Review: Panic by Lauren Oliver

Book- Panic

Author- Lauren Oliver

Genre- Young adult, contemporary, romance

My rating- 5 stars

Panic is a stand alone book which was completely different to what I expected it to be. If you are looking for a book that will have you on the edge of your seat, you should definitely pick up this read.

I won Panic in a Goodreads giveaway, so that was exciting!

After a shaky start to the book where I wasn't too sure about it, I was hesitant about this book. However, after I had got into it I loved it and it gripped me completely.

Panic by Lauren Oliver is completely different to anything I have ever read, I highly recommend it. 

You may have read some of Lauren Oliver's other work, for example, the Delirium trilogy and Before I Fall.

I will tell you a little about the book before I get into why I gave this book 5 stars. This part of the review will be completely spoiler free, I will warn you before I start talking spoilers!

Nobody knows when Panic started or who started it, all they know is that in Carp there is nothing else to do. Maybe that is why Panic started, a game of fear and strength with a prize which teenagers in Carp would die for, literally. Because people who compete in Panic have died in the past and will die in the future.  When Heather makes a snap decision to compete in Panic, she finds herself facing challenges of great danger. 

Dodge planned to play Panic, revenge and anger would get him to the end.

So, like I have already said, I really enjoyed this book, it was interesting and I honestly did not know where is was going. When I am reading a book and I can predict where it is going, it really annoys me, so this book was different and that is one of my reasons for giving it 5 stars.

I have heard many mixed reviews about this book, I can see why people might not like it as much as others, but for me it was a great read.

If you like the sound of Lauren Oliver's newest release, pick it up! But now I am going to talk some spoilers so if you have not yet read Panic I recommend you do not carry on reading!

My first thoughts on this book are how I loved the ending, one second I am almost shouting at the book, the next I am clapping my hands in joy. 

The tigers. THE TIGERS. I knew as soon as we were introduced to the tigers, they would have a role in Panic. I felt so terrified for Nat when she had to meet the tigers... If there was a zombie apocalypse happening around me whilst I was reading those pages, I would not have looked up from the book! Another moment that had me gripped completely, was the car, I genuinely thought Lauren Oliver would kill Heather then just leave the book on that, I was scared. But she didn't! Yay! 

The ending was great, I found myself shipping Heather and Bishop so hard through the book and I genuinely wasn't surprised when we found out Bishop was a judge. When those two got together at the end though, I couldn't have been happier. I also found Nat and Dodge sweet, although I disliked Nat and did not trust her one bit.

One problem I had with the book was the fact that I didn't really believe that it would happen. I know it is a book and it doesn't have to make sense, but I was a bit frustrated with the fact that 'surely someone is going to call the cops on this!', 'Panic surely would have been stopped! People die!', but I did try to ignore these facts. 

Whilst reading reviews, I have noticed that quite a few people preferred reading about Dodge... But I definitely preferred reading about Heather! I liked her character a lot more, because I found that I couldn't understand why Dodge made some of the decisions that he did... He just wasn't really someone that I would get along with! I was definitely rooting for Heather to win the whole way through, she deserved it for herself and Lily. But I don't think Dodge was in the game for the right reasons at all. I definitely did not want Nat to end up winning, at one point I thought that was the way the book would plan out. We find out at the end that Heather splits the money. I wish she didn't actually, but it seemed right all the same.

I mentioned it before, but I would like to talk more about Bishop being the judge. I wanted him to tell Heather that he was a judge so badly! Also, I wanted him to carry on being the judge, then he would have had the money for himself and Heather, it would have all been worth it then....

Of course, when I saw Panic had romance in it and I had read the blurb, I was sure Heather and Dodge would likely end up together. I thought this because in quite a lot of books, the main characters end up together, I am glad this wasn't the case.

