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Kayleigh {K-Books}

I'm a 20-something Psychology Lecturer and Literacy specialist who is obsessed with anything bookish. I run K-Books, a book-blog that has been going for 2 and a half years. I am also a publicist for Spencer Hill Press.

Panic

Panic - Lauren Oliver

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

 

 

"The bravery was in moving forward, no matter what."
 
Oh. My. Goodness!
Where are my socks... they've gone. Why? Because Panic blew them off!

There were no words to describe just how unbelievably excited I was to get an ARC of this book. Naturally I had to dive right in and holy crap it may be of the best books of the year. I... there are seriously no words. It completely and utterly blew me away.

Heather never planned on entering into Panic. The dangerous summer game that seniors play for a lot of money. It's dangerous and terrifying but Heather finds herself entering in the spur of the moment. Now Heather has everything to lose. With her home life getting worse Heather knows there is no backing down. She is in it to win it so she can save herself and her sister. As the competition hots up she finds the relationships between her and her best friends getting more and more tense. Can she survive it with her friendships still in tact... and more importantly her life?

Panic just compeltely blew my socks off! It was seriously phenomenal! I didn't really know what to expect from it. I am a huge Lauren Oliver fan and have read and loved her Delirium series. But that's all I have read from Lauren, her dystopia. So going into her realistic fiction novel I really didn't know what to expect. I think Lauren Oliver has found her calling. Her writing style was just incredible and it sucked me in right from the start and I just couldn't put the book down. I think this is even better than her Delirium series and I really think she has found her calling with this genre and this book. It's just breathtaking.

Heather. Oh Heather what an emotional journey you took me on. I love love love her. She has so much more pressure on her shoulders than any 18 year old kid should have. Yet she just trudges on and does what needs to be done. I think she is so strong and in a different way to other strong YA heroines. A lot of YA heroines are completely kick-ass "you can't mess with me" personas... Heather isn't. Heather is strong in a more subtle way. Her strength comes from her emotions and the people she loves. Her strength is doing everything she can to save her family and her friends and by not letting the world win. She is just incredible.

One thing I loved about this book is that it completely took me by surprise. By reading the blurb on this book I already had expectations of the romance/love story within the book and it went in a completely different direction that I had anticipated. There is romance within the book but it is completely not expected and it completely took me by surprise. I loved that it was different and I love that Lauren goes in a completely different direction than what readers would expect. I adored that!

Another thing that I thought was awesome was that the romance was just a back-story. In a lot of realistic fiction the romance is very front and centre and I loved that Panic wasn't. It tells the story of the game Panic and the relationships between families and friends with just a dash of romance in there. I loved that. I love that the romance wasn't necessary to keep the story going. It was just fantastic and moving and brilliant without the romance being necessary. That shows just was a talented author Lauren is.

Panic moved me and left me breathless. It was one of the most perfect books I have ever read. There isn't a whole lot of books that I can look back on and go you know what? That book was perfect. There was no way it could have been better. But Panic I can truly and honestly say that. It was perfect. There is nothing I would change. In a lot of books I look back and go I wish there was more this or I wish there was less of that... not in Panic. It was utterly perfect and had the perfect balance of everything.

Panic is phenomenal and probably one of the best books I have ever read in my life. I completely loved every single second of it. If there is one book you must buy next year then make sure it is Panic. It was blow your mind in more ways that one and leave you completely breathless. Incredible. A must-read!

"There was always light - beyond the dark, and the fear out of depths; there was sun to reach for, and air and space and freedom."