PANIC//BY: LAUREN OLIVER

 

Panic by Lauren Oliver is a contemporary novel that takes place at the beginning of summer, where that  year's Senior Class all gather to complete in an intense game called Panic. Each contestant has a different motivation behind why they agreed to play this daunting game. That we find out as the book progresses.
This book is written in two different perspectives, Heather and Dodge. It was nice for once to not have the two man characters-whose point of view the book is taken from-fall in love. In fact, Heather and Dodge hardly know each other and barely interact in the book till the vary end.
Panic was not what I expected it to be. Though it did not disappoint me one bit. Normally, I try to  avoid contemporary novels, because I find myself bored in the plot. Though Panic held my interest to what I believe, had a different element to it that set it apart from all other contemporary works. 
Panic, in short, is basically one big game of Russian Roulette. Contestants face off in fearful situations as they try to outlast each other in hopes to win the grand prize of 67,000 dollars. As competition thins out, the remaining contestants are then forced to face their biggest fears. Many of their fears they have to face can result in death, which emphasizes the fear the game Panic brings. It defies the danger this game possesses ,and the level the characters are willing to go through in order to achieve their goal. For example, one contestant was faced with an actual game of Russian Roulette. Life or death are the possible options in this game. Your really have to be dauntless to play.
This book I found I was able to relate to in the sense of it being a small town, and wanting nothing more than to escape and start your own life. Most of the characters in this book use Panic as a gateway to lead them to their ultimate destination. 
Heather plays in hopes for her and her sister to escape their home lives. Dodge plays in hopes to help his sister-who was paralyzed playing panic. And Heather's best friend Natalie, hopes to use the money to move to California to start a modeling/acting career. This goes to show that when we humans desperately want something, we are willing to put everything on the line if it means it will give us a  route of escape. 
I highly recommend Panic to anyone looking for a good contemporary read. That is why I will give it its deserved 5/5 stars. For this book is filled with fast turns and shocking events, which makes it a perfect summer read. 
Panic is a fast past novel that will leave you speechless to the vary end. It will keep you on the edge of your seat to the vary last page, and even after that it will leave you hungry for more.



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