Teen Book Review: Pandemonium and an Interview with Best Selling Author Lauren Oliver

I've already posted a review of the incredible Pandemonium sequel to the amazing Delirium, but now that I was able to have Lauren stop by for an interview I just have to post it again.

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Published by Harpercollins February 28 2012

Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher

Summary:

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, 

pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 

pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, 

push, 

push, 

push, 

like Raven taught me to do.

The old life is dead.

But the old Lena is dead too.

I left her beyond a fence,

behind a wall of smoke and flame.

My thoughts:

  It's not often that I like a sequel as much as the first in the series, but Pandemonium is exceptional.  It was more than I hoped it would be. Lena is now in the Wilds....grieving for her loss and trying to survive. We meet a few new characters in this book and out of them all, Raven is my favourite. She's hardened by the life she has been forced to lead, but I really felt she took on a wonderful maternal role in the story and finally Lena had a woman she could connect with even if it wasn't her 'real' mother. I'm not sure how I feel about Julian yet. I need more time to process his role in Lena's life, and I'm not ready to let go of Alex. There were shocking moments in the book that I could not have predicted and of course the last page left me gasping.... (don't read ahead though!!!) 

I've had my copy since Sept, but I waited to read it. I have to admit that I was hesitant to because I loved Delirium so very much. Today was the day I planned to read it with my tea and blanket in my favourite reading chair. I opened the pages and disappeared happy to be within Lena's story. Not her world. Her world scares me I guess as it would anyone, but I felt comforted and settled between the lines of her story like I was visiting a friend. I love Lauren Oliver's writing style. She has a gift with words and I often end up reading paragraphs out loud so I can get the full impact of their meaning. 

"Grief is like sinking, like being buried. I am in water the tawny color of kicked up dirt. Every breath is full of choking. There is nothing to hold on to, no sides, no way to to claw myself up. There is nothing to do but let go."

"That is what hatred is. It will feed you and at the same time turn you to rot. It is hard and deep and angular, a system of blockades. It is everything and total."

I could almost quote the whole book because it is page after page of masterful and vivid writing. I was sad when it ended, and I can not wait for more. Highly Recommended. 

I am so unbelievably excited to be able include the interview with Lauren below. Thanks Lauren XO.

1. Do you write for yourself, for others, to tell the story? Where does your inspiration come from?

I think it’s all three, really. I definitely have to write, for myself, for my sanity, and usually once I have an idea for a book, I can’t stop writing. But I do think, to some extent, about the audience, about trying to connect with an experience that’s somewhat universal.

2. Do you see parts of yourself in Lena? In your other characters?

I think you have to project yourself into all of your major characters—and even some of your minor ones! I’m usually some kind of amalgam of a few characters. In this case, if you took Lena—some of her fears, some of her thoughtfulness, and her ultimately strong center—and smushed it together with some of Hana’s characteristics—her height, her brazen attitude, her desire for fun—you’d get me.

3. Who is an author that impacts you? 

Neil Gaiman! I adore his books.

4. I adored Raven, despite her flaws. Who is your favourite character from  Pandemonium and why?

I loved Raven too. She might be my favorite. I felt for her so badly—she was so hard, because she’d had to become that way. But underneath her many layers, she has been heartbroken, and she has experienced deep loss and sadness. 

(I (Jen) removed question 5 because I thought it might be too spoilery):)

6. Favourite Disney Movie?

The Little Mermaid!

7. Is it true that you put Ketchup on nearly everything?

Yes! Here are some of my favorite things to put ketchup on: toast, pasta, eggs, and any kind of vegetable.

8. Do you have any other books planned in the next year?

I’m working on editing Requiem, the third book in the Delirium series, right now, which will publish in spring 2013. And this fall, I have a book for younger readers (8-12) publishing in the US. It’s called THE SPINDLERS, and it tells the story of a girl, Liza, who must journey into the underworld to rescue her brother’s soul from spider-people. It’s cool and creepy and I’m excited about it!

I for one can not wait for Requiem and The Spindlers sounds fabulous!!

Reviews for Lauren's other books can be found here:   Delirium  and Liesl & Po

I buried her.

Book Review: Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Happy Pandemonium Release Day!!!!!

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Published by Harpercollins February 28 2012

Reviewed from ARC provided by publisher

Summary:

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, 

pushing aside thoughts of Alex, 

pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, 

push, 

push, 

push, 

like Raven taught me to do.

The old life is dead.

But the old Lena is dead too.

I buried her.

I left her beyond a fence,

behind a wall of smoke and flame.

