Review: Panic

Panic by Lauren Oliver
Grade: C+
Release date: March 4, 2014
This ARC was provided by Read Between the Lynes bookstore in exchange for an honest review.
Summary: Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end 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.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: I was really excited for this book.  I first heard about it on Tea Time and was super excited when I saw an ARC in RBTL's back room.  My feelings on this are mixed.  I loved how much Heather cared for her little sister and how much Dodge cared for his older sister.  Anne was a great character.  I was a big fan of Bishop and Heather as a couple.  The setting was stifling and enchanting.  But the teenagers were downright stupid, all in the name of Panic.  They lied and betrayed and did idiotic things.  Nat was a bit stereotypical.  Heather's main motivation for joining Panic was her break-up with Matt, and I hoped for more substance in her motivation.  There was underage drinking and drugs.  A lot of foul language of all types.  Some descriptive violence, and implied things in the romance department.

The Verdict: Ugh, ugh, ugh.  This is a book I was very excited for and very much looking forward to.  But I didn't fall in love like I hoped.