Pandemonium (Delirium #2)

I was one of the few people who was not completely spellbound by Delirium. I had heard from many people that Pandemonium was very different from Delirium, so I thought that might be a good thing. I might like book two better. And I did like the second installment better, but only by a little bit.

The story in Pandemonium is told in a different way than that of Delirium. Instead of in chapters, it’s in sections alternating between “then” and “now.” I have mixed feelings about the format. At first, it was a bit confusing, then it was a little annoying, but then it stop and left me with questions. I found myself liking the “now” storyline better than the “then” but I understand the importance of the “then” storyline. It’s there to fill in the blanks, and if it had been completely linear, this might have been a four book series instead of a three book series, and book two would have been very dull.

Like I did with Delirium, I had trouble focusing. The majority of the story just didn’t capture my attention. I kept finding other things to do instead of reading, which in turn caused me to get very behind on my blogging schedule. Was it because I had just come away from reading Allegiant? Maybe, but I had the same trouble with Delirium. The writing is absolutely wonderful and lyrical, but I guess I just don’t feel very invested in the characters and the plot as some others are. However, I do care enough to want to know what’s going to happen in the last book.

The last fourth of the novel was what really kept my attention. Everything lead up to that last part of the story and it was quite intense. However, the book ends with a HUGE cliffhanger. I pretty much spent my time making myself read the entire book and then BAM. Secrets are uncovered and new problems emerge and I’m expected to be okay with that? I feel like book three will be the best of all of them, based on the direction the story is currently taking. My feelings are quite mixed when it comes to entire series, so don’t take my word for gospel. Read it for yourself and come to your own conclusion if you’re willing.

I have to say I love this series and the world that Lauren Oliver has created. When I read Delirium I was so intrigued with a world where love was considered a sickness that needed to be cured. By the end of Delirium I was hooked and needed more of these characters and this world. However Pandemonium didn't quiet seem to meet my expectations and I am not really sure why. The only thing I can put my finger on is the lack of Alex.

I loved the new characters and getting to see a glimpse into how the invalids live in the Wilds. I loved the fact that the chapters switched between then and now. A flashback to Lena's time in the Wilds and then the current story that is unfolding with her helping the resistance.

I really didn't have a problem with Julian in general, but every time I read Julian and Lena's interactions my heart died a little. I guess he just simply isn't Alex. In Delirium when I read Alex and Lena's interactions my heart would flutter and race. I felt the chemistry, it felt real. For some reason with Julian I felt nothing. I am all for love triangles they make books interesting, this however just kind of upset me.

Now I am not really one to scream aloud when reading, but the last page of this book definitely made me do just that. The last bit was what saved the whole book for me. Hopefully I don't want to kill Lena when I get my hands on Requiem. I have faith that she will make the right choice.

Review originally posted on my blog: http://www.ramblingsofabooknerd.com/2013/04/review-pandemonium-by-lauren-oliver.html

I’ll be honest: I was pretty disappointed with Pandemonium as the sequel to Delirium. I fell in love with Delirium right away. It simply blew away all my expectations and held me in a death grip made of excitement and beautiful writing, and I hoped Pandemonium would do the same. I know Pandemonium is the second book in the Delirium trilogy, so I still have high hopes for Requiem, but I will say my overall impression of this series is lower now.

Pandemonium is not a bad book; it just doesn’t compare to Delirium in the slightest. Firstly, the writing in this book was not nearly as captivating as the writing in Delirium. Remember this amazing passage from Delirium?:

“You can build walls all the way to the sky and I will find a way to fly above them. You can try to pin me down with a hundred thousand arms, but I will find a way to resist. And there are many of us out there, more than you think. People who refuse to stop believing. People who refuse to come to earth. People who love in a world without walls, people who love into hate, into refusal, against hope, and without fear.”

I missed that prose quite about through Pandemonium. This book is also told in two different in two different timelines: “Then” chapters and the “now” chapters. “Then” chapters follow Lena straight from the end of Delirium and document her time in the wilds, while the “now” chapters deal with Lena as part of the resistance and her interactions with the cured and the DFA. I am normally a huge fan of timeline and POV splits. I know many people don’t like them as a rule, but many times they’re my favorite way to read and to tell a story. However, I really just didn’t feel it in Pandemonium. I found the “Then” chapters much less compelling because they were interspersed throughout the book, so I already knew that Lena survived to the current point in time. It made them feel unnecessary. I think I would have liked this book a lot more if the story had been told chronologically.