Lauren Oliver Panic

Recently I read the book Panic, by Lauren Oliver. The genre of the story is realistic fiction and is written for young adults. Lauren Oliver also wrote the books “Before I Fall”, “Pandemonium”, and “Requiem”. The book Panic is about a group of teenagers that compete in a high-stakes game that involves many secretive, dangerous challenges. Even though the game is so dangerous, the $67,000 cash prize makes it well-worth it. The story takes place in a small town in New York, where not much happens. The main character, Heather, needs the money to get her and her sister away from her drug-addicted mother and stepfather. Heather’s best friend, Natalie also plays, and hopes to use the money to start her modeling career. In addition, Dodge, their other friend, plays to get even with somebody who hurt his sister. Everybody who plays panic has a reason to play, and needs something only the game can give them. Some people play for money, some to get even, and others play for a thrill they can only get from panic. Heather, Natalie, and Dodge work together to get through the challenges. Throughout the book, Heather’s character changes from the challenges. When Panic first starts, she fears the challenges and doesn’t believe that she can do them. After a while, she

The book kept me guessing until the very end of the story. The main characters are easy to relate to, and are very likeable. Lauren Oliver’s style in the book is casual, yet it keeps the reader greatly intrigued. Oliver is able to paint a very vivid picture of each event in the story, that makes the reader feel as if they are right there, participating in the challenges. The theme of desire reoccurs in the story, as the characters all desire something throughout the game. Panic is written for young adults, and can be classified as a realistic fiction genre. Panic was published by HarperCollins in 2014. The ISBN number is