The second book in the Delirium Trilogy is every bit as great as the first. Pandemonium begins right where Delirium left off and doesn’t hesitate. Nor does it waste the reader's time with reiterating the entirety of book one. I loved this because it felt as if I was reading one long book. However, readers that did not read the books in succession may have to jog their memories a little. But, when a story is this good, I doubt that many could forget what has already happened. Lauren Oliver does not disappoint and, in fact, continues to entertain and enthrall. Pandemonium is every bit as interesting and thrilling as Delirium as it delves deeper into Lena's world and the chaos that has become her life. It's very difficult not to give away secrets from Delirium in this review but I'll try my best. Lena continues to grow and mature as her journey takes her deep into "The Wilds" and back into the walled world of the DFA, (Delirium Free America), and the Regulators who police it. In Pandemonium we are introduced to a whole new set of obstacles with a whole new cast of characters. Raven, the mother-figure that Lena encounters, is hardened by life in "The Wilds", yet she has a compassion for her "Family" that sometimes cracks through her tough exterior. As the story develops, Lena is faced with a difficult choice when the new guy, Julian, emerges onto the scene. By all the rules, Julian is the enemy. But when you're thrust into dangerous and life threatening situations how do you keep your distance? And what do you do when the powers that be start changing the rules? Awesome! Just awesome! Keep reading this series!

This second installment of the Delirium series takes place both in the wilds and in New York during a resistance movement, moving back and forth in time. The chapters are pretty clear about where you are. The story starts soon after Lena escapes over the fence and how she survives in the Wilds. I loved the addition of some of the new characters, especially Raven. I have to say, though, that there were a few logistics about their life in the Wilds that drove me crazy, like: Why do they wait until winter's there before they move camps? Why don't they just live somewhere warmer and set up a homestead and try to become self sufficient? Why do they have to rely on the cities for so much? Why, if there is a hardware store nearby, do they only have one shovel? OK, enough of that rant. These are not deal breaker issues, the story was still great, just things that frustrated me. On the other hand, this time in the Wilds was compelling, the dynamics of the community, the constant peril, the heartbreak of peoples stories... In contrast, the story alternates in a future time as part of an underground resistance movement in New York. There were some great twists in this part and, again, the addition of some new characters. I liked Julian, the son of the DFA leader, and how he grew and how the alliances and betrayals worked out. I really love this series, though I didn't like this book as much as Delirium. Oliver's writing is brilliant and absolutely beautiful - she crafts words like an artist. And, I love the premise behind this book - that of a dystopian future where love can be "cured", along with the consequences of that. After the dramatic twist at the end, I can hardly wait to get my hands on Requiem (one of the advantages to coming to a series late!)

All I have to say is this: Julian is a FINE MAN. (see what I did there?) But seriously, read this book. Delirium was amazing and Pandemonium is perfection. LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK! CANNOT WAIT FOR THE 3RD ONE!

This review was originally posted on my blog Escaping With Books (escapingwithbooks.blogspot.ca) Lauren Oliver, why must you do this to me? The ending, oh my god, the ENDING! I will NOT spoil it for anyone but just, ugh. I was expecting it during the last few pages -- and even from the beginning -- because there were obvious clues, but things happened in between as well! But instead of raging over the ending, I'll talk about all the goodness that happened in between! By the way, there WILL be spoilers from Delirium, so watch out if you don't want any spoilers. So we see Alex being attacked by the regulators and the blood seeping through his shirt. After that, Lena just stumbles through the wilds because she's injured as well. She's finally found by a homestead near Rochester, and they take her in. I loved the way Pandemonium actually switches between past and present -- past being the time she spent in the wilds, and present being the time she spent in Brooklyn and New York. It was neat the way the two stories kind of weaved into each other, and also how a lot of the times, she described herself as two different people, and you can clearly see the differences between her during "now" and "then". With some characters, I didn't like them a lot. Mainly because they were kind of closed off, or maybe seen as an antagonist, but later on, I really started to like them. That was mainly what caused me to be so frustrated now because of the ending. One of the characters, Tack, was weird to me because he was so cold, and there would be times where he was unusually warm towards Lena. Throughout Pandemonium, I could clearly see as she put layer upon layer over herself. She became an entirely different person, and in the end it was nice to see her become herself once again, not the one in Portland, but the one who wanted to be in the Wilds -- the one who was in love. I think this was way better than Delirium. I know a lot of people have different opinions, but I absolutely LOVED Pandemonium, why does Requiem have to come out in March?! If you loved Delirium, then I pretty sure this one won't be a disappointment.