My thoughts:

  It's not often that I like a sequel as much as the first in the series, but Pandemonium is exceptional.  It was more than I hoped it would be. Lena is now in the Wilds....grieving for her loss and trying to survive. We meet a few new characters in this book and out of them all, Raven is my favourite. She's hardened by the life she has been forced to lead, but I really felt she took on a wonderful maternal role in the story and finally Lena had a woman she could connect with even if it wasn't her 'real' mother. I'm not sure how I feel about Julian yet. I need more time to process his role in Lena's life, and I'm not ready to let go of Alex. There were shocking moments in the book that I could not have predicted and of course the last page left me gasping.... (don't read ahead though!!!) 

I've had my copy since Sept, but I waited to read it. I have to admit that I was hesitant to because I loved Delirium so very much. Today was the day I planned to read it with my tea and blanket in my favourite reading chair. I opened the pages and disappeared happy to be within Lena's story. Not her world. Her world scares me I guess as it would anyone, but I felt comforted and settled between the lines of her story like I was visiting a friend. I love Lauren's writing style. She has a gift with words and I often end up reading paragraphs out loud so I can get the full impact of their meaning.


"Grief is like sinking, like being buried. I am in water the tawny color of kicked up dirt. Every breath is full of choking. There is nothing to hold on to, no sides, no way to to claw myself up. There is nothing to do but let go."


"That is what hatred is. It will feed you and at the same time turn you to rot. It is hard and deep and angular, a system of blockades. It is everything and total."


I could almost quote the whole book because it is page after page of masterful and vivid writing. I was sad when it ended, and I can not wait for more. Highly Recommended. 

Aside from being an incredible author one of my favourite things about Lauren is her beautiful singing voice...see clip below.

Find reviews of Lauren's other books here:

Delirium
Liesl & Po

Book Review: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Published by Harper Collins October 4th 2011

Hardcover 304 Pages

Reviewed from ARC provided by the publisher

Summary

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

I'm not sure how I'll write a review that will do this book justice. It's also hard to write my thoughts on it knowing how personal this book was to to the author.

    I connected to the characters immediately. Liesl was lovely. Positive, considering all the trauma she had recently been through. Forced to live in an attic alone after the passing of her father. Locked up by her stepmother, she has only her memories to keep her company. Until Po and Bundle  appear in her room one night, it's the memories of her father keep her going, his love and belief in her. Po is from "the other side" and Lisel hopes this means that he might be able to contact her father, that she might be able to say the things to him, she never got to say.
Contrast that with Will. An apprentice to an abusive magician, like Liesl he's alone in the world. They never would have crossed paths if it weren't for the wooden boxes. One containing the "most powerful magic in the world" the other carrying the ashes of Lisel's father.The adventure that ensues is one of friendship, sacrifice and love.

  Lisel and Po feels like a classic. It feels older than it is and I was reminded of the feelings I had reading books like The Little Princess, and the Secret Garden by Frances Burnett. The feeling that you know you are reading something timeless, and special. One thing that really stood out for me were certain words that were repeated in the book...the  word ineffable -which means "to incredible to describe" this is a word that Lisel grew up hearing while sharing moments with her father.  Will grew up hearing the word "useless" and it takes helping Lisel for him to realize his true worth.

    Lauren is a wonderful storyteller, gifted with ability to weave such beautiful words together. The illustrations and cover fit the tone and mood of the story.There is a lot of emotion between the lines of the story and I'm so grateful that Lauren shared it with us. Lisel and Po has appeal for girls and boys and would be a great choice for a read-aloud in a middle grade class or to share at home. Highly recommended.

Author's I'd Love to Meet

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by the fab The Broke and the Bookish.

I love reading everyone's lists each week.

The Top Ten Authors I'd Die to Meet

My List:

1. Jo Rowling. She gave me Harry Potter. I'd love to meet her for tea in a castle in Edinburough and just soak up her amazingness.
2. Stephenie Meyer. She gave me Edward. I've meet her once before but it was briefly at a signing and I was speechless.....
3. Jane Austen. I love her writing, so lovely and poetic. Sense and Sensiblity is my all time fav.
4. Lauren Oliver. My new favourite author. I've already met her briefly at a signing and once again I was speechless and pretty sure I came off as I crazy stalker person.
5. Suzanne Collins. Hunger Games Brillance.
6. Libba Bray-Writer Brillance.
7. Mo Willems. Author of Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and The Gerald and Piggie Books.......every book I read of his outloud makes me laugh.
8. Judy Blume. My favourite author from my childhood. I'd love the opportunity to tell her what her books have meant to me
9. Oliver Jeffers. One of my all time favourite picture book authors.
10. Kiersten White. In my head Evie and I are BFFS and if you follow Kiersten on Twitter or on her blog you know how hilarious she is.
11. Gayle Forman. If I Stay changed the way I thought about many things, I'd love the opportunity to tell her.

