listening to this book again eventually. Great performance by Sarah Drew (as always) paired with an action packed story line and beautiful writing method by Lauren Oliver make

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pandemonium?

The ending was probably the most memorable moment. Just as she did with Delerium, Lauren Oliver finished strong and poetic.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

There was a line in the book, when Lauren Oliver referred to Raven as being pieces scattered everywhere, and one of those pieces being a skeleton ship. This was one of the most beautiful moments in the book.

Any additional comments?

I'm usually a little disappointed in sequals. However, this one did not let me down. I found Pandemonium to be even more engaging and entertaining then Delerium. This is saying alot considering Delerium is one of my all time favorite books.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

I LOVE Sarah Drew!!!!

First, I have to give credit to Ms Sarah Drew. She was exceptional in this book and Delirium as well. I don't know if I would've liked this story or would've continued reading it if I wasn't listening instead. Sarah's voice got me through the dragging lulls in the story. As for the book, it was just okay. It definitely wasn't as good as the first and it wasn't what I was expecting, but not in a good way. Lauren Oliver is a great writer, make no mistake in what I'm saying. She can make any sentence a good one, smooth and flowing. I will continue to purchase anything from Ms. Oliver and listen to everything by Ms. Drew.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful. Poetic. Brave.

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

Sarah Drew as always was amazing. I can't imagine anyone else narrating Lauren Oliver's books. She really breathes life into the characters and forces you to experience all the emotions on the page. Ms. Oliver's writing was again incredibly beautiful and poetic and her character development never lacked even though this installment was so much more action packed than Delerium.

What did you like best about this story?

Some mild spoilers...What I enjoyed most about this story was watching Lena change and adapt to her new life in the wilds. She's gone from a naive and scared girl to a fierce and brave woman over the course of these two novels. I also enjoyed...I can't believe I'm saying this, the drama created by the new boy in her life. I wanted to hate him, when I saw this was the direction the story was going in, but found it was surprisingly hard to do.

Have you listened to any of Sarah Drew’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. She is one of my top five favorite narrators and again she was spot on and helped me to experience this book in a way I don't think reading it alone would have.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Honestly, there were too many to mention. I think my favorite part of any Lauren Oliver book are her descriptions and poetic prose.

Any additional comments?

A great sequel to the first novel which was one of my favorite books of 2011. I am eagerly anticipating the next installment. If you haven't read Delerium, I highly reccomend you do so and stat. Then follow up with Pandemonium and be yearning for the next one.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Finally a second book that does the first justice

I find that a lot of dystopia book series kind of lose their luster after the first book, but was very pleasantly surprised by Pandemonium. It was just as exciting, if not more, than the first and had a great story line and of course a cliff hanger ending. I don't want to wait until next year for the third book!!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Another Eloquent Installment

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

Fresh off her heart breaking escape from Lena's love lobotomizing society, she discovers the freedoms of the Wilds. And all the chores that come with them. Turns out she was pretty pampered in the enclosed cured community. Life on the outside is hard, hard work, little food, and lots of casualties.

But as the resistance is rising, the cured have renewed their efforts in eliminating the invalids, forcing Lena and her new friends to re-assimilate into the Manhattan colony. Lena soon finds herself in the middle of a conspiracy and finding love in the most unlikely places.

Lauren Oliver's Pandemonium is an eloquently written mess of thoughts and details strung together to form a coherent character and world in a very unique way. I think the sequel exceeds Delirium in story and structure. I always felt the eradication of love as a main motivator a little flimsy, and it was the linchpin that held everything together in the first book. In Pandemonium the story focuses less on the cure, in favor of a more active plot line. Plus Oliver needed less time working on world building and character establishment so she could focus on a more complex plot without sacrificing the romance and lyrical flow of her writing fans of the series love. Some of the pacing in the beginning was slow, but it gained momentum as Lena grew stronger. A few lingering questions were answered, but with them came more inquiries that are sure to bring readers back for the next installment.

Sarah Drew's performance of Pandemonium was good. Her portrayal of Lena was nice, maybe a bit dramatic at times, but she really knows how to capture the angst of teenage melodrama. I think her choices in voicing Julian was better than how she speaks for Alex, but overall she does a fine job with the series.

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