But in the second book, the conceit began wearing thin. Part of what appealed to me about Delirium was Oliver’s creativity-the very concept of love as a disease, and how that would affect society. So, with all of the build-up, maybe it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I wasn’t crazy about the second book. The buzz around its release didn’t help School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews both gave Pandemonium a starred review, with Kirkus naming it one of the best books of the year. I read a review copy of the first book, and had to wait more than a year for the next installment-as my appreciation for Delirium deepened and my hopes for Pandemonium rose perhaps too high. I loved Delirium-it was one of my favorite books in 2011. But what will Lena do when she’s confronted with a new love interest? And what will happen when her old and new worlds collide? Her new friends aren’t as friendly as they may seem, and Lena finds herself in deeper and deeper trouble.ĭespite losing Alex-in fact, because of it-the idea of a world without love is impossible.

But as she dives deeper in the cult-like world of the Resistance, she finds a world that is threatening in new and unexpected ways. She’s no longer a dewy-eyed teen but a lean mean rager against the machine. In the Wilds, I start to build, and to climb. It is hard and deep and angular, a system of blockades. It will feed you and at the same time turn you to rot. In the fraught months after losing Alex, Lena explains: In a world where love is a disease, hatred is a tempting alternative. It’s not long before she has bigger things to think about, though the resisters who have taken in Lena begin plotting their next mission, and Lena wants in.Įach chapter alternates between “then” and “now,” and the juxtaposition emphasizes how Lena evolves and hardens. Dehydrated, thirsty, and injured, she’s on the edge of defeat when she’s rescued by a small band of those whom she used to fear: Invalids.Īs Lena recovers, she quickly learns how to survive in this new world-one where the memory of Alex constantly haunts her. He was gunned down, caught in flames, unable to cross into the Wilds with Lena, and now she’s on her own. For more on that book, check out my enthusiastic review.Īlex is gone.

Warning: This review contains spoilers for Pandemonium ’s prequel, Delirium.

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