Now I am going to end the review, I hope you enjoyed it, I certainly enjoyed Panic! Thankyou for reading,

-Darcy

Top 5 books that I NEED NOW

So, I know I should have done this at the start of the year as a, 'Most anticipated books of 2014' kind of thing, but I didn't... So here I have, the books I NEED NOW... These are not going to be in any particular order because I literally cannot do that, it was hard enough deciding my top 5.

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
It feels like I have been waiting a life time for this book... I cannot WAIT for it to be released, but I am also terrified. I beg of you Cassandra, be nice to us! Do not kill any of our favorite characters... Please?
If you have not yet read The Mortal Instruments, then I highly recommend that you do, read it right now because it is one of the best series on the planet. Merci! This is the final book of the 6 book series and if I don't get my hands on it soon I don't know what will happen.
I also don't want this series to end, but I know it will go with a bang! 
This book comes out on the 27th of May (or so Goodreads tells me...) and is 733 pages long! I literally cannot wait any longer-

The One by Kiera Cass
I have lost count of the time I have been waiting for The One... This is the final book in The Selection trilogy.
If you have not yet read this trilogy then I highly recommend that you do, it is by far one of my favourites. These books are magical eventhough they do not contain magic... Does that make sense? I just love them with all my heart.
It is due to be released on May 6th, which isn't too long to wait... But it feels like forever when you have been waiting this long for a book.
I for ONE am extremely excited for the finale to be released and will be reading it straight away.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins
So, on this list, this book is the one I have been waiting for the least. But does that take away my anticipation? NO.
I need Isla in my life. Stephanie Perkins has quickly become one of my favourite authors after picking up her books in January, her writing is consistent and addictive. If you need to be persuaded to read Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door (the first two), then go check out my reviews for them! I highly recommend you read them.
This is the final book in the trilogy. Each of these books are told from a different perspective, but the character's lives intertwine. These romances are some of the best I have ever read and I am so excited for Isla to be released. People who have read these books will join me in saying how absolutely addictive and adorable Stephanie Perkins' books are.

Opposition by Jennifer L Armentrout
Sadly, this book does not yet have a cover... So I cannot show you! 
This is the final (Final books in series seems to be my theme today) book in The Lux Series, one of my favourites. Although I really do not want the series to end, I have to have this book before I explode. Since August, when Origin was released,  I have been waiting (not so patiently) for Opposition and I really hope Jennifer will be kind to us. (AKA, not killing off any of our favourite characters)
I definitely recommend this series (Another theme in this post) The first book is Obsidian, pick it up and become addicted.


Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
This book has not yet got a cover either! I cannot contain my excitement for Heir of Fire, the third book in the Throne of Glass series.
Honestly, if you haven't yet picked up the first book in this series, Throne of Glass, you need to because it is genuinely amazing. The best thing about this series? It keeps getting better.
Goodreads tells me it is going to be released on the 2nd of September, which is way too long, however the novellas are still waiting for me. Hopefully those will help get me through this long wait.
I also am totally excited to see the cover of this book, because I love the covers of the first two, hopefully it will be just as beautiful!

Waiting...

So, that is the end of the top 5 book I NEED NOW. There are definitely more books than I need to get my hands on, but these are my top.
People may ask, 'where is Blood of Olympus'? The answer is, I have only just finished The Son of Neptune! So bear with me! And now we wait for all these wonderful books to be released, it can't be that hard, can it? UM YES. Thankyou for reading this post and I will have a new one up soon!
-Darcy

Annoying things for book lovers...

So, this post is going to be a list of 5 things that as a book lover, are the most infuriating things we have to deal with!
5) STICKERS. Why, oh why, do people think it is a good idea to put ultra-sticky-impossible-to-get-off stickers on the front of your book? 'Soon to be a major motion picture!', 'The next Harry Potter!' 'Hotter than the Hunger Games!' 

