Review: Pandemonium

Pandemonium (Delirium #2) by Lauren Oliver
Release Date ~ March 6, 2012
HarperCollins ~ Harper Teen
ISBN13: 9780061978067

Goodreads Synopsis:
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 bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.
THERE ARE NO WORDS. I will NEVER be able to properly express my love and adoration for this series. NEVER. Lauren is brilliant, and I am infected with deliria for these perfectly captivating books.

Delirium was my FAVOURITE book of 2011 and it absolutely blew me away. I just sobbed after I finished it, for all its emotional turmoil and the way Lauren Oliver managed to wring my heart like a wet towel. So of course, I have been anxious for Pandemonium and I devoured it as soon as I got an ARC in the mail.

How am I supposed to express my thoughts on this book?? I can't write reviews that will do Lauren's books justice. I just can't, I'm actually incapable of doing that. Because Lauren's book consistently affect me in such a personal, INTIMATE way.

But I'm going to try. Because everyone needs to read these books!

1. Sobbing, tears, forever crying:
   Delirium, as a series, is incredibly heartbreaking. A world where love is treated like a disease? SCARY. And Lena struggles so much, both physically and emotionally. She's particularly fragile in Pandemonium after what has occured in The Last Chapter of Delirum (capitalization is clearly required, as those of you who have read it know). Pandemonium is tragic in its own way, as Lena is so desperately trying to cope with the events and changes which took place in Delirium. It isn't easy. But what can you expect?
2. Stunning, lyrical writing:
   I'm convinced that Lauren is a sort of author genius. I have yet to be unimpressed by anything she's written!
   
   "I wonder if this is how people always get close: They heal each other's wounds; they repair the broken skin." And everything has such meaning and depth behind it. Nothing is just said casually, and it is all so thoughfully laced with emotion and words to draw you in to the story itself. Pandemonium is another indication of extreme talent on Lauren's part.
3. Two timelines:
   I'm not usually a fan of books written with two alternating timelines from chapter to chapter, but I was really impressed by how it was done in Pandemonium. Normally I find it to be confusing, and unnecessary as it doesn't seem to add much to the story. However, Lauren would finish a chapter from the past and then carry over the same atmosphere and feelings into the new chapter based in the present. And THAT impressed me and really made the story flow well. Yet it all felt very natural, so I'm not even sure this was an intended result of the writing style.
4. Those hints and teasers which made fans worried...
   We've all heard the nerve-wracking hints and teasers about Pandemonium; and I know I'm not the only Delirium fan who was dreadfully worried about the direction Pandemonium would take. I refuse to give anything away and confirm one way or another, but I can say that I was utterly surprised by what Lauren included in the story but was still very impressed with how it was handled. And that left me feeling extremely satisfied overall.

Now, I will say that Pandemonium did not leave the same impact on me that Delirium did. I found it harder to relate to some of the new characters introduced, and I so dearly miss Alex. I ADORE Alex. It's forever Alex for me <3

But I can say with complete confidence that I'm going to be counting down the days to Requiem, very very soon and I cannot wait to see how this series ends! Totally one of my favourites in YA and dystopian.

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5