Book Nerds Across America

Flo's Review
I love Lauren Oliver. I feel like she has been most well-known for the Delirium series and things after that, but Before I Fall has always, always been my favorite book of hers. I was so so excited when I heard that it was going to be a movie. And then I was happy to see some actresses that I'm familiar with and enjoy cast, like Zoey Deutch and Halston Sage. Life being the crazy thing it is, I was able to just make it to see this one in the theater before it left.

I read the book in 2010, so as you can imagine, I don't remember a lot of exact details. This was nice because it meant I wasn't sitting there in the movie comparing it to the book. I just remembered the general premise of the book and that I absolutely loved it. I was left with a good feeling, and I took that same feeling away from the film.

The actors and the director did a good job in making each day seem very different. I can imagine it would be repetitive to watch the same day over and over, but it never felt like I was seeing the same thing. And like I said, I left with the same feeling of, "Wow..." that I had when I read the book.

If you've read Before I Fall, I'd recommend giving this a watch when it comes out on Digital HD and DVD. And even if you haven't, I still think you'll find this enjoyable.

Jacque's Review: 

Panic is a contemporary stand-alone novel.  The main characters are all recent high school graduates preparing to compete in a series of dangerous challenges.  It is a tradition in their small town for the students to contribute to a pot throughout the school year.  The day after their graduation, they have the opportunity to enter a competition referred to as Panic for the chance to win over $60,000.  While each participant has their own reason for competing, they all consider it their one shot at a better life.  Participants are eliminated throughout the competition and the winner takes all.  There have been serious injuries and even deaths in the past, so joining Panic is not a decision that should be taken lightly.

I have read a number of comments made by readers who assumed Panic was going to be another Hunger Games based upon the synopsis.  Panic is NOTHING like the Hunger Games.  This is not about a futuristic society subjecting unwilling participants to a death match.  This is something that I could honestly see happening.  Eighteen-year-old kids smoking, drinking, partying, and participating in ridiculous challenges for a chance at winning a large sum of money.  With Panic, nobody has to get hurt.  Participants can drop out if they decide the stakes are getting too high. 

The story is told from both Heather and Dodge's POV.  They are both participants in Panic, but they were not friends prior to graduation.  They start working together during one of the challenges after Heather's friend, Nat, injures her ankle and needs assistance.  We learn a great deal about all three characters and why they decided to enter the challenge.  There is a lot of danger and even some developing romance.  Each character has a secret, but by working together they all hope to come out on top.

This was an exceptional story that grabbed and held my attention from the very beginning.  I gave it 5 stars  and would definitely recommend it to any YA fan. 

Flo's Review: 
I woke up this morning to a text from my friend who wanted to discuss this book. I laid in bed texting back and forth with her for about 30 minutes about it. I just love when a book gets me talking like that!

Anyway, I have always loved Lauren Oliver's standalones. I love the Delirium trilogy, of course, but my favorite book of hers is actually Before I Fall. There is just something refreshing about reading a story that starts and ends with one book. And this one was so unique! What an interesting concept. The things that these contestants had to do were CRAZY! And there was a twist in the story that I never saw coming! I saw a review where someone mentioned that she loved how Heather started playing Panic for the wrong reason, but then ended up staying in for a right one. I agree 100%. Also, Bishop? I love you! What an amazing friend and then some.

Like Jacque, I would also recommend this book to any YA fan because the challenges kept me at the edge of my seat, and wanting to see how the characters were doing both in the game and in their lives kept me turning the pages.

Flo's Review
Oh Lena, we have been on a journey with you. Remember how we all read and loved Delirium? And then we all read and didn't love Pandemonium? And then how the cliffhanger at the end of Hana left me disbelieving for days?! Well, we have finally made it. We have come to the end of another beloved-by-the-Book Nerds trilogy. I have to admit, I was hesitant about this book after Pandemonium. When I started reading it, I noticed how the dual narrators in Lena and Hana reminded me of the Then and Now in the second book that I did not really enjoy. But it worked in this book. I was as engrossed with Hana's story as I was with Lena's, if mostly because {Delirium spoiler} I was intrigued to see the point of view from someone who was cured. At the end of my Pandemonium review I said, "this is a rare instance when I don't have a clear favorite." I was referring to what happened at the end. Well, I had a favorite in this book. But I don't feel I can say anything more without giving anything away.

The best part about this book was how easy and fluidly it read. I just kept wanting to turn the pages. And the scene where, as the book's Goodreads description says, Hana's and Lena's "stories converge"? So interesting to read. Not how I pictured it at all on one side, but still so fascinating to read. Overall, I can say that I am satisfied with the ending. It had the perfect balance of closing stories as well as leaving things open for the readers interpretation and prediction.