These stickers can be nearly impossible to get off and look hideous on my books... Also, why do you have to say its better than another book? If it is a good book then it doesn't have to say its better than another... Hm...
4) Cover changes. So, this happens alot, you are half way through a series and then BAM, cover change. Then, all of a sudden you have mis-matching covers, it is so infuriating! Sometimes the new cover looks better than previous one, but that does not excuse mis-matching covers! Cause of death- Mismatching covers on bookshelf...
3) Getting comfortable whilst reading. I am sure most people can relate with this one. So, you pick up your book and are ready to read! You start by sitting down, but your back starts aching. So, you lie down on your side, but turning the pages becomes difficult. So you lie on your back, holding the book up, it works for a few seconds and then your arms start to die... You then end up in an extremely weird position which is surprisingly comfortable. But then you have to move, and it ruins the whole thing because you can't get back into the extremely comfortable position! So, you end up where you started, sat down normally.

I think that explains it, finding a comfortable position whilst reading is a big hassle where you find yourself in need of a chair made of clouds... That needs to be invented!
2) WHEN THE BOOK MARK FALLS OUT OF THE BOOK. This is VERY frustrating for me. On many occasions my friends have taken the book mark out of my book just to annoy me and boy, does it work! As well as friends taking it out, sometimes I accidentally drop it out of the book and I just stare at the book in wide eyed horror. 
This is terrible for many reasons, here are my main ones,
-You have to look for your place all over again
-Sometimes you accidentally read spoilers trying to look for your place and AHHH
1) I think this is most definitely the worst thing, SPOILERS. I hate them, you mostly get them on the internet, but also in real life and they just make me want to scream. The most terrible thing is when you are really close to finishing a book and have avoided spoilers for ages, then go on Tumblr for two seconds and... BAM! 
Ofcourse, spoilers are something that we cannot prevent, especially with social media, but that does not stop them from being number one on my list.

So, that is the end of my very short list on 'annoying things for book lovers.' Ofcourse, there are many more annoying things and these are just a few. Although these peeves are annoying, as a book lover you tolerate them! Thankyou for reading,
-Darcy

March: To Be Read

So, you may have already seen my February wrap up, now I am doing my March to be read!
These are books that I want to read in March, some are new releases and some are books that I have planned to read, others may be books I need to finish and things. So I will begin to tell you which books they are!

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
So, a few days ago I finished Cinder by Marissa Meyer, the first book in the series as you may have seen in my 'February: What I read'. I really loved Cinder and now I want to get onto Scarlet as soon as possible! 
I have to say how much I love the covers of these books, they are so interesting and fit perfectly with the books. You may already know, but these books are fairy tale retellings that all fit together and are in the same world. Cinder: A Cinderella retelling. Scarlet: A Little Red Riding Hood retelling. Cress: A Repunzel retelling. Winter: A Snow White retelling! (Not yet released) 
The idea behind these books is fantastic and I can't wait to carry on with this series. I have been told these books just keep on getting better and better!
I hope to also get to Cress this month.

Panic by Lauren Oliver
So, Goodreads tells me this book is to be released on March 4th, but Amazon tells me March 6th... Not sure who is right, but anyway... I have wanted to read Panic for a while, so I was really excited when I found out that I had won it in a Goodreads giveaway! It has not arrived in the post yet, but hopefully it will come soon so I can devour it!
The book looks very intriguing to me, the concept something that I think I will really like. When I have finished it I will definitely put a review up to say how I liked it. 
I am going to try and read this as soon as possible when I get it!

Half Bad by Sally Green
This book is a new release which I have heard about loads recently. It comes out today! This book sounds so good! From what I have heard it is a about witches and I love fantasy... And ofcourse witches!
I cannot wait to purchase this book and get reading.
I have seen lots about this book, especially on the Booktube community, everyone has been talking about this book lots over there!
Definitely check this book out because it looks very good.
I plan to read this book as soon as possible and possibly review it for you all!