"There will be SPOILERS for anyone who has NOT read DELIRIUM. The ongoing battle between the Cured and the Invalids is at an all time high, and this time, Lena’s an integral part of the fight. Months ago, Lena escaped Portland and the cure that would take away her ability to love. Heartbroken, Lena had to leave behind Alex, the boy she loved. She had to bury the memory of Alex’s love and his auburn hair deep within her. She cannot turn back. The past is dead, and so is the boy who gave her the deliria. Lena runs further and deeper into the Wilds. It’s here she meets other Invalids – so many others – and rebuilds herself. Lena knows what damage the cure can cause, and now she’s fighting back. For Alex. For her mother. For herself. Lena’s deeper into the battle than she realizes. This war is fueled by fiery rage and it’s only a matter of time until she’s burned. Lena is looking for revenge and justice. They took away everyone. She’s not looking for another boy to love. ‘He’ just reminds her of Alex. Her fractured heart can’t handle it … then why is she feeling like this? Does the resistance stand a chance? Can Lena open her heart again? Many beautiful pieces were tied together to create Pandemonium. Delirium was a great read, but Pandemonium was that much better. It took this series to another level and that was exactly what you’d ask for from a sequel. Pandemonium was intriguing, and it had a fantastic storyline. Like Delirium, Pandemonium was told in Lena’s perspective, but this time there were two timeframes. The chapters alternated between present day Lena and Lena immediately after she escaped into the Wilds. This merging of past and present brought more depth and clarity to the story. Pandemonium would not have been as powerful or had the same effect if it was told in any other way. The events of Delirium changed Lena forever and she became a stronger character because of it. She was more likeable in Pandemonium, because the rawness made her more relatable. Pandemonium made for an emotional read. I felt more for this book in comparison to the first of the series. The crucial moments were more serious and the stakes were higher. Lena was under so much pressure and she deserved a happy ending this time around. Lena was closed off and hardened from losing Alex. Her escape into the Wilds was nothing like she thought it would be mostly because she didn’t have her love by her side. She was entirely focused on getting out, that it never occurred to her what would happen afterwards. She faced dangers, threats, obstacles, and ultimately pulled through. Lena wasn’t completely reliant on other people in Pandemonium. She learned that sometimes she could save herself. I liked Lena in Delirium, but I loved her in Pandemonium. This story was a step up from Delirium and Lena had a completely different mindset. In addition to all the extra baggage she carried, Lena was forced to grow up at an alarmingly quick rate. Her metamorphosis was told stunningly and intricately. Through her words Lauren Oliver brought beauty to Lena’s character. I resisted too, and didn’t want Lena to fall in love again, but I couldn’t help but fall for the new boy myself. In fact, this boy might be loved more than Alex was. He arrived at the right time in Lena’s life, and whether they fell in love or not didn’t matter, because he was the right person to care for her. They really seemed to need each other. Nothing could prepare you for this ending. Lauren must have something up her sleeve, because Pandemonium’s last pages will shock you to the core. I was delirious with glee, because it was the perfect setup for the final book. Pandemonium exceeded any expectations I could have had." Quoted myself from readandriot.blogspot.com

Seriously, I am in love with these characters and can't wait to see where they end up next!! can't wait for the next one in this great story!! I LOVED IT

this story is an amazing sequel to delirium.Pandemonium has even more action and excitement then delirium.In this book we find our main character ,Lena where she was left in delirium.This book switches from past to present and keeps switching in each chapter i found this kinda confusing but i still enjoyed it! The past refers to lena's life when she was alone in the wilds and how she made it through alive.The present refers to what lena is doing presently in the book.At the end of this book there is a huge twist and a love triangle!

