Panic

By: Lauren Oliver

Narrated by: Sarah Drew

An utterly gripping thriller from best-selling author Lauren Oliver. Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a poor town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do. Heather never thought she would compete in panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She'd never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game; he's sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he's not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for. For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them - and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

In this gritty, spellbinding novel, best-selling author Lauren Oliver delivers a gripping narrative of friendship, courage, survival, and hope.

©2014 Lauren Oliver (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishing

Thrilling masterpiece

Carp is a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. It’s inhabitants trudge through the dreariness of a hard life, dreaming of one day leaving this messed up town in hopes of something better. That’s how ‘panic’ started. It’s a dangerous game of chance where the stakes are high, but the winning are still enough to lure dozens of hopeful seniors each year to risk life and limb.

This year, Heather, Dodge and Natalie will make the leap, risking everything for the chance of being able to escape their dismal lives in Carp. Each has their own reasons for playing, but none of them could ever realize just how dangerous ‘panic’ would be, nor how intertwined their lives would become as each fights for the chance to become the one and only winner.

There is something very poignant and crisp about Lauren Oliver’s writing style. She writes with such flair that emotions comes spilling out of each character and it’s impossible not to picture in detail each individual eyelash and scar on the faces of her protagonists.

The characters in ‘Panic’ are not starry-eyed teenagers. They’re thick-skinned, hardened by difficult lives. Each day is a struggle. And yet despite the hardships they face, each one of them is strong in their own right. The dialogue is real and the dynamic between the teens is fascinating. Each interaction and gripping story-twist is like watching two trains heading for a collision - it’s horrifying, but you can’t bear to look away because you never know, something could still happen at the last second to prevent the crash.

This is a story of hope. It’s proof that a sad start in life doesn’t always determine the ending, that bravery will triumph and that love still has the power to conquer all circumstance.

Yet another thrilling masterpiece from Lauren Oliver.