Panic

I'll be completely honest with you on how I picked this book to read. My husband was rushing me out of the library, I wanted a new book to get me through the end of April until I could pick up my book club read for May, and I reached over and grabbed the first book at hand. I had already read the jacket, so I had a vague idea of what the book would be about, but I was unsure if it was really something I wanted to read. Wow am I glad that I took the chance.

Panic is the story of a game played in a small town by recent high school graduates. During the school year everyone in the high school gives up a dollar for every school day. At the end the money is divided between two secret judges, and a winning pot. Then seniors decide if they are going to compete or not by jumping off a rock wall into a lake. The game thus begins. Over the course of the summer that follows the contestants are put through more and more insane challenges to determine who is brave (crazy) enough to make it out the other end and claim the money. This year the story follows two contestants, Heather, who had not intended to compete at all, and Dodge, who  had been planing on joining the game for two years.

This book was a roller coaster from beginning to end as I followed the story of these brash, crazy new adults as they fought to not only win the game but get their lives under control. Lauren Oliver does an incredible job of bringing each challenge to life, making each character something special, and making sure the reader is too immersed to do anything but keep turning pages. I found myself not only eagerly pushing on to the next chapter, but also recounting the challenges and outcomes to my friends, who at the age of 30 were calling these kids insane for what they did. But we were all interested to see how it would end with bated breath.

If you like The Hunger Games I am sure you will love this story about these kids trying tot fight for a way to improve their lives and willingly risking their lives to do it. However, this is a much tamer version as everyone else isn't watching, but those that know about Panic are actually trying to stop these kids from continuing. But sometimes, the reward is just too good.

EDIT :: So give this book a shot! If you want to take a look at the world of Panic, this is where you can find the Origin of Panic. It is in two parts, each only six pages long, but it is a teaser to see what kind of insanity is behind the game these kids play, and how it started. Check it out!