Why did I take this long to actually start reading this series? Lauren Oliver is amazing writer and Delirium is nothing short of awesome. I feel like I’m finally inching my way out from under the rock I see to have been residing under. If you’re one of those people who are still under that rock, Delirium is about Lena, who lives in a world like our own, but in her world, love is a disease. This means that, at an early age, people have a “procedure” that rids them of the feelings of love, rids them of susceptibility of contamination. From the first pages I was intrigued. It was just so different from all of the other dystopian’s I had been reading. I loved the concept of love being the disease and couldn’t believe that people actually looked forward to getting the procedure done. It was hard to fall in love with the characters at first because they were so detached from these feelings, especially the older characters, but I couldn’t help but root for the younger ones, hoping that they would evade authority and the cons — even if they don’t look like cons — of the procedure. Oliver is such an amazing writer. Her words read like poetry in sections and everything was just so smooth and flowing. I loved how the “world” of Delirium was Portland, but an alternate Portland. Oliver did a good job of creating a world that was so realistic, a world that could most definitely exist — one that was easy to be fearful of. At the beginning of each chapter, Oliver includes little bits of literature from the pre-approved books that the people of Portland are to read. It was so interesting to read these little tidbits of information and see exactly how the people were being brainwashed through the literature, how literature that we read nowadays could be deemed as “cautionary tales.” I did really love Lena as a character, as well as Hana. It was hard to see what they had to live with, the world they were forced to live in, but it was nice to see some rebelling, even if it kept you on your toes as a reader. I also really loved Alex’s character and was always so happy to see his name as I was reading. Oliver made it easy to really fall in love with these characters and to hate people like the Regulators or the guards. And the twists and turns!! I don’t even want to go into detail about them — because you should most definitely read the book yourself to find out — but they will rip your heart out and leave a mess of of emotions in its place. This is a book you will not be able to put down. This was a fantastic novel and now I feel compelled to read everything Lauren Oliver has written. I’m especially glad that I had Pandemonium, the next book in this series, in my possession and could read it right away because Oliver definitely left my world shattered with her ending of Delirium. A wonderful, wonderful writer, Lauren Oliver is one to watch.

*WARNING: Plot SPOILERS for Delirium and Pandemonium* (Originally posted at http://lostatmidnightreviews.blogspot.ca/) I was pretty nervous to read this book. I absolutely, totally, and completely LOVED Delirium. The last paragraph still gives me goosebumps, and I want the quote "I love you. Remember. They cannot take it." tattooed somewhere on my body. While I had heard solely good things about the novel I also heard it was, in typical Lauren Oliver fashion, a heart-breaker. I couldn't resist the temptation long (or the frantic tweets from my friend Crim) and finally picked it up. There were lots of things I loved about this book. In Delirium we were exposed to life in regular society: rigid, controlled, and loveless. Lena, as part of this society, follows the rules and doesn't question them. After the events at the end of the novel, Lena is a changed woman. She is brought into The Wilds and turned into a self-reliant survivor. It was very interesting, and a part of the novel I loved, to see Lena transform from this docile young girl, to a fierce member of the resistance. Lauren Oliver switched styles beautifully, darkening the tone of the series and giving us a harsh glimpse of life outside society's walls. I really liked having an overall view of this world, something I find is often lacking in many books. And the writing! Man, Lauren Oliver is crazy fantastic. She knows how to write a powerful and engaging story with believable characters and a fantastic plot line. Her writing itself never fails to amaze me. She gives me chills! There were a few new characters introduced Pandemonium that left me with mixed emotions. I really liked Raven but I constantly felt suspicious of her intentions, and could never completely bring myself to believe in her. The same went with many members of The Wilds. And then there was Julian. Although I thought he was a perfectly fine person, what he caused I was not a fan of. So, this is when I talk about why I couldn't give Pandemonium five stars. It's a bit spoiler-y, as I mentioned above, so read on with caution. Julian and his relationship with Lena kind of ruined the book for me. In Delirium the idea of love conquering everything was so prominent I felt like it defined the book. I've been a bit frustrated with YA romances recently, but Delirium was different and I loved all the messages it was sending. It was strong, powerful, and consuming. It made me want to get up and preach love from the rooftops! It made me so happy to live in a world where love was cherished. But, I felt like this message of hope that was said in Delirium was undermined in Pandemonium. For Lena to very quickly and easily fall into a new love, so soon after the loss of her previous one, confused the message of "love conquering all" for me. I was also frustrated with the ending. Lauren Oliver is a fantastic writer and the Delirium series is superb both in concept and in execution. So, was it necessary to throw in that cliffhanger? I knew it was coming, and it was frustrating to have it thrown in at the end. Readers of the Delirium series will pick up Requiem without question. I felt it unnecessary to leave us hanging that way, and lessened the impact of the novel for me. I love cliffhangers, but I was not a fan of this one. Now, I did love Pandemonium, don't get me wrong. It was a fantastic sequel in almost every way. Yes, there were a few things that irked me, but they didn't ruin the book for me. The Delirium series is one of the best romantic dystopians out there, and I highly recommend them! I'm very, very excited for Requiem and I can't wait to see how it all ends. - Ciara who is lost at midnight