And P.S. this was one of my #ChallengeOf3 books! Woo hoo!

Jacque's Review:

I have to agree with Flo about the dual narrators.  The "Then" chapters in Pandemonium were very slow for me, but I really enjoyed both Lena and Hana's stories.  Once I FINALLY received my copy from the library, I flew through this book. 

By the start of Requiem, Hana has been cured and is getting ready to marry her "match" Fred, who will be sworn in as Mayor shortly before their wedding.  He is working tirelessly to strengthen the borders and fight the resistance.  Hana is conflicted about what she should be feeling after her procedure.  While she feels different, she is still having dreams and feelings about the past...which cured aren't supposed to have.  Did the cure work? Is she defective?

You all know that we Book Nerds like to select teams.  I was on Team Alex after Delirium.  Then I was on Team Julian after Pandemonium.  I was conflicted for most of Requiem, but I did settle on a team by the end.  I can't think of another series in which I bounced around like this.  I usually find my Edward and stick with him throughout the series.  No way would I join Team Jacob just because Edward left...so I have to give Lauren Oliver credit for creating two amazing characters both Lena and I couldn't help but love.

I was very surprised by many of the events that transpired in this book.  There is loss and struggle on both sides of the fence.  Neither side is perfect, but they are both fighting for what they believe in.  I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more closure to this series.  The ending was a bit abrupt and there were a lot of loose threads.  I was left thinking, really??? That is the end?  Am I missing a chapter???  I guess this is Lauren's way of keeping everyone happy.  As Flo suggested, we can all write our own perfect ending. 

So, I have been noticing a bad rut that I've gotten myself into. As you all know, a lot of great books come in 3s these days. Trilogies are the way to go, and I love them -- I do. But what I've noticed lately is that I will read the first book and most often love it. I'll read the second book and I'll either love it or I'll think it got the Middle Book Syndrome. (I can expand on this point, if you'd like to know more of my thoughts here -- just ask :) Then I'll have to wait the year for the final book to come out. And by that point, I've already been wowed by a shiny new trilogy. And while I may have absolutely loved the first two books, for some reason, I never make it to reading the third.

So, with all of YOU as my witness, my 2013 Book Goal is to conquer the Challenge of 3. Below are a list of  trilogies in which I have read the first two books, but not the third. Honestly, this list is kind of embarrassing. I know for a fact that I'm going to get called out for not having read some of these yet. But I will endure that, because I need the motivation to make time to get them read! So, without further adieu, here are my books on the Challenge of 3:

Boundless by Cynthia Hand
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Reached by Ally Condie
Shades of Earth by Beth Revis
Shine by Jeri Smith-Ready
The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter
Sever by Lauren DeStefano

So, my vow is to have all of these trilogy conclusions read by the end of the year. I'll be hashtagging it over on our Twitter #Challengeof3. Do you have any trilogy conclusions that you haven't read yet? Let me know in the comments if you're up for the challenge and/or tweet us @booknerdsblog with the hashtag #Challengeof3.

Note: Slight spoilers for Delirium by Lauren Oliver follow.

It seems to be as you read Delirium that Hana and Lena and foils for each other. (Yes, I did just bust out some high school English terminology. In short, they are opposite characters.) In the beginning, Hana is the one that is listening to music and sneaking away to parties, and Lena is terrified. In fact, it is Hana that takes Lena to a party where she sees Alex. While Lena is freaking out, Hana is having reckless fun. Yet at the end of Delirium, it is Lena who has caught the disease and decides to run away, while Hana decides to get the cure. We follow Lena's journey in Delirium, so we know how she came to her decision. But what about Hana?

The novella Hana which Lauren Oliver recently released answers this question. It's a short, quick read (and only $3 on Amazon!) We follow Hana through the summer, see her sneaking out to several parties and even having a fling of her own with a boy named Steve. Through it all, we get to learn Hana's feelings about her family situation and future husband, as well as her reaction to learning about Lena and Alex.

I enjoyed it. Like everyone else, the cliffhanger ending left me with my mouth open. I literally had to re-read it about 4 times before I accepted it. And then I had to give myself a day or so of thinking about to understand it. But I do understand how it came to end the way it did. And it's sad, but realistic and honest.