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
This is the second book in The Heroes of Olympus series if you didn't already know. I am already halfway through this book, but am planning to finish it this month!
I read the first half quite quickly, but then I just stopped... I don't really know why! But I am mad at myself for stopping because I love Percy Jackson so much! I have actually done this with quite a few books in February, so I am going to try and finish those in March.
Also, the worst thing happened, as you may know from my previous post, I have just come back from France, where in the early hours of Wednesday morning I had to get up at 3 in the morning to leave (argh, I don't know how I did it to be honest) Anyway, I was rushing about when I picked up Son of Neptune and somehow dropped the book mark out of the book! This is one of the most annoying things a book lover can do (check out my next post(; ) and I still haven't picked up The Son of Neptune to find my place again, so hopefully I can do that ASAP. Anyway...
I am actually going to leave this 'to be read' at this, as I want to go with the flow a bit this month, I am really excited for the books I plan to read though. First though, I am going to tell you the books I started in February and am very close to finishing in list format.
-Pushing the Limits by Katie Mcgarry
-Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
-Red by Alison Cherry
-Delirium by Lauren Oliver

So that will be the end of this post! I hope you enjoyed reading about what I will be reading in March,
-Darcy

February: What I read

So, this post is going to be about the books that I read in February. I have never posted anything like this before so I hope people enjoy it!
Before I start, I would like to say that I have not read that much this month, for the past week I have been in France to study world war 1, which was a great experience! I also have had quite a bit of course work and things to do... Basically I have been busy! But I will tell you what I have been reading in the order I read it in.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
This was the first book I read in February and I really loved it! I wrote a blog post recommending books at the beginning of the month and Fangirl was on that list! If you want to know a bit about it then go and check out that post to see!
This book is extremely well written and cute, if you are looking for a book to warm your heart, this is definitely it! I found this book so uplifting and sweet, I would recommend it 100%. Fangirl did not take me long to read and I read it on my Kindle, I hope to pick up Eleanor & Park very soon, I haven't read it straight away because I hear it is very sad... But I will definitely get to it as soon as possible!
Rating- 5 stars

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K.Rowling (re-read)
This is obviously a re-read! I really wanted to jump back into the world of Harry Potter for a re-read at the beginning of February, so I did ofcourse. If you don't know what Harry Potter is or what it is about then...
Do you not live on Earth?
I don't think I need to tell you what it is about. If you haven't read it yet, then what are you doing?! GO, GO, GO! 
I always love re-reading the series, it just brings back so many memories and you notice things you may not remember from the last time you read it... I just love Harry Potter, really.
Rating- 5 stars (obviously)


 In Bloom by Matthew Crow
I won this book in a giveaway on Goodreads, which was exciting. I have put up a review for this so you can check that out! The book is about a boy with Leukaemia and I found it very real, touching.
If you have read my review for In Bloom, you will see that I don't think I connected with the book that well, but I do still recommend it highly. I finished this just over a week ago and found it to be a very enjoyable read!
 I would like to see more people pick up this book as I had never heard of it before spotting it on Goodreads.
Rating- 4 stars


Cinder by Marissa Meyer
OH MY.
Why haven't I read this book before now? I finished this two days ago whilst in France and absolutely loved it! The plot, characters and world building was fantastic and I can't wait to get onto the second book in the series, Scarlet.
If you have not yet read this book, then you definitely should because I recommend it to you. Cinder is a Cinderella retelling, but Cinder is a mechanic... And a cyborg. The whole idea of the book is extremely interesting and I have seen it recommended on so many different occasions. 
I was sat on the coach in France and was giggling and 'ahhh-ing' quite alot, my friend sat next to me was a bit confused but oh well. Whilst reading the book I felt like I was in the world, which is a quality in books I find awesome.
Rating- 5 stars

So, those are all the books I read in February and I know it really isn't much. But one thing is, I have started or am half way through quite alot of books at the moment and didn't finish them before the end of February, so they will be on my March wrap up!
One more thing, I have just found out that I won a book in a Goodreads giveaway which is Panic by Lauren Oliver! I am so pumped to read this book anyway and it will be coming in the post soon so yay! *Celebrates*
Thankyou for reading always,
-Darcy