Looking forward to reading your lists....

TGIF-Quotes

Yeah! It's Friday! TGIF is hosted by the fabulous Ginger at GREADS. Each week features a different book related question:
This weeks question:

And I Quote: What are some of your favorite book quotes?



The written word speaks to me in a way that nothing else can which is why I'm so in love with reading. I truly feel that books sometimes fall into my hands at the exact moment they need to because there is something I need  to see, envision or learn. Lauren Oliver's books are an example of this.....so many wonderful things inside the covers which is why I keep so many quotes from her books......


"I guess that's what saying good-bye is always like--like jumping off an edge. The worst part is making the choice to do it. Once you're in the air, there's nothing you can do but let go."

— Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall)

"Maybe you can afford to wait. Maybe for you there's a tomorrow. Maybe for you there's one thousand tomorrows, or three thousand, or ten, so much time you can bathe in it, roll around it, let it slide like coins through you fingers. So much time you can waste it. But for some of us there's only today. And the truth is, you never really know."
— Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall)

"One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us."
— Cassandra Clare (Clockwork Angel)


"And now I know why they invented words for love, why they had to: It's the only thing that can come close to describing what I feel in that moment, the baffling mixture of pain and pleasure and fear and joy, all running sharply through me at once."
— Lauren Oliver (Delirium)

"Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone is to accept whatever it is they’ve got to offer you”
--Anna Humphrey (Rhymes with Cupid)

"Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you."
— Gayle Forman (If I Stay)

"It´s so strange how life works: You want something and you wait and wait and feel like it´s taking forever to come. Then it happens and it´s over and all you want to do is curl back up in that moment before things changed."
— Lauren Oliver (Delirium)

"The whole point of growing up is learning to stay on the laughing side."
— Lauren Oliver (Before I Fall)

I don't know if authors really fully know what an impact they have on our lives. Escapism yes, but they also have lead the way for many life changing moments just through their words. Lauren Oliver and Gayle Forman (and many others) have truly impacted mine and I'll be forever grateful.

Dystopian Tour

What's a girl to do when Thursday night rolls around and there is no Vampire Diaries on TV?

How about head to a book store for an amazing event and meet Lauren Oliver & Veronica Roth?

Divergent and Delirium have been the two books that have stood out this year amongst all the others I've read. Exceptional reads! I loved the q & a portion, I can't believe how eloquent, intelligent and at ease they were. It was a really wonderful night! (even if there was no Damon on TV:)

Thanks to Harper Collins and Chapters/Indigo for hosting!



Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Published by HarperTeen February 1st 2011
440 Pages
Reviewed using NetGalley

Summary from Goodreads
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

   I read this nearly a week ago (maybe two) and I've been putting off the review because I'm worried that I won't do the book justice. To say it was incredible-just isn't enough. To give it a rating just doesn't seem right either.  It's challenging to describe "art" and the way you feel about it to someone else. And I truly feel that Lauren Oliver has created something amazing in this book.

   I connected with Lena right from the beginning. So much so, that I reacted in a way that surprised me. I really wanted Lena to be "Cured" I didn't want her to like Alex. I didn't want her to go against the rules. I wanted her safe. When she went in for evaluation and Alex was there I was saying things like "don't pay attention to him" "just do what you are supposed to" I spent a large amount of the book angry with Alex for interfering. In all the books I've read before, that has never happened.  I still can't explain that "protective" feeling. I've had my share of pain and heart ache but I wouldn't change the fact that I can love and be loved, of course I would want everyone to have that. In the end, (through the tears) I was cheering Lena on-I wanted happiness for her.

  The writing was beautiful, powerful and poetic. Each chapter began with quotes from books in Lenas world which explained why love is a disease and must be cured. The ending was heartwrenching and I don't know how I will wait for the next.
One of the more startling aspects of the book was the fact that it was so believable and I worry that in our "pills & procedures can fix anything society" that someday this could be a road people travel down. I wish that I had read this in a book-club enivronment - there are many parts I'd like to share and talk about with others.
When I've read a book like this, one that impacts me the way this one did I'm often left with feelings of awe and gratitiude for the writer. So thank you Lauren Oliver for writing Delirium. We, the readers are so lucky that you have. You've given us an incredible gift.