Our reviews of the Delirium trilogy:
Delirium
Pandemonium

We were left wondering what happen to Alex and Lena after their big escape from the land of the cured at the end of Delirium.  Now we are looking for answers to all of the following questions as we read Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver.  Is Alex alive or dead?  Did Lena make it to the Wilds and can she survive? 
Mary's Review

The moment I put Delirium down was the moment I wanted Book 2.  I can honestly say that I have the same feelings with this book.  I am dying for Book 3! I did not think the Lauren Oliver would be able to suck me back into Lena's world,  but she did. The only thing that I was unsure of, at first, was the layout of the chapters.  "Then" and "Now" I thought that to be a bit strange.  However, once I got into the issues of Lena, Julian, Raven, Tack, and the others I did not mind it so much.  In all honesty, it was kind of different and made the story stand out a bit more.  I was also very happy to see a stronger and more determined Lena! That was awesome! The one thing the Lauren Oliver does best is the "cliff-hangers" and O.M.G did she leave us with a good one!

I will be counting the days until Book 3!!

Teri's Review:

Like Mary I was begging to get my hands on this book. I couldn't wait to see what happened with Alex and Lena. Unlike Mary, I wasn't fond of it..it had those middle book blues for me. Not saying it wasn't good, because it was, but not in the sense I wanted it to be. I didn't like the jumping back and forth between the "Then" and "Now". I really found the "Then" chapters boring and slow. but I also knew they were needed to set up the story of how Lena got to the "Now" . You did however get to see Lena become a strong independent person out in the wilds, where in Delirium she depended so much on Alex to show her the way. The people she interacts with all have stories, and they play a part in the "Now" also. My problem with the "Now  " was I just really did not like Julian AT ALL. I didn't feel the romance between them, I thought he was  really a bit of a cry baby, whiny..... He wasn't a strong person, pampered I guess you would say. I liked the excitement that came in the "Now" the protests, the escapes..it made these parts fast and entertaining to me and it helped me get thru the book rather quickly. I will say this..once again I am waiting patiently for one of Lauren Oliver's books, because once again..she left me with my mouth hanging open when I closed the back cover....

Jacque's Review:

There is one thing we book nerds seem to agree on, the concept of Then and Now chapters was very odd at first.  Like Teri, I felt that the Then chapters were very slow.  The first 60 pages were actually a struggle for me.  I was beginning to think this book was not going to live up to my expectations.  The setup and detail they contained was essential, but I felt like the story was not moving forward.  Once I met Julian in the Now chapters, I was hooked and that is where I wanted to stay.

By the end of the book I was a member of Team Julian.  He was a lot like Lena was in Delirium.  He was taught to believe certain things his entire life and now he is being exposed to a whole new way of thinking.  While he did come from a privileged upbringing, I did not think he was spoiled like Teri did.  His father was abusive and I just wanted him to get away from his family and to live his life on his own terms.

The love story was not at all like it was with Alex for several very good reasons.  Lena is still trying to get over the loss of Alex, Lena and Julian are learning to trust each other, and Julian has a lot to learn about the Wildes and living life freely.  They start to depend on each other and their relationship develops very slowly.  I felt that it was realistic given the circumstances and was actually really sweet.

The ending was a bit of a shock, but I can't say I was surprised.  I was expecting something like that from Lauren Oliver after the way she left us hanging at the end of Delirium.  Requiem, the final installment in this series, is scheduled to be released in February 2013.  There will be A LOT of anxious readers waiting to see how this trilogy comes to a close.  I have no idea which direction this story will take and can't wait to see what Lauren has in store for us next.  

Flo's Review:

What?! The Book Nerds are all in agreement about something?! I didn't like the "Then" chapters either, but I also understand why they were needed, so you could see Lena's growth and development. But like Tee said, it felt very middle book. I did really enjoy the "Now" chapters. I really liked the whole "Now" story and that's what kept me reading. I was not expecting either of the two big twists at the end of the book! And I can honestly say I can't wait for Requiem because ...how do I say this without giving away spoilers?...this is a rare instance where I don't have a clear favorite.

Do you remember your first love? The way you felt when they would look at you, when they walked into a room, or even the way they said your name. *sigh* It was a wonderful feeling!

Do you remember your first heartbreak? You knew the whole wide world was ending because that person was not around anymore. It is because of this feeling that Lena is looking forward to be “cured.” In Lena’s world there is no “LOVE” -- the government has taken care of that. When a person becomes close to the age of 18, they go through a procedure and become “cured” of love or deliria (as it is known in the book). Then the “regulators” match them to potential mates. The government believes that everything will be better because love was always an “issue.” Lena believes this because she read all the horrors of deliria. Lena likes the way her life is and the way the government protects them.