Delirium was a slow burning sort of book but Pandemonium grabbed me right from the first page and took off from there. It's much more character driven and I liked the inclusion of more unique people to read about. Lena's not the sad and frightened girl anymore. She's grown into herself and fighting for what she believes in. We get to see more of the Wilds and other cities, and the comparisons between the two can be harsh. Oliver's writing is once again beautiful and she near killed me with another craazy cliffhanger! All in all an amazing, pulse pounding sequel. Loved it! ~~ I had read quite a few reviews for Pandemonium. A lot loved it, some didn't, and I was hesitant to read it just like I was about Delirium. I loved Delirium but I had to warm up to it first. But with Pandemonium, luckily, the story has already been established; we know how Delirium ended, where Lena was headed, and what she had to do. So in short, I loved it! After the brutal end to Delirium, I was curious to how Pandemonium would breach the subject and how Lena would continue on. The story gets told in alternating chapters: before, when she was still frightened and new to the world she was now a part of, and after, when she has accepted her circumstances and is ready to fight. The blurb has got it right: the old Lena is gone, and this new Lena is fierce. I know some people weren't crazy about the changing chapters but I really liked them. They gave good contrast to how much Lena had changed, how her priorities were different, and what she was feeling, before and after her whole life changed. Pandemonium introduces us to a whole host of new characters. The group of people that gradually becomes Lena's family were all different and unique, though only three of them are distinct in my mind. There was a particular scene that pretty much tore my heart out and stomped on it. In a place where everyone has learned to push down their feelings and be strong, it was a pretty powerful moment of vulnerability. Then we have Julian. Lena finds herself in a distressing situation with Julian and is forced into close quarters with him. It's inevitable that they get to know each other and Julian, having not yet received his cure and thinking Lena is cured, is pretty enamored/wary of her. I'm still not sure how I feel about Julian. He is a nice guy, and he genuinely cares for Lena. It would be unfair if she were to close herself off to the possibility of loving someone again, buuuut *shrugs*. I think Lena needs a stronger personality that I just haven't seen yet. And just when the book was coming to an end, I'm thinking "huh, maybe it'll end well!" BUT NO. Lauren Oliver does it again. This cliffhanger... *flails* probably worse than Delirium's. It had me sitting there with my mouth hanging open. It completely turns everything upside down and then, of course, I questioned a lot of what I'd already read because, well, if you've read it you know! There was also another shocking reveal, but it was so shortlived and we only realize the significance until after the fact. Both of these instances have me dyingggg for the third book! Review from my blog: http://allofeverythingforyou.blogspot.ca/2012/04/review-pandemonium-by-lauren-oliver.html